Each and every last one of us will have something somewhere in the world that we hold with a sense of abject dread and simply cannot bear the thought of – at least to a modest extent. However, those with true medically diagnosed phobias have something of a much more difficult lot and have to deal with the kind of true, blood-curdling and life-changing fear the rest of us simply cannot imagine.
Spiders, dentist, flying and other such common example are all but taken for granted and accepted, but what about the poor souls living with altogether more rare and misunderstood phobias?
10 Ablutophobia
Ablutophobia is the official title given to the all-consuming and truly devastating fear of anything to do with bathing, cleaning or washing in general. This applies not only to the person in question but also the surrounding areas and can therefore result in rather severe medical conditions and the potential for living in abject squalor. As is the case with most phobias, there is very little explanation as to when or why an onset of Ablutophiba may occur, though thankfully lists as one of the rarest – at least the more extreme cases.
9 Ergophobia
Prepare your accusations and cries of laziness if you will, but the fact of the matter is that there is indeed an officially recognized fear of work, which is Ergophobia. In fact, Ergophobia stretches far further than work alone and can in fact be the abject fear of functioning altogether, leaving those suffering from the condition unable to do anything productive without suffering horrendously in the process.
And before you’re tempted…no…this will not win you a free week off work if used surreptitiously.
8 Tetraphobia
Moving now well and truly closer to the ranks of the weird and wonderful, Tetraphobia is the irrational and altogether barrier-building fear of the number 4. Needless to say, those suffering from this particular condition will likely face at least one birthday every ten year that will not be to their liking, with a certain date in their fifth decade bringing about 12-months in their own personal hell.
You just try avoiding the number 4 for a whole day and see how much fun it isn’t!
7 Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
My personal favorite now and in no way for reasons of unkindness, those behind the naming of Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia really must have been playing a joke on the world. I mean seriously, could there be any worse title for a psychological and truly damaging fear of long words?
After all, it one thing to have your life blighted by a phobia, but another if you can’t bare to say, read or write its name!
Whoever is responsible for this one, shame on you…
6 Oikophobia
Another example now often quoted by those who are a little concerned of their domestic role becoming permanent or are perhaps just a little bored, Oikophobia is the name given to an irrational fear of the surroundings of the home as a whole, or in some more specific cases the household appliances. Needless to say, settling down with such a person in a domestic capacity can prove rather difficult, unless of course you have a penchant for living with no mod-cons at all, or perhaps in a tent.
5 Phobophobia
This particular example is enough to really scramble anyone’s head if given enough thought, as Phobophobia is…yes you guessed it right…the fear of having a phobia. The irrational fear of having an irrational fear is an irrational fear in its own right…therefore those who have an irrational fear of having an irrational fear will be having their irrational fear realized on a daily basis! Confused? Think how those poor people feel!!
4 Xanthophobia
There is a marked difference between having your own heated opinions on tastes and styles and truly fearing those not to your liking, as illustrated by Xanthophobia – the fear of the color yellow. This is another example of a phobia that appears to be rather amusing and less than colossally serious, though when considering just how much yellow there is in the world, facing your fears becomes a daily inevitability.
Again, just try a day without encountering yellow…welcome to the world of the Xanthophobe!
3 Trichophobia
Trichophobia refers to an uncontrollable fear or perhaps abject and insatiable disgust of loose and shed hairs, both in the case of the sufferer and each and every other person/animal around. Suffice to say that such house-holds are not what could be called pet-friendly by any stretch of the imagination, but banning all furry-friends represents the very tip of a much more complex iceberg. Imagine the thought of vomiting at the sight of a hairbrush, wanting to cry when standing close to a person with a hair on their collar or losing sleep for days at the sight of a hair in food….
Not a fun way of life by any stretch of the imagination.
2 Turophobia
While most of us the world over will like nothing more than stuffing our faces with the calorific and cholesterol-unfriendly treat in all its glory, others can think of nothing worse. In fact, some are so incredibly consumed by the very notion of cheese and all things cheesy that they are in fact classed as Turophobic – the official moniker for an irrational fear of cheese. So, the question of severity is in this case debatable, as it is of course not entirely unthinkable to go a day, week or even a lifetime without coming face-to-face with a steaming plate of Brie.
On the other hand, when thinking how much these poor people will be missing out on in their culinary escapades, they surely must be worth a little consideration at least.
1 Nomophobia
Finally, perhaps most unbelievably of all and a true product of the 21st century if ever there was one, Nomophobia is the official title handed to those who cannot bare the thought of being out of reach/contact by way of mobile phone.
A recent study carried out by a top UK research firm concluded that well over 50% of all mobile users today feel somewhat anxious and entirely uncomfortable when for one reason or another they cannot use their mobile phone. Whether through loss, battery issues, depleted credit or anything else of a similar nature, some are so massively and irrationally panic stricken that they have indeed been branded as officially Nomophobic.