An Excess of Phobias and Manias, H-K

haematophobia, hematophobia, hemophobia:
An abnormal fear of the sight of blood or of transfusions. Phobics of blood may
recoil, close their eyes, or even faint when faced with the sight of their own or
another’s blood. Victims of this phobia may experience more nausea and faintness
than fear or anxiety. With hemaphobics, there is often a sharp drop in heart rate
and blood pressure.

When the natural mild fear of blood or injury is magnified to phobic severity, it
can lead to substantial handicaps. Sufferers may avoid essential medical procedures,
preferring to endure a remediable disease even if it threatens their lives. They
may also avoid otherwise attractive careers as doctors or nurses.

hellenologophobia: An irrational fear or avoidance of Greek (and Latin) words
or of complex scientific or “pseudoscientific” terminology.

helminthophobia: A morbid fear of worm infestations. Some people fear eating
certain foods; especially pork, fish, etc., because consuming such edibles could
infest the phobic with worms.

heresyphobia, heresophobia: An excessive fear of challenges to official doctrine,
or a fear of radical deviations from the “orthodox” view.

heroinomania: An addiction to heroin.

Hydrophobia, hydrophobophobia, cynophobia, kynophobia: Fear of having rabies.

Hydrophobia: Also, fear of water.

kleptomania: Once known as klopemania.
An irresistible tendency to steal in which a person steals not because of necessity
but as a result of some compulsion. Also see cleptomania.

The individual experiences a rising subjective sense of tension before the theft
and feels pleasure, gratification, or relief when committing the theft. The objects
are stolen despite the fact that they are typically of little value to the individual,
who could have afforded to pay for them and often gives them away or discards them.

Occasionally the person may hoard the stolen objects or even secretly return them.
Although individuals with this disorder will generally avoid stealing when immediate
arrest is probable (e.g., in full view of a police officer), they usually don’t
preplan the thefts or fully take into account the chances of apprehension.

The stealing is done without assistance from, or collaboration with, others. Kleptomania
is a rare condition that appears to occur in fewer than 5% of identified shoplifters.
It also appears to be much more common in females.

kleptophobia: 1. An excessive fear of thieves or of a loss of property as
a result of thievery. 2. An intense fear of becoming a kleptomaniac.

klopemania: An older form of kleptomania.

Phobias Main Page

Phobias, A-B

Phobias, C-G

Phobias, L-N

Phobias, O-Z

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