“It is the main part of this magic book which will capture the fancy of most readers as Mr. Robertson sites damn near all of the phobias and manias used in the English language. For such serious subjects, the book includes many humorous illustrations and special quotations. Wonders abound! Others will follow. Many could have done it. Mr. Robertson has, and it’s a marvel. Your library must not be without it.”

—Joe Smart, M.D.; Chicago, Illinois

Hellenophobia [actually, this should be 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.

hemaphobia, 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.

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.

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 com-mitting 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 donšt 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.

knowledge: epistemophobia, gnosiophobia, sophomania, sophophobia