We recently conducted a six-month research study to analyse wedding nerves and their impact. During the study we looked at wedding nerves and anxiety from a variety of perspectives:

1. The Bride
2. The Groom
3. The Best Man
4. The father of the bride
5. The mothers

And we are currently conducting research about wedding nerves and anxieties from the perspective of the bridesmaids.

When we turned our attention to the Grooms' we found a somewhat different picture and a very interesting side issue that only affected the grooms. The initial results showed:

• 93% of men about to get married suffer from some form of nerves at some stage before or during the ceremony.
• About 16%, have panic attacks at some point before the ceremony and
• 2% reported having a panic attack during the ceremony.
• We also found 34% of grooms are so nervous that they forget their own or their brides' name during the ceremony even though they are just repeating what someone else is saying!
• 71% of grooms got the words mixed up in some form or put the ring on the wrong finger or even the wrong hand!

The speech:

• 98% of the grooms said they were nervous about the speech
• 13% of grooms froze at some stage during the speech.
• 43% said that they missed out or messed up part of the speech due to nerves.
• 8% didn't get up and do the speech because of their nerves and,
• 77% said that if it hadn't been for their nerves they would have performed better and wished they could do it again.

So what were the grooms anxious about?

Top 10 Wedding Anxieties

The top ten most frequent reasons for grooms having wedding nerves, were, in reverse order:

10. Forgetting the rings.

9. Being late and getting to the church after the bride

8. Relatives falling out or not getting on or being judgemental about his family or him.

7. Just being in front of people - the centre of attention

6. Doing something stupid in front of people

5. Falling over in front of people

4, Freezing or feinting during the ceremony

3. Friends pulling a stupid prank

2. The bride not turning up on the wedding day

1. Delivering the speech or speech related fears.

In the next guide I will look at the wedding nerves of the best man.

We have just finished six months of research looking at the extent of nerves and anxiety surrounding weddings. Over the next few articles in this series (Wedding Nerves) I will be looking at wedding nerves, what causes them and giving you some tips to help.

In this first short articles I will look at the nerves Brides get. The most obvious candidate for nerves, anxiety and even panic attacks during the run up to and during the wedding is the bride-to-be.  In our survey of 299 brides-to-be we found the following:

1. 71% of brides-to-be suffered from nerves of some description on the run up to the wedding.
2. 92% of brides felt some form of nerves on the day of the wedding or the evening before.
3. 66% of brides-to-be reported that the nerves got so bad that it affected their daily lives before the wedding or affected their performance and / or enjoyment during the wedding.
4. 19% of brides-to-be reported that they had one or more panic attacks before or during the wedding. (See this article for a description of panic attacks).
5. 8% stated they were confident and happy at all times before and during the wedding.

So what were they nervous about?

We were a little shocked at the extent and breadth of the issues that the Brides said triggered their nerves. This is a summary of some of the more frequent responses:

• Have I made the right decision?
• Am I good enough?
• Will it work?
• Will he cancel the engagement?
• Will I find out something about him I don't like?
• Is he who he says he is?
• Will I go through with it?
• Can I cope with his mother / father / family / friends?
• Can he cope with my mother / father / family / friends?
• Will my mother / father / family / friends behave at the wedding?
• Will his mother / father / family / friends behave at the wedding?
• Will the wedding be a disaster?
• Will I make a mistake at the ceremony?
• Will I do something daft on the day and people will laugh at me?
• Will one of his ex girlfriends turn up / object at the ceremony?
• Will one of my ex-boyfriends turn up / object at the ceremony?
• Will the cake be OK?
• Will the centrepiece be perfect?
• Will the flowers turn up and be everything I want them to be?
• Will the decorations be fantastic?
• Will the food and drink be excellent for people?
• Will I remember what I am supposed to say / do?
• Will I trip over in the aisle?
• Will my hair be perfect / stay perfect?
• Will the make-up be just right / stay right?
• Will I freeze or throw up from nerves?
• Will the day go well without any disasters?

However the number one reason given for brides wedding nerves was this:

I don't know why I am so nervous.

As you can see the extent of the triggers of nerves and anxieties for the brides is somewhat extensive, and this isn't an exhaustive list by any means. These are the most frequent responses we got during the research.

This all had a number of consequences for the brides:

"I wish I could just run off with Ralph and get married in Vagas or somewhere on our own."

"This is really affecting my life. I am a bag of nerves."

"I can't sleep"

"I can't concentrate on anything at the moment"

"It is more a mixture of excitement and fear"

"I feel sick at the thought of the wedding. It shouldn't be like this."

"I can't wait for it to be over"

"I am nervous but that's fine. I think it's more excitement than fear."

"I am terrified of freezing on they day"

"I am happy, very, it's just the nerves. I just want to run away."

"This is the scaryest thing I have every done"

"This is total fear. I am not sure I can go through with it."

