Hole phobia or trypophobia is a type of fear or disgust of small and large holes that may be seen in skin, honeycomb, sponge, etc. People with this phobia may experience symptoms such as intense fear, nausea, itching, sweating, tremors, and even panic attacks. The exact cause of this phobia is not yet known, but there are some theories that point to evolutionary causes, associating dangerous animals or infectious diseases. Treatment of this phobia may include psychological methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or direct stimulus therapy. read here

How common is hole phobia?

The exact prevalence of hole phobia is not known, but some research suggests that it is a very common phobia. A 2013 study found that 16 percent of test subjects experienced anxiety and disgust when seeing prominent holes and cavities. A trypophobia Facebook page has 13,000 members and another page has over 3,000 members. Therefore, many people may have this phobia but they don't know it.

Diagnosis of trypophobia

For a diagnosis of trypophobia, you should see a mental health professional. But an easy way to check if you have this phobia is to look at pictures of holes, bumps, and clustered patterns. If you feel fear, disgust, discomfort, nausea, itching, sweating, or dizziness after seeing these images, you may have trypophobia. Of course, this method is not definitive and is only a possible indication. For a definite diagnosis and proper treatment, it is better to consult a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Causes of trypophobia

The exact causes of trypophobia are still unknown and research is ongoing. But some of the existing hypotheses about this phobia are:

Evolutionary Origins: Some believe that trypophobia is an evolutionary reaction to objects or situations that are associated with illness or danger. For example, holes or bumps on the skin may be a sign of an infection, wound, parasite, or poison. Therefore, this fear may be a way to protect oneself from danger.

Association with a dangerous animal: Others think that trypophobia is caused by the similarity of the perforated patterns to the skin of some deadly or poisonous animals such as snakes, crocodiles, bees, etc. This similarity may cause a person to develop symptoms of trypophobia unconsciously or instinctively to defend and protect himself.

Visual characteristics: Some argue that trypophobia is not related to any developmental or underlying cause and is just a natural response of the body to visual stimuli. They believe that perforated patterns have visual properties that attract attention and make people feel uncomfortable.

Relationship with other disorders: Some scientists have advanced their research in the direction of trypophobia's relationship with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, obsession and delirium. They think that people with these mental disorders are more likely to experience fear of holes. It is explained here