Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
There’s nothing embarrassing about being scared. Fear is a core part of being a human being, and it protects you from potential risks. That being said, some fears are irrational and make your daily life much harder than it should be. If you’re frightened by butterflies, party balloons, flags, and cotton wool, it’s going to raise some eyebrows if you mention it aloud.
In a fascinating thread on AskReddit, netizens spilled the beans about the rarest phobias they have or that someone they know struggles with. We’ve hand-selected the most bizarre ones to share with you, and you can check them out below. Some of these might sound fake, but they are completely real!
Meanwhile, be sure not to miss Bored Panda's interview with the author of the intriguing thread, u/nitin_is_me, who shared their thoughts about phobias.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I can't deal with anything eye related. I can't use contacts or put in eye drops. I have to look away if others are doing it. Even watching my girlfriend put on make-up gets me.
I can watch gory horror scenes, but the second eyes are involved I'm a total baby.
Dawn Marie 4 months ago
I went through the whole list and didn't find mine anywhere. Androphobia--Fear of men. Both my father and my now X-husband were both mentally a*****e with my X also adding physical and sexually a*****e as well. I have not met a man yet that has not let me down and/or hurt me. Yes, I am in PTSD therapy.
kissmychakram 4 months ago
The title (currently) is "weird and confusing" Androphobia is neither.
Load More Replies...
Auntriarch 4 months ago
When I wore hard contact lenses I used to tap them with my fingernail to give people the squeams. Sorry Grandad. (that's my own grandad, not any eponymous Pandas)
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
Oh gosh, this!!! I've eyedrops that I've to use on a "as needed" basis and I'm now a lot better at getting the drops in my eye but it used to make me gag and the amount of times I ended up eye dropping my nostrils or my ear??? "Okay, that's NOT where they're meant to go!!!" 😄
Cailyn B 4 months ago
I don’t know why you were downvoted, here’s an upvote! 😊
Load More Replies...
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
I'm like this too- maybe not that extreme, but any sort of eye horror and I'm out. I tried to do embroidery and just pulling the needle through gave me horrible anxiety. The movie Coraline terrified me as a kid (though I love it now!). I think I just have a horrible fear of losing my vision, especially since I love to read and draw. I would probably not be able to be happy if I lost my vision.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
Me too-I had to put my hand in front of the picture as I scrolled past! It stems from having to get daily-weekly eye drops and examinations leading up to eye surgery when I was 6. The worst was when my mum had to stop on the side of the freeway to put drops in my eye on the way to the surgery appointment. I tear up even thinking about it. I have managed to deal with it when needing drops for follow up appointments (and more surgery 20 years later) throughout my life but I still hate it. I wear glasses now (unrelated short sightedness) and could never even contemplate contacts. I can put eyeliner on, I guess because I can control it not to touch my eye. I am fascinated by anything else medical, could watch live surgery on anything but eyes. I have hay fever and probably should put drops in sometimes, but I just can't.
Yrral Spavit 4 months ago
Yep. Was on ski patrol, SAR recovering bodies, first responder at accidents picking up body parts, etc but if you come to me with something in your eye you are on your own. And contacts? NFW!
RELATED:
#2
Mine is arachnophobia, which isn't rare, but I believe it's much more rare that people claim.
Most people claiming arachnophobia simply don't like spiders, or worry about their bite, or slightly fear them.
I am truly phobic. There's no logic or reason. I am not scared of bites, even tho I grew up knowing multiple people who lost large amounts of tissue from brown recluses, & black widow bites are VERY common.
The only thing I fear regarding the bits is the fact they'd be TOUCHING ME.
And I actually try to avoid saying anything about it, b/c people think I don't like the creepy crawlers & so they WILL purposely put a daddy longlegs or harmless house spider on me as a joke.
But I've been trapped in a room, helpless & crying, because a spider is between me the door. I want to throw up when I see a larger one.
And the hypervigilance means I see so many more spiders than other people. I'm constantly terrorized.
I envy rare or even most others. You can easily avoid most fears like heights, clowns, drowning, etc. Other creature fears like snakes are rare. Spiders? I know exactly where 5 are in my home right now. 🥺.
HeavyMetalHeart 4 months ago
Same. I was trying to explain to someone the other day that it’s not just about being afraid when I see one, it’s being afraid all the time that I might see one. I scan rooms, I’m nervous picking something up off the floor in case there’s a spider under it, I’m hyper vigilant in garages, sheds or attics, and avoid them if I can. It’s constantly on my mind.
Rika 4 months ago
My grandfather had arachnophobia. When he got (terminal) cancer, he was put on such high doses of morphine for the pain that it gave him hallucinations. He lived his last weeks in pure terror because he would *see* thousands of spiders crawling all over the walls and his bed.
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
My husband has this fear, as well as other people I know. I'm the one they call when one needs to leave the premises. Considering the way they look, it's one of the more understandable phobias, but I just think they're cool and useful and minimally dangerous. I wouldn't exactly be thrilled if one was crawling on me, though.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
Same I’m the spider rescuer in my home I say spider rescuer , os despite the kids having grown up around all manner of spiders reptiles snakes etc love em all n still got snakes , if they see one , well not my son he loves spiders totally to , my daughter will step on em pfft so I have to go rescue the spider n bring it downstairs to somewhere safe 😂I often tell the spiders to stay hidden to like don’t let her see them lol
Load More Replies...
RM 4 months ago
Can completely sympathise with you on this as I'm the same. I don't have a choice but to deal with them as I live on my own. I have the panic attack while I k**l them because not knowing where it has gone is worse - I have to know that they're dead and out of my house before I can stop freaking out. There seem to be a few bad months, usually August to November, when I find lots in my house and when I find one I then have about a week afterwards where I'm checking for more, searching every room and behind and under furniture with a torch before I can settle. Every shadow has to be checked, I've got cans of Raid, the red stuff that kills spiders, in four different rooms so I'm close to one if I find an intruder. Even so, I'm super stressed for those four months each year. The rest of the year I'm still hyper vigilant and checking for them... And then someone tells you're being stupid if you say you're freaked out by spiders, or laugh, but it's something that cannot be avoided.
Cailyn B 4 months ago
I’ve been getting better with spiders and bugs in general, but I’ve had extreme phobia of germs, once when I was in grade 8 and through grade 10 and getting better through 11. I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to the light at the end of the tunnel day by day, but one thing that always ticked me off when I was panicking over everything and in absolute terror all the time was when people thought it was stupidly, or didn’t understand it. In my opinion, you can never understand what someone with a phobia is going through unless they go through it themselves, which I wouldn’t wish on the people that criticized, but it’s still tough when it’s something you can’t control
Load More Replies... kaycee14 4 months ago
When I was deciding whether to take a job in another state, my dad said, "well, just don't expect me to come save you from the spiders anymore." I actually added that to the "cons" list!
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
I really hate the spiders that appear during the night!... ARGH!!! You're asleep, wake up and twice I've woken up to a huge spider on the pillow next to my head!!! Usually though I leave them to their own devices, I might use something such as book to tap the wall or floor nearby them to get them away. Spiders apparently can feel vibrations in their legs so tapping near them? They usually scuttle off in the opposite direction. So long as they stick to their side of the room? Okay!... Mainly because they do eat any other nasty insects that could cause us harm.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
My dad and sister are both arachnophobes. It is sad for me, because I love spiders and used to be happy to have a resident huntsman on the wall, but living with them, everything, even daddy long legs has to be sprayed and then they might not go in whichever room it was in for hours/days.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
I adore spiders totally had tarantulas over many many yrs , I’d have more now ,but my 24 yr daughter who is terrified of spiders said if I do she’s leaving home lol , I’m the one that goes and rescues her , or rather the spider when ones in her room or the bathroom , n she’s like it’s hives look over there , funny how spiders shrink a lot when I go to find em isn’t it 😂I always say ,when I go in after hearing her ear spiting scream , is ok ok I think the poor spiders suitably deaf now 🙈😂to find the tiniest one ever cowering poor thing , but I get a good few like op are really really scared of them , no problem ,just gimme a shout I,ll come remove it for you , ( unless it’s venomous then ur on your own ) but the rest even tarantulas I,ll sort it I Ely for u . lol they welcome here in my home
#3
I have a fear of buttons, as in clothing buttons. However, not a fear of buttons that are attached to clothes more like random unknown buttons. If i touch them it causes me to gag and sometimes vomit. I believe it's called Koumpounophobia.
I've had this reaction since i was a small child. In kindergarten they used to have a cookie tin full of buttons for crafts. I couldn't touch them.
PunnyPanda 4 months ago
Now that's a surprising one... even more surprising is that its common enough to have a name.
UKGrandad 4 months ago
All phobias have a name. Generally speaking it's just the Greek (or occasionally Latin) word for the thing that's feared followed with 'phobia'.
Load More Replies... dancebunny 4 months ago
Me too! Any button that’s for decoration rather than function, or just loose 🤢
Mari 4 months ago
Is it because you have to touch the buttons (the feeling) or just the object itself?
Load More Replies...
SCP 4666 4 months ago
I had it when I was a kid. The sight of buttons on a bedsheet or pillow made me gag. Somehow it disappeared as I got older
MsAnnThrope 4 months ago
My Mum had a button phobia. As a small child she had an accident and cut a tendon in her hand. She had an operation and when she woke up she was horrified to find that the surgeons had sewn a button to her hand to help the tendon heal. I think this technique is still used to this day.
Verywell Mind points out that, as per the American Psychological Association, there are 3 main categories of phobias:
- Social phobias, which revolve around the fear of social situations that are potentially embarrassing
- Agoraphobia, the irrational fear of being in places that are difficult to escape from, like crowded places
- Specific phobias
The latter, specific phobias, can be further subcategorized. They typically fall into 1 of 4 types, including:
- Fears of the natural environment
- Animal-related fears
- Fears linked to medical treatments or issues
- Fears related to specific situations
#4
I’ve had bouts of casadastraphobia which is an irrational fear of falling into the sky especially at night. It’s worse if I’m laying on my back. Yes I know it’s impossible but it’s very similar to the fear of vertigo if you were to look down off of a tall building. It sucks.
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
It's not quite the same, but looking into the night sky one time I just got this overwhelming feeling of how endless it is, kinda like looking into the surface of the ocean and realizing that if you fell in you would go down, down, down. It filled me with awe and a kind of fear.
Jackie Lulu 4 months ago
As a kid, I could bring on that feeling by looking at the moon at night.
Load More Replies... 
Uncle Panda 4 months ago (edited)
"It is in the deserts and high places that religions are born. When men see nothing but bottomless infinity over their heads they have always had a driving and desperate urge to find someone to put in the way.” ― Terry Pratchett, Jingo
PunnyPanda 4 months ago
Weird- I've had that as well, but totally forgot about it until reading this. Once or twice as a little kid, and another time when doing hallucinagens as a 20-something on a camping trip. Its gotta have a physical/neurological component cause I remember getting that same kind of fear-nausea that is triggered by heights.
