A US study by the National Institute of Medical Health found that phobias were the most common mental illness among American women. The most common phobias include arachnophobia, agoraphobia, aerophobia and claustrophobia, all of which to a certain extent are very rational fears that can restrict people in their day to day lives and in some cases they can be the cause of panic attacks.
There are however a number of phobias which on the face of it seem completely and utterly irrational to the extent that I wonder if they really do exist. So I have compiled a list of what I consider to be the top 10 most bizarre and irrational phobias. Even if these phobias do exist they are surely more of a dislike rather than a debilitating fear.
- Arachibutyrophobia – The fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
- Octophobia – Fear of the number 8
- Geniophobia – Fear of chins
- Lachanophobia – Fear of vegetables
- Peladophobia – Fear of bald people (not to be confused with Phalacrophobia which is the fear of going bald).
- Kathisophobia – Fear of sitting down
- Phronemophobia – Fear of thinking
- Phobophobia – Fear of fear
- Logophobia – Fear of words
- Nephophobia – Fear of clouds
It may not be one of the most bizarre and irrational phobias but so-called hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words which must be the most bizarrely named phobia. The name itself would be enough to cause panic attacks amongst its sufferers!
