by Everyone knows someone who is afraid of spiders, heights or flying. However, some people develop more unusual phobias, such as fear of balloons or bananas. A banana may sound harmless to someone without fear of it, but phobias are serious business.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, a phobia is more than just fear (opens in new tab). People with phobias go to great lengths to avoid the source of their uncontrollable and overwhelming fear. And they can experience panic attacks when forced to confront the object of their terror.
Here are ten lesser-known phobias that really exist.
1. Trypophobia: Fear of repetitive hole patterns
According to a 2018 case report published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, trypophobia is a fear or repulsion of repeating patterns of holes (opens in new tab). People with this condition may experience intense and disproportionate anxiety at the sight of objects such as bubble wrap, honeycomb, and seed pods.
In the case report, the researchers described a 12-year-old patient who described feeling anxious when looking at items such as seed-covered bread, Gruyère cheese, and clothing with polka dots or animal prints. The patient had no history of psychological distress and had excellent academic performance. In an attempt to pinpoint the onset of symptoms, the girl’s mother recounted an episode in which her daughter fled in despair from a bathroom after discovering the perforated concrete walls.
2. Globophobia: Fear of balloons
According to a 2013 article in the British Medical Journal, globophobia is a fear of balloons (opens in new tab). People with this condition can experience intense anxiety at the sight, touch, or even smell of balloons. However, most people are just afraid of the popping noise, the article states.
3. Vestiphobia: Fear of clothing
According to a 2011 case report published in Grand Rounds magazine, vestiphobia is a fear of clothing (opens in new tab). People with this condition may fear a certain piece of clothing, or they may be afraid of tight-fitting clothing that makes them feel constricted. In extreme cases, the patient can completely withdraw from society in order not to be clothed.
In the case report, the researchers described a case of a 21-year-old Chinese conscript-in-training. The patient had no prior history of mental illness or psychiatric treatment and had never previously participated in military activities. Shortly after beginning his field training sessions, he began to experience symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and convulsions. The patient stated that the symptoms were only triggered by putting on his unloaded body armor, which became progressively worse after walking slowly.
4. Banana phobia: Fear of bananas
Banana phobia, as the name suggests, is a fear of bananas. One such case was reported in the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). According to this report, a patient had been so terrified of bananas her entire life that she could not bear to be in the same room with them without making them nauseous.
Psychotherapy, the woman claimed, could help her overcome banana phobia.
5. Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth
According to a 2008 article published in Food Bites magazine, arachibutyrophobia is a fear of peanut butter that sticks to the roof of your mouth (opens in new tab). While this uncomfortable feeling is not uncommon, people with arachibutyrophobia are very afraid of it. Individuals aren’t afraid of the peanut butter itself — it’s the feeling of “stickiness” that induces panic. Therefore, patients should also avoid other foods with a similar consistency.
6. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, also known as sesquipedalophobia, is a fear of long words, according to the BBC (opens in new tab). The name of this condition may sound like a cruel joke to those who have it, but it is not meaningless. “Sesqui” is Latin for “one and a half” while “pedal” means “foot”. So “sesquipedalophobia” literally translates to “the fear of a foot and a half” or fear surrounding a very long word.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is often brought on by early experiences of shame and embarrassment when pronouncing long words. According to a 2011 review published in The Reading Teacher magazine, this phobia can particularly affect those with dyslexia (opens in new tab).
7. Omphalophobia: Fear of belly button
Omphalophobia is a fear of the belly button. People with this condition are unable to touch the navel area, look at someone else’s belly button, or even think about one without feeling sick. A case of this rare phobia was reported in the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). In the article, a patient described that seeing the marine area made her physically nauseous. Determined to overcome omphalophobia and complete her medical studies, she underwent cognitive behavioral therapy. However, the article did not specify whether the treatment was successful.
8. Phobophobia: Fear of phobias
According to a case study published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease in 1983, phobophobia is a fear of phobias (opens in new tab). Researchers have described it as “free-floating anxiety” and a major contributing factor to panic attacks. People with this condition may fear the physical sensations associated with anxiety, such as shortness of breath or palpitations. They might feel that these symptoms are life threatening or have the potential to cause permanent damage. You may also be afraid of developing a specific phobia.
Phobophobia is usually diagnosed along with anxiety disorders, the researchers said.
10. Toilet phobias
Toilet phobia is a term used to describe a range of conditions in which people have difficulty using the toilet, according to the charity National Phobics Society (opens in new tab). These phobias can manifest as a fear of walking too far from the toilet, a fear of using public restrooms, or a fear that others will watch or overhear you going to the bathroom. People with these conditions can go to extreme lengths to avoid going to the bathroom.
The Huffington Post UK (opens in new tab) reported a sad case of a 16-year-old patient who was so afraid of the toilet that she died from holding her bowel movements for nearly two months.
