Phobias.  They can change or seemingly come out of nowhere. We all seem to have a fear of something. I was wondering what the most common fears were for Minnesotans?

As a child, I was afraid of my shadow. Who wouldn't be? An unwelcome darkness following you everywhere you go?! It sure LOOKED like it was it's own entity. I'm not sure how long it took me to figure out that it was just ME that I was scared of. Today my fears seem to be similar to what a lot of other Minnesotans have fears of.

I found a list of the top phobias, and suddenly I realized just how many of my friends and family have these common fears.

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SOCIAL PHOBIA

Social phobia is an anxiety disorder and includes excessive self-consciousness in social situations; like two of my sons. In their own way, they handle it very differently. Some people can fear being judged so much they avoid specific situations, like eating in front of others, and up to one in 20 people have a social phobia.

FEAR OF OPEN SPACES?

This is a fear of open spaces?!  Really?! It is a serious anxiety disorder than can trap people in their homes or make leading a normal life next to impossible. Some people just have to avoid going to certain places.

FEAR OF HEIGHTS

Acrophobia is a fear of heights.  Yes...This is me. I can't stand two fee up on a ladder without getting very uncomfortable...However, I CAN fly, and go on Roller Coasters. Go figure. Some people fear heights so badly the escalators at the local shopping centre give them vertigo.

FEAR OF FLYING

Pteromerhanophobia is a fear of flying.  Many people fear being in a plane crash and hence have a fear of flying, but with more than 100,000 commercial flights around the world each day, the chances of being struck by lightning are higher than dying in a plane crash.

 

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