Meaning
What does Phobophobia mean?
Phobophobia is a peculiar anxiety disorder, in which the patient is suffering from an intense fear of becoming a phobic.
A “phobophilic” is afraid of crossing the way of a trigger that would turn him or her into a phobic of some subject.
I.e.: A person with “phobophilia” is afraid of eating spoilt food because it is possible that it may trigger an underlying cibophobia within him or her and make them afraid of food.
This fear of terror is already creating such psychological dread in the subject that they may confuse their own terror with a panic attack; a symptom of the feared phobia, in truth a vicious cycle.
Origin
What's the origin of Phobophobia?
The term was first constructed in the mid-19th century, the first records dating back to the 1840’s.
“Phobophobia” consists of two parts, which is truly one word repeated in different forms, due to Greek conjugation; the root word being phobos which means fear from something or someone.
Spread & Usage
How did Phobophobia spread?
While the disorder is relatively rare compared to other conditions, it is still a major difficulty in the lives of millions across the planet.
Urban Dictionary has a few definitions on the subject, the first one being written in 2006.
