Are You Letting Your Fear Get The Best Of You?
You might have encountered someone who has a fear of flying – or it could be you who personally have a fear of flying. Basically, these phobias are something that people would have to deal with at one point or another.
By definition, a phobia is that irrational fear of a certain object, situation, person or activity. When you have a phobia of something, you will feel this
anxiety because the thing that you are most fearful of is way beyond your control.
Another aspect of phobias which make it alarming is the fact that it can interfere with your daily life, which is exactly the reason why you do need to find an ‘antidote’ for such an anxiety disorder.
There’s an estimated 18% of the American adult population which is suffering from some kind of phobia. Now, there are actually three types of phobias which an individual may possess. First, there’s the simple phobia like fear of spiders or heights.
Second, there’s the
social phobias wherein you are fearful of being in a social situation that may cause you humiliation. Third, there’s the agoraphobia which is defined as the fear of being away from some place safe.
In addition, there are the bizarre phobias which involve a person being fearful of something that is perfectly normal for other human beings. Nobody really knows the reason behind the development of phobias but they can be triggered by a traumatic experience.
In addition, there are the bizarre phobias which involve a person being fearful of something that is perfectly normal for other human beings. Nobody really knows the reason behind the development of phobias but they can be triggered by a traumatic experience.
The physical manifestations of a person suffering from a particular type of phobia include
Pain disorders, breathlessness and anxiety attacks.
A Look At The Top 12 Most Unusual Phobias That People Have
But what if you fear is something that is perfectly natural for most people? Here, we will take a look at the top 12 most bizarre phobias that people have.
1. Phobia: Arachibutyrophobia:
rnDefinition: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth.
Yes, you heard it right. Although this fear may be worthy of a slot in a Saturday Night Live skit or an episode of “The Simpsons“, it is indeed a fear that actually exists.
For some people, the prospect of eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich may prove to be a challenging task.
This is because of the fear that they have of the peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouth. One can only wonder what they would do in such a situation.
2. Phobia: Ephebiphobia
Definition: Fear of youth or teenagers.
This is one bizarre fear which actually has a more complex background. According to sociologists, one’s fear of the youth or teenagers may be attributed to the generation gap.
This is especially true when it comes to the segregation of the young and adult group in the American society.
What a person with ephebiphobia is actually fearful of is being rejected by teenagers, which is why they usually cover their fear with a permissive attitude towards them.
3. Phobia: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Definition: Fear of long words.
The name of the phobia itself may battle the number of letters contained in the longest word – but it’s actually something that those who have a fear of long words would actually be wary of.
For one reason or another, there are individuals who have a fear of long words – the sight of which usually sends them into having a panic attack!
4. Phobia: Ithyphallophobia
Definition: Fear of erections.
Based from the part of the word that says ‘phallo‘, you may already have an idea that this particular phobia has something to do with the penis. And it’s exactly right.
Ithyphallophobia is defined as an unwarranted yet persistent fear of an erect penis. What’s surprising is that it is a type of phobia which is quite common.
Just as it is with any other type of phobia, being exposed to the thing which you fear most is the usual therapy for patients with this condition. The physical manifestation of this quite bizarre phobia is the occurrence of panic attacks.
So if you’re in the middle of having sex and you find that the sight of an erect penis causes you to have an anxiety disorder, chances are you do have this condition.
5. Phobia: Koumpounophobia
Definition: Fear of buttons.
According to the National Phobic’s Society, one in every 75,000 people is affected by this really bizarre fear of buttons. This usually occurs during one’s childhood and may or may not persist into adulthood.
The physical manifestations of this fear include being afraid to actually touch a button, or experiencing panic attacks at seeing buttons grouped together.
6. Phobia: Nomophobia
Definition: Fear of being disconnected from the rest of the world if you don’t have contact through mobile phone.
This is probably one common fear that the modern worker has – although the nature of the phobia itself is quite bizarre. Nomophobia refers to the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
If you’re the type of person who gets all panicky at the thought of being somewhere where there’s no mobile phone coverage – or if you obsessively check whether your phone still has a full charge of batteries for fear of being disconnected, then you might have nomophobia.
7. Phobia: Papaphobia
Definition: Fear of the Pope.
Why someone would have a fear of a person who the Catholic Church deems to Holy, nobody really knows.
Papaphobia is definitely one of the most bizarre types of fear on our list – which is defined as fear of the pope or the papacy.
The physical manifestations of the fear include shortness of breath, nausea, sweating and that unusual feeling of dread. Aside from the ‘main man’ of the Catholic Church, someone who has papaphobia may also be fearful of the Catholic Church itself.
8. Phobia: Peladophobia
Definition: Fear of bald people.
Don’t confuse this bizarre fear with the fear of going bald, which is actually called phalacrophobia. This particular phobia is feeling anxiety at the thought of, or actually seeing a bald person.
9. Phobia: Scopophobia
Definition: Fear of being looked at.
What if the condition that you instantly assumed to being an introvert is actually a fear of being looked at or scopophobia? Some people do have an intense, often irrational fear of being looked at.
As such, they try to avoid crowded places and they usually feel unsettled if they think that the person behind or beside them is staring.
10. Phobia: Triskaidekaphobia
Definition: Fear of the number 13.
Did you know that even Adolf Hitler was famed to have a fear of the number 13? This is probably associated with the myth behind Friday the 13th – although this particular phobia is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.
If you experience anxiety attacks upon seeing the number 13 printed or written somewhere, and you consciously avoid things which have something to do with the number 13, then this might be a fear that you have.
11. Phobia: Trichophobia
Definition: Fear of loose hairs.rnIf you’re suffering from hair loss and a person freaks out once they see some loose strands on your shirt or even on the floor where you’re standing, don’t be offended. That person may be suffering from what is known as trichophobia or fear of loose hairs.
12. Phobia: Vomitophobia
Definition: Fear of vomiting.
Usually associated with eating disorders, vomitophobia is defined as the fear of vomiting. The fear can also be attributed with fear of being others who are vomiting, or being afraid of vomiting themselves.
The physical manifestation of this type of fear is that a person will stop going to parties, will avoid socializing and will steer clear of situations where they may encounter a person who is vomiting, or be in a situation where they themselves will vomit.