Photo of Qaqamba Falithenjwa

Phobias you may not have known existed

You might have heard of a lot of common phobias that people have, like the fear of small spaces, the fear of the dark and all these other ones, and you might have thought that’s all there is.

But I promise you, there are some of the weirdest phobias, and it will shock you that they actually exist.

Arachibutyrophobia

This, according to The Recovery Village is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, how weird is that? well, the publication mentions that although everyone has experienced the condition at some time, those who have arachibutyrophobia are terribly scared of it. “The severity of arachibutyrophobia varies from person to person. Some with this condition may be able to eat small amounts of peanut butter, but others will completely avoid eating peanut butter or anything with a similar consistency.” The publication further states that this phobia results from a fear of sticky things, choking, or a traumatic incident with peanut butter and being allergic to it.

Linonophobia

The publication above defines this as the free of strings, whereby even thinking about a string will cause a severe reaction in someone who has it never mind seeing it in person. Linonophobes are said to prefer to stay away from anything that involves string, like tying shoes or sewing. “This usually develops from a negative association with a string that may stem from a fear of being restrained or restricted. A person who experiences a traumatic event, such as being kidnapped or tied up as punishment, may develop linonophobia. It can also develop simply from watching these events on television.”

Chiclephobia

According to Very Well Mind, this is the fear of chewing gum. “Symptoms of anxiety and panic may happen when people think about chewing gum, but they can also occur when seeing other people chewing gum or seeing previously chewed gum,” states the publication. It is stated that the exact cause of this phobia is unknown, but like any other fear, it may be influenced by past negative experiences or family members with phobias, anxiety disorders, or mental health conditions.

Vestiphobia

Live Science describes this one as the fear of clothing, which often manifests as the fear of a certain item of clothing. it is stated that for some, it might stem from a phobia of wearing clothes that are too tight and make them feel confined, in other instances, fear is of clothes in general. “This rare phobia can arise from an allergy to a specific type of fabric or a traumatic event associated with a certain piece of clothing. For example, there have been cases where former soldiers developed a fear of military clothing.”

 

 

Also see: 3 Common phobias explained

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