What are the 10 weirdest or most curious phobias?

Phobias are one of the most common psychological conditions today, at least three quarters of the world’s population claims to have some type of phobia. These are characterized by expressing excessive and uncontrollable fear of an object, situation, activity, animal or any other point of origin. When a person comes into contact with what they fear the most, they usually show reactions such as trying to run away, scream, cry and even faint.

This is an irrational phenomenon that occurs in a particular way in each person, however it is possible to identify some elements in common. In this way, it has been possible to give a name to each of the phobias that until now are considered the most common. However, some of them are classified as the most curious or rare , due to the particularity of the reason of origin why a person feels fear. That is, in some cases it attracts a lot of attention because it may be considered as something not very credible or even a subject of ridicule.

Exposure to the stimulus that generates the phobia immediately provokes a response of anxiety and distress . People are able to recognize this situation however they cannot have control over their protective instincts. Only what they perceive as dangerous will generate such reactions, they also understand how unconventional and strange their fear is.

Some phobias can represent a major problem in the lives of people who suffer from it. It is generally considered as a limiting condition, generates discomfort and causes interference in the normal routine of people, this means that it will create conflicts in personal, social, academic and work relationships.

Considering that there is a great variety of phobias identified so far , below we describe which ones are classified within the category of the most rare or curious. It is important to mention that to diagnose this condition you should seek the help of a professional psychologist, in some cases it is possible to require adequate treatment.

Rarer or curious phobias

For a phobia to be considered common, its prevalence in the statistics that record how many cases have been diagnosed must have at least 10% of the population . This means that for at least a decade ten people can suffer some type of intense and irrational fear, it occurs for long periods of time or remains constant throughout a person’s life.

In the case of phobias classified as the rarest or most curious, these occur in a smaller number of the population. But you also have to consider the particularity of the reason why such fear is generated. Some are seen as unjustified, ridiculous, shameful, or simply cannot be understood. Sometimes people express fear of objects, situations or activities that for others is something common and that does not represent any danger.

The 10 main phobias that are considered the rarest or most curious are described below. It is possible that there are still others that have not yet been classified and that also have a lower incidence in the world population. They are as follows:

Hexakosioihexekontahexafobia

The existence of people who expressed fear of the representation of numbers in any format had already been heard. However, it is much more striking as some individuals particularly fear the number 666 . It is not only about avoiding observing or pronouncing this numerical quantity, it is also avoiding having contact with anything related to it.

Those who suffer from this condition can associate this figure with the antichrist, the devil or Satan. It frequently has a negative connotation , because in the Catholic and Christian religion it is affirmed that it is the number with which it is identified. But also, people who suffer from this condition will edit any place where these numbers are found, from the registration of a vehicle or even a payment receipt.

Xanthophobia

Phobias usually focus their attention on avoiding observing certain things that are in the environment. This means that those who suffer from it are stimulated through the sense of sight, but without a doubt one of the most striking phobias is one that avoids the color yellow . This color generates anxiety in people who suffer from xanthophobia, they will avoid wearing this color, spaces with yellow paint and even refuse to pronounce this word.

Turophobia

Food-related phobias are often considered common, and there are even people who try to avoid eating them. However, cheese phobia is one of the rarest because people who have this condition cannot eat, smell, touch or pronounce the name of the cheese. It is possible that this condition evolves to develop rejection of other dairy products as well.

Crematophobia or Crometophobia

Some people may find the money phobia unjustified and totally bizarre. The irrational fear of money in any of its presentations or uses complicate the daily lives of people who seem it. Making a simple purchase in a supermarket or making the payment in cash in a means of transport are extremely difficult tasks.

It is important not to confuse this type of phobia with another in which people refuse to touch bills or coins. In this case, the fear that is felt is of the possibility of being in direct contact with germs or bacteria, in this case the condition to be diagnosed is called misophobia or germiphobia. 

Somniphobia

This is one of the most limiting and complicated phobias because it negatively affects the health of the person. The fear of sleep is described as an irrational fear of the possibility of sleeping anywhere or at any time. People who suffer from this condition describe that they fear to stop breathing or even die during the period of sleep.

Some other people report that their fear centers on not wanting to experience any nightmares. It is possible that in some people negative dreams are more recurrent, become repetitive and may be related to some type of trauma that occurred previously. This phobia is directly related to insomnia .

Umbrophobia

Phobias related to natural phenomena are usually included in the category of the most common, however the fear of rain is considered something more rare. This particular phobia causes people to completely avoid coming into contact with water, regardless of whether it comes from the rain.

People become obsessive and will try to avoid any situation in which they can get wet. These people tend to be obsessed with collecting or always carry umbrellas or raincoats with them .

Hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

This phobia has been identified by one of the most original names, however it describes a condition that is very rare. Irrational fear of the possibility of pronouncing or hearing long and complicated words usually manifests itself in people who have an obsessive character.

This condition limits people to not being able to pronounce some words that are typical of their language. As a consequence, it brings communication and social integration problems , people who suffer from it often describe feeling fear at the possibility of being ridiculed. The complexity of some represents a remainder for these people, it can also be related to a speech problem with stuttering.

Omfalophobia

Some people report being afraid to observe getting contact, some parts of the human body. One of the least known is the fear of belly buttons, this means that you will even try to avoid touching and seeing your own belly button and that of other people.

Sometimes this condition creates difficulties when carrying out the personal hygiene process . It is possible that these patients when bathing feel anxious about the possibility of facing their own navel.

Hilophobia

This phobia is often described as the fear of trees , although it also manifests feeling the same type of rejection by bushes and other varieties of plants. People with hilophobia avoid being in parks and forests, in the most extreme cases they may also avoid being in places where there are decorative plants in pots.

Uranophobia

This condition is curious but also difficult to live with. It is about the fear of the sky and is characterized by showing irrational behavior when facing the possibility of being outdoors. It is a complex phobia and without a doubt one of the rarest, but it is also related to the fear of death, of heaven as the place where people who die reside.

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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