#5
It’s not rare, but people sometimes make jokes or refuse to believe my OCD because it’s illogical / inconsistent. For example I get triggered by spiders and crickets but not by ants or moths. I don’t get why it’s so hard for people to understand that OCD is by nature illogical. My brain has categorized some insects as contaminants and some as harmless. It’s not a choice, it’s just how the disease works sometimes.
Emilu 4 months ago
Because people would choose to have OCD. Ugh. Some people are ignorant. (To elaborate, not the poster. People that think that you can pick and choose about what makes you uncomfortable.) Also, extra boo to people who “are so OCD” because they like things neat/clean etc. Be grateful you don’t have to live with actual OCD.
Cailyn B 4 months ago
I live with it. It is living fvcking hell. I’m getting better now, but within the last two years I’ve had it really really bad. It seems to come and go, this is my second time, and I’m afraid it’ll come back again. I’m still not perfect, but I’m getting there. My OCD is about germs, and it’s horrible. I’d be constantly washing my hands or using hand sanitizer until my skin was raw and I had crevices in my knuckles and up my forearms. But guess what?? I can’t cut down on the handwashing now, even when every movement is full of pain, because what if I get these massive cuts infected??? It’s a cycle that you can’t break out of. It’s falling into a rut that is too hard to get out of. It’s having a monster within your own mind that preys on your fear and distress, your depression and your anger with the situation. It got really bad to a point that when I was watching a movie in mg social studies class, about a kid in India, and they showed the outhouses, and one of the kids jumping into the
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
For ages I used to have to check every single thing before I went outside. Things also had to be at right angles, lined up, like my soup tins had to be facing outwards and aligned. That was years ago. I had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Saw a therapist and I started deliberately leaving a dirty cup or something on the side of my sink. She would ask me how it made me feel? "A bit twitchy, like a brain itch type feeling but I know that the world will not end or something else bad will happen just because I've deliberately left something crooked". My OCD was a respose to a traumatic experience. I had had no control over what had happened so I was basically psychologically controlling what I could. As in neat, tidy but it was getting too far that way. CBT really helps though. I still don't like it though when people claim that they're OCD or use other Mental Health terms such as PTSD etc in a negative way.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
As in - "Omg!!! I like couldn't find my keys this morning and I has a complete panic attack!!!" or "A bee almost stung me and I've total PTSD from it!!!"... It diminishes how people who do actually have these various conditions feel, how they can affect you. They can seriously impact your life and how you live.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 4 months ago
For my brother, we never really worked out the triggers and he doesn't remember. He was diagnosed with OCD at 5/6 years old, though originally the doctor thought it might be Tourette's (which has a lot of cross over symptoms). He was medicated as soon as he was diagnosed, which worked well but I think it dampened everything and affected his memory. He took himself off the meds without telling anyone when he started high school and hasn't had a recurrence of symptoms since. His compulsions were things like having to touch the back of every chair as he passed through the dining room, or doing things like turning off lights eight times.
Toni Ahlgren 4 months ago
I don't mind spiders because they're smart and just minding their own business. Insects however are just utter chaos, you'll never know what they're gonna do next.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
Autism food preferences can be a lot like this. I really like raspberries, and often get a frozen raspberry tart where I cut a piece of, warm it in the microwave, it's lovely. I can't stand blackberries which are pretty much the same thing in a different colour. I like apricot, but not peach. I love garden peas, but think runner beans are icky. Olives make me feel physically ill but I'll happily chuck olive oil onto pasta. Then there's the long list of don't-touch-won't-touch like tomato skin, bell peppers, most mushrooms, pork... it's the texture. But just try explaining that to somebody. 😪
#6
Agoraphobia.
People think I don't have it because I'll never put myself in any situation that might induce it.
So I generally ask them who they think they are to think I'd put myself in any position to feel stuck in my phobia, just to lift their doubts. And then I avoid them like the plague.
If people don't believe it and ask you to prove it, they're a piece of s**t. If you're someone that doesn't believe someone has a phobia of something, simply because they've never been exposed to it in front of you to see their reaction, stop. You're an a*****e. Find a *healthier* hobby than making everyone else miserable.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I do not tell anyone about my phobia, because my second fear is some helpful arsëhole deciding to try to "cure" me. Not to mention people thinking it's funny.
Tamra 4 months ago (edited)
Well, I know for sure it's not a fear of flamingoes or greyhounds. 🤔
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
Oh gosh. Yups, THIS. I've had people not believe that I've agoraphobia. It's a very misunderstood phobia. "Well, you manage to go out!", "Well, you certainly don't seem agoraphobic"... Okay sweetheart... What you don't see? You don't see me doing my breathing exercises and taking Propanalol in preparation for going outside. It's not about Wide Open Spaces, it's more complex than that. Again, it can be a Mental Health Condition related to trauma.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I have always known I have this, though my mum disagrees because she thinks it just means you won't leave the house, even though I've tried to explain it to her. My nan (dad's mum) and dad have both had it, my nan eventually didn't leave the house unless she was going to church. I also avoid situations as much as possible where I think it will affect me.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
The only true fears I have is one lifts , when my kids where little I had to force myself in to them so they didn’t see it n become scared to , my god did I ever feel shaky sweaty sick now as I’m housebound they aren’t an issue thank god , 2 CLOWNS just nope something not right with clowns , which made watching horrors hard lol I find horrors hilarious , but add a clown I ain’t watching it , 3 PEOPLE ! (Mostly due to being an empath it’s exhausting,feeling others emotions n feelings ) but I really get anxious around to many people now a days , again an upside of being housebound NO PEOPLE LOL just my kids im not affected by them as they are both witches to , its in the blood so a natural block for empaths
The Anxiety & Depression Association of America notes that, based on data from the National Institute of Mental Health, specific phobias affect around 9.1% of the United States adult population.
On average, phobia symptoms generally begin in childhood, when the person is around 7 years of age. Roughly 1 in 8 (12.5%) American adults experience a specific phobia at some point in their lives.
#7
Not rare in how often it's mentioned, but needles.
Like, an actual needle phobia. Stop telling me it doesn't hurt that much, I'm well aware, that's not what a phobia is. When I was 12 I had a perfectly healthy tooth pulled without anaesthetic, and the dentist had to twist. It's not the pain. .
Rick Murray 4 months ago
This. This. This. This. This. To the point where mom had about a dozen blood samples taken during her cancer treatment and it was *me* on the floor. To the point where mom just sighed and said "leave him until you're done or it'll happen again". She said she thinks it might be because I had a lumbar puncture as a baby, but I don't know. What I know is that I have in the past asked a dentist to drill a tooth without more anaesthesia because that bothered me less than the injections. I actually fear the day I have to go to hospital for something big and I wake up to find a butterfly in my arm. Nope, nope, absolutely no with a side order of f**k that.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
For my Covid vaccination, I - forty eight years old - took a stuffed teddy and the pharmacist talked to me constantly (in very cute highly French accented English) while her assistant crept up behind and stuck it into my arm. Didn't feel a thing, but if I had seen that needle......
Load More Replies...
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
I've never really been afraid of needles but when I was in hospital with Covid etc? I did start to get... Not phobic but I had my IV changed regularly, I also had a daily injection into the top of my stomach area, just below my ribcage. Then all the Covid vaccines. So I'm now? "Okay, I'm going to close my eyes and just stab me!!! Do it quickly!!!" and they know I'm joking but also serious! Yes, I still occasionally have a gag reaction and I always warn the person first about it.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
My dad is afraid of needles, though he does get them as needed. It took him a while to get his latest one, but needed it to be allowed to see his first grandchild. My sister used to be afraid, but I think it was the pain for her. Our family doctor must have been a bit rough, because when we switched to a new one she calmed down after the first couple. Before that I literally had to hold her down to get them (and her fear wouldn't have helped with the pain, her muscles were so tense).
Brian Droste 4 months ago
I had a doctor's as appointment this past Thursday. Part of the appointment was getting a blood test. When the nurse poked me with the needle to draw blood, it hurt quite a bit. Once the needle was in, the pain wasn't that much.
#8
Cynophobia. I'm afraid of dogs. People just can't understand.
bUt My DoG iS nIcE, hE tEh BeStEsT gOoD bOi, AdoRaBlE lItTlE fLuFfBaLl
No.
Just… no.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
Once there was a huge dog that licked my face when I was a kid and the tongue was so big I thought I would drown. So now I'm a cat-person.
HeavyMetalHeart 4 months ago
I had a couple of bad experiences with dogs as a kid and although I don’t have a full-blown phobia, I’m nervous of them. If I know a friend’s dog is well-behaved, I’ll pet it, but I keep my distance from dogs I don’t know. It’s weird to me that people will assume everyone likes dogs and will laugh if you’re scared of them, because it’s not really an irrational fear - dogs do injure and k**l people regularly. It seems very reasonable to me to be cautious around them.
DaisyBee 4 months ago
I love dogs. So much. But I 100% agree. An animal is still an animal. My family had a rescue who bit me in the face, requiring stitches, because she’d come from an a*****e background and basically had a flashback trigger - only I was unfortunately in her way. If it has teeth, it can bite. (Did it stop me from getting more dogs over time? Absolutely not, but people react differently to things)
Load More Replies...
NoRestfortheQWERTY 4 months ago (edited)
I live in a city with so many dogs. I understand that dog lovers love the dogs that they share their lives with. But so many of them forget that their dogs are going to behave one way with them and another way with everyone else on the entire planet. "Oh, he doesn't do anything!" Not to you, because you're his master. There's no guarantee he wouldn't happily chew my ankle off.
DaisyBee 4 months ago
As a dog lover, I do feel bad when people are unable to form that bond that makes dogs literally man’s best friend - but a person who doesn’t (or can’t) like dogs shouldn’t have them, for both their sake and the dog’s. So I don’t understand people who insist on trying to make those people like dogs. Just leave them be
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
One of my god children is still afraid of big dogs. Her parents know why, she was tiny about 4yrs old, in her pushchair and a dog, a big one, was growling and barking at something right next to her. She started crying and trying to get out of her pushchair. That's completely understandable. It's? She was scared but strapped in and because when you're small? Everything seems huge so a dog barking and growling? It's sort of the equivalent of, say, a huge dragon in front of us as an adult and you can't escape.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
Eventually though? She grew to like smaller dogs, wouldn't pet them but wouldn't run away or try and climb up our legs and onto our backs. One of their neighbours had a smaller labrador, he was a puppy and slowly introduced her to him. As in she'd put his food out for him then watch from where she felt safe, give him a treat by putting it down and watching him eat it. If she didn't want to though? She didn't have to.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I've never liked dogs, and people always assume it's because I'm afraid of them, and I am somewhat, but not because I think they will bite me (most of the time). It's because they are too unpredictable in their movements (this is a problem with a lot of other animals too) and I don't like it when I get jumped on. It started when my mum brought a dog home for us the first time and it kept jumping on me and all over the place. For years I was scared of dogs, until we got another dog (the first didn't stay with us longer than the weekend because I was so scared) and it was more placid. I didn't like it as much as a cat but I wasn't afraid. Over the years I never really bonded with a dog, until recently when I got used to mum's latest dog (and she was medicated for her anxiety) and found she mostly does what you ask her to. I still would say I don't like dogs, but I do like her.
kissmychakram 4 months ago
I was badly bitten by an Afghan Hound ( I suspect it was horribly mistreated and I was unlucky to be in the wrong place/time). I love dogs, but Afghans make me take a step back.
