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15 Unusual and Bizarre Phobias

Everyone knows a phobia is the irrational fear of something or someone. However, many people are not even aware that they are suffering from a phobia.

Here you will find 15 unusual and bizarre phobias and their names. If you suffer from any type of phobia, the best way to cure it is through counseling or therapy. The first step is to be aware you have it and prepared to talk about it.

1. Anuptaphobia or the fear of remaining single, unmarried or married to the wrong person

Although Anuptaphobia is generally known as the fear of being single, it can also manifest as an uncontrolled fear of getting married to the wrong person.

2. Aphenphosmphobia or the fear of being touched or any sort of physical contact

Aphenphosmphobia usually happens if the person suffering from the phobia experienced a trauma during childhood. This phobia is the unusual fear of any kind of physical contact, including touches of affection such as kisses or hugs.

3. Bibliophobia or the fear of books or the act of reading

Bibliophobia is the irrational fear of books, reading books or the actual stories inside the books. However, many people suffer from a subset of Bibliophobia, fearing certain kinds of novels, textbooks or even children’s stories rather than fearing all books.

4. Cacophobia or the fear of ugly things or ugliness in general

If you found yourself hating Christmas sweaters, contemporary art or certain types of food just because you feel like there should be more beauty involved, you will be surprised to know that there is actually a name for your condition: cacophpobia!

5. Chrometophobia or the fear of money

Chrometophobia is not actually the fear of seeing or touching money as an object, but the fear of suddenly becoming wealthier. Some people cannot handle the idea of having more money than they can actually spend and many people who suffer from Chrometophobia do not even know it.

6. Didaskaleinophobia or the fear of going to school

If only I knew there was a phobia involving not going to school when I was a kid. Jokes aside, didaskaleinophobia is a serious condition and can occur when the kid is experiencing traumatizing event when going to school.

7. Ephebiphobia or the fear of teenagers or youth

It looks like not only mothers are afraid of teenagers and what they can do and there is actually a word to describe the irrational fear of youth and teenagers: Ephebiphobia.

8. Genophobia or the fear of having sex

The first time is probably scary for everyone but if you find yourself still scared or even terrified of sex, you might want to take some counseling as you may suffer from Genophobia.

9. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia or the fear of freakishly long words

This is probably the most ironic phobia name ever and it pretty much does not need any further description.

10. Ithyphallophobia or the fear of thinking about, having or seeing an erect penis

Ithyphallophobia is common in both women and men so imagine the stress those poor guys are under.

11. Octophobia or the fear of the number 8

There are people in this world who experience fear whenever they see certain numbers. One of the most common number people are afraid of is 13, but 8 is the second number people are most afraid of. Researchers believe that the root of the number phobia lies somewhere in superstition.

12. Papaphobia or the fear of the Pope

Have you recently experienced an uncontrolled fear towards the Pope? Well, you should check out and see if you are not actually suffering from Papaphobia.

13. Peladophobia or the fear of bald people

Voldemort can creep out pretty much everyone, from the pale face to the lack of his nose but if think that the scariest part of Voldemort is his bald head, then you might suffer from Peladophobia.

14. Soceraphobia or the fear of parents-in-law

In-laws can sometimes be really scary, especially if you are looking for acceptance from them. However, if you are down right terrified of your parents-in-law, Soceraphobia is the phobia you are suffering from.

15. Syngenesophobia or the fear of relatives

Syngenesophobia is the fear of an uncle, an aunt, your cousin, your niece or any other person or group of people that you are related to.

Remember, phobias are serious conditions and they should not be ignored. If you find yourself struggling with fear of any kind, try finding help.

The World’s Strangest Phobias

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We are all afraid of something, aren’t we? Personally, I constantly worry about my trousers falling down in a public place. Even that isn’t so bizarre compared to the world’s strangest phobias around.

Lleguminophobia – Fear of Baked Beans

The guy in the photo is called Rob Griffiths. He has a secret to confess. He is scared of tinned baked beans. This sensitive chap wasn’t just unlucky in this respect. Oh no, he was doubly cursed. He ended up getting a job as a chef. This meant that he sometimes had to heat up the hideous “orange devils” as he calls them. Thankfully, there was a happy ending. He quit his job and now cleans windows for a living.

Coulrophobia – Fear of Clowns

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the fear of clowns is that it isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Among the celebrity sufferers of this weird phobia is Johnny Depp. So, it’s ok to inflict a guy with scissors for hands and a headless horseman on the world, but a cheerful guy with a painted smile is something to be afraid of?

Selenophobia – Fear of the Moon

Are you afraid of the moon? If you are then you suffer from a strange phobia called selenophobia. If you suffer from shortness of breath, weakness of knees and intense sweating while looking at the moon, then you probably suffer from selenophobia.

Xanthophobia – Fear of the Colour Yellow

Yellow; it’s not a bad old colour, is it? Some would even call it mellow. Sure, it doesn’t have the same gripping image of purple, the cutting edge danger of red or the broad appeal of blue. But, it’s certainly not something to be afraid of.

Metrophobia – Fear of Poetry

It is time for me to make a confession; I find poetry insufferably boring. Why would anyone want to spend hours and hours of their life writing or reading this nonsense? However, I’m not sure if I’m physically afraid of it. Actually, if you sat me down with a bunch of stuff from Wordsworth or Shakespeare, then I might very well break out in a cold sweat.

Genuphobia – Fear of Knees

Aren’t knees just the scariest thing ever? If you answered yes to that question, then you probably suffer from the strange phobia known as genuphobia. Seriously dude, why are you so scared of knees? They’re only knobbly things that stop our legs from collapsing.

Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope

What’s the Pope ever done to harm you? I could maybe understand people having papaphobia in the days of religious persecution and the Spanish Inquisition. But, Pope Francis isn’t really likely to harm you, is he?

Geniophobia – Fear of Chins

Can you imagine what life would be like if you had an intense and irrational fear of chins? Even shaving would become a dark and mysterious business that led to tears every time.

Ergophobia – Fear of Work

If you are a feckless, work-shy lay about, then don’t admit this to anyone. Especially don’t admit it to your boss. Instead, claim that you have ergophobia . You’ll get a lot of sympathetic looks and probably won’t even get fired.

Not a Laughing Matter: 10 Strangest Phobias in the World

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Except perhaps for Chuck Norris, every person in the world has at least one phobia. It is that moment when we feel extreme (and sometimes irrational) fear, often morbid fear, due to various reasons. People suffering from phobias are usually afraid of things that do not actually pose any threat to their physical integrity. Nevertheless, as hilarious as the following phobias may sound, they are certainly not a laughing matter, especially considering that certain people are actually suffering from them.

Phobias are horrible and debilitating and they could severely damage one’s mental health. Imagine that you cannot descend the stairs each morning because you are too afraid, or that you cannot take telephones because your mind is too terrified to react. Still, they exist, and although some of them seem plain crazy and mind-boggling, they are a reality. Here are ten of the weirdest phobias in the world.

10. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

We have started the list with one of the weirdest phobia name: hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia. It’s not a joke. This word describes the fear of the number 666, a number which is usually associated with bad luck and negativity, but it is not only this. According to the Book of Revelations, it is the number of the Devil. Also, if you have seen horror movies like “The Omen” you probably are already aware that Hollywood tried to perpetuate the fear of it.

9. Caligynephobia

Most men I know desire young, beautiful, attractive ladies. But this rule does not apply to people suffering from Caligynephobia. This phobia refers to an illogical fear of beautiful women, and it is common among adolescents and gay men. Symptoms include panic attacks, anxiety and damages social interactions.

8. Cathisophobia

Joining our list of bizarre phobias, is Cathisophobia, or the fear of sitting down. If you experience heavy breathing, sweating and sudden panic attacks when sitting down, it means you are suffering from it. This phobia is usually associated with a traumatic event where you have been inflicted torture or punishment while sitting. It is more frequent among people who have been kid-napped or treated as hostages.

7. Decidophobia

I think I’ve just found my phobia: the fear of making decisions. (joking). While some people are afraid when it comes to decision making, others simply can’t handle reality. They are terrified of it. This reminds me of the movie “Mr. Nobody”: the story of a boy faced with an impossible decision. Granted, he may not have been suffering from decidophobia, but at least it puts this fear in perspective.

6. Phagophobia

This is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous phobias of all. It refers to the fear of swallowing, and its detrimental effects are quite obvious: malnutrition, weight-loss and health problems. People suffering from it should definitely look for ways of solving it before severe problems occur.

5. Spectrophobia

Spectrophobia is the fear of mirrors or one’s own reflection. Girls, try to imagine this one: not being able to look in the mirror when you want to put on make-up or check your hair. Terrifying indeed. This phobia is usually related to one’s refusal to accept imperfections of the face or body. It also means that people suffering from it will try to avoid any type of things that reflect; shiny cars, puddles of water, mirrors, glasses etc.

4. Chorophobia

Chorophobia is actually a very common phobia, and it is usually encountered among men. Dancing is a popular form of exercise and a display of social skills, and people have universally embraced it as a means of expressing culture and affection. Nevertheless, there are some who are mortified when it comes to dancing, either because they are too uncomfortable or simply embarrassed. Individuals suffering from it will probably avoid dancing and social events at all costs.

3. Anthophobia

For most, Spring is a reason for joy, colors, and beautiful flowers. For others, it is the perfect excuse to remain behind locked doors. Anthophobia, refers to the fear of flowers. People are actually afraid of flowers. Of course, they pose no threat to their physical health, but they would probably not understand this.

2. Chrometophobia

We live in a world that is obsessed with money. Everywhere you look, you see money, and it seems that all the good things in life can only be obtained with the help of money. While others desperately try to earn as much as possible, others want to have nothing to do with it. Chrometophobia represents the inexplicable fear of money, and it is suggested that it comes from an obsessive-compulsive disorder generated by the fear of germs. People who suffer from it usually prefer to use credit cards for their daily purchases.

1. Genophobia

Probably the most common topic of discussion nowadays is sex, and Justin Bieber. Let’s face it, sex is among the most exhilarating human experiences. It’s the best. Everything else comes second. Still, as incredible as it may seem, there are people who are terrified of intimacy or sexual relations. This is not a laughing matter. People suffering from it have probably been abused in their childhood, they are victims of molestation, or they are ashamed of their body. In the end, it can lead to loneliness and depression.

Top 10 Unbearable Phobias

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They say that the fear of fear is the worst fear in itself. That said, fear is probably the most common of all human emotions besieging people in strangest of times. Every one’s been scared of something or the other at some point – from that perspective, fear is one great leveler too!

Everyone supposedly has a fear of some sort, but not all of us can claim to suffer from the type of ‘pathological fear’ called a ‘phobia’. There are some phobias that are very well known: Agoraphobia, the fear of being in an open area or in a large crowd; Thanatophobia, the fear of death! [Read more…]