In Greek, the word chrono means time and the word phobia means fear. Chronophobia is the fear of time. It is characterized by the irrational yet persistent fear of time, usually, because people fear that their time on Earth is limited or have trouble tracking its passing.

Even though time isn't fully concrete, some may consider it as a type of "specific phobia", similar to how one would fear a cat or snake.

Some populations experience chronophobia, the fear of time, more than others. In fact, since it is so common in prison populations it is sometimes known as "prison neurosis". The elderly, as well as people facing terminal illnesses, may also face this fear. Time becomes their enemy, and they fear it because its passing will ultimately lead to their death.

The fear of time also sometimes presents in the wake of severe trauma, such as a natural disaster, particularly if the daily routine is seriously disrupted. It is also relatively common among shipwreck survivors and others who are trapped in a high-anxiety situation with no familiar means of tracking the passage of time. In fact, a sense of a foreshortened future has previously been used as one of the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Chronophobia might be also related to the rare chronomentrophobia, the irrational fear of timepieces, such as watches and clocks.

More Info: www.verywellmind.com