The fear of being touched (also known as aphephobia, haphephobia, haphophobia, hapnophobia, haptephobia, haptophobia, thixophobia] is a rare specific phobia that involves the fear of touching or of being touched. It is an acute exaggeration of the normal tendencies to protect one’s personal space, expressed as a fear of contamination or of the invasion, and extending even to people whom its sufferers know well.