Skip to content Skip to footer
3K
3K
740
3K
Menu
Menu

A List of 15 Fears That Men May Have

Men are seen as strong and the defender of their families, country, and everything in the world. Due to this, many are afraid to admit they have any type of fear or phobia. The truth is that there are things that scare men. The top phobias that men have are listed below in no specific order. Some are strange and some make perfect sense, we hope this list is informative and useful.

1. Autophobia: Loneliness or being alone
We hear that women often worry about being an old lady with only cats as companions, however, men are often expected to have a wife and family or at least a girlfriend at all times. Men also have this phobia but many times are embarrassed to tell anyone. The fear of loneliness can be brought on from the expectations of society or from a childhood experience. Individuals do not need to be alone to suffer from autophobia, but just the feeling of being unloved or ignored can bring on anxiety.

2. Fear of Failure
Fear of failure does not necessarily mean in their career but it can include relationships, tests in school, or just life in general. The severity of the symptoms can be mild or paralyzing. Atychiphobia can have an individual paralyzed in fear and will have a panic attack at the thought of going to school or taking on a new opportunity at work.

3. Paruresis: Fear of Peeing in Public
Do you feel weird going to the bathroom in another person’s home? Maybe you wait until you get home to urinate. This fear of peeing in public phobia brings on a huge fear of hearing themselves going to the bathroom in a public restroom. The severity can be so bad that the individual suffering from paruresis can only go pee at home or with a catheter.

4. Gamophobia: Fear of Commitment
Hearing the words “spending the rest of your life with someone” can bring on a full-blown panic attack for those suffering from Gamophobia. The fear of commitment is not just an individual shying away from relationships and marriage but is a true phobia that can lead to a lifelong fear that stops the person from enjoying life. The cause could be a bad breakup or watching their parents go through a divorce.

5. Cibophobia and Chlorophobia: Fear of Green Food
These two phobias, Chlorophobia and Cibophobia combined are the fear of green food. Alone, Chlorophobia is fear of the color green and Cibophobia is the fear of food. Yes, this is one of the top guy phobias. Any green food such as broccoli, lettuce, or Brussel sprouts will bring on anxiety, sweating, and other symptoms. Some individuals are so fearful that they will not go to a restaurant or eat at anyone’s home due to the fear.

6. Allodoxaphobia: Fear of Other People’s Opinions
We all want to be accepted, however, some individuals have a fear of other people’s opinions so much that it brings on anxiety. The opinions of others are so scary that most do not attend functions where they can get those stares or words that make them feel worthless. Low self-esteem and high anxiety can make a guy stay at home and avoid others.

7. Pistanthrophobia: Fear of Trusting People
Everyone normally has a few reservations when meeting someone new. An individual with Pistanthrophobia cannot trust other people. This could be due to a terrible breakup or something that happened in childhood that brought on embarrassment. Due to this, a guy that has this phobia will not have any meaningful relationships whether a spouse or friend.

8. Gynophobia: Fear of women
If you get an upset stomach or have difficulty breathing when you think about women or see a woman approaching you, you may have Gynophobia. The fear of women is a true phobia that paralyzes men as they feel that women can make them feel weak or unmanly. This may be brought on by a previous relationship with a woman that had a strong personality or bossy. It may also be the result of an overly demanding mother.

9. Hypengyophobia: Fear of Responsibility
Throughout the years, men have been taught to be the breadwinners or at least bear most of the responsibility in a family. Men with hypengyophobia have a very difficult time handling responsibility. They may break out in sweats, have a pounding heartbeat, or feel like vomiting when giving any type of responsibility whether at work or home. The cause could be from failing to finish a task by the deadline at work or from not being able to finish chores as a child. The fear can cause the person the inability to work or raise a family.

10. Coulrophobia: Fear of Clowns
The fear of clowns may seem silly to many people, however, around 7.8% of individuals in the United States have this fear. The fear is so intense that going to a circus or even seeing a photo of a clown can in extreme cases bring on a panic attack. The cause could be from an incident during childhood or from scary movies where a clown was a murderer. An individual with this phobia will avoid all places where there may be a clown whether at a costume party or a carnival.

11. Kinemortophobia: Fear of Zombies
Everyone knows that zombies are imaginary. Those with kinemortophobia realize this fact, but that does not stop the fear. The fear of zombies is very real to this person. The fear is probably from watching zombie movies as a child. A person with this phobia will not a movie, read a book, or even look at a photo of a zombie without having anxiety. The fear is so strong they may believe that a zombie apocalypse is inevitable.

12. Escalaphobia: Fear of Escalators
Going to a mall and even seeing an escalator can make some people shake. Escalaphobia is an irrational fear of escalators that can bring on anxiety and other physical and mental problems. Seeing one in a movie can cause a person with the phobia to have a racing heart. The cause could be from falling on one or seeing another person almost fall even on television.

13. Nomophobia – Fear of Being without your Phone
In today’s society, all we see are people with their heads down on their phones. A new phobia is growing and that is nomophobia which is the fear of without your phone, having no connection, or the battery going dead. The fear can bring on a panic attack if the phone cannot be found quickly. A dead battery may have them looking for a charging station in panic mode. The phobia has not truly been studied and is not listed by medical professionals, but the fear is real for those with the phobia.

14. Ergophobia – Fear of Work
Ergophobia may seem like a strange fear, however, it is truly a fear. Fear of work or the workplace environment can cause an individual to have mild or severe anxiety thinking about going to work or while at work. Those with this phobia, if it is not severe, go to work but are anxious the entire time. The cause may be from an incident that occurred at a previous workplace or even from a parent talking about their unpleasant work environment.

15. Ablutophobia – Fear of Cleaning the Body
Being clean is important for our health. For those with ablutophobia, the thought of taking a bath or shower can cause problems breathing and in extreme cases panic attacks. Whether it is washing the body, taking a shower or bath, the fear is there. The cause could have started as a child that was afraid to take a bath or from even watching a movie where something bad happened in a shower or bathtub.

Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
This Pop-up Is Included in the Theme
Best Choice for Creatives
Purchase Now