We define a phobia as an irrational fear of a person, situation or object. This fear can be unhealthy and highly disabling, so phobias must be treated by psychologists specializing in this area. There are many specific fears and phobias for each type of stimulus. Some phobias may be more common, such as fear of spiders, fear of open spaces, social phobia…However, there are phobias that can be curious and even funny to those who do not suffer from them.
Let’s take an example: Did you know that there is an irrational fear of navels?
If you are curious to know more about this curious topic, in this Psychology-Online article, we will list the rarer types of phobias and their meaning.
The 5 most common phobias
First of all, it is important to explain that not all phobias are “strange”, they are directed at everyday objects or stimuli that do not normally produce fear. Fear is an adaptive response of our body that arises from the need to identify those stimuli that are potentially dangerous for our species.
For that same reason, the most common phobias are directly related to objects or situations identified as dangerous.
1. Agoraphobia
Apart from being quite common, the irrational fear of open spaces It is a phobia that greatly disables the individual who suffers from it. This is because the stimulus that is avoided at all costs, in this case, is extended to any situation that involves being in an open space. A person with severe will not be able to attend social events, go to any gathering and will not even be able to leave the house.
2. Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia can be understood as fear of closed spaces (an elevator, the subway car, a small room…). Like agoraphobia, there are different levels of claustrophobia, so claustrophobia can be expressed as a simple fear or as an exaggerated anxiety response to closed, poorly ventilated spaces.
3. Arachnophobia
Arachnophobia is defined as intense fear of spiders. It is the most common phobia towards an animal and, therefore, the most studied. People who suffer from arachnophobia usually stay away from spaces where these insects may appear and in the case of encountering a spider, they may respond with high levels of anxiety.
4. Acrophobia
He fear of heights It is a fairly common phobia. The most adaptive response that human beings have when faced with a dangerous situation such as being in a high place is to move away and return to a safe space. However, acrophobia can produce situations of deep discomfort when faced with small stimuli such as, for example, looking out a window or climbing stairs.
5. Glossophobia
Almost all of us are somewhat hesitant to speak in front of a crowd of people, however, we have tools to calm down and overcome these types of situations. In the case of people with glossophobia, this becomes a feeling of suffocation, extreme nerves and anxiety that prevent the individual from acting in a correct and calm manner.
Weird and funny phobias
Once the most common phobias have been described, it is time to talk about those fears identified as strange, curious and funny. Although it may be strange to understand the fear responses of individuals who suffer from this phobia, it is important to understand that their emotional reactions are real and that they need help and psychological therapy. Next, we will show a list with 15 types of rare phobias and their meaning:
- Anthrophobia: fear of flowers
- Philematophobia: phobia of kissing
- Medortophobia: fear of having an erection or seeing one
- Optophobia: afraid to open your eyes
- Omaltophobia: Extreme and irrational fear of navels
- Sphincter phobia: fear of not being able to control the urge to go to the bathroom
- Melophobia: irrational fear of music
- Nomophobia: highly related to addiction to new technologies, it is the fear of losing or forgetting your mobile phone at home
- Cholurophobia: exaggerated fear of clowns
- Gerontophobia: phobia and rejection of the elderly
- Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: fear of long words (this one is quite curious given its own name)
- Dipsophobia: fear of drinking alcohol and/or being drunk
- Ichthyphobia: irrational phobia of fish
- Cacophobia: fear of unattractive people
- Trypophobia: This fear is quite common, it is a phobia of holes and repetitive patterns (like a bee hive or the image we attach below)
Does fear phobia exist?
While it is true that there is no specific name for the discomfort or anxiety caused by the fear of being afraid, it is undeniable that it is a feeling that exists in many people.
These types of emotions are quite common among individuals who suffer or have suffered from some type of phobia, they occur because the discomfort caused by anxiety and the phobia itself are very unpleasant emotions that one does not want to experience again, for that same reason, People with can experience the so-called “fear of being afraid.”
How to overcome the fear of being afraid
First of all, the focus to be treated will be the phobia itself. This is the cause of the anxious feeling and discomfort in general. To overcome a phobia, the first step will be to identify the stimuli that produce it and learn to control our emotional responses.
The treatment of fears and phobias can be quite complex, for this same reason it is recommended to go to psychological therapy. In this way, we can guarantee complete and quality treatment.
Do you suffer from any type of fear or phobia that we have mentioned? Do not hesitate to consult our directory of psychologists and therapists to find the treatment that best suits your needs.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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