Strange Phobias That Actually Exist

Updated on August 24, 2022 10:38 AM by Andrew Koschiev

Everyone has a fear of something or many things. However, fear is not the same as a genuine phobia.

According to an associate faculty member of the UCLA Anxiety and Depression Research Center, Kate Wolitzky-Taylor, Ph.D., "a phobia consists of a persistent fear or avoidance of a specific stimulus." A stimulus is typically an object or an event, such as bees or heights. But phobias also have a second element. Additionally, according to Wolitzky-Taylor, the fear "causes severe discomfort or otherwise hinders the person's life."

Phobias are marked by severe distress and can lead to a person avoiding the source of their fear or experiencing severe anxiety when it is there. People who have phobias that are affecting their daily lives should think about getting help because the results of expert care are frequently positive. While most people are familiar with typical phobias like the fear of heights (acrophobia) and the dread of spiders (arachnophobia), several unusual phobias are less well-known. Here is a list of 15 strange and unusual phobias you might not be familiar with.

Arachibutyrophobia - Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth

The worry of peanut butter clinging to your mouth's roof is known as arachibutyrophobia. While everyone has experienced the phenomenon at some point, those with arachibutyrophobia are immensely scared of it. Each person's level of arachibutyrophobia is unique. Some people with this illness might be able to consume peanut butter in moderation, while others would completely avoid it or foods with a similar consistency.

Arachibutyrophobia is a rare phobia that may develop due to a more severe phobia of sticky objects or a fear of choking. It might also be related to an unpleasant experience with peanut butter, such as choking on it or developing an allergy to it.

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Taphophobia - Fear of being buried alive

The dread of being buried alive is known as taphophobia. According to research, it emerged (and probably peaked) in the 1700s, when the plague was rife, and people were afraid that doctors or other medical personnel might incorrectly declare them dead. Taphophobia was so common that escapable "safety coffins" existed and that bodies were frequently kept for extended periods before burial to ensure they wouldn't awaken.

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Nomophobia - Fear of being without your mobile phone

The fear of going without a phone is known as nomophobia. Nomophobics are excessively anxious about having their phone with them, having a low battery, or having a malfunctioning phone. Regardless of the situation, persons who have nomophobia panic and go through severe anxiety symptoms when unable to use their phones.

A person's addiction frequently causes this unusual fear of cell phones. People with this phobia may constantly check their phones out of fear that they may miss a call from a loved one.

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Ombrophobia - Fear of Rain

The phobia of rain is known as ombrophobia. It belongs to a group of phobias known as "natural environment phobias," which also includes aversions to wind, hurricanes, snow, cold, and chionophobia (ancraophobia). According to the authors of a recent study, those who experience these phobias may be more likely to have had official weather education, which gives them "a higher grasp of the possible dangers connected with severe weather."

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Arithmophobia - Fear of numbers

The fear of numbers is real for those who have arithmophobia, despite the fact that many people grow up fearing math class. In contrast to the fear of actually seeing the number symbols, those who have this phobia typically experience anxiety when practicing math or dealing with numbers in general. Numerophobia is another name for the fear of numbers. Arithmophobia can have a substantial negative impact on a person's life because many professions or occupations require working with numbers.

Phonophobia - Fear of Sound

A study from Malaysia found that phonophobia is an "abnormal" and "unwarranted" fear of sound. According to researchers, these are frequently regular, everyday noises, such as doors closing or loud talking, that cannot conceivably cause pain or impairment to a person's hearing. A disorder known as "hyperacusis," which is an abnormally intense response to sound and originates from the area of your brain that processes noise and phonophobia occasionally coexist.

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Plutophobia - Fear of money

Even while many people undoubtedly wish they had more money, plutophobia is the dread of prosperity or money. People who suffer from plutophobia may fear being wealthy themselves or being around wealthy people. They typically detest having to deal with money.

People who experience this anxiety may harm their jobs to prevent earning more money or becoming affluent. The fear of getting affluent may result from a fear of the obligations and demands attached to it or from a worry of becoming a victim of the robbery.

