The Phobias We Don’t Talk About – And Why We Should

We’re living in a time where conversations around fears, sensitivities, and trauma are more visible than ever. Social media, politics, and pop culture are filled with messages urging awareness of certain phobias—some real, some weaponised for attention. But the spotlight is selective. Some very real, very human fears are ignored, even ridiculed.

Let’s look at three types of fear that rarely get a voice: Christophobia, Contraltophobia, and the powerful, often unspoken fear of rape and sexual abuse.

These may not be the phobias that win headlines or hashtags. They don’t make it into viral campaigns or trendy soundbites. But for many, they are very real—and profoundly shaping their lives, relationships, and identities.

Christophobia – A Quiet Disdain for Faith

It’s not a word that rolls easily off the tongue, but Christophobia is all around us. It’s the quiet discomfort, suspicion, or hostility towards people who live according to Christian beliefs. And while Christianity has long been associated with power and tradition, in many circles today, it is the subject of mockery or scorn.

Jokes and stereotypes abound. TV shows reduce faith to caricature. People of faith are often portrayed as backwards, bigoted, or naïve. Public figures are scrutinised if they express Christian values, and there’s a growing sentiment that religious belief should stay behind closed doors.

This isn’t about preaching. It’s about respect. It’s about recognising that people of faith are just as entitled to their worldview as anyone else. If tolerance only applies to the "right" kind of beliefs, then it’s not tolerance at all.

Contraltophobia – The Fear of Dissenting Voices

Contraltophobia, while not a formal diagnosis, describes a rising social fear: the aversion to dissenting views. The discomfort—sometimes outrage—that emerges when someone simply says, "I disagree."

In an age of curated virtue and public approval, many people have grown afraid of speaking honestly. They self-censor, tiptoe around truth, and water down their values to avoid being seen as "problematic."

Contraltophobia isn’t always violent. It’s often subtle: eye-rolls, silence, social exclusion, or the quiet unfollow. It’s the fear that honest speech will cost you your job, your friends, or your reputation.

This fear is a social epidemic—and it silences people more effectively than any censorship law ever could.

The Unspoken Fear – Violatophobia

There’s another fear—deeper, darker, and often invisible. The fear of rape, sexual abuse, or violation. Let’s call it violatophobia for clarity’s sake.

This is not irrational. It’s grounded in lived experience, cultural warning signs, and stories too numerous to count. Many survivors carry the constant awareness that they could be hurt again. Others live with intrusive thoughts, hypervigilance, and a gnawing dread they can’t quite explain.

But here’s the thing: society rarely speaks to this fear with the respect it deserves.

While slogans and campaigns flash across timelines, the deeper truths of survival—shame, memory loss, numbness, rage, grief—are often glossed over. Survivors are asked to “move on,” while perpetrators often thrive in silence, protected by power, systems, or doubt.

This fear lives in women walking home at night with keys between their fingers. It lives in men too—often silent, overlooked, and deeply traumatised. And yet, unlike other phobias, it isn’t treated with daily compassion. It’s often ignored, or worse—diminished.

Selective Compassion in a "Woke" World

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: society has developed a hierarchy of fears. Some are trendy and gain immediate sympathy. Others—like faith-based fear, fear of honest disagreement, or fear of sexual violation—are left in the shadows.

This tells us something. It tells us that awareness is often performative. That empathy is sometimes conditional. That certain fears are inconvenient to dominant narratives—and so, they’re ignored.

But all fear is human. All trauma is real. And all people deserve the space to name what hurts, without being dismissed or politicised.

A Way Forward – Listening Without Agenda

What would it be like if we made space for all phobias, not just the popular ones?

What if we could admit that people fear being ridiculed for their faith... silenced for their views... harmed or violated in their most vulnerable moments?

What would it feel like to listen—not to reply, not to cancel, not to critique—but simply to understand?

The most radical thing we can do right now may be to drop the script. To allow others their full humanity. To create a culture where people don’t have to be perfect or approved to be heard.

Because healing begins where honesty lives. And fear doesn’t shrink by ignoring it—it dissolves when it's seen, named, and held with care.