The Weirdest Phobias That People Have

Countless people all over the globe suffer from some form of a phobia, an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. Phobias can range from water, clowns, snakes, stage fright, the dark, butterflies, and the list could on forever. There’s a phobia for everything these days. In fact an estimated 19.2 million people suffer from a specific phobia which often leads to intense symptoms and reactions, some even as extreme as panic attacks. Listed below are some of the craziest phobias that people suffer from, ranked in no specific order. Take a look!

Dentists

Robert De Niro actually suffers from the phobia of Dental fear (also known as dental phobia, odontophobia, dentophobia, dentist phobia, and dental anxiety) which is the fear of dentistry and of receiving dental care. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 75% of American adults experience some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe. It’s not something that just kids are afraid of! Adults can be so scared of the dentists, they will avoid seeing one at all costs.

Seagulls

Ornithophobia is a type of specific phobia, which is an abnormal and irrational fear of birds. Interesting. The incredible Adele admitted having this phobia in an interview years ago. The fear of birds is not that uncommon though, and it derives from the menacing, darker image of some birds of prey. People who suffer from this phobia might fear that they will be attacked by a bird or may simply be uncomfortable around them. Peculiar? Probably.

Chewing Gum

Not a typo whatsoever, the fear of chewing gum really does exist and it is known as Chiclephobia. Most people with this phobia are scared of actually chewing gum themselves, coming close to a person chewing gum, and the sight of previously chewed gum. Hmm, odd. Oprah Winfrey is the most famous person to have come out with this phobia. It isn’t a joking matter either, as this phobia is known to induce panic attacks even.

Mirrors

Pamela Anderson is known to suffer from Spectrophobia or a fear of mirrors (and when you’re someone like Pamela Anderson it doesn’t make any sense but no one gets to choose their fears). The root causes vary from fear of the supernatural to body image issues, each person is different in their extent of phobia.

Butterflies

This is actually rather common and the official name of a fear of butterflies is Lepidopterophobia. Most people who suffer with this phobia tend to feel afraid, nauseous or even panicky particularly at the sight of butterflies. Apparently the award winning actress, Nicole Kidman shares this fear. While we don’t get, we’re not one to judge.

Clowns

Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns and our dear Johnny Depp also suffers from this phobia. In fact, while a lot of kids might be afraid of clowns due to birthday parties gone wrong, there are plenty of adults who suffer from Coulrophobia. There is no data on why sparks this phobia but scientists speculate it has to do with the exaggerated face paint which makes sense.

Disorder

Oh yeah, this phobia exists and our dear David Beckham falls into this category of Ataxophobia or the fear of disorder or untidiness. These people are commonly referred to as “neat freaks” and the symptoms can often trigger a need for anxiety self help to carry on normally.

Paper

The fear of Papyrophobia or the fear of paper is real, people, so stop laughing. The fear extends to touching paper, writing on it, or simply getting cut by it – it’s also the phobia of the actress, Megan Fox. It’s no joke phobia either, some people experience horrendous panic attacks and need anxiety disorder treatment to get through their everyday life.

Elevators

A fear of elevators can be bulked into two kinds of phobias – Claustrophobia and Agoraphobia. Claustrophobia is the fear of small enclosed spaces, such as elevators. While Agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped in a situation that would be hard to escape, such as being stuck in an elevator. Both phobias can cause an intense need for treatment for anxiety and panic attacks for the person dealing with them, actress Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of those people.

Revolving Doors

There is no scientific name for this phobia but the fear of walking through revolving doors may arise from embarrassment, or the fear that one might fall, trip and embarrass or hurt oneself. Matthew McConaughey came out a few years ago with this phobia in fact.

Darkness

Nyctophobia is the phobia characterized by a severe fear of the dark. which is typically triggered by the brain’s disfigured perception of what would, or could, happen when in a dark environment. Scientists have said that usually only children have this phobia but it is also sometimes found in adults as well, actor Keanu Reeves is one of those adults.

Reptiles

Herpetophobia is actually a common specific phobia, of the fear or aversion to reptiles, most commonly lizards and snakes, and similar vertebrates such as amphibians. Celebrities Matt Damon and Britney Spears suffer from this phobia. Sometimes the phobia is so bad that it starts off a slight to severe emotional reaction, such as anxiety, panic attack or most commonly nausea, resulting in the need of anxiety disorder treatment.

Telephones

This phobia has been called Telephone phobia (or telephonophobia, telephobia, phone phobia) and it is the reluctance or fear of making or taking phone calls, literally, a “fear of telephones” The ridiculously talented and loved Hellen Mirren suffers from this phobia. Sufferers need treatment for anxiety as the symptoms include sweating, panic, terror, nausea, and trembling to name a few.

Antique Furniture

We’re not 100% sure if the phobia of antique furniture is correctly refereed to as Furniturephobia but according to actor Billy Bob Thornton, that’s what it is. According to Thornton, he just cannot stand to be around “the stuff kings were around”. As such, he is known to refuse staying in residences or hotels having stuff from before 1950. Peculiar, wouldn’t you say?

Water

In 2015, the National Institute of Mental Health noted that approximately 60 percent of Americans are afraid of deep water and more than 45 percent are afraid of water going over their heads. It’s actually one of the most common phobias out there and it usually starts in childhood. Carmen Electra. Sandra Bullock. Snoop Dog. Eva Mendes. These are just some celebs that fall into these statistics.

Dirt

There is no specific name for the fear of dirt but it can fall into the phobia of Mysophobia, which is a pathological fear of contamination and germs. The actress Hilary Duff in fact suffers from this phobia, she can’t stand a dirty house! Although the names that pertaining directly to the abnormal fear of dirt and filth include molysmophobia or molysomophobia, rhypophobia, and rupophobia.

Dolphins

I can’t even comprehend the fear of delfiniphobia or rather the fear of dolphins. They’re so cute and smart but yet this phobia really does exist. Tyra Banks has been very vocal about her phobia of dolphins, she tried to overcome it once on her TV talk show but it didn’t really work.

Being Touched

Haphephobia is a rather rare and specific phobia that is the fear of touching or of being touched, Kelly Osbourne actually suffers from this phobia. It is an referred to as an acute exaggeration of the normal tendencies that people have to protect their own personal space, and is expressed as a fear of contamination or invasion, and extends even to people whom its sufferers know well.

Horseback Riding

Equinophobia or hippophobia is a psychological fear of horses and the actress Kristen Stewart in fact suffers from this phobia. Often this phobia stems of a negative experience as a child or at any point in time. Or there are times when this phobia is also caused by a simple fear of the animal itself due to the fact of a horse’s size, weight and big teeth.

Thunder

Madonna needs a thunder buddy as she has a phobia of thunder or Astraphobia. This is in fact a phobia that is treatable and both humans and animals have this phobia. In fact in 2007 scientists found that astraphobia is the third most prevalent phobia in the United States.

Eggs

Alfred Hitchcock is known to suffer from Alektorophobia which is the fear of chickens and other fowls such as roosters, it can also include eggs. Both genetic and environmental factors can come into play as to why someone might have this fear and it definitely leads to serious panic attacks and a need for treatment for anxiety.

Pigs

Orlando Bloom is just one of the celebrities who came out with swinophobia or the fear of pigs. There seems to be very little research regarding this phobia but it is a very real phobia.

Doorknobs

A fear of door knobs or ostiumtractophobia, a phobia that actually actress Cameron Diaz suffers from. There isn’t a lot of information about this phobia out there but what we do know is that some people have consulted treatment for anxiety just to get a handle on their fears.