And this is exactly why I said "I'm not generalizing". People do that for many reasons not just dealing with internalized phobia. This is a generalization. But if you are facing that, there are healthier ways of dealing with things, as you mentioned. Everyone faces their deamons differently. At the same time, if you have had bad experiences with a certain group, I think is understandable to want to stay away from it. It's very different than practicing hate speech against an entire population.