Rika 4 months ago
I had cynophobia as a kid. It somehow disappeared over the years, I love dogs now. But it's why I always cringe when I hear about bringing dogs to visit kids in hospitals. I remember cops coming to my school to teach us about road safety and stuff. They always brought a dog or two because my classmates were so happy to pet the dogs while I was staying as far away as possible and trying to explain that I know the dogs won't hurt me, but a phobia is irrational by definition: it simply freaked me out to be in the same room as a dog.
Lene 4 months ago
All dogs are carnivores and they like to hunt their prey. And no matter how cute and fluffy and child-friendly you think your sweet furbaby is, I will still mainly just see a carnivore. I am learning to be more relaxed with dogs now that I have kids and I don't want to show them my fears. But it's hard.
Crystalwitch60 4 months ago
I don’t have room in my life for people as don’t like dogs ,or animals come to that it’s inhuman , BUT to have this kind of phobia is so desperately sad 💔I mean that is a lovely way I add x you all missing out on such wonderful bonds it’s heart breaking , and is always be triggered by something , people with this phobia I would be ok around , although I’d feel every second of your fear to.
#9
I am agoraphobic. I was severely abused 3 years ago, resulting in, not only a terribly broken mind/psyche, but also 3 broken bones.
He isolated me for a whole year. I did not know at the time, but he told my friends I didn't like them or wasn't interested in being their friends and some of them believed him.
I am healing, and I do my best to go just a little further every time I leave the house (if im capable of leaving).
People refuse to believe it because I used to be so outgoing and spontaneous. I used to travel the world and hit the road for road trips on whims. In 2021, Google maps timeline yearly review feature reported that I'd driven 1.5 times around the world, in terms of mileage.
My husband had never even heard of agoraphobia when we met, so he struggles to understand sometimes. Don't get me wrong! He really tries. Same with my best friends. I imagine its just hard to understand because I am still very much not who I was.
Therapy has done wonders for me. I recently started going in person and my therapist told me how proud she is of me.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
My best friend's ex tried isolating her too, made her turn down invitations, but never said anything himself because he still wanted to be seen as a good guy. I'm so thankful she got away before he broke her bones, but she wasn't unscathed, there were bruises and rapes...She has come a long way since then. Married again and has two beautiful children, but is now divorced for a second time because he cheated on her.
Some of the most common symptoms of someone suffering from a phobia include increased blood pressure, sweating, and nausea, as well as chest pains, chills, hot flashes, shaking, dizziness, a dry mouth, confusion, and a choking sensation.
According to Verywell Mind, some of the most common phobias around the world are:
- Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders
- Ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes
- Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking (guilty as charged)
- Acrophobia, the fear of heights (hi!)
- And social phobia, the fear of social interactions
#10
Hair. I know it’s insane. I’m disgusted and so freaked out by hair that’s not attached to someone. I can’t touch my own hair out of the drain without some layers of paper towel. A pube or a leg hair in the bathroom from my husband makes me want to p**e. Random hair in a public sink? I’ll have nightmares about it that night.
Edit to add: what a revelation and relief to find out I’m not the only weirdo who would genuinely scream and p**e if someone touched me with a random hair off a chair or something 🥹🤣.
ynyrhydref56 4 months ago
Jerry Seinfeld did a bit about this. Attached to a head? Lovely, luxurious, beautiful. The moment it's detached? Ew ew ew!
Slapdash1 4 months ago
That's the protective mechanism of disgust. As long as something is a part of your body or a part of a body of a known, friendly, individual you're fine. Once it leaves the body's envelope it immidately becomes suspect. Think of your own saliva: you swallow it non-stop, no problem. Now, take a glass of water and spit in it. Or better yet, take some water into your mouth, swish it around, spit it back ino the glass. Same saliva you're constantly swallowing has now made the water disgusting: the saliva is now outside of the body.
Load More Replies...
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
You're not the only weirdo. Gag and retch are my response to "unclaimed" hair. Especially wet hairs - they stick to you and it's a fistfight to get them off of you. 🤢🤮
Emilu 4 months ago
Wet hair sticking to me is the bane of my existence. For some reason I've been losing a lot of hair lately, so it feels like I get a handful of it each time I wash my hair. Or, worse, the dreaded hair down the undies. Ughhh. Maybe being bald would be easier...
Load More Replies... Emilu 4 months ago
… you’d hate my shower. I try and clean it regularly but it still looks like there’s a small creature in the drain. I call it ‘Hairatio’.
Powerful Katrinka 4 months ago
I have the exact same phobia. I call it an irrational fear of disembodied hair.
#11
Not me but I had a friend who is afraid of inflated party balloons, which I learned about the hard way.
One time for my birthday my gf at the time had arranged for my housemate to let her in 2 friends in and they spent a few hours blowing up balloons and filling my bedroom.
The next day my neighbour (the friend in question) asked me about the surprise my friends left in my bedroom, told her to go check.
She screamed and ran back home crying which I did find odd. Wasn't until an hour later that her bf called me a c**t for making her go into a balloon filled room. Only after I looked very confused did he ask if I knew about her phobia, I did not.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
I'm not "phobic" but I'm very afraid of the sound of ballons popping to the point where my eyes legit fills with tears if someone plays with one too close to me.
UKGrandad 4 months ago
I am not keeping wildlife inside. That's dangerous.
Load More Replies... DaisyBee 4 months ago
My dad cannot stand the sound of someone squeaking a balloon. Like physically reacts to the noise and gets irrationally angry. We have no idea why.
UKGrandad 4 months ago
Because it can be an intensely irritating sound. For some it's fingernails on a blackboard, popping knuckle joints or cutlery on plates, for others it's the squeak of balloons.
Load More Replies... #12
Goats... I know it's a weird phobia but their eyes are terrifying. Their horizontal pupils scare the living s@#t out of me. It's an irrational fear. I've scuba dived and met octopuses with similar horizontal eyes and I wasn't afraid. But somehow goats are terrifying. I can't explain it.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
Goats are smart årse escapologists that gleefully defy gravity. It's not the eyes, it's the goat nature. In the next village over an old expat couple had a goat because they were too doddery to mow the grass. It was well known in the village because it would gatecrash weddings, parties...any social gathering, goat was there. They even, a few years ago, had an illegal rave in a field one night. Guess what four legged animal was VERY prominent in the photo that appeared in the local paper. FFS! 😂
In fact, being scared of public speaking is so incredibly common that, by some estimations, the vast majority of people (77%) have this fear at least to some extent.
Meanwhile, some of the rarest phobias include the likes of spectrophobia (the fear of mirrors), chiclephobia (the fear of chewing gum), and the long-winded and aptly named hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia (the fear of long words).
#13
Haphephobia. Intense and irrational fear of being touched. I have screamed at people at work, including a supervisor. A coworker hugged me, and I'm so stiff for hugs that she asked if I was ok and if she hurt me.
There are very few people who can touch me and not make my skin crawl.
When someone walks by and grazes your arm, I feel the sensation for about an hour exactly where I was touched. Cashier gives you change and their finger tip barely touches your hand? I feel the lingering burn of stranger on my skin. I realize it isn't real, but ugh please don't touch people.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago (edited)
While it's not this or as bad as having this phobia? I do not like men touching me after my ex. I kept pulling away from the eye specialist and I apologised to him, "It's not you, I'm sure you're a lovely person, it's because you're male so if I start pulling away? Please don't take it personally". He was absolutely lovely about it all and now I'm seen by female doctors, specialists..... It's? I feel irrational and know deep down that they're not going to hurt me. It's a deeper issue to having been physically attacked by my ex and now being disabled because I feel as though I can't defend myself in the same way. It might always be with me, as in I may never "get over it"... But I don't feel the need to "get over it" atm... It'll take as much time as it needs to, to recover, and that's perfectly okay.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
Oh and it's also probably to do with having been poked, prodded and examined so many times in hospital! I mean... I think there are more people, as in nurses, doctors etc who have seen more of my body than I have! I still don't know what my bottom looks like but I think most of the staff at the hospital do!!! 😄
Load More Replies...
B.M. 4 months ago
I have cardboards with me when I get on a plane, simply for this. I was called a fat shamer because my neighbour needed a part of my seat. Yes, He was fat but as long as he does not touch me I have no opinion about hin. I paid for a while seat and I am thin enough to keep distance from others If they are keeping to their own! Instead I had to help myself with cardboard. No, I don't think I need business class, the sizes in Economy are fine for me. Just keep your body away!
Tempest 4 months ago
I don’t think I have the phobia but I can relate to most of OP’s experiences. If a stranger touches me I too feel that sensation in the exact place on my skin for hours. But it doesn’t happen all the time, just sometimes but it’s annoying when it happens cause it feels like there’s something stuck on my skin. I’m also a stiff hugger and have been ridiculed for it, making me more avoidant to hugs. Just recently I had a cousin (who I met after years) say they feel the same about hugs but then they hugged me goodbye when leaving and I’m still irritated about that lol.
Midoribird Aoi 4 months ago
I have learned to master not reacting. Family can hug me no problem. But I work a very public job. Not a good place to express dislike of being touched. It isn't a phobia, though. For me
#14
My brother is terrified of butterflies. He says it's something about the way they move. He found out when we went through a butterfly house at a theme park. They wouldn't let him go back out the entrance so he was army crawling and sobbing through the whole place. It's super irrational. He's shoved his girlfriend into the street to get away from them and he'll jerk his car out of the way.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
Something about the way they move / distracts him like no other fauna / ...
Tamra 4 months ago
I feel I've given you an inordinately large number of angry upvotes for those puns of yours. Welp, have another. 😂
Load More Replies...
Brazen 4 months ago
Moths. I feel the same way about moths. Weirdly, I am ok with a butterfly if it isn't too close.
The Mediterranean Fruit 4 months ago
I’m not sure if it’s a true phobia but I can not handle moths at all. I scream and run away and cower in a corner when one is in a room. They make my skin crawl and my head feel weird. And as long as a butterfly isn’t too close to me I’m okay too.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 4 months ago
Sounds like maybe he needs hypnosis or something because it's dangerous to react like that
Annik Perrot 4 months ago
My Mom was terrified by dragonflys. She became totally irrational when there was one around.
Lynchamigsakta 4 months ago
Yeah I get this butterfly flight is chaotic and I don't trust them
#15
I don't see mine yet. I have a fear of tall staircases with spaces between the steps or winding where you can look over the rail and see straight down. It's not heights. It's stairs. Any stairs where you can see through them. So there's a tower in this state park we go to where you can see through the slats the whole way up and I can't do it. Or I'll force myself to and then can't get down.
