Phobias

There are lots of unusual phobias – some remarkably specific, e.g. fear of the number 8; and there's even "phobophobia" – a fear of phobias. Very chicken and egg.

Woman diagnosed with panphobia, from Alexander Morison’s 1843 book The Physiognomy of Mental Diseases

A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias may develop for a variety of reasons: childhood experiences, past traumatic experiences, brain chemistry, genetics or learned behaviour.

Here is…