A list of Patron Saints

Accountants - St. Matthew
Actors - St. Genesius
Addicts - St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
Advertising - St. Bernardine of Siena
African-Americans - St. Benedict the African, St. Peter Claver, St. Martin de Porres
AIDS patients - St. Peregrine Laziosi
Air travelers - St. Joseph of Cupertino
Alcoholics - Venerable Matt Talbot, St. Monica
Altar servers - St. John Berchmans
Americas - Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Rose of Lima
Anesthetists - St. Rene Goupil
Animals - St. Francis of Assisi
Archaeologists - St. Helen
Architects - St. Thomas the Apostle
Argentina - Our Lady of Lujan
Art - St. Catharine of Bologna
Artists - St. Luke, St. Catharine of Bologna, Blessed Fra Angelico
Astronauts - St. Joseph of Cupertino
Astronomers - St. Dominic
Athletes - St. Sebastian
Attorneys - St. Thomas More, St. Raymond of Penyafort
Australia - Our Lady Help of Christians
Authors - St. Francis de Sales
Babies - Feast of the Holy Innocents
Bakers - St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Nicholas
Bankers - St. Matthew
Baptism - St. John the Baptist
Barbers - Sts. Cosmas and Damian, St. Louis of France, St. Martin de Porres
Bee keepers - St. Ambrose
Beggars - St. Alexis, St. Giles
Belgium - St. Joseph
Blacksmiths - St. Dunstan
Blind - Raphael (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael), St. Lucy
Bodily ills - Our Lady of Lourdes
Bohemia - St. Wenceslaus
Bookkeepers - St. Matthew
Booksellers - St. John of God
Boy Scouts - St. George
Boys - St. John Bosco
Brazil - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Breast disease, against - St. Agatha
Brewers - St. Luke, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Nicholas
Bricklayers - St. Stephen
Brides - St. Nicholas
Broadcasters - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Builders - St. Barbara, St. Vincent Ferrer
Businessmen - St. Homobonus
Businesswomen - St. Margaret Clitherow
Butchers - St. Anthony the Abbot, St. Luke
Cab drivers - St. Fiacre
Canada - St. Joseph
Cancer patients - St. Peregrine Laziosi
Carpenters - St. Joseph
Catechists - St. Charles Borromeo, St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Viator
Catechumens - St. Charles Borromeo, St. Robert Bellarmine
Catholic schools - St. Thomas Aquinas
Catholic youth - St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Maria Goretti
Charities - St. Vincent de Paul
Childbirth - St. Gerard Majella, St. Raymond Nonnatus
Children - St. Nicholas
Chile - Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. James the Greater
China - St. Joseph
Choirboys - St. Dominic Savio
Church - St. Joseph
Civil servants - St. Thomas More
Clergy - St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
Colleges - St. Thomas Aquinas
Colombia - St. Louis Bertrand, St. Peter Claver
Comedians - St. Vitus
Communication workers - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Computers - St. Isidore of Seville
Construction workers - St. Thomas the Apostle
Cooks - St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Lawrence
Court clerks - St. Thomas More
Dairy workers - St. Brigid of Kildare
Dancers - St. Vitus
Deacons - St. Stephen
Deafness - St. Francis de Sales
Death - St. Joseph, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Denmark - St. Ansgar, St. Canute
Dentists - St. Apollonia
Desperate causes - St. Jude (Simon and Jude)
Difficult marriages - St. Rita of Cascia
Disabled - St. Giles
Disasters - St. Genevieve
Doctors - St. Luke
Dogs - St. Roch
Dominican Republic - St. Dominic
Drivers - St. Fiacre
Drug addiction - St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
Earaches - St. Polycarp
Earthquakes - St. Francis Borgia
Ecology - St. Francis of Assisi
Ecuador - Sacred Heart
Editors - St. John Bosco
Engineers - St. Patrick, St. Ferdinand III
England - St. Augustine of Canterbury, St. George, St. Gregory the Great
Epilepsy - St. Dymphna, St. Vitus, St. Willibrord
Europe - St. Benedict, St. Bridget, St. Catherine of Siena
Eye disorders - St. Clare, St. Lucy
Falsely accused - St. Raymond Nonnatus
Farmers - St. Isidore the Farmer
Fathers - St. Joseph
Firefighters - St. Florian, St. John of God
Fishermen - St. Andrew, St. Peter (Peter and Paul)
Florists - St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Rose of Lima, St. Dorothy
Foundry workers - St. Agatha
France - Our Lady of the Assumption, St. Denis, St. Joan of Arc
Funeral directors - St. Joan of Arc
Gambling, compulsive - St. Bernardine of Siena
Gardeners - St. Adelard, St. Fiacre
Germany - St. Boniface, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, St. Peter Canisius, St. George
Girls - St. Agnes, St. Maria Goretti
Grandparents - Sts. Ann and Joachim
Gravediggers - St. Anthony the Abbot
Greece - St. Andrew, St. Nicholas
Greetings - St. Valentine
Grocers - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Grooms - St. Louis of France, St. Nicholas
Gypsies - Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
Hairdressers - St. Martin de Porres
Happy death - St. Joseph
Headaches - St. Teresa of Avila
Heart patients - St. John of God
Homeless - St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Horses - St. Giles
Hospital administrators - St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Hospitals - St. Camillus de Lellis, St. John of God
Hotel keepers - St. Amand
Housewives - Sts. Ann and Joachim, St. Martha
Hungary - St. Gerard, St. Stephen
Hunters - St. Hubert, St. Eustachius
Immigrants - St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Impossible causes - St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Rita of Cascia
India - Our Lady of the Assumption
Infertility - St. Rita of Cascia, St. Philomena
Insanity - St. Dymphna
Internet - St. Isidore of Seville
Invalids - St. Roch
Ireland - St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Patrick, St. Columba
Italy - St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bernardine of Siena, St. Catherine of Siena
Japan - St. Francis Xavier, St. Peter Baptist and Companions
