10 Surprisingly Unique Phobias People Have (Pt.3)
By Shaun Shuler
Welcome back for the 3rd installment of 10 Surprisingly Unique Phobias People Have.
Due to the amazing popularity of part 2, I went and dug a little further just to see what else I could find.
Click the links below to check out:
10 Surprisingly Unique Phobias People Have (Part 1)
10 Surprisingly Unique Phobias People Have (Part 2)
These phobias are odd to many of us, but to those who struggle with them it is serious. The impact it has on those living with these fears can be downright debilitating.
Millions struggle with some kind of phobias be it spiders, heights, or even clowns. So, don’t be ashamed if you have an odd phobia, just consult your doctor for information on how to cope with it.
If you are not bothered by the phobias listed below, then I hope you learn something new today about the world around you.
Arithmophobia
This is the fear of numbers and is also called Numerophobia.
It’s hard to go through life without encountering numbers. Individuals with this issue have a deep anxiety in dealing with any kind of mathematics. This can cause issues in school or in the workplace.
Another version of this is a fear of specific numbers like 666 or 13. This specific fear is usually based in some form of religious or superstitious ideology.
Equinophobia
This is the fear of horses.
I know a special little 2-year-old in my life that does not have this issue because he is fascinated with horses, but to some they are terrifying.
This phobia is usually due to being thrown off a horse or maybe bit by one at a young age. Another cause could simply be due to the size of the animal.
Eric Berry, a professional American Football player for the Kansas City Chiefs (2010-2018), suffered from Equinophobia. This is noteworthy due to the fact that the Chiefs mascot is a horse named Warpaint. Berry later overcame his fear of horses by drawing horses, using horse puppets, watching horses on tv, and eventually was able to pet Warpaint.
Kristen Stewart, an American actress, best known for staring in the Twilight Saga, also has this fear of horses.
Venustraphobia
This is the fear of beautiful women and is also called Caligynephobia.
This phobia could be a result of very low self-esteem or could be a result of being rejected or severely ridiculed and embarrassed by one or more attractive women.
Most common age range of those who suffer with this are between pre-teen/teenager years up unto their 30’s.
Barophobia
This is the fear of gravity.
Sufferers of this fear have probably fallen from a high place at a young age. It could also have come from being traumatized from an amusement park ride or even from a movie dealing with falling from a great distance.
This phobia isn’t just related to the fear of falling or Basophobia. People with Barophobia may also have an incredible fear of gravity disappearing and them floating away or an anxiety that gravity could become so heavy that they fear being crushed.
Arachibutyrophobia
This is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth.
Most of us have tasted peanut butter before and know that it is thick, creamy, sticky, and dry. Those who have Arachibutyrophobia may have a peanut allergy, they have choked or seen someone choke on peanut butter, or have an issue with textures that are sticky.
Lepidopterophobia
This is the fear of butterflies or moths.
Like any phobias dealing with insects, this is usually a fear of being jumped on or touched by the critters. Perhaps a flying insect bit or stung someone as a child and they lump all flying insects together.
It could also be caused by a sudden, unprepared interaction with a butterfly or moth, like one flying into their face or hair or possibly into their clothing.
Nicole Kidman, a famous Australian actress, suffers from this phobia and is creeped out by the way they fly and crawl around and how they feel to touch.
Globophobia
This is the fear of balloons.
Many who have this issue become very uneasy by the smell or touch of a balloon. The most popular reason people suffer with this is due to the fear of a balloon popping.
A scary incident involving a balloon popping in a child’s face could be a reason why someone would develop this fear. Birthday parties are especially difficult for sufferers of Globophobia.
Oprah Winfrey, an American talk show host and actress, struggles with a fear of balloons. She claims that the sound of a balloon popping sounds like gunfire and that terrifies her.
Koinoniphobia
This is the fear of rooms.
People with this fear often get overwhelmed by being in a room or even just thinking of being in a room. Most likely this individual has suffered a negative event in a room and that a panic-attack may result by being in any room.
Though staying outdoors is a great way to offset this fear, it is almost impossible to function in life without entering a room at some point.
Tachophobia
This is the fear of speed.
Surprisingly this phobia is more common than I thought (I maybe the only one to find it unique). This is basically someone who has an abnormal fear of going fast like in cars, trains, amusement park rides, and in extreme cases, eating, talking, or walking too fast can also cause the sufferer issues.
This phobia is related to the fear of death or Thanatophobia because those with Tachophobia may experience thoughts of dying while going fast.
(Food) Neophobia
This is the fear of trying new foods.
Now Neophobia is the fear of trying new things, but I want to talk about the subset of this which is Food Neophobia.
Though this is most common in children, adults can struggle with this as well.
Of this list of 10 phobias, the one I relate to the most is this one. I am a picky eater and my philosophy has always been, “If I’m hungry I’d rather eat something I know I’ll like instead of trying something new and not liking it.”
This is easily manageable for me when I am in my little comfortable environment and can control what I get to eat. But if I go out of the country, like when visiting my in-laws in the Philippines, it increases in difficulty.
While in the Philippines or in any new place, I try my best to stick to the basics of rice, chicken, beef, and pork.
Like most phobias, Food Neophobia probably developed from eating something new and getting sick at a young age, or having an extremely negative experience while trying something new. For me, I am not sure where mine developed, but I do remember as a kid getting sick after eating a cheeseburger from McDonalds and though I love hamburgers and I love cheese, I can’t eat cheeseburgers to this day.
Thank you for visiting and please leave your strangest phobias in the comment box below and maybe it will be featured in the 10 Surprisingly Unique Phobias People Have (Part 4).
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