An Excess of Phobias and Manias

blennophobia: An excessive fear of slime which may result in the fear of eating certain foods; such as, oysters or touching or even looking at certain animals; for example, frogs and snakes. This fear may also be related to an abnormal fear of being contaminated by dirt or filth.

blenophobia: An abnormal fear of pins and needles.

bogyphobia: A fear of demons, goblins, or spirits.

borborygamiphobia: A fear that people will hear the rumbling, gurgling, etc. in the stomach or intestines that are produced by gas in the alimentary canal and which is audible at a distance. Some people are so afraid that others will hear these sounds that they become social phobics and avoid social situations where others may hear them.

boredom: See homophobia, thaasophobia, thassophobia

botanomania: An excessive fascination with the collection of plants to such a degree that one may have plants in almost every available space in one's house or apartment, balcony, and yard.

botanophobia: An abnormal or excessive fear of plants in general or of specific plants. Some people fear plants because they believe that plants consume oxygen needed by mankind; some (with good reason) fear the allergies and skin rashes that certain plants cause; for example, poison ivy and poison oak.

botophobia: An excessive fear of cellars or basements.

bracteomania: In botany, an excessive production of bracts (a type of leaf).

bradycardiaphobia: A fear that one's heart is beating too slowly and that she/he may be close to death.

bromhidrosiphobia: An excessive fear of one's own personal body odors; sometimes with the belief; that such an odor is present even when it is not. See the next words for the same definition.

bromidrosiphobia, bromidrosophobia: An abnormal fear of one's own personal body odors (or the foul-smelling sweat of others); sometimes with the belief that such an odor is present on oneself even when it is not. An individual may fear her/his own body odor and have an unfounded fear that others will notice it despite the excessive use of deodorants and antiperspirants even after taking a bath or shower and changing into clean clothes.

bromomania: A mania caused by the use of bromine; an organic mental disorder produced by chronic bromide intoxication.

brontephobia, brontophobia, tonitrophobia: An exaggerated fear of thunder and thunderstorms. Such phobics will avoid going outside when thunderstorms are predicted. Some phobics hide in a closet or under a bed during a thunderstorm, and some may even become incontinent as a result of their excessive fear.

bruxomania, brycomania: 1. A gnashing, grinding, gritting, and clenching of the teeth in other than normal chewing movements occurring unconsciously in the daytime; sometimes resulting in a loosening of the teeth and a bleeding of the gums. 2. Compulsive and continual crushing of the teeth together, with intermittent grinding. 3. Habitual grinding of the teeth is called bruxism.

brycomania: See bruxomania.