Jewelers - St. Eligius
Jordan - St. John the Baptist
Journalists - St. Francis de Sales
Judges - St. John of Capistrano
Juvenile delinquents - St. Dominic Savio
Kidney disease - St. Benedict
Knee problems - St. Roch
Laborers - St. Isidore the Farmer, St. James the Greater
Latin America - St. Rose of Lima
Lawyers - St. Thomas More, St. Raymond of Penyafort
Learning - St. Ambrose
Librarians - St. Jerome
Lithuania - St. Casimir
Longevity - St. Peter (Peter and Paul)
Loss of parents - St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Lost items - St. Anthony of Padua
Lovers - St. Valentine
Maids, domestic workers - St. Zita of Lucca
Married women - St. Monica
Medical technicians - St. Albert the Great
Mentally ill - St. Dymphna
Merchants - St. Francis of Assisi, St. Nicholas
Messengers - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Metal workers - St. Eligius
Mexico - Our Lady of Guadalupe
Midwives - St. Raymond Nonnatus
Military members - St. Joan of Arc
Miscarriage, prevention of - St. Catherine of Sweden
Missionaries - St. Francis Xavier, St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Monks - St. John the Baptist
Mothers - St. Monica
Motorists - St. Frances of Rome
Musicians - St. Cecilia
Mystics - St. John of the Cross
Netherlands - St. Willibrord
Neurological diseases - St. Dymphna
New Zealand - Our Lady Help of Christians
Nicaragua - St. James the Greater
Nigeria - St. Patrick
North Africa - St. Cyprian
North America - St. Isaac Jogues, John de Brébeuf and Companions
Norway - St. Olaf
Notaries - St. Luke, St. Mark
Nuns - St. Scholastica, St. Brigid of Kildare
Nurses - St. Camillus de Lellis, St. John of God, St. Agatha
Obstetricians - St. Raymond Nonnatus
Oceania - St. Peter Chanel
Orators - St. John Chrysostom
Orphans, abandoned children - St. Jerome Emiliani
Painters - St. Luke
Paraguay - Our Lady of the Assumption
Paralysis - St. Osmund
Parenthood - St. Rita of Cascia
Parish priests - St. John Vianney
Pawnbrokers - St. Nicholas
Penitents - St. Mary Magdalene
Perfumers - St. Mary Magdalene
Peru - St. Joseph, St. Rose of Lima
Pharmacists - Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Philippines - St. Rose of Lima
Philosophers - St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Albert the Great
Physicians - St. Luke, Sts. Cosmas and Damian
Pilots - St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Poets - St. Columba, St. David of Wales
Poisoning - St. Benedict
Poland - St. Casimir, St. Florian, St. Stanislaus
Police officers - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Politicians, public servants - St. Thomas More
Poor - St. Anthony of Padua, St. Lawrence
Popes - St. Peter (Peter and Paul)
Portugal - St. George
Postal workers - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Preachers - St. John Chrysostom
Pregnant women - Sts. Ann and Joachim, St. Gerard Majella, St. Margaret, St. Raymond Nonnatus
Priests - St. John Vianney
Printers - St. Augustine, St. John of God
Prisoners - St. Dismas, St. Joseph Cafasso
Prussia - St. Joseph Cafasso
Public relations - St. Bernardine of Siena
Race relations - St. Martin de Porres
Radio - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Radiologists - Michael, Gabriel and Raphael
Reconciliation - St. Vincent Ferrer
Retreats - St. Ignatius of Loyola
Rheumatism - St. James the Greater
Robbers, danger from - St. Leonard of Noblac
Rome - St. Peter (Peter and Paul)
Russia - St. Andrew, St. Basil the Great, St. Casimir, St. Nicholas, St. Joseph
Sailors - St. Elmo, St. Brendan, St. Francis of Paola
Savings - St. Anthony Claret
Scholars - St. Brigid of Kildare, St. Bede the Venerable
Schoolchildren - St. Benedict
Schools - St. Thomas Aquinas
Scientists - St. Albert the Great
Scotland - St. Margaret, St. Andrew
Sculptors - St. Claude
Secretaries - St. Genesius
Seminarians - St. Charles Borromeo
Serbia - St. Sava
Servants - St. Sava, St. Zita of Lucca
Shepherds - St. Marie Bernadette Soubirous, St. Paschal Baylon
Sick - St. John of God
Skin diseases - St. Anthony the Abbot, St. Anthony the Abbot
Slavic peoples - Sts. Cyril and Methodius
Sobriety - Venerable Matt Talbot
Social justice - St. Joseph, St. Martin de Porres
Social workers - St. Louise de Marillac
Soldiers - St. George, St. Martin of Tours
South Africa - Our Lady of the Assumption
South America - St. Rose of Lima
Spain - St. James the Greater
Speakers - St. John Chrysostom
Stomach disorders - Sts. Timothy and Titus
Students - St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Thomas Aquinas
Surgeons - Sts. Cosmas and Damian, St. Luke
Sweden - St. Bridget of Sweden
Switzerland - St. Nicholas von Flue
Tailors - St. Homobonus
Tax collectors - St. Matthew
Taxi drivers - St. Fiacre
Teachers - St. Gregory the Great, St. John Baptist de la Salle
Teenagers - St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Maria Goretti
Telecommunications - Gabriel (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Television - St. Clare
Theatrical performers - St. Genesius
Theologians - St. Alphonsus Liguori, St. Augustine of Hippo
Throat ailments - St. Blase
Toothache - St. Apollonia
Travelers - St. Anthony of Padua, St. Nicholas, St. Joseph, Raphael (Michael, Gabriel and Raphael)
Turkey - St. John the Apostle
Undertakers - Sts. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
United States - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Universal Church - St. Joseph
Universities - Blessed Contardo Ferrini
Uruguay - Sts. Philip and James
Venereal disease - St. Fiacre
Venezuela - Our Lady of Coromoto
Veterinarians - St. Eligius
Vietnam - St. Joseph
Vintners - St. Amand
Vocations - St. Alphonsus Liguori
Waiters, waitresses - St. Martha
Wales - St. David of Wales
Weavers - St. Anthony Claret
West Indies - St. Gertrude
Widows - St. Frances of Rome, St. Paula
Wine trade - St. Amand, St. Vincent of Saragossa
Women in labor - Sts. Ann and Joachim, St. Elmo
Workers - St. Joseph
Writers - St. Francis de Sales
Youth - St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Maria Goretti, St. John Bosco.

