Fear is something we feel throughout our lives, be it fear of height, spiders or of a creepy dude who just loves to look at you with intensity and a creepy smile on his face.
Some of us, however, whether it is due to a traumatic experience or just bad luck, have phobias a type of anxiety disorder which can lead to panic attacks or anxiety. But even though fear is considered as an important trait for animals and humans, phobias can become something more irrational and bizarre.
1. Genuphobia – the fear of knees. Probably one of the reasons why some people don’t wear shorts in summer.
2. Somniphobia – fear of falling asleep. It may occur because of associating of going to sleep with dying. Also it may result from feeling of lack of control or suffering repeated nightmares.
3. Coulrophobia – fear of clowns. This phobia may be more present today because of strange people roaming in the mentioned costumes. It is possible that we should thank Stephen King for his book called “It”.
4. Nomophobia – fear of not having a mobile phone. Brought on by the fear of losing signal, running out of battery or even losing sight of a mobile phone. Like some of us didn’t have enough of this in dreams.
5. Trypophobia – fear of holes. This phobia occurs if holes are associated with danger. For a person who doesn’t have such fears it may only seam disgusting or they won’t think of it too much, but for a person with trypophobia such things like honeycombs, sponges and any other plant or objects with holes can lead from nausea and itchy skin to a panic attack.
6. Cacophobia – fear of ugliness. It probably happens with people who are judgmental or obsessively picky about perfection.
7. Anatidaephobia – fear that somewhere, somehow a duck is watching you. It is normal if you are a farmer who works with animals or if you are in park, but what if you are in six-storey building in your apartment and start panicking “Oh God! What if a duck is watching me right at this moment? What am I going to do?!”.
8. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – fear of long words. Actually, this one might be a joke after all. How is a doctor even supposed to tell his patient the name of the phobia without scaring them in a processes?
9. Geliophobia – fear of laughter. Most of the time laughter makes a one’s life better and can higher his mood. Although, this one is understandable if it occurred due to hearing a maniacal laugh or if sounded like a whale having a seizure.
10. Peladophobia – fear of bald people. Well, I guess you won’t be able to watch Harry Potter or Fantômas any time soon.
11. Phobophobia – fear of phobias. This one should win an award for its inception. Phobception. Although, this might be a serious cause nevertheless.
12. Panphobia – fear of everything. This occurs if a person fears some unknown evil. Which if you think is logical, it may be because of high level of anxiety and paranoia.
