The word phobia comes from the Greek word for fear (φόβος, fobos). In medical terms 'Phobia' is an anxiety disorder. It is estimated that in USA - 5.1% to 21.5% people suffer from some kind of phobia.

Women are more prone to have a phobia and this can be the cause for serious disability.

The opposite of the suffix -phobia is a - philia or -philie (meaning "love of"). 

There are many more phobias described than what are medically acceptable to be called a 'mental anxiety disorder'. Some of these phobias actually mean a 'negative attitude towards something.' 

Medindia's 531 listed phobias include both types.