"I am anxious but I am really looking forward to it."

"I can't eat."

As you can see from the range of consequences, most are affected to some degree. For some the outcomes were considered to be quite serious and were certainly affecting their enjoyment of the anticipation of their wedding day.

I'll look at the figures for the grooms' nerves in the next article.

By David Wilkinson

If the boss asks to see you, do you automatically assume the worst?

Are you quick to see problems as opposed to opportunities?

Is your glass half empty, or half full?

The reason I ask is that your bias towards interpreting things as being negative or positive may have a bearing on your level of emotional resilience. A recent study conducted at the University of California suggests that there may be a relationship between our outlook and our level of emotional resilience.

In this study the researchers asked 65 people who were not seeking any treatment for emotional problems to look at a series of images of faces. The faces displayed a range of emotional responses across the range from extreme happiness, through neutral faces to extreme sadness and fear. They also asked the participants to rate themselves in terms of their own general level of emotional resilience.

What they found was that just about everyone accurately ascribed the correct emotions to the faces when they were presented with faces showing happiness, sadness and fear. However when the participants were shown faces that had emotionally neutral expressions most people (statistically significant) interpreted the neutral expressions as being sad or fearful as opposed to happy. Only a very small number of people consistently interpreted neutral faces as being happy.

This is interesting in itself as the population was a reasonably random sample, which suggests that most of us are glass half empty people. However the really interesting thing they found came when they ran a correlation of the self-reports of the participant's levels of emotional resilience. What they discovered was the individuals that thought an emotionally neutral face showed happiness we also those with the highest levels of self-reported emotional resilience.

This suggests that there may be a link between your level of emotional resilience and your general outlook on life. Glass half full people appear, from this study to be more emotionally resilient. Or does it?

The problem with this study is that they used self-reports of levels emotional resilience. These may or may not be accurate. There is however, a possibility that people with a negative bias in the task also have a negative bias of their own abilities and levels of resilience. Similarly the people with a positive bias in the task could also have a positive bias towards their own levels of resilience. I think I want a somewhat more objective measure or description of the participants' levels of emotional resilience before I drew the conclusion that there is actually a link between someone's outlook of bias towards negative or positive interpretations of things and their general levels of emotional resilience.

Whilst it appears to make sense that positive people would be more resilient, and indeed many writers and companies selling products or remedies claim as much there is scant evidence from this study that this is the case.  There are other research programmes however and I will report on those in due course.

The experiment conducted by Arce et al from the Department of Psychiatry was reported in a paper entitled ‘Association between individual differences in self-reported emotional resilience and the affective perception of neutral faces.' published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in April 2009 (Apr;114(1-3):286-93).

Technically phobias and fears are not the same thing. More about this.

• The a-z list of Phobias by (technical) name is here.

If you have a fear of ... the phobia is...

8, the number- Octophobia.

10, the number - Decaphobia.

13, the number- Triskadekaphobia.

666, the number- Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.

A
Abuse: sexual- Contreltophobia.
Accidents- Dystychiphobia.
Air- Anemophobia.
Air swallowing- Aerophobia.
Airborne noxious substances- Aerophobia.
Airsickness- Aeronausiphobia.
Alcohol- Methyphobia or Potophobia.
Alone, being- Autophobia or Monophobia.
Alone, being or solitude- Isolophobia.
Amnesia- Amnesiphobia.
Anger- Angrophobia or Cholerophobia.
Angina- Anginophobia.
Animals- Zoophobia.
Animals, skins of or fur- Doraphobia.
Animals, wild- Agrizoophobia.
Ants- Myrmecophobia.
Anything new- Neophobia.
Asymmetrical things- Asymmetriphobia
Atomic Explosions- Atomosophobia.
Automobile, being in a moving- Ochophobia.
Automobiles- Motorphobia.

B

Bacteria- Bacteriophobia.
Bald people- Peladophobia.
Bald, becoming- Phalacrophobia.
Bathing- Ablutophobia.
Bats- Chiroptophobia.
Beards- Pogonophobia.
Beaten by a rod or instrument of punishment, or of being severely criticized- Rhabdophobia.
Beautiful women- Caligynephobia.
Beds or going to bed- Clinophobia.
Bees- Apiphobia or Melissophobia.
Belly buttons- Omphalophobia.
Bicycles- Cyclophobia.
Birds- Ornithophobia.
Black- Melanophobia.
Blindness in a visual field- Scotomaphobia.
Blood- Hemophobia, Hemaphobia or Hematophobia.
Blushing or the color red- Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia.
Body odors- Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia.
Body, things to the left side of the body- Levophobia.
Body, things to the right side of the body- Dextrophobia.
Bogeyman or bogies- Bogyphobia.
Bolsheviks- Bolshephobia.
Books- Bibliophobia.
Bound or tied up- Merinthophobia.
Bowel movements: painful- Defecaloesiophobia.
Brain disease- Meningitophobia.
Bridges or of crossing them- Gephyrophobia.
Buildings: being close to high buildings- Batophobia.
Bullets- Ballistophobia.
Bulls- Taurophobia.
Bums or beggars- Hobophobia.
Burglars, or being harmed by wicked persons- Scelerophobia.
Buried alive, being or cemeteries- Taphephobia or Taphophobia.

