{"id":41606,"date":"2025-07-05T20:24:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-05T20:24:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/41606\/"},"modified":"2025-07-05T20:24:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-05T20:24:32","slug":"australias-biggest-phobia-that-ignites-fear-in-120-milliseconds-evolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/41606\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia’s biggest phobia that ignites fear in 120 milliseconds: ‘Evolution’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it\u2019s the thought of a spider crawling<\/a> across your skin, a snake slithering<\/a> through your bedroom or standing on top of a precarious bridge from a dizzying height, it\u2019s quite likely that one of these things makes you shudder, tense up, or even look away.<\/p>\n

While Aussies are stereotypically a tough bunch<\/a>, we rate fairly highly for having, often irrational, fears. Research from the Federal Health Department showed one in seven Australians, or almost 15 per cent, will develop a phobia or anxiety disorder during their lives.<\/p>\n

Steph Georgiou, a clinical psychologist, addresses how and why we develop phobias, which she described to Yahoo Lifestyle as \u201can intense, irrational and out of proportion fear for a specific object or situation, which impacts your day-to-day life.\u201d She also takes a deep dive into the top five.<\/p>\n

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What is the biggest phobia in Australia?<\/p>\n

Phobias can be grouped into four categories \u2013 animal specific; medical specific; place specific \u2013 like planes and lifts and then other groups which include things like clowns and even buttons.<\/p>\n

Here in Australia, where we have some of the most venomous spiders<\/a> in the world, it perhaps comes as no surprise that our number one phobia is these eight-legged critters.<\/p>\n

\u201c5 per cent of Australians have a clinically significant fear of spiders,\u201d Georgiou said \u201cIt\u2019s part of an evolutionary preparedness \u2013 we have an innate ability to be afraid of things that could be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

On top of that, we are conditioned as children in Australia not to touch spiders in case they bite, and movies often show spiders in their scariest capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpiders can be dangerous, but those with phobias see the perceived threat being far higher than it actually is,\u201d Georgiou said.<\/p>\n

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It’s probably not surprising that spiders are the number one phobia in Australia. Credit: Paul Newman<\/p>\n

Australia’s second biggest phobia<\/p>\n

The fear of snakes<\/a>, called Ophidiophobia is the second most common phobia in Australia, despite the fact most people are unlikely to ever see one.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch shows the amygdala [the brain\u2019s alarm system] reacted within 120miliseconds if it saw the silhouette of a snake in a lab, even if the person had never seen a snake before,\u201d Georgiou said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the body\u2019s hardwiring to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coupled with that is the negative portrayal of snakes in movies and books as well as a learned behaviour from anxious parents.<\/p>\n

What else are Aussies scared of?<\/p>\n

Heights is also up there as one of our most feared things with 20-30 per cent of Australians saying heights make them scared.<\/p>\n

This fear is inbuilt to an extent and we have what\u2019s called an \u201cinnate postural threat system\u201d which is a subconscious mechanism that activates when we perceive a potential threat to our balance or stability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is reinforced by catastrophic imagery in movies for example with people falling or being pushed off cliffs,\u201d Georgiou said. \u201cThe phobia develops when we focus on worst case scenario which is common in those who have an anxiety temperament.\u201d<\/p>\n

Flying<\/p>\n

Another very common fear is that of flying, which can encompass lots of things.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could fear a plane crash, fear you\u2019ll have a panic attack on a plane, fear the height or of being trapped,\u201d Georgiou said. \u201cThe goal is to work out what the fear is around.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the reasons for this fear developing could be classic conditioning with a bad experience or after watching dramatic footage of a plane crash and added: \u201cIt could also be an issue with a lack of control.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public speaking<\/p>\n

Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, comes in fifth and is another very common one. \u201cIt develops because people don\u2019t want to be rejected by a group. In movies it\u2019s often about fitting in and, with this reinforced in society, we fear scrutiny,\u201d Georgiou said.<\/p>\n

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A fear of flying can encompass many things, such as fear of the plane crashing or being trapped on board. Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Most common irrational fears<\/p>\n

Alongside the common phobias are the more irrational ones, like fear of vomiting, clowns, and even a fear of buttons.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are often to do with early psychological conditioning,\u201d Georgiou explained.<\/p>\n

You might have an experience where you feel fear, shame or disgust when you were watching a clown or wearing a button-up shirt, and you come to associate the negative emotion with that object.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you start feeling unsafe or scared around, for example, clowns, the fear is reinforced by avoidance. You might stop going to parties in case there is a clown there and it can become a phobia,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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In bad news for arachnophobes, interacting with spiders is the best way to reduce fear of them. Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

How to beat your fears and phobias<\/p>\n

As avoidance reinforces a fear, so exposure helps the brain understand there\u2019s nothing to be scared of. It means, yes, if you\u2019re scared of spiders, you need to interact with them, and if you hate heights, you need to start looking up. The trick is to move slowly towards your goal.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf you are scared of public speaking and your goal is to speak on stage, you can create a fear ladder with a list of triggers \u2013 speaking in front of three people, recording yourself and watching it back, putting your video online,\u201d Georgiou said. \u201cIt\u2019s about slowly exposing yourself and managing your anxiety with breathing at each stage. You can also challenge your negative beliefs and make peace with worst-case scenarios \u2013 the spider probably won\u2019t bite me, and even if it does, I\u2019ll most likely be ok.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is reasonable to feel fear and anxiety, so it\u2019s about leaning into it and tolerating it to get to your end goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

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