Fear of meat (carnophobia)

Carnophobia is a fear of meat, which may mean eating it, touching it raw, or simply seeing it on a plate or in a butcher’s window. For some it is tied to worry about food poisoning, while others react to the texture, the smell or the thought of where it came from. It is different from choosing not to eat meat for ethical or health reasons.

About this phobia

The word comes from the Latin caro, carnis, meaning flesh, as in carnivore. It is rarely reported and has little clinical documentation. Fears around food safety and texture can also form part of ARFID, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, a recognised eating condition.

What it feels like

• Feeling queasy or tense when meat is being cooked or served
• Checking and rechecking that meat is fully cooked
• Avoiding barbecues, carveries or meals out where meat is central

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Is carnophobia the same as being vegetarian?

No. Vegetarians choose not to eat meat, while carnophobia is a fear that can feel out of your control. If this fear means eating much less or losing weight, speak to a GP.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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