Trypophobia - Fear of Holes

Posted by Tintu | 11:33 PM | | 35 comments »


Trypophobia - Fear of  Holes 

For the longest time I thought I was the only one in the world who was unnerved by holes. Not all holes mind you, just tiny holes in asymmetrical clusters, often times with things in them. Like a lotus seed pod. They creep me out, horribly. I can’t stand to look at them . When I do, I start to get really uncomfortable and a creepy, itchy feeling crawls all over my body.

After a while I found my sister and brother were also afflicted with this weird fear of clustered holes, so I felt a little bit better in knowing that I wasn’t 100% off-the-wall nutty. And after a little while longer I found out other people had this bizarre phobia as well. Strangers on the internet. That’s when I came across the unofficial name of this fear: trypophobia, derived from the Greek word where trypa means hole and phobia means fear.

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an irrational fear of an object or situation that a person feels compelled to avoid. Some phobias are minimal, however some can inhibit the ability to work, socialize and live a productive life. Phobias are marked by extreme anxiety, they are: 
1) Uncontrollable feelings of panic, dread or horror.
2) Preoccupation with the phobia.
3) Rapid heartbeat, trembling, sweating, and shortness of breath when confronted with the phobia.
4) Constructing ways to avoid the phobia at all costs.



What causes a phobia?

Phobias arise due to a combination of genetic disposition and external events. Many phobias develop due to trauma as a child, like being bitten by a dog and then fearing all dogs throughout life. Others are learned. If you grow up watching your mother freak out about spiders, you will probably feel the same way about them later.

Trypophobia is considered a specific phobia since a single trigger is what causes anxiety in an individual.

Treatments for phobias

A lot of therapists use a technique called desensitization to cure a phobia. Desensitization is the process of introducing the trigger of a phobia into a person’s life. With trypophobia I would start with looking at a picture of, let’s say, a lotus seed pod. Then when I feel comfortable with just a picture, I would get a real one. After feeling comfortable with that, I may touch it and so forth until I’m not rendered an itchy mess anymore.

Reverse your thinking when you are confronted with the trigger of your phobia. This can help train you into recognizing irrationality behind your fear. For trypophobia instead of thinking, “That thing is really itchy-looking and gross,” try shifting it to something more positive like, “It’s just a bunch of holes. They can’t do anything to me.”

As panic and fear begin to take hold because of a phobia, try thinking of something other than your fear. Count backwards from 100 by twos or talk to yourself about something totally not related, like your plans for the weekend. This can temporarily get your mind off the fear.

Take a deep breath. Meditation and deep breathing are just a couple ways you can clear your head of anxiety and unwanted thoughts.


35 comments

  1. Unknown // October 13, 2010 at 3:03 AM  

    I tried to read this article but the images made me want to cry. Thanks a lot.

  2. Emilie1031 // October 22, 2010 at 9:42 PM  

    Desentization does not work if the person has underlying issue(s) such as an anxiety disorder or OCD. The phobia is a side effect of issues even though a person has had the phobia since childhood. In my case the phobia became severe when I was diagnosed with the underlying issues.

  3. Emilie1031 // October 22, 2010 at 9:47 PM  

    Also, it is unnecessary to include disturbing images in this blog (lotus pod and lotus breast). What purpose does that serve?

  4. Unknown // October 28, 2010 at 10:48 PM  

    Anybody who has this fear obviously would be scared of those freaking pictures. I read this with my hand over my face trying to cover them.

  5. gamegirlmaster // May 5, 2011 at 8:01 PM  

    If you're trying to make an article to cure trypophobia then those pictures won't help as everyone will be to scared to read it.

  6. Missy Snow // May 16, 2011 at 12:39 PM  

    Thanks a lot for those images. I can't even bear to read the texts at all.

  7. The Dangerous Mezzo // May 31, 2011 at 7:53 PM  

    I've been trying to avoid the lotus breast photo (successfully), only to be confronted with it on a page about my phobia. HORRIBLE. Please take down the photos.

  8. xXxBillie_BabyxXx // August 23, 2011 at 6:39 PM  

    That picture with the breast was a terrible trick to pull. That is like throwing a spider at someone who you know has arachnophobia.

