Editing Adrian Monk (section)

===Phobias===
In the script for the pilot, "[[Mr. Monk and the Candidate]]", Monk is described as being "a modern day [[Sherlock Holmes]]", only "nuts".<ref name="pg2"/> In the introductory scene of the episode, he is examining the scene of Nicole Vasques' murder, and picks up several important clues, but frequently interrupts himself to wonder aloud whether he left his stove on when he left the house that morning. In the season 6 episode "Mr. Monk and the Daredevil", Monk mentions that he has 312 [[phobia]]s. The strongest of these phobias are: [[mysophobia|germs]], [[odontophobia|dentists]], [[aichmophobia|sharp or pointed objects]], [[emetophobia|vomiting]], [[necrophobia|death and dead things]], [[ophidiophobia|snakes]], [[ochlophobia|crowds]], [[acrophobia|heights]], [[phobophobia|fear]], [[mushroom]]s, [[soccer riot]]s and [[claustrophobia|small spaces]], as Monk also mentions in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Very Very Old Man". In addition, new phobias develop at seemingly random intervals, such as a temporary fear of [[blanket]]s at the end of the season 5 episode "[[Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink]]". Though it is impossible to determine his strongest phobia, there does appear to be some form of hierarchy between them: in the series finale "[[Mr. Monk and the End]]", it is made clear that his fear of vomiting is greater than his fear of death. He has also stated, "Snakes trump heights!".

Due to his overpowering [[mysophobia|fear of germs]], Monk refuses to touch door handles and other common objects with his bare hands, avoids contact with anything dirty, and always uses sanitary wipes after human contact, including basic handshakes.<ref name="pilot"/> He is also unable to eat food that other people have touched—as shown in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk Falls in Love" when he and Leyla Zlatavich go out to a Zemenian restaurant—and tends to throw away household items after people touch them, such as ladles and plastic storage containers.