Phobia

Catagelophobia

Catagelophobia - Fear of being ridiculous.

Catagelophobia is the irrational fear of being ridiculed. Someone suffering from this condition may find the mere thought of being mocked or made fun of to be extremely painful and anxiety provoking. They themselves may already be very self-critical, so when someone else ridicules them or when they perceive that they are being ridiculed by someone else, this may only confirm what they already believe about themselves.

It may not be uncommon for someone suffering from full blown catagelophobia to also experience symptoms of glossophobia (fear of public speaking) or agoraphobia (fear of crowded places) as these two phobias lend themselves to being vulnerable to being ridiculed by others as well. Catagelophobia can also be thought to be the fear of being judged as well due to the fact that being ridiculed, mocked, or teased are all unwanted judgments made at the other persons expense.

Someone experiencing the symptoms associated with catagelophobia may find themselves avoiding people who have ridiculed them in the past for they may fear it could happen again. They may also avoid certain places or situations which they may deem to be potentially pernicious. For example, they may avoid being put in a vulnerable situation where all eyes would be on them or where they would have to speak in front of a crowd, thus risking their chances of being ridiculed.

If someone with catagelophobia happens to be ridiculed to the point to where they deem it to be absolutely unbearable, then their anxiety may be so intrusive and extreme that they may even experience a full blown panic attack.

I personally know someone who have this phobia.