A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as an irrational fear of an object or situation that the sufferer goes to great lengths to avoid. It is typically disproportional to the actual danger posed
There are many phobias that sound strange or ridiculous, but they are no laughing matter to the people who suffer from them.
The effect of these bizarre phobias can be devastating to the emotional and mental well-being of a person.
The Life Daily team has discovered some of the most weird examples, starting with a phobia about about the fear of phobias themselves..
After you have browsed through the list, you will have a better insight into how and why people suffer from them.
These are some of the most bizarre phobias you are ever likely to encounter:
1. Phobophobia
Fear of fear itself is a phobia. Phobophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of phobias, or of developing one. The risk of acquiring phobophobia is greater for people already suffering from another form of phobia.
Sometimes, people not having any past phobias at all to have a fear of acquiring it. This is one of the strangest phobias because the sufferer is not reacting to any external stimuli but to an inner feeling.
2. Ablutophobia
People with Ablutophobia don’t believe that they can wash or clean themselves because it is something that terrorizes them. It is usually found in women and children experiencing emotional instabilities due to past traumas or other distressing reasons.
3. Caligynephobia
This phobia refers to an unjustified fear of beautiful women. It is commonly suffered by adolescents and gay men. It can cause panic attacks and damages relationships and social interactions.
4. Spectrophobia
This is one of the weirdest phobias anyone can ever have. It refers to the fear of looking at one’s own reflection in the mirror, or the dread of mirrors themselves. Generally, it is triggered by a traumatic event where the victims believe they have seen ghostly apparitions by looking at themselves in the mirror. One probable cause is watching horror movies featuring mirrors.
5. Scopophobia
This is the fear of being seen or being stared at. Scopophobics have this extreme fear of drawing attention to themselves. They become aloof, unapproachable, and paranoid about being looked at. They want to stay secluded as much as possible, refusing to be drawn out of their own world.
Sufferers might have caught the phobia due to a terrible experience in the past that had traumatized them for life.
6. Peladophobia
People suffering from this condition are extremely disturbed and alarmed every time they see a bald person. A hairless head can set off a full-blown panic attack. A probable cause is a childhood experience or heredity.
7. Chrometophobia
This is the excessive fear of money! It seems absurd that anyone will ever develop a fear of money when most people are attempting to acquire it ever larger amounts of it. There is a theory that this phobia comes from an obsessive-compulsive disorder constituting a fear of germs that notes may carry.
Sufferers from this phobia prefer using credit cards rather than having money in their hands.
8. Chorophobia
The irrational fear of dancing is referred to as Chorophobia. It also refers to the fear of any person, place, event, or situation that is related to dancing in any way.
Individuals experiencing such phobia will do just about anything to avoid an event where dancing might be involved, which, of course, damages their social lives.
9. Cathisophobia
If you get anxious, have trouble breathing, and/or are usually sweating heavily whenever you sit down, then you are a victim of this condition. This fear of sitting may be the result of a previous traumatic event where you experienced pain and punishment while sitting down.
For example, hostages who have undergone torture while sitting can develop a fear of ever sitting down again.
These bizarre phobias are in no way amusing to those having to live with them.
No matter how bizarre and laughable a phobia might be, it is not trivial to the sufferer. There are treatments available, and they should be sought out. Nobody needs to continue to suffer unnecessarily.
Do you suffer from any of these bizarre phobias?
Or do you suffer from any phobias at all? How do you cope?
Share your experiences with our readers by using the comments feed provided below.
