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Among the various types of phobias one can find extremely strange and irrational obsessions. The most unusual are, for example, fear of being touched (hafephobia), of clowns (coulrophobia), of the number 13 (triskaidecaphobia), and even … fear of sunlight (eosophobia). Read about the weirdest types of phobias.

Phobia is an anxiety disorder involving the feeling of fear of certain situations, phenomena, or objects. A person who exhibits symptoms of phobias avoids the factors that cause anxiety, and if he comes in contact with them, he reacts with panic, screaming, feeling faster pulse, excessive sweating and trembling. In extreme cases, he completely loses consciousness and faints.

The most famous phobias are agoraphobia (fear of open space), arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), and nyctophobia (fear of the dark). Admitting any of these phobias usually does not cause much surprise among bystanders, as they are fairly well-known ailments. However, there are examples of extremely atypical phobias that affect a very small percentage of the population. Despite their peculiar characteristics, most of them have official mental disorder status and are listed in the WHO's International Classification of Diseases.

See examples of the weirdest and most irrational phobias.

1. Triskaidekaphobia - morbid fear of the number 13

Triskaidekaphobia is associated with a deeply rooted belief in our culture that the number 13 is unlucky. This phobia was described by psychiatrists as early as 1910. Many famous personalities suffered from it, incl. Napoleon Bonaparte, Richard Wagner, Mark Twain, Franklin Roosevelt. Due to the prevalence of this phobia, some hotels have resigned from marking rooms with the number 13, and there are no buttons with this number in the elevators. The unlucky thirteen in sports games is often abandoned when marking the starting numbers of players (e.g. motor sports).

2. Taphophobia - fear of being buried alive

Taphobia can be exacerbated by stories about people who were presumed dead, even though they were alive. Especially for people suffering from taphobia, a coffin with an alarm system that reacts to movement has been invented. In the UK,where this phobia is very common, some funeral directors offer their clients the possibility of a burial with a mobile phone - in case the person locked in the coffin "comes to life" and wants to call for help.

3. Hafephobia - fear of touching people and objects

This phobia applies to both situations in which someone touches us or when we ourselves touch someone or something. Hafephobia can be triggered by distressing childhood experiences or a symptom of more complex disorders such as social phobia (fear of interacting with strangers).

Read also: Anxiety disorders make life difficult - how to deal with them?

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4. Coulrophobia - fear of clowns

A person with this type of phobia reacts panically at the sight of clowns. While most people will laugh in a colorful disguise and make-up, in some they cause severe anxiety combined with seizures, sweating and palpitations. It is difficult to identify specific causes of this phobia, but one possible hypothesis is that the fear of clowns comes from the inability to recognize the person who is dressed.

5. Gynophobia - fear of women

Gynophobia occurs in men and manifests itself both in contacts with women and with feminine items, e.g. lipstick, bra, purse. It causes symptoms typical of social phobia: increased heartbeat, increased sweating, body tremors, speech disorders. In extreme cases, gynophobia can lead to complete avoidance of contact with the opposite sex. Men suffering from this condition are afraid of embarrassment in the eyes of a woman and believe that they are not attractive enough to attract a potential partner.

6. Nomophobia - fear of losing access to a mobile phone or smartphone

This phobia is considered a new civilization disease. It manifests itself in fear of the lack of telephone contact with family and friends. The nomophobic is afraid that his cell will run out of power prematurely, will lose coverage or be stolen, and thus will not be able to receive important information. When he is deprived of the phone he feels anxiety, irritation and panics. Mostly young people suffer from nomophobia - it is estimated that as many as 70% of teenagers display symptoms of this disorder.

7. Eosophobia - fear of dawn and sunlight

People with this type of phobia are active at night and sleep in darkened rooms during the day. If they go out in the sun, they hide under large clothes and wear dark glasses.

8. Rytiphobia - fear ofwrinkles

Rytifobia mainly affects women and occurs regardless of age. Even very young women with this phobia obsessively care for their face, apply various anti-wrinkle creams and regularly undergo rejuvenating treatments. Ritifobia can have serious consequences if we lose moderation in subtracting years - people suffering from this condition often become addicted to plastic surgery and "beauty" treatments, such as botox.

9. Pediophobia - fear of dolls

A person affected by pediophobia reacts with fear to the sight of various types of dolls: porcelain, plastic, talking and moving dolls. He tried to explore the causes of this phobia, among others German psychologist Ernst Jentsch. He believed that the anxiety triggered by the dolls stemmed from the uncertainty as to whether the toy was real or artificial. This cognitive dissonance causes fear and confusion in some people.

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Psychology