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Do I have trypophobia?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 16, 2026

Trypophobia brings on feelings of disgust or fear when you see patterns with lots of holes. Sunflowers, honeycombs, sponges and seedy fruits can cause this response. Trypophobia is a type of anxiety disorder. Most people don't have a true fear of holes.

How do I know if I'm trypophobia?

If you have trypophobia, you'll generally notice feelings of disgust and discomfort when looking at an object or surface with small clusters of holes or shapes that resemble holes.

Is it rare to have trypophobia?

Trypophobia is not recognized in pyschiatry's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but it is present in 16 percent of people, according to a new study in Psychological Science, which is the first to address the strange fear.

What triggers trypophobia?

What causes trypophobia? The exact cause of trypophobia is unknown, as research in this area is limited. Various triggers of trypophobia have been identified, such as honeycombs, bubble wrap, or fruit seeds. Certain patterns, bumps, patterned animals, and imagery may also trigger trypophobic reactions.

Can you have mild trypophobia?

All are possible signs of trypophobia. If you are merely bothered by these phenomena, however, you likely have a mild aversion. If your reactions trigger avoidance and changes in behavior, the condition may be more on the level of phobia.

44 related questions found

Why do tiny holes make me uncomfortable?

Some people may be more sensitive to the mix of light and dark in pictures of holes. Researchers say that hole-like patterns have a type of visual energy that can cause an unpleasant reaction. Other researchers believe that the fear comes from social anxiety.

Why is trypophobia so disgusting?

Clusters of holes may be evolutionarily indicative of contamination and disease -- visual cues for rotten or moldy food or skin marred by an infection. Trypophobia, commonly known as "fear of holes," is linked to a physiological response more associated with disgust than fear, finds a new study published in PeerJ.

Is trypophobia on skin real?

So-called “trypophobia skin” is not a real skin disease, but trypophobia may be a common reaction to skin diseases that can present with clusters of holes, bumps, or nodules. Skin that has holes, bumps, or nodules and trypophobic patterns is also commonly seen on characters in movies, television shows, and video games.

What are the weirdest phobias?

Top 10 Most Bizarre Phobias

  • Chorophobia: Fear of dancing. ...
  • Geliophobia: Fear of laughter. ...
  • Heliphobia: Fear of sunlight. ...
  • Deipnophobia: Fear of dinner conversations. ...
  • Neophobia: Fear of new things. ...
  • Syngenesophobia: Fear of relatives. ...
  • Ablutophobia: Fear of washing and bathing. ...
  • Geniophobia: Fear of chins.

What is the most common phobia?

Arachnophobia – Arachnophobia is possibly the most well-known of all phobias. It is the fear of spiders, or arachnids. Estimates put arachnophobia at affecting roughly 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men.

What are some of the rarest phobias?

Here is a list of 21 weird and rare phobias you may have never heard of.

  1. Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth) ...
  2. Nomophobia (Fear of being without your mobile phone) ...
  3. Arithmophobia (Fear of numbers) ...
  4. Plutophobia (Fear of money) ...
  5. Xanthophobia (Fear of the color yellow)

How do you get holes in your skin?

Pitted keratolysis is a skin disorder that's caused by bacteria. It creates crater-like pits or small holes on the top layer of your skin and usually affects the soles of your feet, but can also develop on the palms of your hands. It's more common in people who: Often go barefoot and live in tropical areas.

How do I find my phobia?

Signs you may have a phobia include:

  1. being excessively fearful of a situation or object on an ongoing basis, for six months or more.
  2. feeling an intense need to avoid or escape from the feared situation or object.
  3. experiencing panic or distress when exposed to the situation or object.

Do I have arachnophobia?

Your provider will make the diagnosis of arachnophobia if you have all of the following: Your fear of spiders is intense and has been present six months or longer. Your fear or anxiety is about a specific situation or object — in this case, spiders.

What phobias exist?

The 12 Most Common Phobias

  • Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders)
  • Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes)
  • Acrophobia (Fear of heights)
  • Aerophobia (Fear of flying)
  • Cynophobia (Fear of dogs)
  • Astraphobia (Fear of thunder and lightning)
  • Trypanophobia (Fear of injections)
  • Social Phobia (Social anxiety disorder)

Can you have a phobia of ketchup?

Mortuusequusphobia: an abnormal fear of ketchup.

What is the phobia of a duck watching you?

Anatidaephobia is the irrational fear that somewhere, a duck or goose is watching you.

What is Anna phobia?

Anatidaephobia originated from the Far Side comic by Gary Larson, who defined it as: "The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you." The definition was accompanied by a comic illustration depicting a man alone in his office, while a duck watches him from across the street.

What causes holes in skin on face?

Pockmarks, which are also called pick marks or acne scars, are blemishes with a concave shape that can look like holes or indentations in the skin. They occur when the deeper layers of the skin become damaged. As these deeper layers heal, extra collagen is produced.

Is there a phobia of small holes?

Trypophobia (trip-uh-FOE-bee-uh) is an aversion or repulsion to objects like honeycombs and sponges that have repetitive patterns or clusters of small holes. People with trypophobia are disgusted by the pattern of holes. They don't necessarily have a fear of holes.

Why do honeycombs freak me out?

Share on Pinterest Honeycomb may cause a negative reaction, possibly because of an association with dangerous animals. A 2013 study examined images that induce trypophobia and found that when people who do not have the condition see a picture of a honeycomb, for example, they may think of honey or bees.

Are phobias real?

A phobia is an uncontrollable, irrational, and lasting fear of a certain object, situation, or activity. This fear can be so overwhelming that a person may go to great lengths to avoid the source of this fear. One response can be a panic attack.

Does everyone have a phobia?

Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of spiders, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they're called phobias.

Do I have claustrophobia?

Your provider may make the diagnosis of claustrophobia if you have all of the following: Your fear of enclosed spaces is intense and has been present for six months or longer. Your fear or anxiety is about a specific situation or object — in this case, enclosed spaces such as an elevator or small car.

Do acne holes go away?

In general, most acne scars will not go away by themselves or even with at-home treatments with chemical exfoliants like lactic or glycolic acid. For true acne scar removal, you will need acne scars treatments to achieve even-toned skin with a smooth texture.