20 of the Strangest Phobias People Actually Experience

A phobia is defined as “an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.” Some phobias, like arachnophobia, are pretty rational because, let’s face it: spiders are terrifying. On the other hand, there are some phobias out there that are pretty strange. In the end, every one of us is afraid of something. Here are 20 bizarre phobias that people actually have.

1) Heliophobia: the fear of the sun, sunlight, or any bright light.

2) Chaetophobia: the fear of hair. They may also fear the hair on their own body. Some only fear detached or loose hair and do not mind attached hair.

3) Arachibutyrophobia: the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.

4) Haphephobia: the fear of touch. It is a rare but often devastating phobia. Most people with haphephobia fear being touched by anyone.

5) Oikophobia: an abnormal fear of home surroundings.

6) Ablutophobia: the persistent, abnormal, and unwarranted fear of bathing, washing, or cleaning.

7) Ergophobia: an abnormal and persistent fear of work.

8) Nomophobia: the fear of being out of mobile phone contact. It is, however, arguable that the word “phobia” is misused and that in the majority of cases it is only a normal anxiety.

9) Philophobia: the abnormal, persistent and unwarranted fear of falling in love or emotional attachment.

10) Somniphobia: the often irrational and excessive fear of sleep.

11) Globophobia: a fear of balloons and also balloons popping sound.

12) Ombrophobia: an irrational fear of rain.

13) Geniophobia: an extreme unwarranted fear and/or physical aversion to chins.

14) Trypophobia: the fear of holes. (Don’t google this phobia)

15) Pogonophobia: is the extreme dislike of beards.

16) Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: the fear of Long words.

17) Lipophobia: the fear of becoming fat.

18) Genuphobia: the fear of one’s own knees, someone else knees, or the act of kneeling.

19) Sanguivoriphobia: the fear of vampires.

20) Myrmecophobia: the inexplicable fear of ants.

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