People often have an irrational fear of things that are not dangerous. These fears are known as phobias, and they can impact your life in many ways. Phobias are an intense fear of a specific thing or a group of things. People with this type of anxiety tend to experience these fears almost constantly, which may make it hard to function normally in everyday life. If you’re struggling with a phobia, know that you’re not alone. Millions of people deal with one or more phobias every day.
The first step toward getting over your strangest phobia is recognizing that it is irrational and learning how to cope with it in healthy ways so it doesn’t control your life. Let’s read about some of the strangest phobias in the world experienced by people. (See, if you are dealing with any.)
10 Most Common Strangest Phobias That You Might Not Know
1. Claustrophobia – Fear of Confined Spaces
Claustrophobia is the fear of being in a small space or a situation where you feel like you can’t escape. You may experience this fear while getting stuck in an elevator, being in an MRI machine, or even feeling like you’re being squished in a crowded subway car. It is also believed that you could even have this phobia if you’re afraid of small places like caves or small rooms.
If you have claustrophobia, you’ll likely know it because it can cause you intense anxiety. Symptoms of claustrophobia may include sweating, a racing heart, muscle tension, and even a feeling of panic. You can seek treatment for claustrophobia by learning techniques to manage your anxiety and also by facing your fears slowly.
2. Acrophobia – Fear of Heights
Acrophobia is another one of the common strangest phobias in the world that relate to the fear of heights. This phobia can be triggered by things as simple as looking out a window or climbing a ladder. According to statistics, this phobia has affected nearly 19% of the population. If you have acrophobia, you may feel like falling at the moment when you’re in the middle of a tall building, on a high cliff, or even climbing up a ladder. You may experience other symptoms like sweating, nausea, and trembling.
If you have acrophobia, you can try to cope with it by replacing your irrational fear with rational thoughts. For example, you could try to remember that safety precautions are existing, to prevent you from falling. Try focusing on the ground or a certain object or seeing a therapist.
3. Musophobia – Fear of Mice or Rats
Musophobia is a fear of mice or rats. While this is a common phobia, it does not make sense. After all, rats are extremely disease-ridden, whereas mice are not. If you have musophobia , you likely know it because you might have a hard time being in the same room as a mouse or seeing a picture of a mouse. If you have this phobia, you may want to stay away from places where rodents are likely to live, such as barns or fields. It’s also important to note that having this phobia doesn’t mean you’re exaggerating the risk posed by mice.
You can get allergies and infections from mice in your home, so it’s important to take steps to prevent mice. You can try to treat your musophobia by realising that there are very few diseases that are spread by rodents. Furthermore, try to stay away from pictures and articles based on mice.
4. Achluophobia – Fear of the Dark or Darkness
Many people fear the dark, sometimes known as achluophobia or nyctophobia, but they don’t realise that it’s a phobia. If you have a fear of darkness, you may feel like you have to have the lights on at all times, even when it’s unnecessary. This strangest phobia often develops in children, who have been exposed to scary images like monsters or ghosts in the dark. People having this phobia may find it hard to sleep alone in the dark, or enter a room that has no light source.
5. Trypophobia – Fear of Small Holes
Trypophobia is the fear of clusters of small holes and sometimes is confused with dermatophobia, which is the fear of skin. While anyone can have either of these fears, trypophobia is a more common and strangest phobia observed in people of East Asian descent.
People with trypophobia may have a hard time looking at things like sponges, lotus flowers, or bubbles because they have clusters of small holes that can trigger your fear. It is advised not to wear fabrics that have tiny holes. Sometimes, they even have trouble reading something that has a lot of bubbles or creases in it. If you have trypophobia, you can try to replace your irrational fear with rational thoughts. For example, you can try to remember that bubbles are not dangerous and that they are just air trapped in a thin layer of soap. You can also try to focus on something else that isn’t triggering your fear.
6. Cynophobia – Fear of Dogs
People find them cute and adorable and love them as pets, but fear of dogs is something strange. Cynophobia is the fear of dogs. If you have this phobia, you stay away from dogs and have trouble being around them. This phobia is the strangest in people who have been bitten before, but you don’t have to have been bitten to have it. You may feel like you have to avoid places with dogs, like parks or vet offices. If you have cynophobia, you can try to get past your fear by slowly exposing yourself to dogs in the safest way. For instance, I feel that dogs are very friendly and could be your best companion. Infact having a dog reduces stress level too.
7. Glossophobia – Fear of Public Speaking
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. It’s the most common phobia in the world, and it can be crippling to many people in the working world, although people with other phobias may also experience it. It’s a natural response to feeling a bit nervous when you have to speak in public. However, it becomes a phobia when the nervousness is so intense that it disrupts your daily life. There are many ways to cope with this phobia, including practicing public speaking to get more comfortable with it, using relaxation techniques, and joining a public-speaking support group.
8. Ophidiophobia – Fear of Snakes
Ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. It’s common among people who don’t spend a lot of time around snakes. Snakes aren’t dangerous to humans. If you’re afraid of snakes, you probably don’t have ophidiophobia. You probably have another phobia. It’s hard to avoid this phobia in modern life since snakes live in many places, but you can take some steps to manage your fear. Avoid the places where snakes are more common, wear boots to protect your feet from snake bites, and learn to be more comfortable around snakes.
9. Ornithophobia – Fear of Birds
Ornithophobia is the fear of birds and is the strangest phobia for people who don’t spend time around birds. Many people who have ornithophobia also have ornithophobic psittaco phobia, which is the fear of parrots. The only way to get over this phobia is to love them like pets. If you want to get over this fear, the best way to start is to focus on the positive aspects of birds, like how they’re beautiful, how they can be friendly pets, and how they can be helpful to us.
10. Nosophobia – Fear of Getting Sick
Nosophobia is the fear of getting sick. It’s a phobia among people who have experienced a lot of illness. If you’ve been unwell, and have had a hard time recovering, you might be dealing with this phobia. Many people with this phobia avoid medical care because they are scared of getting sick. Others may also avoid taking medication that would help them recover because they’re worried about side effects. If you are nosophobic, the first step to getting better is accepting that feeling unwell is a part of life.
Conclusion
These strangest phobias in the world are commonly experienced by many people. The first step toward getting better is to recognize that these fears can be treated. Do you know anyone experiencing these strangest phobias? Do you know other phobias that are common but do not make any sense?
