Tickling is an expression of affection, it is a way to have some fun and it is often a harmless expression of being intimate. Kids love being tickled. They laugh when tickled and that induces the release of endorphins or happy hormones. Adults too laugh and feel happy when tickled. Romantic relationships or intimate moments also have a place for tickles. But some people are afraid of tickles. These people have tickle phobia.
From a general perspective, it may be hard to imagine that some people would be afraid of tickles. But there can be some very valid reasons behind the phobia. Most people, who have tickle phobia, develop it owing to an unpleasant event in the past. It is possible that they had been bullied and tickled when they were kids and that experience had been etched in their memory. The unpleasant event or the experience of being pinned down and being tickled against one’s will and not to express affection but to ridicule the person will have a psychological impact. People with such a history or an experience of similar events can develop tickle phobia. Most phobias are formed when the act or the thing instills a sense of discomfort or brings back memories of something undesirable. Tickle phobia is easy to understand from such perspectives.
Some people have tickle phobia simply because they are not fond of human contact. Introverts, those who are not very sociable and those who don’t really like to be physically touched will tend to be afraid of tickles. It may not be a phobia in the literal or implied sense but the person will be averse to the idea of tickles. They would move away when someone approaches to tickle them. They might get irritated and they may not even like the person who tickles them.
Another aspect of tickle phobia is the object that is used to tickle. Not always do we tickle someone with our hands or fingers. At times, feathers or sharp objects are also used to tickle. Those who have a fear of feathers, which is known as pteronophobia, would be afraid of being tickled with features. Those who have a fear of sharp objects will also have tickle phobia when such objects are used. Beyond the objects, such people may develop tickle phobia due to the idea or possibility of being tickled with such objects, which they are afraid of in the first place.