Strange Phobia #8: Somniphobia The Fear Of Falling Asleep
Most of us live for that one or two days a week when we can sleep more than usualideally without the need for an alarm clock! However, those with somniphobia, also known as hypnophobia, dont look at sleep like the rest of us. To them, sleep is something to be feared and avoided whenever possible, which of course, is impossible! These individuals will lay awake terrified of that moment of letting go and slipping into a sub-conscious state.
Its obvious that for somniphobiacs general and overall health, it is essential that they seek effective treatment. Many somniphobiacs have been successfully treated with one or more of the following:
- Therapy
- Yoga
Is Trypophobia A Real Phobia
True phobias are those that cause enough fear and worry to interfere with your everyday routine, according to the American Psychiatric Association . Trypophobia doesn’t meet that standard.
The APA doesnât officially recognize this disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition , a large volume of all known mental illnesses and their symptoms. Experts say trypophobia is more likely disgust than fear.
Ovophobia: Fear Of Eggs
Ovophobia is the fear of eggs, and according to Tribute, you know of one famous sufferer: Alfred Hitchcock. The Telegraph says Hitchcock’s egg phobia was just one part of his complicated relationship with food, and they quoted him as saying, “I’m frightened of eggs. That white round thing without any holes… have you ever seen anything more revolting than an egg yolk breaking and spilling its yellow liquid?”
Well, when you put it that way… we get it. He even thought blood was much less revolting than the sight of an egg yolk, calling it “jolly” in comparison. Filming The Birds must have been an absolute nightmare for him, don’t you think?
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It Made Me Throw Up Three Times In One Day Just Knowing And Feeling That I Had That In My Mouth Matilda Said
Kosmemophobia is not scientifically recognized, and many people who suffer from it are unaware that their phobia even has a name.;
One woman in the U.K. didnt learn of the term until she was 43. Describing her kosmemophobia as a daily struggle, that is very real, quite awful, and rather strange, she felt so moved by her discovery of the word that she created a blog about it in 2017. She called it I Have Kosmemophobia In three years, she has only written on it twice.;
This is an abbreviated version of her first post:;
Hello,
Currently whilst writing this, I am 43 years of age and although have never blogged before, feel now is the right time to start and perhaps tell my story.
It was only because I was bored one night and after once again being accidentally touched by someones ring whilst giving them change at work and feeling horrid and dirty about it for hours afterwards, decided to Google the term fear of jewelery, and saw that this was actually a real thing and found a Facebook page and blogs where others were going through the same thing. Which, in a twisted way, made me feel better.
Up until two days ago, I had spent my life feeling that I was just being stupid and irrational, and that one day I may get over it. But as mentioned before, I’m 43 now and I haven’t and can’t see it ever changing.
Strange Phobia #6: Arachibutyrophobia The Fear Of Peanut Butter Sticking To The Roof Of Ones Mouth
A high percentage of Americans love eating peanut butter! Its one of the most popular and most spreadable food staples in the U.S. and is found on many peoples favorite foods list. However, for an arachibutyrophobiac, the thought of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of his or her mouth precludes any desire to actually eat it. Whether its creamy or crunchy, arachibutyrophobiacs will jump when peanut butter enters the room!
Arachibutyrophobia can be successfully treated with behavior therapy, anti-anxiety medication, psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Strange Phobia #9: Gephyrophobia The Fear Of Crossing Bridges
Many of us experience some level of fear when we cross a tall, rickety bridge or a bridge over water. In the end, however, most of us are able to take a deep breath and cross the bridge without harm. But to gephyrophobiacs, crossing a bridge is unthinkable! Doing so may induce panic attacks, difficulty breathing, cold sweats and many other undesirable symptoms. However, gephyrophobiacs can often be successfully treated with the following:
- Cognitive therapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Relaxation techniques
- Facing the fear with the aid of a trusted friend
Lachanophobia: Fear Of Vegetables
While it might be tough to sell your picky toddler on some vegetables, dislike isn’t the same as fear. Having an outright phobia of veggies is called lachanophobia, and The Telegraph actually spoke with someone who has it.
“Every time I would see vegetables not just on my plate, but anywhere, I would get feelings of panic, start sweating, and my heart rate would shoot up,” said Vicki Larrieux. “… it’s not just that I dislike the taste of sprouts or broccoli, but the actual sight of them fills me with dread and I could never touch them.”
She says she’s had the fear as long as she can remember, and it makes grocery shopping a challenge. Vegetables are usually the first thing you see, after all, and she’s faced some major struggles controlling her fear.
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Strange Phobia #4: Omphalophobia The Fear Of Belly Buttons
If youre one of those people who cant wait to bare your navel when summer comes around, this phobia will probably seem unbelievable. Omphalophobiacs are not only afraid of the belly buttons of others but of their own as well. They will make sure to wear a one-piece swimsuit or swim trunks that cover the belly button when they go to the pool. Its also unlikely that these folks will take up belly dancing, work as swimsuit models or play beach volleyball unless they receive the proper treatment.
