Phobias You Might Not Have Heard Of

Everyone is afraid of something – Whether they admit it or not. Spiders, snakes, heights, and clowns. Things like that. But those things don’t interfere with their lives. When they see something that they’re afraid of, they react for maybe a couple of minutes – then they move along. But that isn’t always the case.

 

Some people are not so lucky. They have phobias so bad that it can be impossible to leave their house.  Severe phobias can cause anxiety attacks in people.  They can range from low-key nervousness to full-on panic attacks. To the people that have them, phobias are a dangerously real thing. What seems inconsequential to one person is terrifying to another. I do try to avoid heights, but I still managed to get on a plane. As much as clowns freak me out – I won’t end up in the hospital if I see one.

 

A phobia is an intense and sometimes debilitating fear of something. Phobias can be caused by a traumatic experience.  Psychologists believe we are naturally hardwired to be afraid of certain things. Rattlesnakes for example. Everyone knows they are venomous and if they see one. They back away. Once they are safe – the fear is gone.  On the other hand, some people can’t let the fear go. It gets bigger and bigger. That’s the difference between a fear and a phobia.

Here are a few of the most unusual phobias I have found:

• Xanthophobia – The fear of the color yellow – Imagine being afraid of the color yellow. How do you leave your house? Yellow is everywhere. Cars, school buses, the sun. Depending on how bad it is, you may never be able to leave the house.

• • Octophobia – The fear of the number eight – This one could be a real problem too. License plates, building addresses, phone numbers. You can’t escape it. The only numbers I’m afraid of are the ones on my bills!

• Koumpounophobia – Fear of buttons –  Avoiding buttons on your clothes is pretty simple. Some have this so bad that they can’t look at anyone with buttons on their clothes, let alone wear them themselves.

• Erythrophobia –  Fear of blushing – Technically no one likes to blush. It gives away the embarrassment that you’re desperately trying to hide.  You can keep a lot of things from people, but blushing will give you away every time!

• Pogonophobia – Fear of beards – Everyone has an opinion about beards. Some like them, some don’t. Personally, I think they’re pretty hot. 

• Plutophobia – The fear of money – I don’t mean to insult anyone that has this one, but speaking as someone that doesn’t have much money – I don’t get it.

• Globophobia  – Fear of balloons – I’m only afraid of random red balloons…that means that Pennywise is around!

• Nomophobia  – Fear of being without your cell phone – I think we all have this one!

• Chaetophobia – Fear of hair – The only time I’m afraid of hair is when mine looks like shit.

• Oikophobia – Fear of things in a house – This includes things like refrigerators, ovens, or boilers.

• Ablutophobia – Fear of bathing – This could never be me! I like my showers boiling and long! A lot of kids start out being afraid of taking a bath – but they eventually grow out of it.

• Amathophobia – Fear of dust – Dust is annoying. Too much in the air and it will make you sneeze. Too much on your furniture and you need to get off your ass and clean the house!

• Lepidopterophobia – The fear of butterflies –  I know what you’re thinking. Butterflies are beautiful creatures. Not everyone thinks so. For some people they are terrifying.

• Samhainophobia – Fear of Halloween – Wait, what? Absolutely not! How can anyone be afraid of the best day of the year? Granted – some people still think it’s some evil Pagan holiday, or that it has something to do with the devil. Halloween is a bastardized version of a very not evil Pagan holiday. And Pagans don’t believe in the devil. It’s just a night of spooky fun. Unless you give out raisins – then you’re the evil one!!

 

Although you and I may never be able to understand any of these fears – to some they are very real. 

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Phobia’s by Gregory Korgeski, Ph.D.