Cryophobia

Cryophobia (from Greek cryo, "icy cold"), sometimes known as pagophobia (from Greek pago, "ice") is the fear of extreme cold, ice, or frost, or in other words fear of winter. It is considered a branch of frigophobia, fear of cold in general.

Cryophobia is more commonly suffered by people who live in places that experience winter. This fear has some basis because extreme cold can be harmful to one’s health. Freezing temperatures can cause hypothermia and frostbite which can be life-threatening if not treated or addressed early. Some might have developed this fear because they might have had a near death experience or traumatic experience with snow or the ice. One might have been involved in a snowboarding accident or a vehicular accident wherein one lost control of the car because of the slippery road due to ice. For others, the fear of the cold weather may be due to the fact that a lot of people don’t go out in harsh weathers thus it could equate to loneliness.

Cryophobes would like to live in warmer places, like in the tropics, and would get extremely anxious when winter season begins, or when they have to go outside in a cold weather. Those with extreme manifestations may even feel anxious even when they see an ice cube or drink cold beverages.

Cryophobia treatment includes. Moving to a place with warmer climate may also help the person suffering this phobia.