Paraskevidekatriaphobia

Paraskevidekatriaphobia denotes an irrational fear of Friday the 13th, often accompanied by anxiety or panic when the date arises and may involve avoidance of travel, work, or social events on that day.

The term comes from Paraskevi, the Greek word for Friday, combined with dekatri, meaning thirteen, and phobia. It is also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia and is sometimes conflated with triscaidekaphobia, the fear of the number thirteen.

The date is associated with superstition in some Western cultures, but there is no consensus on how many people are affected. Many individuals do not experience clinically significant distress, while a minority report heightened anxiety or avoidance behaviors around Friday the 13th.

Symptoms may include dread, panic, increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, and avoidance of activities or travel on Fridays the 13th, sometimes with sleep disturbance or intrusive thoughts.

Diagnosis is not a distinct disorder in DSM-5; it may be categorized under specific phobia or other specified anxiety disorder if the fear causes clinically significant impairment. Treatments include evidence-based therapies for phobias, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy with exposure techniques, relaxation training, and, for some individuals, pharmacotherapy addressing underlying anxiety disorders.

Related terms include triscaidekaphobia (fear of the number thirteen) and friggatriskaidekaphobia (another name for Friday the 13th fear).