Treatments that have proven successful in the past for omphalophobiacs include hypnotherapy, psychotherapy or cognitive behavior therapy.
Carnophobia: Fear Of Meat
According to the;Oxford Dictionary of Psychology, carnophobia means fear of meat. It likely comes from the Latin word carnalis, which means “fleshly.” Even if meat doesn’t make you cringe, that word certainly will.
It’s not just eating meat that creeps out a carnophobe; Hypnotherapy Manchester says this particular food fear has been on the rise with increasing awareness of animal rights and slaughterhouse practices. It’s no joke, either, and they say it can be completely isolating. Those suffering from it can also be nauseated or disgusted by just the smell of meat cooking nearby, and imagine how debilitating that might be. Sure, you’re not going to be grabbing a burger off the grill at your neighbor’s backyard cookout, but you’re not going to be able to enjoy the vegetarian dish she makes, either. Carnivals, fairs, after-work drinks and appetizers, game day parties, and even church fetes are all potentially terrifying, and this fear can cause serious social problems.
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I Most Often Get A Feeling That I’m Going To Throw Up But A Few Times It Has Actually Happened That I Have Vomited When Touching One Of The Things That Triggers Me Matilda Admitted
Holding hands with someone wearing rings can be extremely uncomfortable for someone with a jewelry phobia, inducing in them an almost pathological desire to wash their hands ad infinitum afterwards. For kosmemophobes on active duty in the military, wearing dog tags can feel akin to having a hot poker hanging around their neck.;
Relationships can also be tricky. An 18-year-old with kosmemophobia was stricken with fear and revulsion when his girlfriend texted him a photo of her new lip piercings.
He turned to Reddit for help, writing: I dont want to make her feel bad about it and I definitely dont want her to feel obligated to remove them, but the silent suffering to myself surely cant be healthy.;
For someone with kosmemophobia, this photo might be very triggering.
Sometimes kosmemophobia can make things awkward. When Matilda goes shopping with friends, she intentionally avoids entering jewelry shops even if all of her friends have gone inside. Shes also had to stop hanging out with at least one friend because the cutlery in their house grosses her out too much.;
It’s horrible, she said, and I wish I could just get over it, but I cant.
The worst experience shes had thus far was getting braces. She got them removed in January 2020, but for a whole year she had to cope with the constant, unceasing tang of metal glued throughout her mouth.;
Chiclephobia: Fear Of Chewing Gum
Vice‘s Josiah Hesse has something in common with Oprah. They both have chiclephobia, which is a fear of chewing gum. Hesse says not only is it one of the most disgusting things he can imagine, but he can’t even make eye contact with someone munching on a piece of gum.
A phobia is defined as a fear that interferes with your daily life, and Hesse says seeing chewed gum or someone chewing it will ruin movies, afternoon meetings, and dinners. He’s had crushes end over gum-chewing, and he remembers having that kind of reaction to it even as a child. Oprah has spoken about her own chiclephobia, saying hers stems from her grandmother’s habit of sticking her chewing gum in a cabinet and coming back to it later. That’d give anyone the heebie-jeebies.
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Strange Phobia #10: Anthropophobia The Fear Of People
Chances are high that youve heard of someone or know of someone who has experienced social anxiety. Social anxiety isnt easy to live with but living with anthropophobia is even more difficult! Anthropophobia is the fear of people, but can also refer to the fear of having expected or unexpected company. Most of us look forward to a friend coming to visit or to a family party but for anthropophobiacs, the most important thing is to keep people at bay. They will go to great lengths to avoid social engagements because they have a real terror associated with not being able to control what happens when other people are nearby. Luckily, anthropophobia is treatable. Successful treatments may include Morita therapy, which begins with the acceptance of the phobia, and/or with talk therapy.
Strange Phobia #3: Papyrophobia The Fear Of Paper
Paper may seem harmless enough but those with papyrophobia see paper and run! Papyrophobiacs are afraid of seeing, touching or getting cut by paper. Even writing on it rapidly brings terror to a papyrophobiacs heart. Uncontrolled breathing and panic attacks can also be counted among the symptoms of this phobia.
Papyrophobia is often effectively treated with therapy and support groups.
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Acerbophobia: Fear Of Sour Things
Can’t bear to look at a grapefruit? Cringe at the sight of a lemon? If the mere mention of those things made you shudder, you just might have acerbophobia. It’s also called acerophobia, according to The Encyclopedia of Phobias, Fears, and Anxieties, and it’s the fear of a sour tastes. It seems an odd thing to be afraid of, but it’s worth noting that the NHS says phobias can be rooted in number of different things. Someone with a phobia doesn’t always know where it came from. Just take 18-year-old Mariah. She appeared on Maury and was asked to talk about her fear of pickles in hopes of confronting it, and said her phobia was rooted in a childhood dislike of pickles that escalated to nightmares and a full-blown phobia. That’s some extreme stuff, and it was bad enough that it impacted her job as a waitress. There’s an important reminder there: What seems strange to most can be crippling to the few.
