It’s only human to be afraid. Some are more afraid than others and that can really affect their personal lives. Some fears or phobias are perfectly rational, but there are many that don’t really make sense except to the ones that suffer from it. Rational fears include fear of heights, fear of the dark, of reptiles, insects, etc. We want to share with you a list of the most unusual phobias that may seem completely weird and irrational.
10. Xanthophobia – fear of yellow things
Those who suffer from this unusual phobia fear anything that has the color yellow in it. They can be afraid or even repelled by the sun, yellow sweaters or daffodils. And that’s not the worst of it. Some of the most serious forms of xanthophobia include an overwhelming fear of even the word yellow. We just hope there aren’t many people who suffer from this unusual phobia.
9. Turophobia – fear of cheese
Now this is one unusual phobia. Imagine being in a supermarket at the dairy section! People who suffer from this irrational fear usually associate cheese with a very traumatic experience. From mozzarella to cream cheese, turophobes often have to turn away from seeing or even be close to a slice of cheese.
8. Somniphobia – fear of falling asleep
Somniphobia is usually an irrational fear of sleeping. Those who suffer from this phobia associate sleep with dying. Other factors that may cause this include: feeling the lack of control when sleeping and others have suffered repeated nightmares. Some somniphobes have explained that they also fear they’re losing time while they go to sleep.
7. Hylophobia – fear of trees
This fear involves irrational anxiety emotions towards trees, forests and wood. Psychologist say that this can be caused by movies and fairy tales from childhood that involved scary woods. Most sufferers from this phobia don’t overcome it and any walk in an area where there are trees can trigger a serious panic attack. Now we know who writes those horror movies about moving trees.
6. Omphalophobia – fear of the navel
This phobia is truly one of the most unusual phobias we’ve ever found. It’s actually an irrational fear of bellybuttons. That’s right. For most of us a bellybutton is just that. But for some this can be the most repulsive sight ever. This phobia is often linked with an association to the mother’s umbilical cord and the womb. Psychologist say that there are people who have early memories of being born, of the actual birth moment. So make sure you don’t expose your bellybutton pierce to a omphalophobe.
5. Nomophobia – fear of being without mobile phone coverage
Now this is a fear some of us may have been faced with. This fear is somehow rational if you go someplace with no mobile phone coverage and there are important things you need to talk about over the phone. But usually those who suffer from this phobia have more extreme fears like: fear of losing signal anywhere, running out of battery and they are even terrified of losing sight of their mobile phone. Ok, we admit. Some of us here at 10awesome may be a little nomophobe.
4. Pogonophobia – fear of beards
Pohonophobia is an exaggerate fear of beards or facial hair. People who suffer from this feel panic, rapid heartbeat and even dread when they are in the presence of someone who wears a beard. You know what they say: a beard is never only a beard.
3. Ombrophobia – fear of the rain
Ombrophobes suffer from an abnormal fear of rain which usually can cause severe anxiety attacks. The causes of this phobia are thought to include the fact that children are told to not to go out when it’s raining because it will make them ill. Other causes may be that rainy weather is associated with depression. Now we know who don’t enjoy singing in the rain.
2. Pteronophobia – fear of feathers
Pteronophobia is the overwhelming fear of feathers or of being tickled by a feather. Although this phobia may be caused by unpleasant and traumatic experiences with feathers, it can also just be an irrational fear with unknown triggering events.
1. Ablutophobia – fear of washing or bathing
This one had to be included in our most unusual phobias list. This phobia is related to the fear of water but it is way more disturbing since it affects not only the ablutophobe but also the people around them.
Do you have any other unusual phobias to add? Leave us a comment with the weirdest phobias you know.
Leave a Reply