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Every Seven Minutes - A teacher is verbally or physically abused by a pupil...
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Every Hour - An under-18 is admited to hospital for alcohol abuse...

The great enabler of civilisation

But for this piece of metal and what it can do, modern civilisation would collapse ushering in a new dark age.

List of Phobias

Ablutophobia - Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia - Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.
Acerophobia - Fear of sourness.
Achluophobia - Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia - Fear of noise.
Acrophobia - Fear of heights.
Aerophobia - Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.
Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places.
Aeronausiphobia - Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
Agateophobia - Fear of insanity.
Agliophobia - Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.
Agraphobia - Fear of sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia - Fear of wild animals.
Agyrophobia - Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia - Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia - Fear of cats.
Albuminurophobia - Fear of kidney disease.
Alektorophobia - Fear of chickens.
Algophobia - Fear of pain.
Alliumphobia - Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia - Fear of opinions.
Altophobia - Fear of heights.
Amathophobia - Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia - Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia - Fear of walking.
Amnesiphobia - Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia - Fear of scratches or being scratched.
Anablephobia - Fear of looking up.
Ancraophobia - Fear of wind. (Anemophobia)
Androphobia - Fear of men.
Anemophobia - Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia)
Anginophobia - Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia - Fear of England or English culture, etc.
Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia - Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia or Anthophobia - Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia - Fear of people or society.
Antlophobia - Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia - Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia - Fear of infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia - Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia)
Apiphobia - Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia - Fear of persons with amputations.
Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia - Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers.
Arrhenphobia - Fear of men.
Arsonphobia - Fear of fire.
Asthenophobia - Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia or Astrapophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.(Ceraunophobia, Keraunophobia)
Astrophobia - Fear of stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia - Fear of asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia - Fear of ataxia. (muscular incoordination)
Ataxophobia - Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia - Fear of imperfection.
Atephobia - Fear of ruin or ruins.
Athazagoraphobia - Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Atomosophobia - Fear of atomic explosions.
Atychiphobia - Fear of failure.
Aulophobia - Fear of flutes.
Aurophobia - Fear of gold.
Auroraphobia - Fear of Northern lights.
Autodysomophobia - Fear of one that has a vile odor.
Automatonophobia - Fear of ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that falsly represents a sentient being.
Automysophobia - Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia - Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia or Aviatophobia - Fear of flying.
Bacillophobia - Fear of microbes.
Bacteriophobia - Fear of bacteria.
Ballistophobia - Fear of missiles or bullets.
Bolshephobia - Fear of Bolsheviks.
Barophobia - Fear of gravity.
Basophobia or Basiphobia - Inability to stand. Fear of walking or falling.
Bathmophobia - Fear of stairs or steep slopes.
Bathophobia - Fear of depth.
Batophobia - Fear of heights or being close to high buildings.
Batrachophobia - Fear of amphibians, such as frogs, newts, salamanders, etc.
Belonephobia - Fear of pins and needles. (Aichmophobia)
Bibliophobia - Fear of books.
Blennophobia - Fear of slime.
Bogyphobia - Fear of bogeys or the bogeyman.
Botanophobia - Fear of plants.
Bromidrosiphobia or Bromidrophobia - Fear of body smells.
Brontophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.
Bufonophobia - Fear of toads.
Cacophobia - Fear of ugliness.
Cainophobia or Cainotophobia - Fear of newness, novelty.
Caligynephobia - Fear of beautiful women.
Cancerophobia or Carcinophobia - Fear of cancer.
Cardiophobia - Fear of the heart.
Carnophobia - Fear of meat.
Catagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculed.
Catapedaphobia - Fear of jumping from high and low places.
Cathisophobia - Fear of sitting.
Catoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors.
Cenophobia or Centophobia - Fear of new things or ideas.
Ceraunophobia or Keraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.(Astraphobia, Astrapophobia)
Chaetophobia - Fear of hair.
Cheimaphobia or Cheimatophobia - Fear of cold.(Frigophobia, Psychophobia)
Chemophobia - Fear of chemicals or working with chemicals.
Cherophobia - Fear of gaiety.
Chionophobia - Fear of snow.
Chiraptophobia - Fear of being touched.
Chirophobia - Fear of hands.
Cholerophobia - Fear of anger or the fear of cholera.
Chorophobia - Fear of dancing.
Chrometophobia or Chrematophobia - Fear of money.
Chromophobia or Chromatophobia - Fear of colors.
Chronophobia - Fear of time.
Chronomentrophobia - Fear of clocks.
Cibophobia - Fear of food.(Sitophobia, Sitiophobia)
Claustrophobia - Fear of confined spaces.
Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place.
Cleptophobia - Fear of stealing.
Climacophobia - Fear of stairs, climbing, or of falling downstairs.
Clinophobia - Fear of going to bed.
Clithrophobia or Cleithrophobia - Fear of being enclosed.
Cnidophobia - Fear of stings.
Cometophobia - Fear of comets.
Coimetrophobia - Fear of cemeteries.
Coitophobia - Fear of coitus.
Contreltophobia - Fear of sexual abuse.
Coprastasophobia - Fear of constipation.
Coprophobia - Fear of feces.
Consecotaleophobia - Fear of chopsticks.
Coulrophobia - Fear of clowns.
Counterphobia - The preference by a phobic for fearful situations.
Cremnophobia - Fear of precipices.
Cryophobia - Fear of extreme cold, ice or frost.
Crystallophobia - Fear of crystals or glass.
Cyberphobia - Fear of computers or working on a computer.
Cyclophobia - Fear of bicycles.
Cymophobia or Kymophobia - Fear of waves or wave like motions.
Cynophobia - Fear of dogs or rabies.
Cypridophobia or Cypriphobia or Cyprianophobia or Cyprinophobia - Fear of prostitutes or venereal disease.
Decidophobia - Fear of making decisions.
Defecaloesiophobia - Fear of painful bowels movements.
Deipnophobia - Fear of dining or dinner conversations.
Dementophobia - Fear of insanity.
Demonophobia or Daemonophobia - Fear of demons.
Demophobia - Fear of crowds. (Agoraphobia)
Dendrophobia - Fear of trees.
Dentophobia - Fear of dentists.
Dermatophobia - Fear of skin lesions.
Dermatosiophobia or Dermatophobia or Dermatopathophobia - Fear of skin disease.
Dextrophobia - Fear of objects at the right side of the body.
Diabetophobia - Fear of diabetes.
Didaskaleinophobia - Fear of going to school.
Dikephobia - Fear of justice.
Dinophobia - Fear of dizziness or whirlpools.
Diplophobia - Fear of double vision.
Dipsophobia - Fear of drinking.
Dishabiliophobia - Fear of undressing in front of someone.
Domatophobia - Fear of houses or being in a house.(Eicophobia, Oikophobia)
Doraphobia - Fear of fur or skins of animals.
Doxophobia - Fear of expressing opinions or of receiving praise.
Dromophobia - Fear of crossing streets.
Dutchphobia - Fear of the Dutch.
Dysmorphophobia - Fear of deformity.
Dystychiphobia - Fear of accidents.
Ecclesiophobia - Fear of church.
Ecophobia - Fear of home.
Eicophobia - Fear of home surroundings.(Domatophobia, Oikophobia)
Eisoptrophobia - Fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Electrophobia - Fear of electricity.
Eleutherophobia - Fear of freedom.
Elurophobia - Fear of cats. (Ailurophobia)
Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting.
Enetophobia - Fear of pins.
Enochlophobia - Fear of crowds.
Enosiophobia or Enissophobia - Fear of having committed an unpardonable sin or of criticism.
Entomophobia - Fear of insects.
Eosophobia - Fear of dawn or daylight.
Ephebiphobia - Fear of teenagers.
Epistaxiophobia - Fear of nosebleeds.
Epistemophobia - Fear of knowledge.
Equinophobia - Fear of horses.
Eremophobia - Fear of being oneself or of lonliness.
Ereuthrophobia - Fear of blushing.
Ergasiophobia - 1) Fear of work or functioning. 2) Surgeon's fear of operating.
Ergophobia - Fear of work.
Erotophobia - Fear of sexual love or sexual questions.
Euphobia - Fear of hearing good news.
Eurotophobia - Fear of female genitalia.
Erythrophobia or Erytophobia or Ereuthophobia - 1) Fear of redlights. 2) Blushing. 3) Red.
Febriphobia or Fibriphobia or Fibriophobia - Fear of fever.
Felinophobia - Fear of cats. (Ailurophobia, Elurophobia, Galeophobia, Gatophobia)
Francophobia - Fear of France or French culture. (Gallophobia, Galiophobia)
Frigophobia - Fear of cold or cold things.(Cheimaphobia, Cheimatophobia, Psychrophobia)
Galeophobia or Gatophobia - Fear of cats.
Gallophobia or Galiophobia - Fear France or French culture. (Francophobia)
Gamophobia - Fear of marriage.
Geliophobia - Fear of laughter.
Geniophobia - Fear of chins.
