Draconophobia: Fear of Dragons – Cultural Phobia

Draconophobia (from Greek drakōn "dragon" + phobos "fear") is the specific phobia of dragons.

Context

• Dragons are mythological creatures; phobia typically manifests in response to depictions (films, games, illustrations, costumes).
• May overlap with herpetophobia (fear of reptiles) or teraphobia (fear of monsters).
• Russian term: драконофобия (draconophobia).

Phobia Characteristics

• Intense, irrational fear disproportionate to actual threat (nonexistent).
• Avoidance of dragon‑related media, theme parks, fantasy literature.
• Anxiety symptoms on exposure: tachycardia, sweating, panic.

Treatment

• Cognitive‑behavioral therapy (exposure therapy using graded images/videos).
• Relaxation training, cognitive restructuring.
• Rarely requires medication unless comorbid anxiety disorder.

While uncommon in clinical practice, specific phobias of fictional entities are recognized in DSM‑5/ICD‑11 under "Specific Phobia, Other Type."