RM 4 months ago
I'm not fully phobic with this one but it does make my stomach drop if I have to walk up stairs outside with the back missing if its over water or a step drop , same with a wooden bridge or walkway if there are gaps between the planks and you can see with water or a drop below.
Lady Eowyn 4 months ago
I have a fear of any staircase. The ones that have treads without risers are really bad. The kind of staircases that go around and around, where you can see the lower portions, I simply can not deal with. I have been injured on stairs.
Bobbie McMasters 4 months ago
I had this phobia as a child. At some undefined point in my life, the phobia vanished. I have no explanation for it.
The author was over the moon that their post got so popular. It was an unexpected surprise, and they said that they're "super happy" that it resonated with so many people.
"I’ve always been fascinated by weird phobias, especially the ones that sound absurd to others but are very real to the people dealing with them. I myself had the phobia of dandelion seeds in childhood, and I'm still scared of centipedes," u/nitin_is_me opened up to Bored Panda.
"One day, I just thought, 'What if I ask Reddit about the rarest, most unbelievable fears people have?' and the responses were way more intense, hilarious, and heartfelt than I expected," they said.
"I think it [the question] resonated [with the internet] because everyone’s got something irrational they’re scared of, and it feels good to know you’re not alone, even if your fear is cotton b***s or submerged pool drains," u/nitin_is_me told us.
#16
I’m terrified of people in costumes. I can never go to disney land 💔.
#17
I have a phobia of clusters of holes (trypophobia) people always think I'm joking until they see me physically shudder.
Jaya 4 months ago
I have this too. For some reason, Youtube sometimes suggest videos to me about skin with holes in it. It's been months since it has last suggested it, and I still get fearful anytime I scroll through youtube, because that image might come up again.
Emilu 4 months ago
Does choosing to hide those sort of videos help at all?
Load More Replies... Not-a-Clue (she/her) 4 months ago
I'm not properly phobic of holes, but they definitely make me feel weird & uncomfortable.
#18
I knew this guy in h**h school who was absolutely jacked for the time and had some weird phobia of cotton b***s. He ended up telling a friend somehow and then he got pranked by people stuffing a bunch into his locker. When he opened it he freaked out super bad and it was a bit crazy to see. After he was done freaking out he got super pissed and wanted to fight his friends who did it. It was very unexpected to see.
Upil 4 months ago
No one deserves to be treated like that, especially those who already told them they dont like it to a friend. Absolutely unfriend the guy, such a a hole...
Rika 4 months ago
This is why I never tell people about my one weird phobia. A lot of "friends" are AHs.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 4 months ago
My mum knew I was terrified of animals like mice, rats, ferrets or other things that might run around a room and crawl all over you, yet when she had a ferret, she let it run loose around the house when I went to visit. She sometimes shut it in one end of the house, but when it scratched on the door, she would let it out, especially if my stepdad said 'but it's her home, she likes to see people'. He would also say things like 'I don't see why you're upset' or 'she's not going to hurt you'. I would sit at the dining table with my legs tucked up under me no matter how uncomfortable it was and whimper if I saw it, because it was more frightening for me to have people see me have a breakdown and leave. I wasn't sad when that particular pet was no longer around.
Lorraine Woollands 4 months ago
I have a few phobias, heights, spiders but the main one is agoraphobia. It is crippling, i feel that I have no control, of what happens if I go out. I am not good at social interaction, of any kind. I feel physically sick, I shake, I sweat, I cry uncontrollably, any time I think I may be forced to leave my home. I also suffer from anxiety and depression, so I suppose my agoraphobia is all part of that. I haved been out in over five years
The Mediterranean Fruit 4 months ago
I’m not scared of cotton balls, but if I touch one or one touches my skin I absolutely freak out. I think it’s a sensory thing because it makes my skin crawl and I shudder and my fingernails and teeth feel weird.
"Some comments genuinely caught me off guard. Like, someone said they panic at the idea of man-made stuff underwater, like buoys or pool ladders. Another person's friend had the fear of inflated party balloons. Stuff you’d never think about, but it’s all so real for them."
According to the author of the thread, if you have a phobia, you shouldn't let anyone gaslight you into thinking that your fear isn't valid because it's uncommon or sounds silly.
"If it’s affecting your daily life, it’s real. I’d say talk to someone. Whether it’s a therapist, friend, or even just strangers online (Reddit’s great for that, honestly), a lot of people find that just putting a name to the fear and hearing 'me too' makes it a bit easier to cope."
Internet user u/nitin_is_me said that they're very grateful to everyone who shared their story. "I think posts like these show that we all have our weird wiring, and that’s okay."
#19
Police. I get very nervous around the police. I think it's because I know they're armed and have the power to arrest people. I hate getting in trouble and always do my best to follow the rules, but always paranoid I've done something to draw their attention. Also I haven't experienced trauma because of the police if anyone was wondering.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
I wonder if the person who posted is a person of colour because as a half-black I never get into public transport if the police is already there, I know it's paranoia but it's paranoia based on facts.
Luke Branwen 4 months ago
That was my first thought, too. For people of color, it's not phobia, it's common sense.
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
I can understand this. I'm very lucky that all the police officers who have been to mine due to my ex? They've all been understanding. It used to be the same officers though. It got to a point where I said, "You know what? By now? Just let yourselves in, the kettles there, theres tea and coffee in t'cupboard. Make yourself a cup of tea and I'll be with you in a minute!"... I've had to speak and give statements quite a few times though over the years due to my jobs or witnessing something... I also once walked straight into a police officer who was stood outside the entrance to the supermarket, as in straight walked into him! I said, "Omg, sorry! I didn't see you there!" then said, "Yknow what with your high visibility vest and everything!" and he laughed 😄
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
I have this phobia too, though I think I have a reason for it. When I was four my biological mother died of an OD and I found her body- thing is, nobody thought to remove me from the room when the police were called and they tried to reccesitate her/put her in a body bag. I don't remember it, but I assume that's where the fear started. I remember in elementary school we had a police chief who would visit. Genuinely a really kind guy, all the kids would crowd him and be so excited to get a high-five from him, but I'd have to hide behind my friend and try not to cry. The one time I was in the car with someone who was pulled over (My dad, we were trying to find my friend's birthday party, he got distracted with the map and forgot to turn off his bright headlights) I had a panic attack, which I think got us let go lol.
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
I think my most "irrational" one is school shootings- I was never in one, but with how common they are, I was always scared at school. There were reported gunshots and a lockdown at a homecoming dance I begged to go to, now I'm glad my parents didn't let me. There was also a day where there weren't many kids at school and more police (They had a K9!!! He was very cute even if I didn't get to pet!!!) and my friends were like, "Oh, your parents made you come too, huh?" and I didn't know what they were talking about. I guess people on TikTok were saying to shoot up your school on that day so the district sent out a warning email. There was also a time where I was in class and a class down the hall began to cheer- they were probably playing a game, but my brain interpreted it as screams/fear and I was a shaky mess for the rest of the day.
Load More Replies...
Hannah 4 months ago
I feel like this going through airport security - even though I've never done anything wrong. I wouldn't call it a phobia though; it's a weird paranoia.
Dee Rutherford 4 months ago
I think a large number of us have some variation of this. For some reason, it can be terrifying..
Load More Replies...
Billo66 4 months ago
Check out Judge Fleischer on Youtube. He is brutal to bully cops who arrest people for no reason. Or stop them for no reason, maybe find weed, he doesn't care. Unlawful stop. He calls it being arreted for "walking while black" best judge I've ever seen. https://www.youtube.com/@JudgeFleischerTV/shorts
#20
Bellybuttons. Seeing one isn't a problem, but seeing one being touched...I'm really not confortable even writing this.
Luke Branwen 4 months ago
I have kind of an... opposite issue. (And maybe I'm sharing too much.)
DaisyBee 4 months ago
That’s why they call you Luke “Bellybutton Kink” Branwen
Load More Replies...
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
Avid fans of "The Goodies" will remember the episode with Tim admitting his fear of bellybuttons and finally getting over his phobia by cutting a hole in his vest to expose it
#21
Anything man made in water. I can’t go to a swimming pool because of drains, ladders, those floating things that separate lanes etc. I wouldn’t go in water near a pier or bridge or a boat. Even if someone put a plastic chair in a pool I would get panicked. .
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
That's a new one, definitely never heard of anyone with this phobia before. My dad is scared of swimming, but it's somewhat rational because he never learned, mainly because the only place to learn where he lived was the irrigation channel where there were leeches he was also afraid of.
What phobias do you have, dear Pandas? How do they affect your daily life? How do people typically react when they learn about your fears? Have you ever successfully conquered one or more of your phobias?
This is a sensitive topic, we know, but if you find the courage and you’d like to open up about your experiences, feel free to do so in the comments at the bottom of this post.
#22
I'm scared of vomiting and diarrhea. If I'm feeling like I'm gonna have either of them it's full on panic attack. Having IBS does not help.
Dawn Marie 4 months ago
I totally understand Honey: I have such severe IBSD That I must take 2 probiotics and a minimum of 6 Loperamide a day just for the hopes of a somewhat normal day. Without these, I will have from 12-18 bowel movements a day and that is with watching my diet very closely. I had a right hemi-colectomy in 2021 due to cancer which left me with just 1/2 a colon. Because of this, the IBSD and my EOE I can not have whole grains, soups, sauces, gravies, several dairy products and the list only goes on from there. You are not alone, it is scary not knowing when it is going to attack.
Tamra 4 months ago
I'm genuinely so sorry. That must be absolutely exhausting.
Load More Replies... Crazy catz 4 months ago
My son has this, can't even hear the word without full on panic attacks 😔
#23
Lumps. If there's a lump in food that's not supposed to be there (eg lump in custard) I have an involuntary reaction where I spew whatever's in my mouth, with ungodly force. I don't think about it, it just happens.
It's lead to very embarrassing situations. Now I do my best just to avoid those potential landmines. Funnily enough, if the food is supposed to have lumps in it, then I'm fine. So I'm fine with sago pudding - as long as the sago hasn't clumped together into a bigger congelation.
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
Having been raised by parents that routinely made improperly mashed potatoes, I can fully relate to this
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
I'd like to understand why I gag so often while taking pills. Even small ones can be a problem. Bites of food are much bigger, but taking a pill is a struggle. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I think, and this might be just me, it's because you chew food but not pills. So all your life it's "chew your food properly don't just swallow or you'll choke", until you have to take a pill, and my brain can't cope with the rule change. My dad puts his pills on a teaspoon of yogurt, which is a solid but doesn't need chewing, maybe something like that would help.
