10 Weird Phobias: You Won't Believe Actually Exists

We all are afraid of something, right? But some of our fears take the form of phobias.

A Phobia is a persistent fear that causes an individual to experience intense irritational fear of a situation, activity, creature, place or object.

Phobias are diagnosable mental disorders but most of the cases go under-reported. If phobias are not treated, it may lead to panic attacks. There are several types of phobias that people experience. Some are common ones that we all might have heard of, such as fear of height, fear of water, fear of insects, etc. But there are several others that are unique and weird.

Here's a list of weird phobias that are more common than you probably thought.

1.Didaskaleinophobia: The fear of going to school

At some point of time in our lives, we all might have made excuses to skip school. But science says that this could actually be a phobia in kids. The main cause behind it is performance or social anxiety. The increasing cases of misdeeds taking place in schools- like bullying, beating of students, intense punishments, etc.- are causing a rise of this phobia.

2.Nomophobia: fear of not having access to one's cell phone

The term is an abbreviation of 'No-Mobile-phone' phobia. Researches show that about 77% of teens reported anxiety and worry when they were without their phones. Reports also show that about 50% of cell-phone users have nomophobia. The symptoms include trembling, anxiety, agitation, perspiration, etc.

3.Ablutophobia: fear of cleaning, washing or bathing

It can affect children and adults and is more common in women than in men. People suffering from ablutophobia may avoid cleaning and bathing. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, dry mouths, nausea, etc.

4.Cherophobia: fear of being happy

Who does not want to be happy? Well, if you ask this to a person with cherophobia, you will definitely get shocking results. This has been extracted from the Greek word "chero" which means "to rejoice". A person having cherophobia avoids activities that could bring happiness.

5.Melophobia: fear of music

The origin of the term comes from the Greek word "melopoeia" which means "art of forming melody". People with melophobia are usually sensitive to sudden and dramatic changes in tone. A small number of people are affected by it.

6.Chorophobia: fear of dancing

Chorophobia is derived from the Greek word "choro" means "to dance" and "phobia" means "fear". Chorophobia is considered to be a specific phobia. People with this phobia might also fear being touched (Aphephobia). Its causes are believed to be genetical or brain chemistry combined with life experiences.

7.Allodoxaphobia: fear of opinion

This is a very rare kind of phobia. People with this phobia are believed to be associated with past experiences where they had not been able to express their opinions properly or their opinions had been rejected. In such cases, the affected person avoids public discussions and reflect a fear of confrontation.

8.Turophobia: fear of cheese

People affected with this phobia avoid the consumption of cheese or other cheesy stuff like pizza. Generally, this happens because of the gooey appearance or cheesy taste. In extreme cases, people might also fear the words cheese, cheesy or similar-sounding words.

9.Somniphobia: fear of falling asleep

Most of the people we come across love to sleep. Can you imagine there exists a phobia that would cause fear of sleeping? Somniphobia causes extreme anxiety and fear of the thought of going to bed. It is also called sleep anxiety or sleep dread. People affected by this phobia associate going to bed with dying.

10.Triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13

People have always been superstitious about the number 13. The reason behind considering number 13 as unlucky has many theories. Some believe it comes from The Last Supper, others believe it comes from Hindu or Norse mythology. People with triskaidekaphobia avoid number 13 or anything related to it.

Phobias can be a source of ongoing stress and panic attacks. It might affect the social and inter-personal life of an individual in many ways. However, there are treatments available for most of the cases. So one must always seek help and overcome their fear.