C

Cancer- Cancerophobia, Carcinophobia.
Car or vehicle, riding in- Amaxophobia.
Cats- Aclurophobia, Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Felinophobia, Galeophobia, or Gatophobia.
Celestial spaces- Astrophobia.
Cemeteries- Coimetrophobia.
Cemeteries or being buried alive- Taphephobia or Taphophobia.
Ceremonies, religious- Teleophobia.
Changes, making; moving- Tropophobia or Metathesiophobia.
Chickens- Alektorophobia.
Child, bearing a deformed; deformed people- Teratophobia.
Childbirth- Maleusiophobia, Tocophobia, Parturiphobia, or Lockiophobia.
Children- Pedophobia.
Chinese or Chinese culture- Sinophobia.
Chins- Geniophobia.
Choking or being smothered- Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia.
Choking- Anginophobia.
Cholera- Cholerophobia.
Chopsticks- Consecotaleophobia.
Church- Ecclesiophobia.
Clocks- Chronomentrophobia.
Clocks or time- Chronophobia.
Clothing- Vestiphobia.
Clouds- Nephophobia.
Clowns- Coulrophobia.
Coitus- Coitophobia.
Cold or cold things- Frigophobia.
Cold: extreme, ice or frost- Cryophobia.
Cold- Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia or Psychropophobia.
Color purple- Porphyrophobia.
Color red or blushing- Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia.
Color yellow- Xanthophobia.
Color white- Leukophobia.
Colors- Chromophobia or Chromatophobia.
Comets- Cometophobia.
Computers or working on computers- Cyberphobia.
Confined spaces- Claustrophobia.
Constipation- Coprastasophobia.
Contamination, dirt or infection- Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia.
Contamination with dirt or germs- Misophobia or Mysophobia.
Cooking- Mageirocophobia.
Corpses- Necrophobia.
Cosmic Phenomenon- Kosmikophobia.
Creepy, crawly things- Herpetophobia.
Criticized severely, or beaten by rod or instrument of punishment- Rhabdophobia.
Criticism- Enissophobia.
Crosses or the crucifix- Staurophobia.
Crossing streets- Agyrophobia or Dromophobia.
Crowded public places like markets- Agoraphobia.
Crowds or mobs- Enochlophobia, Demophobia or Ochlophobia.
Crucifix, the or crosses- Staurophobia.
Crystals or glass- Crystallophobia.

D

Dampness, moisture or liquids- Hygrophobia.
Dancing- Chorophobia.
Dark or night- Nyctophobia.
Dark place, being in- Lygophobia.
Darkness- Achluophobia or Myctophobia, or Scotophobia.
Dawn or daylight- Eosophobia.
Daylight or sunshine- Phengophobia.
Death or dying- Thanatophobia.
Death or dead things- Necrophobia.
Decaying matter- Seplophobia.
Decisions: making decisions- Decidophobia.
Defeat- Kakorrhaphiophobia.
Deformed people or bearing a deformed child- Teratophobia.
Deformity or unattractive body image- Dysmorphophobia.
Demons- Demonophobia or Daemonophobia.
Dental surgery- Odontophobia.
Dentists- Dentophobia.
Dependence on others- Soteriophobia.
Depth- Bathophobia.
Diabetes- Diabetophobia.
Dining or dinner conversations- Deipnophobia.
Dirt, contamination or infection- Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia.
Dirt or germs, being contaminated with- Misophobia or mysophobia.
Dirt or filth- Rhypophobia or Rupophobia.
Dirty, being dirty or personal filth- Automysophobia.
Disease- Nosophobia, Nosemaphobia or Pathophobia.
Disease and suffering- Panthophobia.
Disease, a definite- Monopathophobia.
Disease, brain- Meningitophobia.
Disease: kidney- Albuminurophobia.
Disease, rectal- Rectophobia.
Disorder or untidiness- Ataxophobia.
Dizziness or vertigo when looking down- Illyngophobia.
Dizziness or whirlpools- Dinophobia.
Doctor, going to the- Iatrophobia.
Doctrine, challenges to or radical deviation from official- Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia.
Dogs or rabies- Cynophobia.
Dolls- Pediophobia.
Double vision- Diplophobia.
Drafts- Aerophobia or Anemophobia.
Dreams, wet- Oneirogmophobia.
Dreams- Oneirophobia.
Drinking- Dipsophobia.
Drugs, new- Neopharmaphobia.
Drugs or taking medicine- Pharmacophobia.
Dryness- Xerophobia.
Dust- Amathophobia or Koniophobia.
Dust- Amathophobia.
Duty or responsibility, neglecting- Paralipophobia.
Dying or death- Thanatophobia.