Load More Replies... HeavyMetalHeart 4 months ago
I struggle with that too. Even things that are supposed to have lumps - like I can’t eat seeded bread because the texture of bread with hard lumps in it makes me gag. But the worst is gristle in meat. I prefer veggie “meat” products these days because a bit of gristle in a sausage roll or something will make me feel sick.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I'm the same with lumps. I can eat something that has a range of textures, like stew or curry on rice, but if something is mostly smooth, I don't like lumps. I used to refuse to eat corn chowder, because the whole soup is smooth except the corn kernels, even though I loved the taste. My mum didn't want me to eat something different than the rest of the family, even though I would have been happy to have toast, so she would strain the corn out (later I realised she could have just left a portion for me aside when she made it, but I guess she would forget) which I thought was unreasonable extra work for her. It isn't a fear though, just a sensory aversion, which I have a few of (like having meat or cookie dough caught between my fingers when mixing it). Something my mum thinks is a symptom of ADHD or ASD (which is in my family) but I think is more linked to my anxiety and sensory processing.
#24
Escalators. I had a traumatic experience on one and I still have a physical anxiety response when I get on a fast-moving downward escalator. I thought it would go away over time but 20 years later it hasn't subsided.
Laura Spring 4 months ago
I hate escalators, I always feel like I'm going to fall off them. Worst ones are in the mall. I find the elevator. Going down is much worse than going up, too.
Lorraine Woollands 4 months ago
I have this one ever since, I went to London and went on the underground escalators
Dee Rutherford 4 months ago
My sister had his happen to her when she was little. It totally ate her boot!
#25
Down escalators. I’m fine going up but I just can’t go down. I think it’s because the step is moving away from me and I’m frightened I’ll fall. It stems from when I was little my parents were watching the local news and a child was wearing wellies and they got caught in the machinery when he didn’t step off quickly enough. Strangely a good friend and I were talking about this one day and he said you aren’t going to believe this but that was me!
UKGrandad 4 months ago
No, I'm not going to believe it because the gap at the end of an escalator is not big enough to trap a Wellington boot.
Lily bloom 4 months ago
I dont think they mean an entire boot, but at the right angle, a bit of a shoe could theoretically get caught between the steps and the threshold (?) at the bottom
Load More Replies... #26
I could not drive over bridges as a teenager.
My school was quite far and across the river but there was a little car ferry you could take. I took that, even though it took longer.
It was that way for a long time until, one night, was going out with friends and I was following them (pre cell phones so you just had to follow). They must have driven me over every bridge there was. I went from absolutely freaking out to more or less being ok with it. However if traffic is bad and we’re stopped on the bridge… and you can feel it “bouncing” I still shudder.
Kim Shannon 4 months ago
Bridges scare me too, especially really big ones like the Mackinac Bridge.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
I'm fine with big bridges but not those walkway ones. The thinner ones. I have gone over one as in confronting the fear. That and it was the only way to get over the river so had to! Anyway I did it but my then boyfriend walked in front of me and asked people to please step aside while I was concentrating on one foot in front of the other. I got to the other side and sat down shaking but also shaky laughing at having done it! 👍🙂
J Wess 4 months ago
Ugh. Bridges. I hate driving over ones that you can see through to the ground, water, whatever. A couple of years ago I got stuck in traffic on the lower level of the GWB. No where to escape. Could see the Hudson beneath me, & either side obviously. Almost had a full-blown panic attack right there. I could've taken the Lincoln Tunnel, I guess. But getting stuck in traffic in there brings up a whole different fear lol. 😱
Maggie Fulton 4 months ago
Not a fan of going over bridges, especially long ones. When I was little, I lived in Joliet, Illinois, and they had bridges that would split in the middle and raise to let ships through. I was terrified that would happen when we drove over the bridge. The bridge jump scene at the beginning of the Blues Brothers still gets me a bit.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
I spun out on an icy bridge and went over the side. Fortunately I landed on the river bank and suffered only four flat tires.
#27
Tokophobia. Fear of pregnancy.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
I have that. It's just disgusting to me, the body distortion, the sight of feet pushing from inside, when I imagine something moving from inside of you it's just... Beurk. But once they're out then I love kids, and I'm always happy when one of my friends is pregnant. I will just never touch or look at her belly because it makes me slightly nauseous.
Upil 4 months ago
So more to the physical changes while pregnant, not afraid of being pregnant right?
Load More Replies... zovjraar me 4 months ago
pregnancy freaks me out. seeing the body parts push from the inside... i think i watched Alien too much as a kid. the thought of something else growing inside someone makes me light headed- but only for humans. pregnant animals are fine. I had an absolute phobia of getting pregnant when i was younger. made me panic just to think about. i started BC when i was 15 and have been on it for 30 years. no doctor would ever do a tubal ligation for me, and now i'm on the brink of menopause, so there's no point. i can't wait for my fertility to die!
#28
Cotton wool, whenever I see it I think about the feeling between my teeth, and if I try to avoid thinking about it I think about it expanding until it is.
Not-a-Clue (she/her) 4 months ago
Reading that just set my teeth right on edge. Cotton wool doesn't bother me in the usual way, but the thought of it between teeth - ugh!
#29
Emails and phone calls.
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Phone calls and texts. Not a phobia, exactly, but an aversion I have to will myself to overcome. Just leave me alone! (But don't because I need human contact.)
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
Phone calls. Email and text me all day long, but please don't call me!
Serena Myers 4 months ago
I never answer the phone when it's a number I don't recognise, which doesn't happen very often, usually my phone will come up with the message "Suspected scam, allow or block this number" Block of course! I guess that's why they're called Smart, lol. My family and friend know better than to phone me, though I will accept Doctor or Dentist or Vet if it shows on the screen. Emails are fine.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
"As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you" - Fran Lebowitz
Michael Largey 4 months ago (edited)
Aside from my wife, I've given my cell phone number to five people. One has forgotten it, one knows I don't like texts, one has stopped speaking to me, and the other two, my two kid brothers - sadly - are dead.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
Me too. For emails it's the fear that I will have missed something important and there will be consequences, so I feel better if I keep up with them regularly, but the longer I leave checking them, the harder it is to do, especially if my anxiety in general is bad at the time. For phone calls it's the fear of not knowing what to say. I'm fine when answering them (usually) because I don't have the chance to think and stress on it, but when I have to make them, it is difficult. Again, my general anxiety can change my ability to make a phone call, and deadlines I can't get out of actually help because I can't put it off and think about it for longer. It's not so much a phobia though, I guess, it's more a symptom of my generalised and social anxiety.
#30
Cockroaches
Not on a normal level my heart rate jumps i hyperventilate and panic i wont even go inthat room even a picture scares me.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I don't have a phobia of them but I really hate them. It's funny because a lot of other bugs I can deal with. I suspect it is a combination of the fact you can't anticipate where hey will move (and maybe crawl on you) and the germs they might have. I used to get my mum to deal with them, but now I'm an 'adult' I try to be brave and do it myself. I can't just get a glass and paper and take them outside like most bugs though, I have to k**l them, unless I am teaching, because I don't want other kids to be scared of them so I try and act brave.
Mari 4 months ago
I also hate them. I can deal with a lot of bugs and insects but cockroaches are terrible. Nobody believes me but I can hear them and smell them. I catch them under a glass or bowl and then my husband has to deal with them.
Load More Replies... Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
I have a visceral hatred towards cockroaches, mostly when they're inside. I'm fine with other insects. I just want them to die.
#31
Some puppets really freak me out.
Laura Slade 4 months ago
Me too, the more lifelike the more uncomfortable I am. Ventriloquist dummies make me feel.sick
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
That episode of Angel where everyone is turned into puppets is really creepy, but not in a good way like most episodes. It was also really ridiculous, but the puppets were creepy. I also only ever saw parts of one episode of Goosebumps, because my brother was watching it, and it was about a ventriloquist dummy and that scared me so I never watched any more. I used to get scared easily, so never watched a lot that my brother did, but saw snippets as I walked through the house. Another that scared me was Gremlins, and even ET. What I think cured me was when he watched Blair Witch and I couldn't get over how fake it was, even though everyone talked about how real it was.
#32
I'm genuinely repulsed by long (usually fake) fingernails. And I'm not talking about "long" like most would define it, I mean basically anything that goes past the fingertips. To the point where if I'm paying for something with cash, and the cashier has those kind of nails, I will move and contort my hand in a way so when they give me my change the nails won't touch me. I could see a woman that literally checked every box on the list of features I'm attracted to, and if she has the nails, I'm immediately 100% disinterested. I know it's irrational, I know it's stupid, but it hits me on a primal level that I cannot explain.
kaycee14 4 months ago
Me too. Even when I apply fake nails (when going to a fancy event) I trim them so they are barely longer than my fingertips.
Load More Replies...
Drop Bear from Hell 4 months ago
I'm repulsed by long nails (real or false) and particularly people who have long, pointed pinky fingers used to clean their ears.....
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I don't mind id your nails are naturally long. I had long nails for years because my mum would cut them so short it hurt and I screamed until she let me stop, thinking it would show me they needed to be cut. Anyway, it's just the fake ones I hate. They just seem so gross to me, and it's not just the 'how do they wipe themselves?', it's that they are so thick and unnatural looking.
#33
You would never catch me swimming with dolphins. Too smart, too smooth, too many teeth.
Midoribird Aoi 4 months ago (edited)
Well, they ARE the true people of the sea, along with ones like Orcas, as far as intelligence goes. Sapient and sentient. Intelligent as humans, give or take a few IQ points. They just don't have hands, but are very good at compensating. And yes, they are known to indulge in misbehavior that is very...human-like as well. Killing and raping for sport instead of the instinct to survive is a HUGE clue of sapience, and not in a good way.
#34
Large human statues like the Statue of Liberty. It's a form of megalophobia. I can't even look at photos of them and not enjoying writing this.
Laura Noemi Diaz 4 months ago
I can't stand going into a museum to see giant statues. I don't understand why. It's an irrational terror, and I'm ashamed to say it. Have you seen that episode of The Simpsons where the posters come to life? It makes me very uncomfortable.
Not-a-Clue (she/her) 4 months ago
Don't be ashamed. It's no dafter than all the other phobias here we are admitting to. We know it's irrational, because that's what a phobia is, by definition.
Load More Replies... #35
I don't know if it's rare, but bees/wasps/etc. My sister and I broke a hornets nest when I was a year or two old and I got covered in them. Don't have a memory of it, but my subconscious remembers. It's not as bad around bees anymore as long as they don't get too close, but wasps are still public enemy number one. Just the sound of them buzzing triggers a fight-or-flight response. I've had full-blown panic attacks when they've gotten into the house and no one else was around to k**l them for me.
And I guess it's not so much that people refuse to believe it, more than they get exasperated whenever I react to one being too close. Like, yeah, I know it's probably not going to sting me, but my brain doesn't care about facts and logics, it has identified that thing as a threat and acts according 🤷♀️
Fun fact, though: the only time I've been stung since that incident is when I stepped on a dead bee while I was walking barefoot in my kitchen in the dark.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago (edited)
Again, it's not really a phobia for me but I do have a very legitimate reason for not liking wasps, bees etc. Wasps mainly. I was once stung 5 times by a wasp, It had somehow gotten into my thin jumper and stung me 4 times on my upper left arm and also on my chest. My college tutor knew that I'm adopted and I don't know my families medical history or what allergies may run in my family. She immediately phoned for an ambulance and I was given Epinephrine (Good job I wasn't afraid needles at the time!) So now? So long as they stay away from me? No worries!