Genophobia - Fear of sex.
Genuphobia - Fear of knees.
Gephyrophobia or Gephydrophobia or Gephysrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges.
Germanophobia - Fear of Germany or German culture.
Gerascophobia - Fear of growing old.
Gerontophobia - Fear of old people or of growing old.
Geumaphobia or Geumophobia - Fear of taste.
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak.
Gnosiophobia - Fear of knowledge.
Graphophobia - Fear of writing or handwriting.
Gymnophobia - Fear of nudity.
Gynephobia or Gynophobia - Fear of women.
Hadephobia - Fear of hell.
Hagiophobia - Fear of saints or holy things.
Hamartophobia - Fear of sinning.
Haphephobia or Haptephobia - Fear of being touched.
Harpaxophobia - Fear of being robbed.
Hedonophobia - Fear of feeling pleasure.
Heliophobia - Fear of the sun.
Hellenologophobia - Fear of Greek terms or complex scientific terminology.
Helminthophobia - Fear of being infested with worms.
Hemophobia or Hemaphobia or Hematophobia - Fear of blood.
Heresyphobia or Hereiophobia - Fear of challenges to official doctrine or of radical deviation.
Herpetophobia - Fear of reptiles or creepy, crawly things.
Heterophobia - Fear of the opposite sex. (Sexophobia)
Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia - Fear of the number 666.
Hierophobia - Fear of priests or sacred things.
Hippophobia - Fear of horses.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia - Fear of long words.
Hobophobia - Fear of bums or beggars.
Hodophobia - Fear of road travel.
Hormephobia - Fear of shock.
Homichlophobia - Fear of fog.
Homilophobia - Fear of sermons.
Hominophobia - Fear of men.
Homophobia - Fear of sameness, monotony or of homosexuality or of becoming homosexual.
Hoplophobia - Fear of firearms.
Hydrargyophobia - Fear of mercurial medicines.
Hydrophobia - Fear of water or of rabies.
Hydrophobophobia - Fear of rabies.
Hyelophobia or Hyalophobia - Fear of glass.
Hygrophobia - Fear of liquids, dampness, or moisture.
Hylephobia - Fear of materialism or the fear of epilepsy.
Hylophobia - Fear of forests.
Hypengyophobia or Hypegiaphobia - Fear of responsibility.
Hypnophobia - Fear of sleep or of being hypnotized.
Hypsiphobia - Fear of height.
Iatrophobia - Fear of going to the doctor or of doctors.
Ichthyophobia - Fear of fish.
Ideophobia - Fear of ideas.
Illyngophobia - Fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down.
Iophobia - Fear of poison.
Insectophobia - Fear of insects.
Isolophobia - Fear of solitude, being alone.
Isopterophobia - Fear of termites, insects that eat wood.
Ithyphallophobia - Fear of seeing, thinking about or having an erect penis.
Japanophobia - Fear of Japanese.
Judeophobia - Fear of Jews.
Kainolophobia or Kainophobia - Fear of anything new, novelty.
Kakorrhaphiophobia - Fear of failure or defeat.
Katagelophobia - Fear of ridicule.
Kathisophobia - Fear of sitting down.
Kenophobia - Fear of voids or empty spaces.
Keraunophobia or Ceraunophobia - Fear of thunder and lightning.(Astraphobia, Astrapophobia)
Kinetophobia or Kinesophobia - Fear of movement or motion.
Kleptophobia - Fear of stealing.
Koinoniphobia - Fear of rooms.
Kolpophobia - Fear of genitals, particularly female.
Kopophobia - Fear of fatigue.
Koniophobia - Fear of dust. (Amathophobia)
Kosmikophobia - Fear of cosmic phenomenon.
Kymophobia - Fear of waves. (Cymophobia)
Kynophobia - Fear of rabies.
Kyphophobia - Fear of stooping.
Lachanophobia - Fear of vegetables.
Laliophobia or Lalophobia - Fear of speaking.
Leprophobia or Lepraphobia - Fear of leprosy.
Leukophobia - Fear of the color white.
Levophobia - Fear of things to the left side of the body.
Ligyrophobia - Fear of loud noises.
Lilapsophobia - Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes.
Limnophobia - Fear of lakes.
Linonophobia - Fear of string.
Liticaphobia - Fear of lawsuits.
Lockiophobia - Fear of childbirth.
Logizomechanophobia - Fear of computers.
Logophobia - Fear of words.
Luiphobia - Fear of lues, syphillis.
Lutraphobia - Fear of otters.
Lygophobia - Fear of darkness.
Lyssophobia - Fear of rabies or of becoming mad.
Macrophobia - Fear of long waits.
Mageirocophobia - Fear of cooking.
Maieusiophobia - Fear of childbirth.
Malaxophobia - Fear of love play. (Sarmassophobia)
Maniaphobia - Fear of insanity.
Mastigophobia - Fear of punishment.
Mechanophobia - Fear of machines.
Medomalacuphobia - Fear of losing an erection.
Medorthophobia - Fear of an erect penis.
Megalophobia - Fear of large things.
Melissophobia - Fear of bees.
Melanophobia - Fear of the color black.
Melophobia - Fear or hatred of music.
Meningitophobia - Fear of brain disease.
Menophobia - Fear of menstruation.
Merinthophobia - Fear of being bound or tied up.
Metallophobia - Fear of metal.
Metathesiophobia - Fear of changes.
Meteorophobia - Fear of meteors.
Methyphobia - Fear of alcohol.
Metrophobia - Fear or hatred of poetry.
