Is trypophobia real?

Trypophobia is a condition where a person experiences a fear or aversion to clusters of small holes.
The condition is thought to be triggered when a person sees a pattern of small clustered holes, bringing about symptoms, such as fear, disgust, and anxiety.

Although trypophobia is not currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the term trypophobia has been in use since 2009.

What triggers trypophobia?
People who experience symptoms of trypophobia are often triggered by specific images of clusters of small, irregular holes, such as:

• sponges
• soap bubbles
• coral
• sea sponges
• honeycomb
• water condensation
• beehives
• seed pods
• strawberries
• pomegranates
• bubbles
• clusters of eyes as found in insects.

Lotus seed heads may trigger trypophobia, the fear of clusters of holes or round patterns.

Symptoms
People with trypophobia may experience symptoms, such as:

• feelings of disgust, fear, or discomfort
• goosebumps
• skin itching
• skin crawling
• sweating
• nausea
• Panic attack