The Strangest Phobias You’ve Probably Never Heard of (Part 1)

Surely you know the most common phobias such as acrophobia or fear of heights, fear of flying, claustrophobia, arachnophobia, or misophobia (the pathological fear of germs), but did you know there’s a whole list of weird phobias that one might not even consider as a phobia? There are some strange fears, such as the number 666 or even the fear of long words. These phobias affect fewer people, and some people might not be aware they suffer from them. As you will see, their names can be bizarre since, in most cases, they come from the Greek, joining the name of what is feared with the word “Phobos,” which means phobia or fear. In this article, we list some of the rarest phobias. Let’s check them out!

 

Phobophobia (Fear of BEING AFRAID)

It is a paradoxical “fear of fear.” Patients fear contracting a phobia that impairs their quality of life or hinders them.

 

Chromophobia (Fear of COLORS)

The sick can fear all colors or only some. Melanophobia is the fear of the color black; leukophobia, white, erythrophobia, red.

 

Yellow Color

People who have this phobia, called xanthophobia, cannot tolerate seeing or touching anything yellow in color. And this phobia does not refer only to yellow objects, but many xanthophobes also do not tolerate reading the word “yellow.” But it should be noted that other colors can also cause fear. For example, red, giving rise to so-called ” erythrophobia. “

 

Ithyphallophobia (Fear of an ERECTION)

What awaits a couple suffering from ithyphallophobia? People with this disorder have an irrational fear of observing, experiencing or thinking about an erection of the penis.

 

The Number 666

The number 666 is related to the Antichrist; that is why this phobia usually exists in people raised in the Christian religion. The name of this phobia is hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia. Those who suffer from it might even feel anxiety about a house with this number or see it written on any paper.

 

Triskaidekaphobia (Fear of NUMBER 13)

Another strange phobia is the fear of the number 13. Of course, it is linked to the belief that this number will bring bad luck… There is also the “paraskavedekatriaphobia,” which is synonymous with an irrational fear of Friday the 13th.

 

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (Fear of pronouncing LONG WORDS)

Paradoxically, this word defines the fear of the pronunciation of long words; it also includes those who are especially apprehensive about mispronouncing complex, specialized words or those that are unknown to them. People who have this fear can say the name of their phobia without falling into a panic attack. The term “sesquipedalophobia ” is also used, which is not very helpful.

 

Metrophobia (Fear of POETRY)

The horror of poetry can be caused by believing that it is exclusive to the elites and that we will not understand its meaning.

 

Papyrophobia (Fear of PAPER)

It is an irrational fear of paper. It comes in different forms: some patients fear dry paper, others damp paper.

 

Money

This phobia does represent a problem in daily life: the extreme fear of money. It is called chrematophobia or chrometophobia. Sufferers find it extremely complicated to manage money, whether they are paying something or retrieving cash from their bank account. As you can see, all phobias are irrational, but some generate more complications than others.

 

Euphobia (Fear of hearing GOOD NEWS)

People who suffer from it are constantly worried about hearing good news: yes, they fear knowing that, for example, they will win the lottery or that they will receive money.

 

Phagophobia (Fear of SWALLOWING)

Perhaps this is the least strange of all the phobias that come later. Phagophobia is the fear that some people have to swallow and choke on food or drink to end up suffocating.

 

Cheese

Many will think: how can someone have a phobia of cheese with how delicious it is? But that’s right, there is this phobia, and it is called tokophobia. These people cannot smell or look at a piece of cheese, let alone eat it.

 

Ergophobia (Fear of WORK)

Stress generally associated with work is exacerbated in those who suffer from it and suffer everything associated with a typical working day.

 

Although some phobias can be hilarious because of their names and nature, we should respect and understand those who suffer from one. Want to know the weirdest phobias ever? Check out the second part of this blog!