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Ablutophobia - Fear of bathing

A dread of bathing, washing, or cleansing oneself is known as ablutophobia. This phobia most frequently affects children and goes away as they get older, yet it can still exist in adults. Ablutophobics don't bathe or shower, which can result in bad body odour and occasionally social isolation. These repercussions, however, pale in comparison to their intense fear of bathing and the anxiety they feel during bathing. A painful experience involving water or a fear of being wet can both contribute to ablutophobia. Aquaphobia, or the fear of water, is sometimes linked to phobia.

Zoophobia - Fear of all animals

A zoophobic is someone who fears all animals. (The same term also refers to a group of more particular animal phobias, like a fear of dogs or snakes.) Some people may become confined to their homes due to this dread or anxiety of coming into contact with an animal. According to a recent study, additional symptoms of coming into contact with an animal include "excessive sweating, difficulty controlling muscles, dizziness, fainting, raised heart rate, quick, and shallow breathing."

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Octophobia - Fear of the number eight

The phobia of eight is called octopophobia. The anxiety about the number thirteen and the fear of numbers themselves (arithmophobia) are the only two documented phobias of certain numbers (triskaidekaphobia). When the number eight is written down, such as in addresses or advertisements, those who have octophobia are afraid of it. They may also be afraid of objects that appear in groups of eight.

Its likeness to the infinity symbol may cause this unusual anxiety. It might also result from an accident that occurred on the eighth day of the month or another traumatic eight-related occurrence.

Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting

The anxiety of throwing up is known as emetophobia. Because individuals may fear to vomit because it would be embarrassing if it happened in front of others, researchers may classify this anxiety as a "social phobia." According to a Columbia University study, the phobia might be brought on by looking at particular foods or experiencing stomach motion.

Urophobia - Fear of urinating

Fear of urinating is known as urophobia. Concern of having an "accident" in public can be a source of worry for those who have trouble controlling their bladder. Some people also have this anxiety about urinating in front of others (often referred to as "stage fright"), which some professionals believe to be a distinct subtype of social anxiety.

Globophobia - Fear of balloons

Fear of balloons is known as globophobia. Depending on the person, the level of fear can range from avoiding balloons to simply avoiding situations where balloons are present. Some people's fear is so severe that even watching a balloon on television causes them to experience severe anxiety. Since balloons are frequently present at children's birthday parties, this uncommon anxiety can be particularly challenging for young children.

Globophobia is typically caused by an unpleasant balloon-related memory from childhood, such as popping a balloon and being startled by the loudness. Given that the two are frequently observed together, it may also be connected to a fear of clowns (also known as coulrophobia).

Linonophobia - Fear of string

Fear of string is called linonophobia. A person with linonophobia will react violently even at the mere thought of string, much less when they actually see it. Linonophobia causes people to avoid using string or anything related to it, such as while sewing or tying shoes.

This frequently arises from a bad association with string, which may be caused by a fear of being bound or constrained. A person may develop linonophobia if they go through a traumatic event, like being kidnapped or punished by being tied down. Even just seeing these events on television can have an impact.

Chaetophobia - Fear of hair

Fear of hair is known as chaetophobia. This phobia may manifest as a dread of one's own hair, the hair of others, or even the hair of animals. Chaetophobics may experience fear when brushing their hair or seeing a hairball on the ground. They will typically avoid instances where other people will touch their hair and frequently find getting haircuts to be exceedingly uncomfortable.

This phobia could result from a traumatic hair-related event. Examples include getting a terrible haircut or becoming bald after losing a lot of hair. It might also be brought on by someone avoiding contact with hair because they think it is filthy.

Trichophobia and trichopathophobia are related phobias. The anxiety of loose hair, such as hair that has landed on one's clothing or furnishings, is known as trichotillophobia. The fear of an illness of the hair, such as baldness or a change in hair colour, is known as trichopathophobia.

Conclusion - Coping up with phobia

When you have to alter your way of life to handle your anxiety and fear, it becomes a phobia. A phobia is an intense or unreasonable fear or dread triggered by a specific thing or situation that significantly limits your life.

You'll go to tremendous measures to avoid something that most people would consider innocuous if you have a fear. Treatment for specific phobias usually includes some form of exposure to the item that causes you the most anxiety.

Self-help publications, self-help communities, and online self-help resources can all be used in self-exposure therapy, a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).