Microbiophobia - Fear of microbes. (Bacillophobia)
Microphobia - Fear of small things.
Misophobia or Mysophobia - Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.
Mnemophobia - Fear of memories.
Molysmophobia or Molysomophobia - Fear of dirt or contamination.
Monophobia - Fear of solitude or being alone.
Monopathophobia - Fear of definite disease.
Motorphobia - Fear of automobiles.
Mottephobia - Fear of moths.
Musophobia or Muriphobia - Fear of mice.
Mycophobia - Fear or aversion to mushrooms.
Mycrophobia - Fear of small things.
Myctophobia - Fear of darkness.
Myrmecophobia - Fear of ants.
Mythophobia - Fear of myths or stories or false statements.
Myxophobia - Fear of slime. (Blennophobia)
Nebulaphobia - Fear of fog. (Homichlophobia)
Necrophobia - Fear of death or dead things.
Nelophobia - Fear of glass.
Neopharmaphobia - Fear of new drugs.
Neophobia - Fear of anything new.
Nephophobia - Fear of clouds.
Noctiphobia - Fear of the night.
Nomatophobia - Fear of names.
Nosocomephobia - Fear of hospitals.
Nosophobia or Nosemaphobia - Fear of becoming ill.
Nostophobia - Fear of returning home.
Novercaphobia - Fear of your step-mother.
Nucleomituphobia - Fear of nuclear weapons.
Nudophobia - Fear of nudity.
Numerophobia - Fear of numbers.
Nyctohylophobia - Fear of dark wooded areas or of forests at night
Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark or of night.
Obesophobia - Fear of gaining weight.(Pocrescophobia)
Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ochophobia - Fear of vehicles.
Octophobia - Fear of the figure 8.
Odontophobia - Fear of teeth or dental surgery.
Odynophobia or Odynephobia - Fear of pain. (Algophobia)
Oenophobia - Fear of wines.
Oikophobia - Fear of home surroundings, house.(Domatophobia, Eicophobia)
Olfactophobia - Fear of smells.
Ombrophobia - Fear of rain or of being rained on.
Ommetaphobia or Ommatophobia - Fear of eyes.
Oneirophobia - Fear of dreams.
Oneirogmophobia - Fear of wet dreams.
Onomatophobia - Fear of hearing a certain word or of names.
Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes. (Snakephobia)
Ophthalmophobia - Fear of being stared at.
Opiophobia - Fear medical doctors experience of prescribing needed pain medications for patients.
Optophobia - Fear of opening one's eyes.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds.
Orthophobia - Fear of property.
Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia - Fear of smells or odors.
Ostraconophobia - Fear of shellfish.
Ouranophobia or Uranophobia - Fear of heaven.
Pagophobia - Fear of ice or frost.
Panthophobia - Fear of suffering and disease.
Panophobia or Pantophobia - Fear of everything.
Papaphobia - Fear of the Pope.
Papyrophobia - Fear of paper.
Paralipophobia - Fear of neglecting duty or responsibility.
Paraphobia - Fear of sexual perversion.
Parasitophobia - Fear of parasites.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th.
Parthenophobia - Fear of virgins or young girls.
Pathophobia - Fear of disease.
Patroiophobia - Fear of heredity.
Parturiphobia - Fear of childbirth.
Peccatophobia - Fear of sinning or imaginary crimes.
Pediculophobia - Fear of lice.
Pediophobia - Fear of dolls.
Pedophobia - Fear of children.
Peladophobia - Fear of bald people.
Pellagrophobia - Fear of pellagra.
Peniaphobia - Fear of poverty.
Pentheraphobia - Fear of mother-in-law. (Novercaphobia)
Phagophobia - Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia - Fear of becoming bald.
Phallophobia - Fear of a penis, esp erect.
Pharmacophobia - Fear of taking medicine.
Phasmophobia - Fear of ghosts.
Phengophobia - Fear of daylight or sunshine.
Philemaphobia or Philematophobia - Fear of kissing.
Philophobia - Fear of falling in love or being in love.
Philosophobia - Fear of philosophy.
Phobophobia - Fear of phobias.
Photoaugliaphobia - Fear of glaring lights.
Photophobia - Fear of light.
Phonophobia - Fear of noises or voices or one's own voice; of telephones.
Phronemophobia - Fear of thinking.
Phthiriophobia - Fear of lice. (Pediculophobia)
Phthisiophobia - Fear of tuberculosis.
Placophobia - Fear of tombstones.
Plutophobia - Fear of wealth.
Pluviophobia - Fear of rain or of being rained on.
Pneumatiphobia - Fear of spirits.
Pnigophobia or Pnigerophobia - Fear of choking of being smothered.
Pocrescophobia - Fear of gaining weight. (Obesophobia)
Pogonophobia - Fear of beards.
Poliosophobia - Fear of contracting poliomyelitis.
Politicophobia - Fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Polyphobia - Fear of many things.
Poinephobia - Fear of punishment.
Ponophobia - Fear of overworking or of pain.
Porphyrophobia - Fear of the color purple.
Potamophobia - Fear of rivers or running water.
Potophobia - Fear of alcohol.
Pharmacophobia - Fear of drugs.
Proctophobia - Fear of rectums.
Prosophobia - Fear of progress.
Psellismophobia - Fear of stuttering.
Psychophobia - Fear of mind.