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
I was chased by a huge horsefly (they are so loud!) as a kid and that triggered a general fear of stinging insects. I have to deal with bumblebees in my garden so have mostly gotten over it. But one time, because my husband has a fear of heights, I was up on a ladder removing Christmas lights on an unusually warm January day (Southern US, so it happens) and we disturbed a nest of yellow jackets at the base of the ladder. So I'm freaking out because of the wasps, and my husband is freaking out because I'm at the top of a ladder. We waited them out (no choice) until they calmed down. Laughed at it, after the fact!
Bobbie McMasters 4 months ago
This! This is me! Three weeks ago, a wasp got into the house. It took TWO DAYS (!!!!) for my recovering from major surgery husband to be able to trap it and k**l it. I still am twitchy! UGH!
Maggie Fulton 4 months ago
Right there with you. I’m not a fan of insects generally, but stinging insects freak me out. I’ve had nightmares about bees.
#36
Emetophobia (everything that has to do with throwing up).
Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
I used to have this, to the point where my gag reflex is superhuman. I have to be nearly on my deathbed to puke, and even sometimes then I still do my best to avoid it. This is, ftr, Not A Good Thing(TM).
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 4 months ago
Same- I had food poisoning once, and I know if I'd just thrown up, I would have felt better, as the people who'd also gotten sick had thrown up and started to feel better, but I couldn't let myself. It's horrible. Also just the words- "throwing up" is fine, "vomit" makes me uncomfortable, but "puke" is just an all around awful word and making me squeamish just to type.
Load More Replies... Billo66 4 months ago (edited)
I get nauseous so easy. If I scroll too fast I get motion sickness. Oculus? forget about it. I just got dentures and they set right on the edge of that gag reflex line. Can't wear them but I hope they adjust them my next visit. I have zero teeth lol. Tired of mushy everything.
Etakrolyat 4 months ago
You'd hate being near me! Many things make me gag and subsequently vomit. Seeing people brush their teeth, the foamy toothpaste, is the worst, every time 🤮 People spitting, or blowing their nose does it. When people eat certain food, or the way they eat. Smells, jesus, I have an arm long list of smells that cause it to happen! Injuries....I can cope with blood, bone poking out etc but certain ones, like toe or fingers, Papercuts, I'm there wretching. Films with deep dark water, if I don't look away in time 🤮 I have such a gag reflex it's grim
#37
Not rare per se but I absolutely hate flying, and it surprised me how dismissive and even sometimes cruel people can be about it.
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
There's a hotline where experienced pilots will answer every question you have about flying in an effort to allay people's fears. US (800) FEAR-FLY
Michael Largey 4 months ago
My fears concerning flying principly revolve around missed connections and lost luggage.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
Diazepam is my friend here. My brain knows it's a relatively safe form of transport, but my lily liver overrides it otherwise.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
Another one my dad has! He went on his first flight in a 20-seater for his honeymoon to Kangaroo Island in 1983 and it was not a great experience. He hasn't flown since, hasn't needed to, so it can't be a common fear, but he hates seeing films or shows with aeroplane crashes, or even turbulence, in them.
#38
I don’t like listening to heartbeats for example whenever they put it as sound effect in movies . Also for the other person eg my significant other to lie her head on my chest and thus me “feeling “ that she listens to my heart.
Weird thing is now that we listen to our baby’s heartbeat I can listen to it the whole day :).
#39
I fear that at any moment, a space disaster happens without warning. Like the sun exploding out of nowhere, earth stops spinning all of sudden, earth colliding with another planet or an asteroid k*****g me or something.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
The sun is exploding all the time, it's basically a vast fireball. It won't go kaboom because gravity is a thing. That's why it will turn into a red giant and consume the earth at the *end* of its life, because most of the mass will have been burnt, thus reducing the gravitational pull on what remains. The earth won't stop spinning unless something hits it. Let's put in into context - the earth spins at about 1,000mph. It is moving at about 67,000mph orbiting the sun. The solar system is orbiting in an arm of the milky way at about 514,000mph. And the entire milky way is moving at a sedate 1,350,000mph. We might spot and have time to panic over things on the same axis as the rest of the solar system, but if anything comes oblique, we'll all be reduced to individual atoms before anybody even sees it coming. Sweet dreams.
Serena Myers 4 months ago
Op can take some comfort from the fact that none of us would know anything about it, here one second, not here the next. 🎶We will all go together when we go🎶
azubi 4 months ago
At least, "earth stops spinning" sounds unlikely to me as I understand physics
Billo66 4 months ago
Instant 1,000 MPH wind because the atmosphere keeps on rollin.
Load More Replies... Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
Not really a fear of mine, but it's something I'd really rather not think about. 😬
#40
I’m mycophobic. I will cry and scream if I have to touch a mushroom in the outdoors or clean out something with mold. Especially those pancake looking mushrooms on trees, or the weird ones that like ears, the jelly ones, ones that look like nets…. NO
The only thing I can tolerate is clean, cut mushrooms from the store. And ONLY certain kinds. I’m still not a fan of eating them though.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
They're strangely quite closely related to us (moreso than plant life) and they appear to have a similar sort of immune system (inasmuch as a bit of mould can).
Load More Replies... 
#41
Horses. Their faces are too long and they are just generally spooky.
Glen Ellyn 4 months ago
They're BIG. Megalophobia, I know. Other animals are bigger, yes. But most of us will never get very close to a hippo, elephant, or rhino.
Upstaged75 4 months ago
Many people aren't familiar with the way horses move, or the noises they make. If you don't know that's normal it can seem sort of scary. I once had a student who freaked out because the horse was "looking at her". 😂 Yes, they do that. Most of them enjoy interacting with people.
Blue Bunny of Happiness 4 months ago
It’s their ankles that freak me out, like they’re too fragile to support a full horse!
Lady Eowyn 4 months ago
I love horses. While I don't understand being afraid of them - or of dogs - I know I have phobias regarding things they might not understand. I accept that phobias exist. I'm not going to tease anyone about theirs.
Somebodys grandmother 4 months ago
Thats me!!!! I can't explain... horses are just not for me... they are big, to friendly and... ----> i'm out
#42
When I was a small child, I was terrified of the moon. But only when it was a crescent moon! 🌙 Full moon was fine. I still cannot fully explain why, but I think it just seemed evil-looking to me, like a big creepy grin in the sky that followed you wherever you walked or drove - it was always there, leering down at you. I used to make my parents close all the blinds when I knew the moon was gonna be crescent. I’m pretty sure looking back I should have been assessed for autism, haha.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
That one fear isn't enough for an autism diagnosis... it sort of makes it sound like autism is only about irrational fears, which it isn't.
#43
Sleeping with objects above my head.
I just can’t help but be worried it will fall and I’ll die or be severely injured no matter the object.
I think I watched too many disaster movies as a kid with earthquakes shaking the house and things falling from the walls or ceilings lol.
Bret Sander 4 months ago
https://youtu.be/x7AoGZ7_HOs?si=AVrnLs9MHoD7xW9t
Load More Replies... 
Khavrinen 4 months ago
My last car was the first I had ever driven with a sunroof, and I hadn't known until I got it that seeing things go over my head while I'm driving gives me a jump-scare like it's going to fall on me. I kept the shade closed almost all the time once I learned that, and traded in that car fairly soon.
#44
Chickens.
I'm absolutely terrified of chickens.
Their bawk bok bok bok fills me with intense anxiety and dread.
We had them on a farm when I was a kid. The chickens were fine until we got a red island rooster (if you know, you know). One morning I went to get their eggs while the flock was roaming about. It turned into an ambush and I was ganked by the chickens and my dog had to save me as my legs were shredded by them. Been terrified ever since.
This doesn't extend to chicken as a food, thankfully.
Penelope Orange 4 months ago
Most roosters are mean AF. Occasionally you can get a sweet one, but the majority want to k**l you.
Bobbie McMasters 4 months ago
Both of my granddaughters are terrified of any kind of live bird. On the other hand, my grandma turned mean roosters into delicious dinners.
WalterWhiteSavannah 4 months ago
We had a giant bantam red growing up. Thing was pure evil. It once chased my step mom into her car and left claw marks on the drivers side window launching itself at the car to get her. Only upside was that I grew up on an orchard and the jeighbour next door had a pack of small but savage dogs I'd have to run from every day coming home from school... but I knew as soon as I was within the orchard they'd stop dead for fear of our rooster. Then I just had to outrun the dalb rooster. Lol.
Drop Bear from Hell 4 months ago
My neighbours have Rhode Island Reds and I understand where the OP is coming from. I have had to feed them in the past and they can be really mean lol.
Drop Bear from Hell 4 months ago
they are a breed of chicken RIRs-687e0...2e4631.jpg 
Auntriarch 4 months ago
You've only got to say "Buff Orpington" to my brother and he'll shriek "where?"
#45
I’m afraid of ship wrecks and submarines. I don’t even know why but just thinking about it makes my heart rate rise.
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
At least that person is unlikely to encounter them on a day to day basis
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
Maybe linked to a fear of drowning or the immense pressure underwater?
#46
Giant flags.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
The one pictured, I can definitely understand... I don't hate America/Americans, but I don't understand their overabundance of flags everywhere. In general in Australia flags are either on official buildings, which is fine, or racist's houses (along with the Eureka flag often)
Billo66 4 months ago
Unfotunately the confederate flag signifies racist here. It just used to mean southern pride and such. I don't remember the Dukes of Hazzard being racist. Just good ole boys having fun.
Load More Replies... #47
Talking into phones, radios, speakers etc. Idk what it is, it seemed to just develop around the age of 18 where I would burst into tears if a phone was ringing and nobody immediately answered it. Through constant exposure I’ve managed to mostly get over it, I still feel uncomfortable and stressed but I can deal with it now. I do always keep my phone on silent though.
My uncle has a phobia of buttons. Like, he could never wear a shirt with buttons because it just repulsed him.
#48
Im not sure if it is, but my family says it's a phobia. (So kinda the opposite to this post I guess.) Here it goes....
Shortbread.
It makes me so f*****g angry. I hate everything about it, even the name. I have the strongest feeling of pure hate and disgust towards it. It makes me so f*****g angry. To me, It's the food version of ISIS. If my husband tries to add some to the trolley when shopping, I WILL raise my voice or cause a scene. (Which is completely out of my character) it can NOT come in my house. I will not touch it with my hands. It can NOT come near me. It's putrid, vile, filth and if you offered to pay off all my debts just if I would eat some, I'd tell you to f**k off. I don't know how to articulate how strong my feelings are towards it, and I don't know why I have these feelings or if they actually constitute as a 'phobia'. As long as it f***s off!
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
More a food aversion, especially if the thought of it makes you feel like you will vomit. I have that reaction to mango, even just the smell as I walk past it in the shop makes me feel sick. I dislike shortbread, but not to that extent. It just seems too dry to me, even though it is meant to be buttery. I get a dry mouth easily and rarely eat something without having a drink between mouthfuls, but that isn't enough when it comes to shortbread, so I won't eat it.