Arachibutyrophobia : Fear Of Peanut Butter Sticking To Your Palate
Peanut butter would probably be the worst nightmare for a person having arachibutyrophobia. As unimaginable as it seems, this phobia really does exist in which the person seriously fears that the peanut butter would stick to the roof of his/her mouth. The phobia was first mentioned in the comic strip Peanut.
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Phobias You Might Have And Not Even Know It
We all have fears. Some people, of course, have a greater severity of fear than others. Negative experiences tend to be the thing that creates fear, and depending on the experience, they can create outrageous phobias. But, not all fears are from negative experiences; sometimes fears just happen without a way to trace back where they came from. We might not even know we have the fear at all until its too late, like speaking in public for the first time and having a panic attack seconds before. However, fear doesnt always play out as a fight or flight response. Phobias can crop up in bizarre and strange ways. At the end of the day, fear can be a debilitating problem we need to face and overcome. So, hike up your big boy pants, here are 25 Phobias You Might Have And Not Even Know It.
Liam Payne Has Spoon Phobia
One Direction’s Liam Payne has a phobia of eating from dirty spoons.
The pop star is always worried that spoons in restaurants and other people’s homes are not clean so he refuses to use them when dining.
In an interview with UK radio station Capital FM, he said: “I’m not so much scared of spoons, I’ll hold one. But I don’t like eating with them, if they’re not my spoons, if that makes sense. It is a bit weird.”
Liam’s spoon aversion stems from a punishment he received as a school kid when he was made to wash the entire school’s cutlery.
The singer – who will be performing with the rest of 1D at the Capital
Summertime Ball 2015 with Vodafone at London’s Wembley Stadium this Saturday – revealed: “When I was a kid I was a bit naughty at school and when you were naughty they made you do the washing up. I had to wash all these nasty spoons and then it’s just stuck with me after. I don’t know what people are doing with their spoons, I don’t want to know!”
Liam, 21, is not the only One Direction member to have an odd phobia.
Harry Styles is “scared of snakes”, while Niall Horan suffers from claustrophobia and “hates birds”.
Louis Tomlinson also shares Niall’s fear of birds after one of the winged animals flew into his bathroom just as he was about to use the toilet.
He previously confessed: “I’m scared of birds and pigeons. I can’t stand them. And one once flew into my bathroom window. I went in to have a wee, minding my own business and ‘Whoa … there’s a bird in my bathroom!”
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And I Know I’m Not The Only One With This Phobia
Matilda has whats known as kosmemophobia, a condition that causes one to feel great discomfort and visceral reactions when confronted with jewelry.
Anything metal is, like, a big no for people with kosmemophobia, she explained, adding that for her, her phobia also extends to antique, ornate, or dirty-looking cutlery.;For some, it also extends to keys and keychains.
When you have kosmemophobia, even just seeing something shiny and hard can make your skin crawl or trigger levels of revulsion so intense they may lead to vomiting.;;
Mortuusequusphobia: Fear Of Ketchup
Mortuusequusphobia is a pretty ungainly word for the fear of a common condiment, and according to a longtime sufferer from Her, it’s rooted in the Australian slang term “dead horse,”;which is Down Under-speak for tomato sauce. It’s the sight, the smell, the taste … the everything.
Not everyone avoids their fear of tomato ketchup, and Dixie Innes met hers head-on and turned it into a business. She’s had a lifelong phobia and hatred of your run-of-the-mill tomato ketchup, and when she was looking for something she could put on a bacon and egg sandwich she came up with an alternative. She made her own version of ketchup with pomegranate molasses as the base, and everyone who tried it unconditionally loved it. Now, she’s a chef and co-founder of a London-based craft food business called Aphrodite’s, and pomegranate ketchup is one of their flagship products.
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Thermophobia: Fear Of Heat
Thermophobia isn’t a food-centric phobia, but it can extend to what’s on your plate. All About Counselling says it’s actually defined as a generic fear of heat, and that can be anything from hot weather to hot water. For some, that’s hot food and drinks.
They also note it’s more than just a dislike of things being too hot, or a feeling of discomfort. It’s a serious source of anxiety, usually stemming from a traumatic event like an accident, a burn, or a fire. When you know that, you can see how easily touching a hot tea kettle as a child might turn into a phobia of scalding hot drinks, and how painful memories can manifest into fears it’s going to happen again. Some sufferers have success with traditional therapies and stress management methods.