Psychrophobia - Fear of cold.
Pteromerhanophobia - Fear of flying.
Pteronophobia - Fear of being tickled by feathers.
Pupaphobia - Fear of puppets.
Pyrexiophobia - Fear of Fever.
Pyrophobia - Fear of fire.
Radiophobia - Fear of radiation, x-rays.
Ranidaphobia - Fear of frogs.
Rectophobia - Fear of rectum or rectal diseases.
Rhabdophobia - Fear of being severely punished or beaten by a rod, or of being severely criticized. Also fear of magic.(wand)
Rhypophobia - Fear of defecation.
Rhytiphobia - Fear of getting wrinkles.
Rupophobia - Fear of dirt.
Russophobia - Fear of Russians.
Samhainophobia: Fear of Halloween.
Sarmassophobia - Fear of love play. (Malaxophobia)
Satanophobia - Fear of Satan.
Scabiophobia - Fear of scabies.
Scatophobia - Fear of fecal matter.
Scelerophibia - Fear of bad men, burglars.
Sciophobia Sciaphobia - Fear of shadows.
Scoleciphobia - Fear of worms.
Scolionophobia - Fear of school.
Scopophobia or Scoptophobia - Fear of being seen or stared at.
Scotomaphobia - Fear of blindness in visual field.
Scotophobia - Fear of darkness. (Achluophobia)
Scriptophobia - Fear of writing in public.
Selachophobia - Fear of sharks.
Selaphobia - Fear of light flashes.
Selenophobia - Fear of the moon.
Seplophobia - Fear of decaying matter.
Sesquipedalophobia - Fear of long words.
Sexophobia - Fear of the opposite sex. (Heterophobia)
Siderodromophobia - Fear of trains, railroads or train travel.
Siderophobia - Fear of stars.
Sinistrophobia - Fear of things to the left or left-handed.
Sinophobia - Fear of Chinese, Chinese culture.
Sitophobia or Sitiophobia - Fear of food or eating. (Cibophobia)
Snakephobia - Fear of snakes. (Ophidiophobia)
Soceraphobia - Fear of parents-in-law.
Social Phobia - Fear of being evaluated negatively in social situations.
Sociophobia - Fear of society or people in general.
Somniphobia - Fear of sleep.
Sophophobia - Fear of learning.
Soteriophobia - Fear of dependence on others.
Spacephobia - Fear of outer space.
Spectrophobia - Fear of specters or ghosts.
Spermatophobia or Spermophobia - Fear of germs.
Spheksophobia - Fear of wasps.
Stasibasiphobia or Stasiphobia - Fear of standing or walking. (Ambulophobia)
Staurophobia - Fear of crosses or the crucifix.
Stenophobia - Fear of narrow things or places.
Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia - Fear of hell.
Suriphobia - Fear of mice.
Symbolophobia - Fear of symbolism.
Symmetrophobia - Fear of symmetry.
Syngenesophobia - Fear of relatives.
Syphilophobia - Fear of syphilis.
Tachophobia - Fear of speed.
Taeniophobia or Teniophobia - Fear of tapeworms.
Taphephobia Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive or of cemeteries.
Tapinophobia - Fear of being contagious.
Taurophobia - Fear of bulls.
Technophobia - Fear of technology.
Teleophobia - 1) Fear of definite plans. 2) Religious ceremony.
Telephonophobia - Fear of telephones.
Teratophobia - Fear of bearing a deformed child or fear of monsters or deformed people.
Testophobia - Fear of taking tests.
Tetanophobia - Fear of lockjaw, tetanus.
Teutophobia - Fear of German or German things.
Textophobia - Fear of certain fabrics.
Thaasophobia - Fear of sitting.
Thalassophobia - Fear of the sea.
Thanatophobia or Thantophobia - Fear of death or dying.
Theatrophobia - Fear of theatres.
Theologicophobia - Fear of theology.
Theophobia - Fear of gods or religion.
Thermophobia - Fear of heat.
Tocophobia - Fear of pregnancy or childbirth.
Tomophobia - Fear of surgical operations.
Tonitrophobia - Fear of thunder.
Topophobia - Fear of certain places or situations, such as stage fright.
Toxiphobia or Toxophobia or Toxicophobia - Fear of poison or of being accidently poisoned.
Traumatophobia - Fear of injury.
Tremophobia - Fear of trembling.
Trichinophobia - Fear of trichinosis.
Trichopathophobia or Trichophobia - Fear of hair. (Chaetophobia, Hypertrichophobia)
Triskaidekaphobia - Fear of the number 13.
Tropophobia - Fear of moving or making changes.
Trypanophobia - Fear of injections.
Tuberculophobia - Fear of tuberculosis.
Tyrannophobia - Fear of tyrants.
Uranophobia or Ouranophobia - Fear of heaven.
Urophobia - Fear of urine or urinating.
Vaccinophobia - Fear of vaccination.
Venustraphobia - Fear of beautiful women.
Verbophobia - Fear of words.
Verminophobia - Fear of germs.
Vestiphobia - Fear of clothing.
Virginitiphobia - Fear of rape.
Vitricophobia - Fear of step-father.
Walloonphobia - Fear of the Walloons.
Wiccaphobia: Fear of witches and witchcraft.
Xanthophobia - Fear of the color yellow or the word yellow.
Xenoglossophobia - Fear of foreign languages.
Xenophobia - Fear of strangers or foreigners.
Xerophobia - Fear of dryness.
Xylophobia - 1) Fear of wooden objects. 2) Forests.
Xyrophobia-Fear of razors.
Zelophobia - Fear of jealousy.
Zeusophobia - Fear of God or gods.
Zemmiphobia - Fear of the great mole rat.
Zoophobia - Fear of animals.

