Fears and Phobias

Fear of lightning and thunder is known as astraphobia. It comes from the Greek words “astrape” (lightning) and “phobos” (fear).

Mysophobia is the fear of germs. It is a type of specific phobia, which is a fear that is persistent and excessive. People with mysophobia may have a strong fear of contamination, and they may avoid situations where they think they might come into contact with germs. They may also have rituals that they perform to try to avoid getting germs, such as excessive handwashing or cleaning.