If ever an award was given for Most Inconvenient Phobia, it
would have to go to optophobia – the fear of opening one's eyes!
Although the act of opening our eyes is something that few of us
ever give thought to, for optophobics this simple, daily act can be
a nightmare. Luckily, if you are reading this list, you most likely
aren't suffering from this condition!
If nightclubs, weddings and small children in tutus fill you
with an overwhelming sense of dread, you could be suffering from
chorophobia – the fear of dancing. Regardless
of dance ability and whether or not you are required to hit the
dancefloor, any situation or event that relates to dancing can be a
source of fear for chorophobics.
Many studies suggest that laughter is great for our health;
helping to build social bonds, improve mental health and look after
the heart. However, for those suffering from geliophobia, the act
of laughing, or being around those who laugh, can actually cause
overwhelming fear and anxiety. Suggested
reasons for geliophobia are anxiety about laughing in inappropriate
situations or of being laughed at by others.
It may not be a debilitating or life-altering condition, yet no
list of weird phobias would be complete without the inclusion of
arachibutyrephobia – the inexplicable fear of peanut butter
sticking to the roof of your mouth. While peanut butter is clearly
not obligatory for a healthy and satisfactory life,
arachibutyrophobics could miss out on the speculated health
benefits of peanut butter, including its abilities to lower
cholesterol and help ward off heart disease.
A rare but unfortunate condition, heliphobia refers to the fear
of sunlight. Not only does going out in the sun instigate severe
feelings of anxiety and panic in sufferers, but heliophobics may
also experience fear of bright lights. Most often the fear or
condition is associated with an anxiety about the perceived dangers
of the sun; however, unless you happen to be a vampire, avoiding
the sun entirely is likely to be an impossible and unnecessary
task. It can also be dangerous for your wellbeing, as sunlight is
good for regulating the mood and protecting bone health.
While many people suffer from a general form of social anxiety, deipnophobia takes a rather more specific
twist and is restricted to a fear of carrying on a conversation
while eating. Although this can cause discomfort and awkwardness
for dinner party guests, it seems that deipnophics could be on to
something, as remaining silent while eating can actually help
benefit digestion.
While many people are wary of change, neophobia is a phobia that
refers to an intense and irrational fear of
all new things and experiences. Neophobia can impact on happiness
and wellbeing as sufferers miss out on many life-enhancing
experiences. When applied to the diet it can also mean that
sufferers miss out on various healthy foods and nutrients. Research
has also shown that the stress of neophobia can shorten life
expectancy.
Many of us experience embarrassment or irritation with our
families at times. However, those with syngenesphobia suffer from
an excessive fear of their relatives. Unless there is a specific,
explicable reason for these fears, it is worth seeking help to
alleviate this phobia and help you bond with relatives as research
shows that forming strong family ties can help to increase life
span.
Although many children are resistant to being washed, this
condition is much less common in adults. However, for a rare few
the thought of stepping under a shower is quite literally
terrifying! The good news for ablutophobics is that skipping the
occasional shower can help to preserve natural oils and good
bacteria that protect your skin and help to prevent disease.
However, making it a regular habit is unlikely to benefit either
your health or social life.
Geniophobia is an overwhelming fear of chins. Yes, that
innocuous body part attached to the lower part of your face!
Further phobias of seemingly innocent body parts include genuphobia
(fear of knees), chirophobia (fear of hands) and
ishicascadiggaphobia (fear of elbows). As these phobias can make
normal social interaction extremely difficult, treatment through
therapy is highly