E

Eating or swallowing- Phagophobia.
Eating or food- Sitophobia or Sitiophobia.
Eating or swallowing or of being eaten- Phagophobia.
Eight, the number- Octophobia.
Electricity- Electrophobia.
Englishness- Anglophobia.
Erect penis- Medorthophobia.
Erection, losing an- Medomalacuphobia.
Everything- Panophobia, Panphobia, Pamphobia, or Pantophobia.
Eyes- Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia.
Eyes, opening one's- Optophobia..

F

Fabrics, certain- Textophobia.
Failure- Atychiphobia or Kakorrhaphiophobia.
Fainting- Asthenophobia.
Fatigue- Kopophobia.
Fearful situations: being preferred by a phobic- Counterphobia.
Feathers or being tickled by feathers- Pteronophobia.
Fecal matter, feces- Coprophobia or Scatophobia.
Female genitals- Kolpophobia.
Female genitalia- Eurotophobia.
Fever- Febriphobia, Fibriphobia, Fidriophobia or Pyrexiophobia.
Filth or dirt- Rhypophobia.
Fire- Arsonphobia or Pyrophobia.
Firearms- Hoplophobia.
Fish- Ichthyophobia.
Flashes- Selaphobia.
Flogging or punishment- Mastigophobia.
Floods- Antlophobia.
Flowers- Anthrophobia or Anthophobia.
Flutes- Aulophobia.
Flying- Aviophobia or Aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia.
Fog- Homichlophobia or Nebulaphobia.
Food or eating- Sitophobia or Sitiophobia.
Food- Cibophobia.
Foreigners or strangers- Xenophobia.
Foreign languages- Xenoglossophobia.
Forests or wooden objects- Xylophobia.
Forests- Hylophobia.
Forests, dark wooded area, of at night- Nyctohylophobia
Forgetting or being forgotten- Athazagoraphobia.
France or French culture- Francophobia, Gallophobia or Galiphobia.
Freedom- Eleutherophobia.
Friday the 13th- Paraskavedekatriaphobia.
Frogs- Batrachophobia.
Frost, ice or extreme cold- Cryophobia.
Frost or ice- Pagophobia.
Functioning or work: surgeon's fear of operating- Ergasiophobia.
Fur or skins of animals- Doraphobia.

G

Gaiety- Cherophobia.
Garlic- Alliumphobia.
Genitals, particularly female- Kolpophobia.
Genitalia, female- Eurotophobia.
Germans or German culture- Germanophobia or Teutophobia.
Germs or dirt, being contaminated with- Misophobia or mysophobia.
Germs- Verminophobia.
Ghosts or specters- Spectrophobia.
Ghosts- Phasmophobia.
Girls, young or virgins- Parthenophobia.
Glass or crystals- Crystallophobia.
Glass- Hyelophobia, Hyalophobia or Nelophobia.
Gloomy place, being in- Lygophobia.
God or gods- Zeusophobia.
Gods or religion- Theophobia.
Gold- Aurophobia.
Good news, hearing good news- Euphobia.
Gravity- Barophobia.
Greek or Greek culture- Hellophobia.
Greek terms- Hellenologophobia.

H

Hair- Chaetophobia, Trichopathophobia, Trichophobia, or Hypertrichophobia.
Halloween- Samhainophobia.
Hands- Chirophobia.
Handwriting- Graphophobia.
Harmed by wicked persons; bad men or burglars- Scelerophobia.
Heart- Cardiophobia.
Heat- Thermophobia.
Heaven- Ouranophobia or Uranophobia.
Heights- Acrophobia, Altophobia, Batophobia, Hypsiphobia or Hyposophobia.
Hell- Hadephobia, Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia.
Heredity- Patroiophobia.
Holy things- Hagiophobia.
Home- Ecophobia.
Home surroundings or a house- Oikophobia.
Home, returning- Nostophobia.
Home surroundings- Eicophobia.
Homosexuality or of becoming homosexual- Homophobia.
Horses- Equinophobia or Hippophobia.
Hospitals- Nosocomephobia.
House or home surroundings- Oikophobia.
Houses or being in a house- Domatophobia.
Hurricanes and tornadoes- Lilapsophobia.
Hypnotized, being or of sleep- Hypnophobia.

