Is there a name for a fear of hanging (noose)?

Organichu

Of all things terrible and ghoulish, near and far, the thing that by far most creeps me out is someone hanging from a noose. The sight of a body swaying gently, rope fibers creaking painfully, dark shadow oscillating on the wall behind them... ugh. I can watch someone having their intestines eaten by rats or being fed their eyeballs (hey Hostel), but death by hanging is seriously the creepiest shit ever.

So, is there a specific name for this phobia? I googled "fear of hanging", "hanging phobia", "noose phobia", etc. I got no results.

Anyone?

Smasher

Judging from my lack of results along with your own, I suspect there's no official term for it. A phobia is defined as a (typically) strong, irrational fear of something, and while your feelings on the subject seem to be stronger than those of most people, there's nothing irrational about them.

Of course, you could always just throw "phobia" after the greek word for hang, but I don't know offhand what that is.

I'd Fuck Chuck Lidell Up

Smasher wrote: »

Judging from my lack of results along with your own, I suspect there's no official term for it. A phobia is defined as a (typically) strong, irrational fear of something, and while your feelings on the subject seem to be stronger than those of most people, there's nothing irrational about them.

Of course, you could always just throw "phobia" after the greek word for hang, but I don't know offhand what that is.

helterphobia then, it would seem

Organichu

Thank you fine sirs.

brandotheninjamaster

Phobia is an awfully strong way to describe how you feel. A phobia suggests an uncontrollable, irrational, and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. But then again being afraid of ghosts is actually a documented phobia as well....

Organichu

brandotheninjamaster wrote: »

Phobia is an awfully strong way to describe how you feel. A phobia suggests an uncontrollable, irrational, and persistent fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. But then again being afraid of ghosts is actually a documented phobia as well....

I don't know if I'd describe my response to hanging as 'irrational'. I think death warrants discomfort.

But I am highly, highly, highly, fearful of hanging. I'm an atheist, I don't believe in ghosts; I can stay in a dark room for hours without minding, etc. I'm nothing near fearless, but this is definitely the only thing that makes me react in this way- tremors and things of the sort.

Grundlestiltskin

Do you have to be religious to believe in ghosts?

brandotheninjamaster

well the point that I was trying to elude to was. Theres things that just absolutely urk us. For me getting stabbed in eyes or getting kicked in the nuts scares the shit out of me. But if I had a true phobia I might do something as extreme as walking with on hand on my eyes and the other on my nuts.

In my psych class teacher brought in a phobia book. I had a pretty good laugh at some of the phobias like the ghost phobia, theres a monster phobia, and zombie phobia. Good stuff.

Organichu

Grundlestiltskin wrote: »

Do you have to be religious to believe in ghosts?

I guess it depends on your definition of ghost. I think it's a reasonable assumption, though, that people who don't believe in God are less likely to believe in other 'unverified', if that's the proper word, things.

Organichu

brandotheninjamaster wrote: »

well the point that I was trying to elude to was. Theres things that just absolutely urk us. For me getting stabbed in eyes or getting kicked in the nuts scares the shit out of me. But if I had a true phobia I might do something as extreme as walking with on hand on my eyes and the other on my nuts.

In my psych class teacher brought in a phobia book. I had a pretty good laugh at some of the phobias like the ghost phobia, theres a monster phobia, and zombie phobia. Good stuff.

Ah, I've gotcha, heh.