Just started playing Death Stranding and the main character has it! Although the game calls it aphenphosmphobia. And I’m not sure it’s a phobia, since it’s a very rational fear for him.
I also dislike being touched, and I’m glad to have a word for it. Previously I just used the word autism, which is more accurate, but less specific.
That depends. These days, much of the time when people call something a “phobia” they really just mean “mildly dislike”.
Phobias are irrational and excessive fear responses to various things. They are often very extreme and can be life-disrupting for the people that have them, depending on what the phobia is. A phobia for an everyday occurrence can really screw up someone’s life and require extensive help to overcome it so they can improve their quality of life.
I agree that people really throw the word phobia around. Like OCD, you probably don’t have OCD if you like straight lines and symmetry, everyone likes those things.
Real OCD is a problem.
It means more than just excessive fear. I have agoraphobia. It doesn’t cause panic attacks, it causes a shutdown for me and stresses me out if I know I have to go somewhere. I won’t be hyperventilating, but I will be struggling for force myself to Do The Thing.
For me, the agoraphobia is closer to the second meaning here.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phobia