counterphobia

English

Etymology

From counter- +‎ phobia.

Noun

counterphobia (countable and uncountable, plural counterphobias)

1. (psychology) A compulsion to seek out the causes of fear or anxiety instead of avoiding them.
   • 2008, Jonathan Nasaw, Fear Itself:

     Obviously it was related to the entire gestalt of Simon's polyphobia and compensatory counterphobia. The boys used to watch horror movies on late-night television […]

Related terms

• counterphobic

Anagrams

• bathocuproine