You might have phonophobia if you experience intense fear, panic, or anxiety, along with physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, dizziness, or nausea, specifically triggered by loud or unexpected noises, but it's crucial to see a doctor or mental health professional for a proper diagnosis, as it could also be hyperacusis (sound sensitivity) or misophonia (hatred of specific sounds).
Individuals with phonophobia experience excessive anxiety, distress, and avoidance behavior when exposed to loud noises. This fear response can be triggered by various types of sounds, such as sirens, alarms, explosions, thunderstorms, fireworks, or even everyday noises like loud music or traffic.
A study to estimate the prevalence of hyperacusis and phonophobia among school-aged children concluded that their prevalence was around 10 percent of the population (4).
You may have hyperacusis if some everyday sounds seem much louder than they should. It can sometimes be painful.
Whether it's a dislike for certain textures or an overwhelming response to loud sounds, acknowledging and respecting these differences fosters a more inclusive and understanding community. So, yes, you can certainly have sensory issues without being on the autism spectrum.
Sensory processing in ADHD can manifest as hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity. Individuals with hypersensitivity are easily overwhelmed by sensory stimuli, such as loud noises, bright lights, or certain textures. They might avoid busy or chaotic environments to protect themselves from overstimulation.
What Are the Rarest Phobias?
Specific phobias like hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia affect between 3% and 15% of the population. 1 Their relative rarity, however, does not change how devastating they can be for those who have them.
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia is a specific phobia, meaning that someone with this condition would experience intense, irrational anxiety or fear when faced specifically with the number 666.
1. Social Phobia: Fear of Social Interactions. Also known as Social Anxiety Disorder, social phobias are by far the most common fear or phobia our Talkspace therapists see in their clients.
Osbourne revealed that she was diagnosed with misophonia after her brother Jack told her about the condition. “For years, the sound of other people chewing, chomping, slurping and gurgling has made me feel really anxious and uptight,” she said during the 2015 Woman of the Year gala lunch for Friendly House.
There isn't a specific test to diagnose chronophobia. Your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms, mental health history and whether you have other phobias. They may refer you to a mental health professional who specializes in phobias and anxiety disorders.
You're not alone. Adley Dason, MD, MPH, medical director of Behavioral Health, explains this reaction, known as the startle reflex, is a normal and healthy response — it's how your body keeps you safe. However, if you're constantly feeling on edge, it might be time to chat with your doctor.
1. Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. While the phenomenon has happened to everyone at one point or another, people with arachibutyrophobia are extremely afraid of it.
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (45 letters) is significantly longer than Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters), with the former describing a lung disease and the latter ironically meaning the fear of long words. Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is often cited as the longest word in major English dictionaries, while Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is known as the second longest, fitting its definition perfectly.
THE PHOBIA
For many, Novinophobia – the fear of running out of wine – is very real. If you've been faced with surprise houseguests or the need for a quick, last minute gift you know the anxiety of an empty wine rack.
What is the scariest phobia? While the scariest phobia is subjective, one phobia that can cause significant distress is the fear of the supernatural or ghosts (phasmophobia). Research from 2018 indicates that fear of the supernatural is associated with several distinct symptoms such as: nighttime panic attacks.
S.M., sometimes referred to as SM-046, is an American woman with a peculiar type of brain damage that physiologically reduces her ability to feel fear. First described by scientists in 1994, she has had exclusive and complete bilateral amygdala destruction since late childhood as a consequence of Urbach–Wiethe disease.
Did you know that there are people who actually fear bananas? Eating them, smelling them, seeing them, you name it. There are people who cannot stand the sight of bananas and when they do, it causes them to have a panic attack or suffer from anxiety. Indeed, this extreme fear of bananas is what is called Bananaphobia.
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
Often girls with ADHD have a physiological sensitivity that results in their not wanting to be touched or feeling really sensitive to physical affection, such as hugs.