I

Ice or frost- Pagophobia.
Ice, frost or extreme cold- Cryophobia.
Ideas- Ideophobia.
Ignored, being- Athazagoraphobia.
Imperfection- Atelophobia.
Inability to stand- Basiphobia or Basophobia.
Infection, contamination or dirt- Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia.
Infinity- Apeirophobia.
Injections- Trypanophobia.
Injury- Traumatophobia.
Insanity, dealing with- Lyssophobia.
Insanity- Dementophobia or Maniaphobia.
Insects- Acarophobia or Entomophobia or Insectophobia.
Insects that eat wood- Isopterophobia.
Insects that cause itching- Acarophobia.
Itching- Acarophobia.

J

Japanese or Japanese culture- Japanophobia.
Jealousy- Zelophobia.
Jews- Judeophobia.
Joint immobility- Ankylophobia.
Jumping from high and low places- Catapedaphobia.
Justice- Dikephobia.

K

Kidney disease- Albuminurophobia.
Kissing- Philemaphobia or Philematophobia.
Knees- Genuphobia.
Knowledge- Gnosiophobia or Epistemophobia.

L

Lakes- Limnophobia.
Large things- Megalophobia.
Laughter- Geliophobia.
Lawsuits- Liticaphobia.
Learning- Sophophobia.
Left-handed; objects at the left side of the body- Sinistrophobia.
Leprosy- Leprophobia or Lepraphobia.
Lice- Pediculophobia or Phthiriophobia.
Light- Photophobia.
Light flashes- Selaphobia.
Lightning and thunder- Brontophobia or Karaunophobia.
Lights, glaring- Photoaugliaphobia.
Liquids, dampness or moisture- Hygrophobia.
Locked in an enclosed place- Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia, or Clithrophobia.
Lockjaw or tetanus- Tetanophobia.
Loneliness or of being oneself- Eremophobia or Eremiphobia.
Looking up- Anablephobia or Anablepophobia.
Loud noises- Ligyrophobia.
Love, sexual love- Erotophobia.
Love play- Malaxophobia or Sarmassophobia.
Love, falling or being in- Philophobia.

M

Machines- Mechanophobia.
Mad, becoming- Lyssophobia.
Many things- Polyphobia.
Marriage- Gamophobia.
Materialism- Hylephobia.
Matter, decaying- Seplophobia.
Meat- Carnophobia.
Medicine, taking; or drugs- Pharmacophobia.
Medicines, mercurial- Hydrargyophobia.
Medicine, prescribing by a doctor- Opiophobia.
Memories- Mnemophobia.
Men, bad or burglars or being harmed by wicked persons- Scelerophobia.
Men- Androphobia or Arrhenphobia or Hominophobia.
Menstruation- Menophobia.
Mercurial medicines- Hydrargyophobia.
Metal- Metallophobia.
Meteors- Meteorophobia.
Mice- Musophobia, Murophobia or Suriphobia.
Microbes- Bacillophobia or Microbiophobia.
Mind- Psychophobia.
Mirrors or seeing oneself in a mirror- Eisoptrophobia.
Mirrors- Catoptrophobia.
Missiles- Ballistophobia.
Mobs or crowds- Demophobia, Enochlophobia or Ochlophobia.
Moisture, dampness or liquids- Hygrophobia.
Money- Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia.
Moon- Selenophobia.
Mother-in-law- Pentheraphobia.
Moths- Mottephobia.
Motion or movement- Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia.
Moving or making changes- Tropophobia.
Moving automobile or vehicle, being in- Ochophobia.
Muscular incoordination (Ataxia)- Ataxiophobia.
Mushrooms- Mycophobia.
Music- Melophobia.
Myths or stories or false statements- Mythophobia.

N

Names or hearing a certain name- Onomatophobia.
Names- Nomatophobia.
Narrow things or places- Stenophobia.
Narrowness- Anginophobia.
Needles- Aichmophobia or Belonephobia.
New, anything or novel- Kainophobia, Kainolophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, or Neophobia.
Newness- Cainophobia, Cenophobia, Centophobia, or Cainotophobia.
News: hearing good news- Euphobia.
Night or dark- Nyctophobia.
Night- Noctiphobia.
Noise- Acousticophobia.
Noises, loud- Ligyrophobia.
Noises or voices, speaking aloud, or telephones- Phonophobia.
Northern lights- Auroraphobia.
Nosebleeds- Epistaxiophobia.
Novelty or anything new- Kainophobia or Kainolophobia.
Novelty- Cainophobia or Cainotophobia.
Nuclear weapons- Nucleomituphobia.
Nudity- Gymnophobia or Nudophobia.
Number 8- Octophobia.
Number 13- Triskadekaphobia.
Numbers- Arithmophobia or Numerophobia.