The Forer Effect

The Forer effect refers to the tendency of people to rate sets of statements as highly accurate for them personally even though the statements could apply to many people.

Psychologist Bertram R. Forer found that people tend to accept vague and general personality descriptions as uniquely applicable to themselves without realizing that the same description could be applied to just about anyone. Consider the following as if it were given to you as an evaluation of your personality.

You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.

Forer gave a personality test to his students, ignored their answers, and gave each student the above evaluation. He asked them to evaluate the evaluation from 0 to 5, with "5" meaning the recipient felt the evaluation was an "excellent" assessment and "4" meaning the assessment was "good." The class average evaluation was 4.26. That was in 1948. The test has been repeated hundreds of time with psychology students and the average is still around 4.2 out of 5, or 84% accurate.

In short, Forer convinced people he could successfully read their character. His accuracy amazed his subjects, though his personality analysis was taken from a newsstand astrology column and was presented to people without regard to their sun sign. The Forer effect seems to explain, in part at least, why so many people think that pseudosciences "work". Astrology, astrotherapy, biorhythms, cartomancy, chiromancy, the enneagram, fortune telling, graphology, rumpology, etc., seem to work because they seem to provide accurate personality analyses. Scientific studies of these pseudosciences demonstrate that they are not valid personality assessment tools, yet each has many satisfied customers who are convinced they are accurate.

The most common explanations given to account for the Forer effect are in terms of hope, wishful thinking, vanity and the tendency to try to make sense out of experience, though Forer's own explanation was in terms of human gullibility. People tend to accept claims about themselves in proportion to their desire that the claims be true rather than in proportion to the empirical accuracy of the claims as measured by some non-subjective standard. We tend to accept questionable, even false statements about ourselves, if we deem them positive or flattering enough. We will often give very liberal interpretations to vague or inconsistent claims about ourselves in order to make sense out of the claims. Subjects who seek counseling from psychics, mediums, fortune tellers, mind readers, graphologists, etc., will often ignore false or questionable claims and, in many cases, by their own words or actions, will provide most of the information they erroneously attribute to a pseudoscientific counselor. Many such subjects often feel their counselors have provided them with profound and personal information. Such subjective validation, however, is of little scientific value.

Psychologist Barry Beyerstein believes that "hope and uncertainty evoke powerful psychological processes that keep all occult and pseudoscientific character readers in business." We are constantly trying "to make sense out of the barrage of disconnected information we face daily" and "we become so good at filling in to make a reasonable scenario out of disjointed input that we sometimes make sense out of nonsense." We will often fill in the blanks and provide a coherent picture of what we hear and see, even though a careful examination of the evidence would reveal that the data is vague, confusing, obscure, inconsistent and even unintelligible. Psychic mediums, for example, will often ask so many disconnected and ambiguous questions in rapid succession that they give the impression of having access to personal knowledge about their subjects. In fact, the psychic need not have any insights into the subject's personal life; for, the subject will willingly and unknowingly provide all the associations and validations needed. Psychics are aided in this process by using cold reading techniques.

David Marks and Richard Kamman argue that once a belief or expectation is found, especially one that resolves uncomfortable uncertainty, it biases the observer to notice new information that confirms the belief, and to discount evidence to the contrary. This self-perpetuating mechanism consolidates the original error and builds up an overconfidence in which the arguments of opponents are seen as too fragmentary to undo the adopted belief.

Having a pseudoscientific counselor go over a character assessment with a client is wrought with snares that can easily lead the most well intentioned of persons into error and delusion.

Barry Beyerstein suggests the following test to determine whether the apparent validity of the pseudosciences mentioned above might not be due to the Forer effect, confirmation bias, or other psychological factors. (Note: the proposed test also uses subjective or personal validation and is not intended to test the accuracy of any personality assessment tool, but rather is intended to counteract the tendency to self-deception about such matters.)

…a proper test would first have readings done for a large number of clients and then remove the names from the profiles (coding them so they could later be matched to their rightful owners). After all clients had read all of the anonymous personality sketches, each would be asked to pick the one that described him or her best. If the reader has actually included enough uniquely pertinent material, members of the group, on average, should be able to exceed chance in choosing their own from the pile.

Beyerstein notes that "no occult or pseudoscientific character reading method…has successfully passed such a test."

The Forer effect, however, only partially explains why so many people accept as accurate occult and pseudoscientific character assessment procedures. Cold reading, communal reinforcement, and selective thinking also underlie these delusions. Also, it should be admitted that while many of the assessment claims in a pseudoscientific reading are vague and general, some are specific. Some of those that are specific actually apply to large numbers of people and some, by chance, will be accurate descriptions of a select few. A certain number of specific assessment claims should be expected by chance.

There have been numerous studies done on the Forer effect. Dickson and Kelly have examined many of these studies and concluded that overall there is significant support for the general claim that Forer profiles are generally perceived to be accurate by subjects in the studies. Furthermore, there is an increased acceptance of the profile if it is labeled "for you". Favorable assessments are "more readily accepted as accurate descriptions of subjects' personalities than unfavorable" ones. But unfavorable claims are "more readily accepted when delivered by people with high perceived status than low perceived status." It has also been found that subjects can generally distinguish between statements that are accurate (but would be so for large numbers of people) and those that are unique (accurate for them but not applicable to most people). There is also some evidence that personality variables such as neuroticism, need for approval, and authoritarianism are positively related to belief in Forer-like profiles. Unfortunately, most Forer studies have been done only on college students.

Taken from HERE