Mario Gonzalez/The Rider Graphic
BY Sergio Garcia | SOCIAL MEDI EDITOR
The Rider randomly surveyed 40 UTRGV students from the Brownsville and Edinburg campuses.
A phobia is a strong irrational fear of something that poses little or no harm. Some of the effects of phobias include, but are not limited to, rapid heartbeat, trembling and anxiety attacks.
1. Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is the fear of any type of arachnids. People who suffer from this disorder often perceive these creatures as bigger than they actually are.
2. Coulrophobia
Red nose, face painted white and crazy hair, this phobia comes from one thing that might represent happiness to many, clowns. The prefix “coulro” derives from the Greek word that means “one who goes on stilts.” Even though it’s not an official diagnosis, coulrophobia is real for many people.
3. Atychiphobia
From not being top of the class to losing a baseball game, atychiphobia is the fear of failing. Students expressed how this becomes real once they enter college, especially because they feel like they have expectations to meet, so failure is not an option.
4. Acrophobia
People with this phobia might dislike the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, which are two of the tallest buildings on Earth. Acrophobia is the abnormal fear of heights.
5. Achluophobia
Are you irrationally scared of the dark? Well, you might suffer from achluophobia. This phobia is also related to nyctophobia, which is defined as the same. They both derive from the thought that the brain panics when trying to figure out what would, or could, happen in somber or pitch-black places.
“I encourage students to seek help and ask questions about any anxiety disorders that they may feel concerned about and also to have a support system in place where they are open about sharing what they feel and how that impacts them on a daily basis,” said Erika Perez, a UTRGV lecturer and licensed professional counselor-intern.
For more information, call Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) at 882-3897 in Brownsville or 665-2574 in Edinburg.
