These 6 phobias actually exist
A phobia is an irrational fear of something that is very unlikely to cause any real harm. When someone experiences this condition, they suffer from significant distress which can interfere with life at home, work, school, and just everyday life. Phobias are categorised as an anxiety disorder and while many phobias are well known, like hydrophobia (fear of water) or arachnophobia (fear of spiders), there are many that we can’t even imagine actually exist.
Anablephobia: Fear of looking up
Derived from the Greek word ‘ana’ meaning up and Latin word ‘ble’ meaning the act of, Anablephobia is the irrational fear of looking up. It may stem from being overwhelmed by the vastness of the sky. Perhaps those who suffer from it feel insignificant in context to the sky. It may also stem from a fear of objects falling from the sky like airplanes, meteors, birds, even hail storms, things that can cause bodily harm.
Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth
The name comes from Greek words “arachi” for “ground nut” and “butyr” for butter. Arachibutyrophobia is a fear of being choked by peanut butter! Or, more specifically, the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. It is a rare and seemingly harmless phobia which can cause uncontrollable anxiety whenever the person is exposed to peanut butter. It can be rooted in a more general fear of choking, called pseudodysphagia, but the causes of this phobia are usually hard to identify.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
The first thing that comes to mind is perhaps the movie franchise “Friday the 13th. About $800-900 million worth of business is actually lost on this day because people refuse to engage in activities like flying. The origin of this phobia is said to date back to the Middle Ages, perhaps to biblical origins.
Phobophobia: Fear of fear itself
Often mistaken for generalized anxiety, phobophobia is actually a fear of the feeling of being afraid. While those who suffer from it may be consciously aware that it is irrational to be afraid of fear, they can’t stop their bodies from experiencing the reactions triggered by it. The causes of this can be highly contextual to the sufferer’s life, genetic in nature, or even developed from a pre-existing condition of generalised anxiety or panic disorder.
Pogonophobia: Fear of beards
The name is derived from the Greek word ‘pogon’ meaning beard. The fear of beards or facial hair can cause a lot of anxiety for those who suffer from this phobia. A feeling of mistrust towards men with facial hair is especially common among mothers, to the extent that there has not been a president with a beard since the 1800s in the United States. It can stem from such stereotypes, a traumatic event in the past, and other contextual reasons.
Pantophobia: Fear of everything
Also known by other names like panophobia and omniphobia, pantophobia comes from the Greek word ‘panto’ which means all or everything. People who suffer from this live in a constant state of fear from the presence of a ‘persistent evil’ or ‘something terrible about to happen’. It can be triggered by several other phobias, as pantophobia itself is a non-specific phobia. The causes of this aren’t easy to trace, the brain just learns to fear everything negative or that which it perceives as dangerous. It causes severe paranoia.