  9. ms seekingtruth // October 4, 2011 at 12:01 AM  

    I wanted to read the article but I got so sick to my stomach, skin itching like crazy, my muscles tightened up so bad it hurt. My eyes watered and my heart started beating too fast. What are you trying to do, kill us? It seemed like the pores on my skin was growing. I am freaking out right now. What kind of sick person would do such a thing? I can't stop scratching now and I didn't even get to read the freak'n article. Why did you have to do that? Seriously, I think I am going to pass out. I can't stop scratching between typing these words. I am worse off now than before I came to this article. This really sucks.

  10. ms seekingtruth // October 4, 2011 at 12:04 AM  

    I am not even going to bother to try and come back to see if you removed those horrific pictures. I can't risk it, it is too traumatizing for me.

  11. Glittering Tails // October 22, 2011 at 11:59 AM  
    This comment has been removed by the author.
  12. Glittering Tails // October 22, 2011 at 12:00 PM  

    Hi all, I too have this fear. I only discovered it when I was a child at the seaside and found a pebble with hundreds of holes in it. I wish this fear would GO !! Its just so bizarre.

    Oh, and the breast photo turns my stomach but its photoshopped, its not real at all, I googled it because it freaked me out so much when someone posted it on Facebook years ago.

  13. Lindsay // November 15, 2011 at 8:19 AM  

    Personally, it makes my stomach all queasy. I can't even look very long at the pictures. They totally freak me out - even if breast one isn't real. Lindsay

  14. Emilie // December 13, 2011 at 4:47 PM  

    As a kid, I thought I was the only one like this. My thing used to be seedless watermelon that still had the pockets for seeds in them. Mostly I just have tense arms until i crush the watermelon or whatever it is so that there aren't any holes left, or If I can't, I rub my hands on my legs till it passes

  15. Emilie // December 13, 2011 at 4:49 PM  

    I don't think tht method would work, I'd just crush every lotus pod I got

  16. Beth // January 8, 2012 at 8:59 PM  

    I don't even have this phobia,and that breast picture made me feel ill. Can't imagine what it would do to someone who didn't like little holes to start with.

  17. Zendora // January 9, 2012 at 8:29 AM  

    You could have discussed this phobia without posting those horrifying pictures! The breast one is especially very tramatic to see if your have trypophobia. It was totally stupid and ignorant of you.
    Like the one commentor stated: It's like throwing a spider at someone who has arachnoidphobia!
    I couldn't even read the whole article due to my disgust at your lack of forethought and compassion!

  18. Brooke W. // January 19, 2012 at 9:32 PM  

    PLEASE TAKE DOWN THIS HORRIBLE PICTURES! I came to your site looking for help of my phobia only to curl into a little ball weeping! It hurts so badly you have no idea! I itched myself for an hour straight! I'm sorry but this is a mean and down right insensitive for you to keep these images posted! How long has it been since you posted this post and still you haven't taken them down. Shame on you! Epic Fail on your part!

  19. lilysanx // March 26, 2012 at 7:40 PM  

    THE IMAGES MAN!!! YOU CLEARLY DO NOT HAVE IT! :[

  20. nauticalnadia // July 13, 2012 at 1:28 AM  

    I squinted my eyes so I didn't have to see the first picture. Then while I read, I slowed verrrrrry s l o w l y because I had a feeling (an itchy one) that pictures would be involved. I covered the rest of the pics with my finger, but even that made my skin crawl. I'm glad to know there are mote people out there with this horrible phobia. But to include these pictures is just wrong. Now I will obsessively scratch and won't be able to sleep. Thanks a lot.

  21. nauticalnadia // July 13, 2012 at 1:29 AM  

    * I scrolled

  22. Unknown // October 1, 2012 at 2:09 AM  

    I really cant read This Was looking for info on it as i have always suffered with this since i was a child, worst thing i did was come to this page!!! why would you put those pictures on here, its just resulted in my latest panic attack and a rush to the loo to be sick, cant even squint those pics away!!

  23. Amrina Cob // November 25, 2012 at 2:17 AM  

    Yeap. Probably should remove those pictures.

  24. Unknown // January 23, 2013 at 9:14 AM  

    WHY oh why did you have to put those pics up? I need help with my phobia and you just made it worse. Now I'm going to be messed up for the rest of the day and maybe tomorrow. All because I tried to seek help. I can't eat lunch now. I don't know what's wrong with me but I'm glad I'm not alone. that's sooooooooooooooooooooooooo disgusting. nasty omg please take these pix down and permanently delete them. Don't write an article with those pix in it omg i want to peel my skin off.

