Everyone is afraid of something. Maybe you freeze up when you see a spider
crawling across the wall. Perhaps public speaking turns your legs into
jello. Or maybe even the thought of a clown keeps
you up at night. Whatever the case, it’d be hard to find
a person who doesn’t have at least one thing that breaks them into a cold sweat. Just be thankful you don’t have any of the
following phobias, or spiders and clowns would be the least of your worries. Join us, as we once again enter the exciting
world of fear – here’s ten more of the most bizarre phobias that people actually
have. Chaetophobia
Anyone who’s seen a Japanese ghost movie knows you can make hair scary. However, if you suffer from Chaetophobia – The
Irrational Fear of Hair – you really don’t need the help. The name is derived from the Greek word for
“loose flowing hair” – khaite. Sufferers can develop pathological anxiety
around anything even remotely related to the subject – whether it’s hair on people’s
heads, loose hair on people’s clothes, or even going bald. People with Chaetophobia often experience
the belief that hair is dirty, or somehow has the ability to harm them. This results in the desire to avoid it at
all costs. Emily White – a teenager from the UK – described
her experiences with Chaetophobia as debilitating. She told British newspaper The Daily Mail
that she can only date men with shaved heads, and that she once cried for a solid hour and
a half after seeing a hair floating in the toilet. It’s a condition that puts a huge strain
on all social interactions, public and private. Like most phobias, Chaetophobia is best treated
with controlled exposure and cognitive behavioural therapy. Allodoxaphobia
If you asked someone with Allodoxaphobia what they thought of their condition, they’d
have no problem telling you. However, if you told them your thoughts on
the matter, they might have a panic attack. That’s because Allodoxaphobia is the fear
of opinions. The name is derived from the Greek words “allo”,
meaning “different”, and the Greek word “dox”, meaning “opinion.” It’s a sister phobia to Doxophobia – the
fear of expressing your own opinions – except with Allodoxaphobia, you’re afraid of other
people expressing their opinions to you. While this may seem almost comical at face
value, the psychological roots of this phobia are often tragic. Children who are verbally abused or overly-criticised
by teachers and caregivers are more likely to develop Allodoxaphobia. The phobia can also be caused by traumatic
events involving the transfer of opinions. Sadly, the results of this condition are equally
tragic. People with Allodoxaphobia are likely to withdraw
from social situations in order to limit their risk of exposure to other people’s opinions. The resulting isolation often leads to loneliness
and depression. Heliophobia
Vampires. They’re exciting, mysterious creatures of
myth. But imagine if you had one of the biggest
drawbacks of being a vampire, without any of the cool powers to show for it. If that’s the case for you, then you may
be experiencing Heliophobia: a pathological fear of the Sun. The name is derived from the Greek word Helios,
meaning – you guessed it – Sun. This fear often comes from concerns about
developing skin cancer, but even more extreme cases can stem from a fear of photoaging or
wrinkling. Severe instances of sun damage, such as a
particularly nasty sunburn, can be one of the many triggers that sets the condition
off. Single mother Lucy Jeffries gave an interview
to a British newspaper appropriately named The Sun. In this interview, she claimed that she’s
barely left the house in daylight for two years because of her Heliophobia. The condition is often comorbid with Nosophobia,
the fear of disease. The cruel irony is that people suffering from
Heliophobia are actually more likely to get sick than people who aren’t. Abstaining from natural light can cause serious
Vitamin D deficiencies. This can result in numerous health issues
such as a weakened immune system. fatigue, and bone pain. When you’re suffering from Heliophobia,
it’s literally hard to look on the bright side. Oikophobia
If Xenophobia is the fear of what’s different – often used in the context of bigotry towards
other nationalities – then Oikophobia is the exact opposite: The fear of the familiar. Its name is derived from the Greek word “Oikos”,
meaning, loosely, one’s family, property, and home. People suffering from Oikophobia develop a
fear of being inside their own home, or even homes in general. As well as a general anxiety and suspicion
of common household items and appliances – such as toasters and fridges. Predictably, one of the chief causes of Oikophobia
is experiencing some kind of trauma in the home. Much like Xenophobia, the term Oikophobia
has also taken on a political connotation. People experiencing national or political
Oikophobia are likely to become suspicious of their own country and fellow citizens within
it. Unsurprisingly, usage of this term spiked
in the US during the divisive 2016 election. If you suffered from Oikophobia and Agoraphobia
– the fear of having a panic attack in wide-open spaces – there’d be pretty much nowhere
you could feel at ease. Decidophobia
We all have to make tricky decisions in life. For example: Which college we attend, which
career path we pursue, and which partner we choose. Perhaps these decisions leave us feeling stressed,
maybe even a little afraid. But imagine if even minor decisions - like
what to have for breakfast or what colour socks to wear - could bring you to the edge
of a panic attack? That’s Decidophobia – the fear of making
decisions. Decidophobia is derived from the Greek and
Latin word “decido”, meaning both “to decide”, “to fall”, and in some translations,
“to cut.” People with Decidophobia are so clinically
terrified of making decisions that some can get panic attacks from even thinking about
it. Experts speculate that the root of Decidophobia
is not the making of the decision itself, but the possibilities lost to the sufferer
when they settle upon that one decision. In other words, they’re paralysed by the
potential regret of the options they don’t choose. It goes without saying that this phobia can
seriously impact your ability to live a productive life. Ombrophobia
There are thousands of videos on YouTube of ambient rain noise, meant to help people study,
chill, and even fall asleep. However, for some people out there – namely,
sufferers of Ombrophobia – this would be like watching a horror movie to relax. Ombrophobia – also known as Pluviophobia