O

Objects, small- Tapinophobia.
Ocean or sea- Thalassophobia.
Odor, personal- Bromidrosiphobia, Bromidrophobia, Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia.
Odor, that one has a vile odor- Autodysomophobia.
Odors or smells- Olfactophobia.
Official doctrine, challenges to or radical deviation from- Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia.
Old people- Gerontophobia.
Old, growing- Gerascophobia or Gerontophobia.
Open spaces- Agoraphobia.
Open high places- Aeroacrophobia.
Operation, surgical- Tomophobia.
Opinions- Allodoxaphobia.
Opinions, expressing- Doxophobia.
Others, dependence on- Soteriophobia.
Otters- Lutraphobia.
Outer space- Spacephobia.

P

Pain- Algiophobia, Ponophobia, Odynophobia or Odynephobia.
Paper- Papyrophobia.
Parasites- Parasitophobia.
Parents-in-law- Soceraphobia.
Peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth- Arachibutyrophobia.
Pellagra- Pellagrophobia.
Penis, erect- Medorthophobia.
Penis, esp erect- Phallophobia.
Penis, erect: seeing, thinking about or having- Ithyphallophobia.
Penis, losing an erection- Medomalacuphobia.
People- Anthropophobia.
People in general or society- Sociophobia.
People, deformed or bearing a deformed child- Teratophobia.
Philosophy- Philsosphobia.
Phobias- Phobophobia.
Phobic prefering fearful situations- Counterphobia.
Pins and needles- Belonephobia.
Pins- Enetophobia.
Place: locked in an enclosed place- Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia, or Clithrophobia.
Place, being in a dark or gloomy- Lygophobia.
Places, certain- Topophobia.
Places, crowded public- Agoraphobia.
Places, open high- Aeroacrophobia.
Places or things, narrow- Stenophobia.
Plants- Botanophobia.
Pleasure, feeling- Hedonophobia.
Poetry- Metrophobia.
Pointed objects- Aichmophobia.
Poison- Iophobia.
Poisoned, being- Toxiphobia, Toxophobia, or Toxicophobia.
Poliomyelitis, contracting- Poliosophobia.
Politicians- Politicophobia.
Pope- Papaphobia.
Poverty- Peniaphobia.
Praise, receiving- doxophobia.
Precipices- Cremnophobia.
Prescribing medicine for patients by a doctor- Opiophobia.
Priests or sacred things- Hierophobia.
Progress- Prosophobia.
Property- Orthophobia.
Prostitutes or venereal disease- Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, or Cyprinophobia.
Punishment or flogging- Mastigophobia.
Punishment by a rod or other instrument, or of being severely criticized- Rhabdophobia.
Punishment- Poinephobia.
Puppets- Pupaphobia.
Purple, color- Porphyrophobia.

Q-

R

Rabies- Cynophobia, Hydrophobophobia, Hydrophobia, Kynophobia, or Lyssophobia.
Radiation or x-rays- Radiophobia.
Railroads or train travel- Siderodromophobia.
Rain- Ombrophobia or Pluviophobia.
Rape- Virginitiphobia.
Razors- Xyrophobia.
Rat, great mole- Zemmiphobia.
Rectum or rectal diseases- Proctophobia or Rectophobia.
Red color or blushing- Erythrophobia, Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia.
Relatives- Syngenesophobia.
Religion or gods- Theophobia.
Religious ceremonies- Teleophobia.
Reptiles- Herpetophobia.
Responsibility or duty, neglecting- Paralipophobia.
Responsibility- Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia.
Ridiculed, being- Catagelophobia or Katagelophobia.
Riding in a car- Amaxophobia.
Right side, things on the right side of the body- Dextrophobia.
Rivers- Potamphobia or Potamophobia.
Road travel or travel- Hodophobia.
Robbers or being robbed- Harpaxophobia.
Rooms, empty- Cenophobia or Centophobia.
Rooms- Koinoniphobia.
Ruin- Atephobia.
Running water- Potamophobia.
Russians- Russophobia.

