Fear of tyrants (tyrannophobia)

Tyrannophobia is a fear of tyrants, meaning people who rule or control others harshly. It might show up as strong anxiety about authoritarian leaders in the news, or as fear of controlling figures closer to home, such as a domineering boss.

About this phobia

The name comes from the Greek tyrannos, the source of the English word tyrant. It is a rarely reported term found mainly on lists. The fear can overlap with fear of authority figures and with anxiety fed by distressing news.

What it feels like

• Distress or a sense of threat when following political news
• Feeling small, frozen or unable to speak up around domineering people
• Avoiding situations where someone holds strong power over you

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

Common questions

Can fear of controlling people come from past experiences?

It often can. Living or working under someone harsh or controlling can leave a lasting sense of threat around similar people. If the fear is linked to past mistreatment, a GP or specialist counsellor can help, and limiting distressing news may also ease day to day anxiety.

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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