- is the irrational fear of rain. Its name is derived from the Greek word “Ombros”,
which means “storm of rain.” This particular phobia is more common in children
than adults, and tends to be comorbid with a number of other phobias. These include Antlophobia (the fear of flooding),
Astraphobia (the fear of thunder), and Aquaphobia (the fear of drowning). Interestingly, Ombrophobia is a biological
term as well as a psychological one. In Botany, Ombrophobia refers to plants that
cannot withstand heavy rain. Ombrophobia is also more likely to occur in
locations where heavy rain and monsoons have, on occasion, proven to be dangerous, such
as India and communities along the Amazon. Thankfully for sufferers of this phobia still
in adolescence, it’s common to simply grow out of it once you mature. Adults are recommended to try mild exposure
therapy to treat their condition. Spectrophobia
Have you ever averted your eyes while walking past a mirror? Maybe it’s because you saw a horror movie
where a ghost was watching from behind the glass. Maybe you suffer from low self-esteem, and
just don’t like being reminded of the way you look. Or maybe you don’t even know why – you
just feel this weird sense of dread whenever you’re near one. What you might have is a very mild case of
Spectrophobia – defined as both a fear of mirrors, and a fear of what you might see
lurking within them. Spectrophobia is derived from the Greek word
“Spectro”, meaning “image” or “to observe.” It covers a wide umbrella of mirror-related
anxieties. The condition’s purview can even extend
to the fear of getting seven years bad luck from smashing a mirror. Spectrophobia – also referred to as Catoptrophobia
– is often developed very early on in life from traumatic personal experiences. The fact that there are also countless horror
movies that utilise mirrors for their scares - from the 1979 movie Phantasm to the 2013
movie Oculus – definitely doesn’t hurt the spooky reputation around this harmless
household item. But for Spectrophobes, the horror around mirrors
doesn’t stop when the credits roll. Linonophobia
There’s no shortage of people who will happily tell you that puppets are creepy. From the murderous dummies in the popular
Goosebumps series, to the more threatening moments in the Disney classic Pinocchio. However, imagine if you had no problem with
puppets, but were utterly terrified of the thing keeping them in the air? If that sounds relatable to you, then you
probably have an extremely rare condition called Linonophobia: An irrational fear of
string. Yes, really. This is an actual phobia, we checked. Derived from the Greek word “Lino”, meaning
simply “String”, people suffering from Linonophobia can experience extreme anxiety
from even thinking about string. If they ever actually see a piece of string
– or, god forbid, a ball – a panic attack is a possible outcome. Linonophobes are likely to avoid any location
that could possibly expose them to string, such as fabric or craft stores. Even seeing a loose string on someone’s
clothes can be a traumatic event. How someone actually gets Linonophobia, beyond
the vague idea of “a traumatic incident involving string”, is largely a mystery. The phobia is so rare it can be difficult
to obtain a decent sample size for scientific study. Optophobia
It’s likely that everyone watching this had to get up early at some point in their
lives. As you try to wake, part of you really, really
wants to keep your eyes closed, and sleep for just a little bit longer. Or, maybe, you’re at the movie theater – watching
what critics have called “The scariest movie of the decade!” During the first big scare, you clamp your
eyes shut, and hope nothing can get through to them. This is an extremely mild version of everyday
life for a person suffering from Optophobia. That is, the irrational fear of opening your
eyes. The name is derived from the Greek word “Opto”,
meaning “eye.” People suffering from Optophobia experience
an immense fear that they’ll be exposed to frightening stimuli if they open their
eyes. Often comorbid with other phobias and Generalized
Anxiety Disorder, the core concept of Optophobia is shielding yourself from things that might
frighten you further. Optophobes seek to isolate themselves into
areas they perceive as safe, and lacking threatening visual stimuli. Suffering from this phobia can prevent you
from doing pretty much anything, so it’s crucial to get it treated with anti-anxiety
medication and therapy as soon as possible. Arachibutyrophobia
Hard to spell, hard to pronounce, and even harder to understand. For millions of people worldwide suffering
from peanut allergies, it’s totally rational to be frightened of peanut butter. In mild cases, peanut consumption can result
in rashes, and in severe cases, anaphylactic shock and even death. Arachibutyrophobia, however, is not just the
fear of peanut butter. Specifically, it’s the irrational fear of
getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. Seriously. This strange phobia often comes as a package
deal with pseudodysphagia, the fear of swallowing or choking while swallowing. Its name is derived from the Greek “arachis”
(meaning ground nut) and “butyrum” (meaning butter.) The upside of this strange and extremely specific
phobia is that it can be avoided by not eating Reese’s Pieces and turning down PB+J sandwiches. However, if you’re part of the extremely
small demographic of Arachibutyrophobes who also happen to really love peanut butter,
there are other solutions. Like most phobias, Arachibutyrophobia can
be treated by controlled exposure in a clinical setting and a course of Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy. If the treatment goes well, rest assured,
you’ll be back to eating handfuls of peanut butter M&Ms in no time. So, there you have it, folks. Some of the most bizarre phobias people actually
experience. Maybe the next time you see a spider, or you’re
asked to give a presentation at work, or you’re sleepless with the thought of clowns, you’ll
think about this. At least, once the fear is over, you’ll
be able to open your eyes, look at yourself in the mirror, and enjoy a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich. We here at The Infographics Show suffer from
Noclickaphobia, which is the fear of working really hard on fun content and nobody clicking
it. So why not give us a hand by clicking this
video over here, or maybe you prefer this other one here. Either way, we guarantee you’ll have fun
and you’ll help keep our writers from hiding under their desks!