S

Sacred things or priests- Hierophobia.
Satan- Satanophobia.
Scabies- Scabiophobia.
School, going to school- Didaskaleinophobia.
School- Scolionophobia.
Scientific terminology, complex- Hellenologophobia.
Scratches or being scratched- Amychophobia.
Sea or ocean- Thalassophobia.
Self, seeing oneself in a mirror- Eisoptrophobia.
Self, personal odor- Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia.
Self, being alone- Autophobia, Eremophobia, Eremiphobia or Isolophobia.
Self, being dirty- Automysophobia.
Self, being oneself- Autophobia.
Self, being seen or looked at- Scopophobia or Scoptophobia.
Self, being touched- Aphenphosmphobia.
Self, that one has a vile odor- Autodysomophobia.
Semen- Spermatophobia or Spermophobia.
Sermons- Homilophobia.
Sex- Genophobia.
Sex, opposite- Heterophobia or Sexophobia.
Sexual abuse- Agraphobia or Contreltophobia.
Sexual intercourse- Coitophobia.
Sexual love or sexual questions- Erotophobia.
Sexual perversion- Paraphobia.
Shadows- Sciophobia or Sciaphobia.
Sharks- Selachophobia.
Shellfish- Ostraconophobia.
Shock- Hormephobia.
Sin or of having committted an unpardonable sin- Enosiophobia or Enissophobia.
Sin- Hamartophobia.
Single: staying single- Anuptaphobia.
Sinning- Peccatophobia.
Sitting down- Kathisophobia.
Sitting- Cathisophobia or Thaasophobia.
Situations, certain- Topophobia.
Skin disease- Dermatosiophobia.
Skin lesions- Dermatophobia.
Skin of animals, fur- Doraphobia.
Sleep- Somniphobia.
Sleep or being hypnotized- Hypnophobia.
Slime- Blennophobia or Myxophobia.
Slopes, steep- Bathmophobia.
Small things- Microphobia, Mycrophobia.
Smells or odors- Olfactophobia.
Smothered, being or choking- Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia.
Snakes- Ophidiophobia or Snakephobia.
Snow- Chionophobia.
Social (fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations)- Social Phobia.
Society or people in general- Anthropophobia or Sociophobia.
Solitude- Monophobia.
Sounds- Acousticophobia.
Sourness- Acerophobia.
Space, closed or locked in an enclosed space- Cleithrophobia, Cleisiophobia, Clithrophobia.
Space, outer- Spacephobia.
Spaces, confined- Claustrophobia.
Spaces, empty- Cenophobia, Centophobia or Kenophobia.
Spaces, open- Agoraphobia.
Speak, trying to- Glossophobia.
Speaking- Laliophobia or Lalophobia.
Speaking aloud, voices or noises, or telephones- Phonophobia.
Speaking in public- Glossophobia.
Specters or ghosts- Spectrophobia.
Speed- Tachophobia.
Spiders- Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia.
Spirits- Pneumatiphobia.
Stage fright- Topophobia.
Stairs or climbing stairs- Climacophobia.
Stairways- Bathmophobia.
Stand, inability to- Basiphobia or Basophobia.
Standing upright- Basistasiphobia or Basostasophobia.
Standing up- Stasiphobia.
Standing up and walking- Stasibasiphobia.
Stared at, being- Ophthalmophobia.
Stars- Siderophobia or Astrophobia.
Statements, false or myths or stories- Mythophobia.
Staying single- Anuptaphobia.
Stealing- Cleptophobia or Kleptophobia.
Step-father- Vitricophobia.
Steep slopes- Bathmophobia.
Step-mother- Novercaphobia.
Stings- Cnidophobia.
Stooping- Kyphophobia.
Stories or myths or false statements- Mythophobia.
Strangers or foreigners- Xenophobia.
Streets, crossing streets- Dromophobia.
Streets- Agyrophobia.
String- Linonophobia.
Storm, thunder- Brontophobia.
Stuttering- Psellismophobia.
Suffering and disease- Panthophobia.
Sun or sunlight- Heliophobia.
Sunshine or daylight- Phengophobia.
Surgeon's fear of operating: work or functioning- Ergasiophobia.
Surgical operations- Tomophobia.
Swallowing or eating- Phagophobia.
Symbolism- Symbolophobia.
Symmetry- Symmetrophobia.
Syphillis (lues)- Luiphobia or Syphilophobia.

T

Tapeworms- Taeniophobia.
Taste- Geumaphobia or Geumophobia.
Technology- Technophobia.
Teenagers- Ephebiphobia.
Teeth- Odontophobia.
Telephones, noises or voices, or speaking aloud- Phonophobia.
Telephones- Telephonophobia.
Termites- Isopterophobia.
Tests, taking- Testophobia.
Tetanus or lockjaw- Tetanophobia.
Theaters- Theatrophobia.
Theology- Theologicophobia.
Things, many- Polyphobia.
Things, large- Megalophobia.
Things or places, narrow- Stenophobia.
Things, small- Microphobia or Mycrophobia.
Thinking- Phronemophobia.
Thunder- Ceraunophobia.
Thunder and lightning- Astraphobia, Astrapophobia, Brontophobia or Keraunophobia.
Tickled by feathers or feathers- Pteronophobia.
Tied or bound up- Merinthophobia.
Time or clocks- Chronophobia.
Toads- Bufonophobia.
Tombstones- Placophobia.
Tornadoes and hurricanes- Lilapsophobia.
Touched, being touched- Aphenphosmphobia, Haphephobia or Haptephobia or Chiraptophobia.
Trains, railroads or train travel- Siderodromophobia.
Travel or road travel- Hodophobia.
Trees- Dendrophobia.
Trembling- Ttremophobia.
Trichinosis- Trichinophobia.
Tuberculosis- Phthisiophobia or Tuberculophobia.
Tyrants- Tyrannophobia.

U

Ugliness- Cacophobia.
Undressing in front of someone- Dishabillophobia.
Urine or urinating- Urophobia.