#49
Driving. Idk what it is but every time I try, I am guaranteed to have a full on fight or flight meltdown where I’m sobbing and feeling like I can’t breathe. It just feels like TOO MUCH and TOO FAST. I don’t know what to focus on but you have to focus on EVERYTHING. I can’t tell if I’m too far over in the lane and I have to focus on that while focusing on speed and if someone is trying to merge or if I’m trying to merge or when I need to slow down or if someone is driving unsafe nearby or if a person is walking in front of my car in a parking lot or crossing the street when they shouldn’t be and then I have to make sure I don’t lose focus of literally everything and space out while driving a death trap on wheels.
Robert Beveridge 4 months ago
Partner has this. Managed to get her permit back in the day, but never even made it to the driving test. Her current assessment is "I could drive you to the hospital if you were dying, but nothing else."
Carrie 4 months ago
I am the same. Been to driving school twice and had a permit in three different states. I am 50 years old and have never had my driver's license. I panic in the driver's seat and usually cry. But in an emergency I can drive well enough to get you where you need to go. I can also parallel park of all things lol.
Load More Replies... Maggie Fulton 4 months ago
I absolutely loathe driving, but I manage it. Partly by asking whatever gods there be to keep me out of accidents (not rational, but neither is my fear). If I could have any superpower, it would be teleportation so I would never have to drive again.
#50
Neurosurgery.
I mean, think about it. The brain is everything that you are. It's the closest thing to your soul in physical form. And people can literally carve up your soul with a knife, and most of the time, you're kept awake while they do it! It's so common that it's done on an industrial scale! And if even the tiniest thing goes wrong (or in thecase of a big resection, *even if everything goes right*) you're disabled in some of the most terrible ways possible, and there's no hope of it ever improving because the brain doesn't regenerate.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
The brain may not regenerate, but it can be rewired, so the processes of an impaired part can be taken over by another part. It doesn't always happen though. I think that is the scary but wonderful thing about the brain, you just never know for sure how it will react. There are people who don't know until late in life that they are missing large parts of the brain, because they still function normally, while there are people struck down by completely random brain afflictions.
#51
Manmade objects that are underwater. They're just f*****g eerie to look at.
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Second time this has been mentioned. It's a weird one. Maybe invokes drowning?
#52
Ichthyophobia.. I'm afraid of fish.
#53
When I was a kid, I was so afraid of water that I had to be washed by force until about 7 or 8 years old. I have no clue as to why that was. Now it's all fine, swimming and everything, as if it never happened.
Lene 4 months ago
My youngest is like this. She's slowly learning to be OK with playing in the tub. But any sort of washing and she'll scream and cry and yell "no! No! No!" And "I DON'T WANT TO!". So for a long time I'd place her between my legs for extra hold and then my bf would wash her hair. And in 2 years we plan to have her take swimming lesson. 🤞
#54
Fear of getting lost I don't think it's officially recognized. Mazeophonia. Doesn't help that I have hardcore ADHD when it comes to maps so I am absolutely worthless without GPS.
#55
I get extremely uncomfortable and physical shudders from seeing and or discussing tongues. Even during writing this, the thought of them is enough to start the strongest feelings of disgust to form throughout my body and mind.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago (edited)
There was an ad for a beer in Australia (maybe Hahn?) in the early 2000s where all these tongues detached and crawled around and dragged a beer back to the people and it freaked many people out, me included, so I can totally understand the fear even though I don't think about it much myself anymore.
Drop Bear from Hell 4 months ago
I remember the ad, yep for sure it was creepy but good advertising at the time, they made a fortune I believe...
Load More Replies... #56
I'm a grown man and I am terrified of butterflies/moths. Any insect really, but people don't believe me when I tell them I'm scared of butterflies. I don't even like looking at a picture of one.
#57
I'm claustrophobic and my step mother didn't believe me so much she once locked me in the back of a U-Haul trailer .... I f*****g panicked and she thought it was the funniest s**t she's ever seen.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
She's a word I can't say because it would be censored, but she is a big that.
Chris the Bobcat 4 months ago
Use alternate letters and characters like this. She's a b!tch, a tw@t, a cvnt of the highest order. She's a piece of sh!t, a fvcking pile of fetid rubbish, a pvs-filled blight on the face of humanity. She can eat a bag of d!cks, then drop de@d and rot.
Load More Replies... #58
I have terrified of bacteriophages. I have nightmares of giant three foot tall ones running after me. I always wake up crying when it happens. I don't know how to explain this fear to anyone and they people info tell just think I'm crazy.
#60
I have Thalassophobia. Mine is so bad, I can't even swim in pools or venture underwater in video games. The amount of times I get "but it's just a bit of water!" Or "it's a game - how can you be afraid of pixels?".
SCP 4666 4 months ago
Yep. Even the part with the video games. It makes me shudder a little. Or seeing footage from underwater. Swimming pools which are not deep are fine though
Etakrolyat 4 months ago
Me too! I have learned to cope with 2 local pools for the sake of my children but that is it. Films with water give me huge anxiety, I can't watch them, even just a scene in a film, I'll look away. Unknown swimming pools give me panic attacks. Holidays are a nightmare watching the family in new pools and the sea. And don't get me started on people swimming in lakes and rivers......I'd rather eat my own eyeballs than watch that 🥴
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago
OMG same ! I legit can't look at water even in video games or pictures, and any movie on a beach is a horror movie for me. I am even uncomfortable walking near muddy puddles of water because I can't see the bottom and my brain tells me that the Kraken is in there. Once I even almost had a panic attack in a museum because there was a special room with sea-immersion and I didn't knew that until after they started the illusion and I had to run out of the room to calm my breath. (I didn't have that phobia when I was born, it came later in life after a LOT of bad experiences with water)
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
I think I have this but refuse to think about it. It's too scary. Didn't help when I lost my weight belt diving a wall. Yeah, don't dive anymore.
#61
Im TERRIFIED of buttons and people eating loudly. When I tell someone this, they say that I'm "making it up for clout".
Mel in Georgia 4 months ago
Just learned about the loud eating phobia, but buttons is a new one for me. Not sure where that comes from!
#62
Dead insects. I never k**l so much as a mosquito with my bare hands. I can k**l very small moths with a shoe or a vaccum cleaner after we had three invasions of these pests eating my clothes (2x) or my food (1x).
But if there is a dead insect of any kind on my desk, I have to leave the room. If there is a vacuum cleaner available, on a good day I can vacuum them, but without touching them with the tube and without watching the moment they are sucked into the cleaner.
A few years ago, we cohabitated with a wasps nest in our bedroom. I can live with the live ones, I dread the dead ones or the ones fighting for death and dying in front of me.
Edit:
To be exact, the nest was not in the room, it was right between the bricks next to the bedroom window. Since we have old (1915) windows we had 4 to 5 wasps coming in and out all the time from April to October, even when the window was closed. Funny thing is: they usually don't really want to be inside. They tried to get home all the time and sometimes didn't find their way back. In the evenings, we tried to show these poor things the way out, but some were too tired and sometimes they just fell asleep high above on our wardrobe.
They really do sleep all night. In the morning (with sunlight), they wake up and find their way out way better than at night.
In all the year, none of us (wasps and human beings) got hurt. Two years after, they came back, but fortunately chose a brick farther away from our window.
I am aware there are over a hundred kinds of wasps. Most are quite peaceful. The type we had are considered an aggressive species. I don't get it either.
#63
My friend had a phobia of bananas. Like used to cry if one came near her. Someone once wiped a banana on her car door handle and she couldn’t get into her car.
#64
Agrostophobia is a fear of grass in general. I'm only afraid of TALL grass but that's the closest that it can be defined that im aware of. I absolutely cannot force myself to walk thru an area where the ground cover of any kind is taller than the shoes im wearing. Freaks me out. I'll go a mile around the long way to avoid walking thru a 20 ft patch of it.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I don't like walking through tall grass, but that's because I live in Australia where there could be snakes, so it's not irrational. If I have to walk through tall grass I always stomp my feet hoping that any snakes will notice the vibration and stay away.
#65
I have arachnophobia. Not a rare phobia, but for context, it only came about since moving to the midwest and developed a fear of ticks. Now even those harmless house spiders freak me out.
My friends keep telling me I'm being irrational, but I can't shake it.
#66
I once had a dream that I had to touch genatilia made out of pasta (specifically elbow shaped) and every so often my brain just plants that image in my head and makes me just gag and all the things. Obviously it's never going to happen (f*****g hope not) but every so often my brain goes "Imagine having to finger a v****a made out of soft pasta" and I recoil.
In more "normal" phobias, I hate the cluster of holes things.
#67
I can't touch or be super close cotton wool, it's....'squeeky' ! And makes me feel hot and I get kind of like tunnel vision.
If it ever gets mentioned, people inevitably try to find some and proceed to squash it next to my face, and then gauge my reaction.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago (edited)
The description made it really make sense (compared to the other mentions of it in this list) because I get that feeling with a lot of textures. Not cotton wool, though I don't like the feel when my hands are dry. People who purposely try to get a reaction when you've just said you hate something are cruel. I hate how some people will try and tickle me when I have just said I'm not ticklish, like they are testing me. I had to train myself not to be ticklish when I was about 12 because I was sick of my mum and brother tickling me even though I said stop, to the point I would wet myself.
#68
I have a fear of machinery that’s painted black. It doesn’t trigger me if it’s painted any other colour but if it’s black it makes me want to die!
When I was a kid they used to take us to an old mill and turn all the machines on while telling us about how many kids were scalped and killed under the machines. I’m mid 30s now and I still can’t shake it, even after working in a factory - thankfully the machines were painted green 😂.
#69
Whales and the things that sprout out of potatoes 😅.
Michael Largey 4 months ago
I hate it when I slice open a big baked potato and find Moby D**k staring back at me.
#70
Dinosaurs. When I was around 5 I had untreated anxiety. One night, while having an anxiety attack, I went crying to my parents to soothe me. When I walked into the tv room, they were watching Jurassic Park, right at the T-Rex in the rain scene. I watched in stunned, anxiety riddled silence as the T-Rex ate the guy in the toilet.
If that hadn't cemented a life long fear of dinos in me, a very similar thing happened maybe a year later but with Godzilla.
Huddo's sister 4 months ago
I think my fear of small animals running across me at night comes from when I stayed at my pop's place and he had mouse problems. I was already anxious because my pop had been having bipolar episodes and we were trying to work out if we could move him down to a nursing home or something, so hearing mice at night while I was trying to sleep created more anxiety which has followed me through life. I often have dreams about things running over me while I sleep, and it's usually when I've already had a lot of anxiety during the day or I'm anticipating an event that will make me anxious.
#71
Slugs.
#72
Mine is so absurdly specific but I don't think it actually exists so it's not something I ever have to deal with.
