“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
FDR famously said this quote pertaining to the unknown, but clearly he never skimmed some of the pages of Reddit. In a recent thread a user asked for people to comment with their bizarre and irrational phobias. As it turns out, a lot of us have very similar and equally bizarre phobias. We’re all afraid of things that can’t really hurt us, and you might be surprised to learn that a certain uneasiness you’ve had your whole life is actually a very common phobia you share with the rest of the world.
“My teeth breaking into pieces when I bite into something. I have this mental image of them shattering like porcelain.” – b00mgoesthedynamit3
This is a very common fear. There isn’t an official name for it, but many people have fears that revolve around loss of tooth function. Additionally, it’s extremely common for people to dream or even have nightmares about this fear. Many of us experience these dreams of our teeth rotting away and falling out due to the fact that teeth are associated with both mobility and attractiveness. So, if you lose your teeth, not only are you unable to chew your food, but it’s going to put a damper on your looks too.
Big rocks in lakes. I have overcome this now, but growing up I was terrified of coming across a large rock in a lake unexpectedly. I have no explanation for this – wofeetheartbeet
While there isn’t an exact way to pinpoint this fear, it is common to be afraid of open water. Those with thelassophobia are afraid open water and anything related to the sea. There are also people who suffer from submechanaphobia, which is the fear of underwater objects (specifically those that are manmade). This highly specific fear sends people into a state of anxiety when looking at underwater structures ranging from submarines and propellers, to vacuums and pool filters.
I have emetophobia, which is the extreme fear of vomiting. The second someone says “I don’t feel well”, I’m thrown into a brutal panic – bulbawhore
While the scientific community has been unable to pinpoint an exact cause for this irrational fear, they have agreed that it often originates in childhood. Often those with this fear feel a need for control, and something like vomiting is extremely hard to control, leaving those with the phobia feeling powerless.
Sunflowers. Why do they have to be so tall? – yummycreamycenter
Helianthophobia is the name for this odd phobia, which happens to be a rather common fear. Sunflowers can grow to be over 12 feet tall and they turn to face the sun when blooming. Basically, if you happen to be positioned between the flowers and the sun, you could have hundreds of towering flowers turning silently to face you. What are they waiting for? They’re just staring? Are they going to attack? It’s an irrational fear but somewhat understandable.
Closed shower curtains – RoboLich
Humans are naturally afraid of the unknown and you never know when you’re going to come home, look in the mirror, and have a serial killer jump out of the shower with an axe in hand. And while we’re at it, is there really anybody in the world that uses a friend’s bathroom and doesn’t check behind the shower curtain for Leatherface?
I hate seeing people hold BALLOONS! Ugh. With two hands. I’m afraid they will just pop it – supersledger
If you have a fear of balloons in general, then you suffer from globophobia. The fear of them popping, as shown in this case, is called phonophobia. Globophobia is an uncommon fear, though Oprah Winfrey, So Ji-sub, and Doug Stanhope are known to suffer from it.
COTTON BALLS people always think I’m crazy, but the sound they make when you squeeze them makes me cringe hard every time shudder – alextoria
Sidonglobophobia is the fear of cotton balls. Nobody really knows where this bizarre fear comes from, however, experts say most fears develop in early childhood from a traumatic experience. It’s possible that because cotton balls often resemble eggs of creatures like lizards, cockroaches and other creepy crawlers such as snakes, those with this fear irrationally correlate the two. A mind might recall this fear response each time they encounter cotton balls, plastic foams or other stressful situations.
Yarn in my mouth. The thought of it freaks me the f*ck out – Sleth
This fear falls in with sidonglobophobia, as mentioned above. It also falls in with this image below, though I doubt that cutie has a fear of yarn:
I’m afraid of those pokey things that grow out of potatoes. They freak me out – joethetipper
This fear is called trypophobia. It’s when anything with holes, clusters, and textures of irregular objects makes your skin crawl. It’s also a very common fear you didn’t know you probably have. If you have ever felt feelings of disgust and revulsion while looking at clusters of organic holes or bubbles, then you have this fear. People with this fear can be triggered by skin irregularities, mushrooms/fungus, and especially lotus flower seeds, which seem to be an especially significant trigger of revulsion.
One of my biggest fears is wet wood (bring on the innuendos). Just the feeling of it on my skin or the thought of touching a wooden spoon thats been in the sink makes me intensely nauseous – latchinontoyou
There isn’t an actual name for this fear either, though sufferers from this phobia can’t use toothpicks, enjoy a Popsicle, or lick cake batter from a wooden spoon. It’s not a very common one, but if the anxiety is bad enough, it can prevent you from doing a lot of life’s regular activities, like walking on a deck after it’s rained.
[Featured Image Credit: Elias Gayles via Flickr]