V

Vaccination- Vaccinophobia.
Vegetables- Lachanophobia.
Venereal disease or prostitutes- Cypridophobia, Cypriphobia, Cyprianophobia, or Cyprinophobia.
Ventriloquist's dummy- Automatonophobia.
Vertigo or dizziness when looking down- Illyngophobia.
Virginity, losing one's- Primeisodophobia.
Virgins or young girls- Parthenophobia.
Vision: double vision- Diplophobia.
Voices or noises, speaking aloud or telephones- Phonophobia.
Voids or empty spaces- Kenophobia.
Vomiting secondary to airsickness- Aeronausiphobia.
Vomiting- Emetophobia.

W

Waits, long- Macrophobia.
Walking, standing up and- Stasibasiphobia.
Walking- Ambulophobia, Basistasiphobia or Basostasophobia.
Washing- Ablutophobia.
Wasps- Spheksophobia.
Water- Hydrophobia.
Waves or wave like motions- Cymophobia or Kymophobia.
Wax statues- Automatonophobia.
Weakness- Asthenophobia.
Wealth- Plutophobia.
Weapons, nuclear- Nucleomituphobia.
Weight, gaining- Obesophobia or Pocrescophobia.
Wet dreams- Oneirogmophobia.
Whirlpools or dizzyness- Dinophobia.
White, the color- Leukophobia.
Wild animals- Agrizoophobia.
Wind- Ancraophobia or Anemophobia.
Wine- Oenophobia.
Witches and Witchcraft- Wiccaphobia.
Women- Gynephobia or Gynophobia.
Women, beautiful- Caligynephobia or Venstraphobia.
Wooden objects or forests- Xylophobia.
Words- Logophobia or Verbophobia.
Words, long- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia or Sesquipedalophobia.
Work or functioning; surgeon's fear of operating- Ergasiophobia.
Work- Ergophobia or Ponophobia.
Worms- Scoleciphobia.
Worms, being infested with- Helminthophobia.
Wrinkles, getting- Rhytiphobia.
Writing- Graphophobia.
Writing in public- Scriptophobia.

X

X-rays or radiation- Radiophobia.

Y

Yellow color- Xanthophobia.
Z

Does laughing really help develop emotional resilience and help people overcome fear? Some initial medical findings. By Dr. David Wilkinson

In this next series of articles I will be reviewing the evidence behind the hypothesis or assertion that humour or laughter helps to develop emotional resilience and overcome fear. In this, the first in the series I will review the medical evidence about laughing and the effect it has on the body.

As mentioned in the blog entry (http://www.fearcourse.com/blog/archives/65.html) Norman Cousins writing in his book ‘Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient’ in 1979 stated that laughing at Marx brothers films helped him control pain, make his illness better / manageable and helped with his stress levels. In the book he stated “Laughter is an antidote to apprehension and panic. It creates a mood in which the other positive emotions can be put to work too. When you laugh you are more likely to see the bright side of a situation and have a more positive outlook, which ultimately promotes healing.”

Extraordinary claims are frequently made for laughter therapy such as in this article “Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.”

The question is, are the claims true? Does laughter / humour really help develop emotional resilience, control pain and help us overcome fear?

In a Russian study published in 2005 it was found that laughing at a funny film does indeed cause concentrations of cortisol, a stress hormone, to drop during the film and for some time afterwards. However other hormones were unaffected.

However a study published in 2006 by Berk et al from Linda University, Loma Linda, California, found that anticipating what they called “mirthful laughter” reduces cortisol levels and increases both beta-endorphins (part of a family of hormones that reduce depression) and HGH, a human growth hormone which helps our immune system.

A further study with a control group published by Berk et al in 2008 reported that anticipation of mirthful laughter reduced the levels of three stress hormones. Cortisol; known as the stress hormone; epinephrine or adrenaline, and dopac, a dopamine catabolite. This is brain chemical which helps produce epinephrine, were reduced 39, 70 and 38 percent, respectively. These figures are statistically significant when compared to the control group who were not told they would be watching the funny movie.

The upshot of this is that anticipation of humour appears to be every bit as important as actually laughing for reducing stress and boosting our immune system. Laughter certainly helps to reduce stress, this is boosted further if we know we are about to have a good (fun) time. Which is interesting and important, as most of the fear we experience is actually anticipatory. Quite often in reports and fear therapy the role of anticipation is forgotten. In a future article I will show you some research I have been involved in about the power of anticipation and projection in fear experiences.

This still leaves a question: Does repeated anticipation and laughter actually help develop or build up emotional resilience and help us overcome fear? This is different to just the reduction of stress, which the above reported studies have shown.

In my next article I will examine if there is evidence to support the assertion that laughter and the anticipation of mirthful laughter can actually help develop emotional resilience and help people overcome fear.