It's the concept of a cookie or other baked good that isn't cooked in an oven, but is concocted with some ingredients that cause a chemical reaction that cooks the cookie itself without any heat applied. I understand that baking is just a chemical reaction too, but when I think about my cookie thing I start to sweat and get the whole onset of a panic attack. Even more bizarrely, I eat "raw" fish cooked in lemon juice on occasion just fine, it honestly is just the baked goods thing.
As a result of this not being a real thing, I have this bizarre detached relationship with it where I can just summon a useless panic attack at will by thinking of chemical cookies. It might be good if I was an actor I suppose. I also have arachnophobia and the feeling I get seeing a huntsman indoors is identical to the cookie feeling, I think it genuinely is a fear response.
Of course no one believes me or cares, it's the most f*****g ridiculous inconsequential phobia to ever exist. If I ever even think there might be a chance that a biscuit has been cooked that way I just... Don't eat the biscuit. Being in the same room as one is fine, and I think that if I found out that companies were making them this way that would be fine too, it's just the thought that I might come across one. I am sugar free so I don't even eat biscuits at all in my daily life, just to add to the absurdity.
#73
Stickers but in particular fruit stickers. I will vomit sometimes just from having to touch one to throw one out. I usually use a folded up napkin to pick them up so I don't have to touch them. Sometimes my husband leaves them around and it makes me so anxious.
Ellinor she/they/elle 4 months ago (edited)
Your husband is not a good person if he does that intentionally.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
That's nasty (if he knows about it). Mr Auntriarch will go out of his way to ensure that I don't come into contact with mine.
#74
So, those wooden sticks used for ice? Like those rocket ice things? I HATE it, for the sense of scraping it with my teeth (grtting goosebumps writing). One day, the younger sister of a friend would chase me through the house scraping her teeth on it. Trust, I ran.
#75
I have a doorbell phobia. Every time I hear one, I want to hide under the table or just disappear for a moment.
sbf 4 months ago (edited)
i came here to write this! i have severe PTSD from my childhood about doorbells and needing to avoid them because a person who did not nice things might be the one ringing. it’s been 20 years and i still have a full-blown panic attack every time someone rings my bell.
#76
Not really rare but wanted to give yall my one; phasmophobia (fear of the supernatural (eg SW, Wendigos, shadow figures etc).
Explore more of these tags
What do you think ?
Raven Sheridan 4 months ago
I have a phobia of kiwi fruit! Although it's more a phobia of the texture of the fuzzy skin on their bodies. I cannot stand the feel of them! I also greatly dislike apricots and peaches for the same reason, but kiwi fruit are by far the worst.
SleepyVampire 4 months ago
I have a severe - and I mean SEVERE - phobia of teeth. Not the dentist specifically (although I do hate those psychopaths), just teeth. I can't even see toothpaste commercials where they show teeth without having A physical reaction. I don't even look at people's mouths because I can see their teeth so often. I have four daughters, and when they lose their teeth, it's awful for me. Husband has to do the Tooth Fairy bit, as I physically cannot. It's bad.
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
Best to avoid that Trivago advert with Jurgen Klopp then
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
My phobia nowadays? I have a phobia about people who don't have phobias and can be extremely mean and cruel towards anyone who does. As in, you may have a fear of spiders say... And they'll put a plastic one in your bed or something. Or they'll tell you to "get over it, it's just (whatever it is)"... It's? It may seem irrational to you but for the person who has that phobia? It's very real and stop being such a (insert swear words here) person!.......Some of the phobias mentioned? They can usually be avoided, as in the trigger, but some can't and they can really have an impact your life and how you live. What's so hard about having empathy and understanding about that?
Jaya 4 months ago
I've never heard anyone describe mine, and it's so weird and I can't even put into words what I'm afraid of. It has something to do with things being way bigger/smaller than they're supposed to, especially when the size is increasing exponentially. For instance, as a kid I had jigsaw puzzles that were all the same size but all had a different amount of puzzle pieces: 2 by 2 pieces, 3 by 3, 4 by 4 and 5 by 5 pieces. So the one with 2x2 pieces had HUGE puzzle pieces compared to the one with 5x5 pieces. I get a panic attack thinking about the size of those puzzle pieces. Especially if I think about how fast they increase with each puzzle (if you go from 5x5 towards 2x2). The same if I imagine I have to walk to something that is 100 meters away from me. And if I take 1 step it would magically double the distance instead of getting closer. And with each step the distance becomes bigger. I can't handle how that would get so huge so fast. And falling asleep sometimes triggers this feeling too
Powerful Katrinka 4 months ago
You described and explained your phobia perfectly. Even though I don’t share it with you, I found myself growing distinctly uneasy just reading your comment.
Load More Replies... Spannidandoolar 4 months ago
Not seen mine mentioned but it's probably more of an extreme aversion rather than a phobia (maybe because I have to deal with it regularly having kids) I cannot stand stickers/sticky labels of any kind. I'm am fine if they are new and still firmly attached to their original paper but as soon as they are removed or stuck to anything (or worse they have come off what they were stuck to) they make me feel physically sick, my whole body cringes and recoils even writing this is making me feel ill.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I shall refrain from making the obvious quip about unsolicited pics.
Load More Replies... Lene 4 months ago
I have a fear of mirrors. As a kid it meant that I didn't want to go to the toilet alone because there is the mirror over the sink. As an adult I am mostly coping with mirrors but when I am not I just do not look in it. I am so scared of what I will see in the mirror. Not me, but a distorted me or a monster or something like that. I also get extremely panic-y if someone startles me. I will start to cry and shake and not be good at all for a bit. My bf respects this and when he startles me by accident he'll do his best to comfort me. Those junp scare videos that were popular when I was young? Yeah, I hated those and if someone sent me a link to one, I'd never speak to them again. I do not like it when people "test" my fears and phobias.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
It's not mentioned in this but I can't eat certain things. It's the texture in my mouth. I like mayonnaise but I don't like cooked eggs. Or bananas. Basically it's that "squishy mouth texture" type of food. It makes me gag and even touching that type of food? I can't. It seems so silly but it's not because it's not just food, it's anything "squishy". When I was a kid I was coming home and stepped in a dead animal. As in my foot was inside it and yes, I did throw up! Then my shoe was covered in dead animal and vomit! Since then? Nope, hate squishy type textures!... And finding dead anything... Which I think is definitely legitimate!
Kim Shannon 4 months ago
I'm scared to death of those giant wind turbines. I'm convinced they're going to become self aware someday and come down and chop everyone up.
Raven Sheridan 4 months ago
I have a phobia of kiwi fruit! Although it's more a phobia of the texture of the fuzzy skin on their bodies. I cannot stand the feel of them! I also greatly dislike apricots and peaches for the same reason, but kiwi fruit are by far the worst.
SleepyVampire 4 months ago
I have a severe - and I mean SEVERE - phobia of teeth. Not the dentist specifically (although I do hate those psychopaths), just teeth. I can't even see toothpaste commercials where they show teeth without having A physical reaction. I don't even look at people's mouths because I can see their teeth so often. I have four daughters, and when they lose their teeth, it's awful for me. Husband has to do the Tooth Fairy bit, as I physically cannot. It's bad.
Tucker Cahooter 4 months ago
Best to avoid that Trivago advert with Jurgen Klopp then
Load More Replies... SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
My phobia nowadays? I have a phobia about people who don't have phobias and can be extremely mean and cruel towards anyone who does. As in, you may have a fear of spiders say... And they'll put a plastic one in your bed or something. Or they'll tell you to "get over it, it's just (whatever it is)"... It's? It may seem irrational to you but for the person who has that phobia? It's very real and stop being such a (insert swear words here) person!.......Some of the phobias mentioned? They can usually be avoided, as in the trigger, but some can't and they can really have an impact your life and how you live. What's so hard about having empathy and understanding about that?
Jaya 4 months ago
I've never heard anyone describe mine, and it's so weird and I can't even put into words what I'm afraid of. It has something to do with things being way bigger/smaller than they're supposed to, especially when the size is increasing exponentially. For instance, as a kid I had jigsaw puzzles that were all the same size but all had a different amount of puzzle pieces: 2 by 2 pieces, 3 by 3, 4 by 4 and 5 by 5 pieces. So the one with 2x2 pieces had HUGE puzzle pieces compared to the one with 5x5 pieces. I get a panic attack thinking about the size of those puzzle pieces. Especially if I think about how fast they increase with each puzzle (if you go from 5x5 towards 2x2). The same if I imagine I have to walk to something that is 100 meters away from me. And if I take 1 step it would magically double the distance instead of getting closer. And with each step the distance becomes bigger. I can't handle how that would get so huge so fast. And falling asleep sometimes triggers this feeling too
Powerful Katrinka 4 months ago
You described and explained your phobia perfectly. Even though I don’t share it with you, I found myself growing distinctly uneasy just reading your comment.
Load More Replies... Spannidandoolar 4 months ago
Not seen mine mentioned but it's probably more of an extreme aversion rather than a phobia (maybe because I have to deal with it regularly having kids) I cannot stand stickers/sticky labels of any kind. I'm am fine if they are new and still firmly attached to their original paper but as soon as they are removed or stuck to anything (or worse they have come off what they were stuck to) they make me feel physically sick, my whole body cringes and recoils even writing this is making me feel ill.
Auntriarch 4 months ago
I shall refrain from making the obvious quip about unsolicited pics.
Load More Replies... Lene 4 months ago
I have a fear of mirrors. As a kid it meant that I didn't want to go to the toilet alone because there is the mirror over the sink. As an adult I am mostly coping with mirrors but when I am not I just do not look in it. I am so scared of what I will see in the mirror. Not me, but a distorted me or a monster or something like that. I also get extremely panic-y if someone startles me. I will start to cry and shake and not be good at all for a bit. My bf respects this and when he startles me by accident he'll do his best to comfort me. Those junp scare videos that were popular when I was young? Yeah, I hated those and if someone sent me a link to one, I'd never speak to them again. I do not like it when people "test" my fears and phobias.
SkippityBoppityBoo 4 months ago
It's not mentioned in this but I can't eat certain things. It's the texture in my mouth. I like mayonnaise but I don't like cooked eggs. Or bananas. Basically it's that "squishy mouth texture" type of food. It makes me gag and even touching that type of food? I can't. It seems so silly but it's not because it's not just food, it's anything "squishy". When I was a kid I was coming home and stepped in a dead animal. As in my foot was inside it and yes, I did throw up! Then my shoe was covered in dead animal and vomit! Since then? Nope, hate squishy type textures!... And finding dead anything... Which I think is definitely legitimate!
Kim Shannon 4 months ago
I'm scared to death of those giant wind turbines. I'm convinced they're going to become self aware someday and come down and chop everyone up.
You May Like 116 Weird Phobias People Can Actually Suffer From 42 Rare Phobias That Sound Made-Up But Are Real 49 Fascinating Photos Revealing What The World’s Capitals Looked Like Way Before Modern Times
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Žydrūnė Trukanavičiūtė
Viktorija Strelciunaite
Related on Bored Panda
