Fear of opinions (allodoxaphobia)

Allodoxaphobia is a fear of opinions, most often the opinions of other people. It can make someone hold back their views in meetings, avoid reading comments online, or worry for days about what a friend really thought. Being asked directly what you think can feel especially uncomfortable.

About this phobia

The word comes from the Greek allos, meaning other, and doxa, meaning opinion. It is rarely used in clinical settings and has little evidence behind it as a separate condition. The experience it describes overlaps strongly with social anxiety and fear of judgement.

What it feels like

• Agreeing with others to avoid any chance of disagreement
• Replaying conversations to work out what someone meant
• Avoiding reviews, feedback or comment sections

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

Common questions

Is allodoxaphobia the same as social anxiety?

It is not a formal diagnosis, but it describes something very similar to one part of social anxiety: a strong worry about being judged. Many people relate to it at times. When it starts to shape what you say and do every day, support can help.

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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