Friday the 13th: Paraskevidekatriaphobia rules the day

Do you suffer from paraskevidekatriaphobia?
 
Many people do. It is said to be the number one phobia suffered in America. Some sufferers are outwardly fearful of Friday the 13th while others who are not openly superstitious still choose to avoid tempting fate if they can. Many are superstitious about that number, without understanding why.
 
According to Dr. Donald Dossey, the psychotherapist who coined the term paraskevidekatriaphobia, which is the specific fear of Friday the 13th, as many as 21 million Americans may suffer from this condition.
 
"It's been estimated that up to $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do," said Dossey in National Geographic News (Aug., 2004). He is the founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville.
 
This superstition continues to intrude into our daily lives, whether we know it or not. Builders still avoid numbering the 13th floor and airplanes avoid having a 13th aisle.
 
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