All Phobias (Or at Least a Few)

Some rare phobias include fear of bathing, fear of mirrors and fear of the color yellow. Hence, individuals who have these phobias often experience extreme anxiety.

A phobia is an irrational fear of an object, situation or living thing. While fear is a natural response to danger, phobias often occur in response to something unlikely to cause real harm. In some cases, a person with a phobia will meet the diagnostic criteria for a specific phobia, which is a type of anxiety disorder. Therefore, someone with a specific phobia will experience intense fear and anxiety when confronted with the source of the phobia. This could include blood, heights or specific animals like dogs.

While most people have heard of common phobias, like the fear of heights (acrophobia) or the fear of spiders (arachnophobia), there are many strange, less talked about phobias. Here is a list of 10 weird and rare phobias you may have never heard of.

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” -Ayn Rand

Arachibutyrophobia (Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth)

Arachibutyrophobia is the phobia of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. While the phenomenon has happened to everyone at one point or another, people with arachibutyrophobia are extremely afraid of it. However, the severity of arachibutyrophobia varies from person to person. Some with this condition may be able to eat small amounts of peanut butter, but others will completely avoid eating peanut butter or anything with a similar consistency.

Consequently, arachibutyrophobia is a rare phobia that can stem from a greater phobia of sticky things or a fear of choking. It may also stem from a traumatic incident with peanut butter, such as choking on or being allergic to it.

Nomophobia (Fear of being without your mobile phone)

Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone. All in all, people with nomophobia experience excessive anxiety about not having their phone with them, their battery being low or their phone being out of service. Regardless of the circumstances, not being able to use their phone causes people with nomophobia to become panicked and experience extreme symptoms of anxiety.

Arithmophobia (Fear of numbers)

Many people grow up dreading math class, but people with arithmophobia have a genuine fear of numbers. People with this fear usually experience anxiety associated with doing math or dealing with numbers in general, versus fear of actually seeing the number symbols. The fear of numbers is also sometimes referred to as numerophobia. Arithmophobia can significantly impair a person’s life, as it is difficult to do many tasks or occupations without dealing with numbers.

Plutophobia (Fear of money)

Many people probably wish they had more money, but plutophobia is a fear of money or wealth. People with plutophobia may fear wealthy people or fear becoming wealthy themselves. They generally dread money and having to deal with it.

People with this fear may potentially sabotage their careers to avoid making more money or becoming wealthy. Altogether, the fear of becoming wealthy may stem from a fear of the responsibilities and pressures associated with it or the fear of being the victim of a robbery.

Xanthophobia (Fear of the color yellow)

Xanthophobia is a fear of the color yellow. People with this rare phobia are usually also afraid of any object that is yellow, such as school buses and flowers. Therefore, people with xanthophobia may avoid the color yellow at all costs, and they may even find yellow foods to be distressing. This phobia tends to interfere with everyday life, as yellow things can be found everywhere.

Ablutophobia (Fear of bathing)

Ablutophobia is a fear of bathing, washing or cleaning oneself. Contraarily, this phobia most often occurs in children and resolves with age, but it can still be present in adults. People with ablutophobia avoid bathing and showering, which can lead to unpleasant body odor and sometimes social isolation. However, their fear of bathing and the anxiety they experience while bathing tends to be so extreme that these consequences pale in comparison. Ablutophobia may result from a traumatic event involving water or a fear of getting wet. In some cases, the phobia is related to aquaphobia, which is the fear of water.

Octophobia (Fear of the number eight)

Octophobia is a fear of the number eight. Interestingly, there are few other known phobias to specific numbers, except for the fear of numbers themselves (arithmophobia) and the fear of the number thirteen (triskaidekaphobia). Subsequently, people with octophobia fear the symbol eight as it appears written down, such as in addresses or advertisements. They also can fear objects presenting in groups of eight.

Optophobia (Fear of opening one’s eyes)

Optophobia is a fear of opening one’s eyes. This fear can be extremely debilitating, as it is hard for an individual to carry out daily activities without opening their eyes. Therefore, people with optophobia may prefer to stay indoors or in dimly lit areas. This phobia is usually associated with a generalized anxiety disorder. Like many other rare phobias, this fear is usually the result of a traumatic incident.

Globophobia (Fear of balloons)

Globophobia is a fear of balloons. The level of fear varies from person to person and can range from avoiding being near balloons to avoiding places with balloons altogether. Yet, in some people, the fear is so great that even seeing a balloon on television triggers intense anxiety. Henceforth, this rare fear can be especially hard for young children, as balloons are often present at children’s birthday parties.

Phobophobia (Fear of phobias)

Phobophobia is a fear of phobias. This can be described as free-floating anxiety, where a person spirals into a circle of anxiety due to fearing fear itself. In that respect, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Phobophobia is commonly co-diagnosed with other types of specific phobias and is often associated with anxiety disorders. At the same time, people with phobophobia will often avoid social situations or other situations that can lead to anxiety. When extreme, it will greatly interfere with an individual’s everyday life.

Conclusion

The good news is that phobias are highly treatable using relaxation methods and behavioral therapies. Though we can’t always stop our anxiety from making an appearance, we can take steps to notice our symptoms and regain control when they arise.

Many people find that talking with a therapist can help. You can do this in whatever way works best for you, whether that’s in person, on the phone, or using video chat.

Also, many people find cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy effective in overcoming their fears and reinforcing the idea that the feared situation is safe.

Articles

-The Ultimate List Of Common Phobias (A To Z)

https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/list-of-phobias

-Everything you need to know about phobias

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249347

-The Ultimate List Of 550+ Phobias From A to Z

https://www.scienceofpeople.com/list-of-phobias

Have a Good One,

Cindee Murphy, One Voice – Unstoppable

“In playing ball, and in life, a person occasionally gets the opportunity to do something great. When that time comes, only two things matter: being prepared to seize the moment and having the courage to take your best swing.” -Hank Aaron