  25. cinth // March 4, 2013 at 11:29 AM  

    I just found out I suffer from this. I have always had this weird feeling about this issue. Now I am soo grateful to know i am not alone. I know im not crazy!

  26. Ash // May 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM  

    CLEARLY YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE TRYPOPHOBIA OTHERWISE YOU WOULD NOT HAVE PUT THOSE PICTURES UP. F*** YOU.

  27. jaaay // June 4, 2013 at 11:05 PM  

    Why the fuck would you post those kinda pictures?? Yes, yes! I've read that exposure is also a cure but when I agree to it, it's not your call asshole!!

  28. Unknown // June 17, 2013 at 2:40 PM  

    Aaaaaaah fuck I came here looking for advise and found pictures of my fear instead oh my god you are aweful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  29. Unknown // August 10, 2013 at 9:12 AM  

    fucking pictures! I'm having a panic attack as I type this. Fuck

  30. Blinky // August 30, 2013 at 2:39 PM  

    why do people care about these pictures? They are created, photoshopped pictures? I am not getting this panic? YES, it totally grosses me out. But, WHY would anyone want to create these and act like this is a phobia when the actual thing that it is is a lotus pod?

  31. Unknown // September 2, 2013 at 2:13 AM  

    Are you honestly serious?
    You're posting about how to cure or overcome trypophobia and by doing that you show us these disgusting pictures? How unthoughtful of you to even do that... Do you even think about what you do before you do it? As soon as I saw this page I scrolled straight down and when I saw the other comments criticizing your article, I absolutely agreed with them. This article is no where near curing our fear and in fact is has made my fear worse. Please take these horrible images off.

  32. Unknown // April 3, 2014 at 12:55 PM  

    I use to be little at my grandmothers house, and there were these all lace curtains on her wall.and it make me freak.i always grew up thinking i was the only one who had this. but i guess not.

  33. Anonymous // May 27, 2014 at 9:55 PM  

    Only those who truly feel a sense of anxiety and skin crawling have this phobia. I honestly thought I was crazy and weird for feeling sick and jittery after looking and pictures with a bunch of holes or dots close together. It's kind of hard to explain the feeling of actually fearing looking at these kinds of pictures. Things that make me really anxious, jittery, grossed out, and feeling the urge to rip my limbs off, are lotus seeds in the skin, maggots bunched up together, skin diseases (with dots), plantar wart, bubbles, corn, bumps, pomegranates, fish eggs....gahh many other things such as this. I can't even understand or explain this..I now feel nauseas

  34. Swaggerton // June 11, 2015 at 8:13 PM  

    I realized that I developed the dislike of clustered holes with things in them - but really only the ones in skin -human or animal - with some foreign object in it. Those stupid gross toads..you know what I'm talking about. I think this comes from something that happened to me as a teenager. I had a cyst in my breast...very large and painful one for a few weeks and it eventually worked its way to the surface, which was near the nipple. I won't go into the gory details but after it was gone, I had two small holes next to each other leftover for a bit until the skin healed up. I'm just now remembering the hole part!! Sometime after that I had a "nightmare" about - maybe don't read if this bugs you - that same spot on my breast I was examining and some small black seeds came out. It creeped me out soo much. By the way my skin has been crawling since I started reading about this phobia. Ever since then I don't like the holes...but only on skin. One time I was preparing a pork loin and cut slits in it and stuffed whole garlic cloves in and after a few it much have reminded me visually and the rest creeped me out so bad. But I finished preparing the pork. The lotus, pomegranate, etc don't bother me...and I've had warts and they slightly creeped me out but I dealt with that fine. I guess I am a specific case because it reminds me of that cyst. I still have little scars there and I remember after it healed up and scabs were gone I was inspecting it and some stuff came out - pus? just extra skin somehow? It was darker and then I think I had the dream! Man, this is like therapy for me almost. Thanks for the creepy pictures - NOT! But I am glad to hear I am not alone with this weirdness.

  35. Unknown // June 17, 2015 at 11:40 PM  

    i was trying to read an articele, covering the horryfic pictures you put there to scare us with my hand,but then i accidentally clicked on that image, and it got bigger on a whole desktop (i have touch panel laptop).... Iwas just looking for a cure, but now i`m more horrified, i just can`t take it anymore.... Thank you very much for putting those pictures