5 phobias you didn't know existed!

We have all heard of arachnophobia, technophobia and claustrophobia, but did you know these phobias existed?  If you or someone you know has an unusual or rare phobia, leave a comment below to tell us about it - you could be a news feature!

A belly button!

Omphalophobia - Fear of Belly Buttons

This is one of the rarest phobias so it is hardly surprising if you have not heard of it

Type of phobia: It is a specific phobia in the object category.

Fear of what exactly? Sufferers are terrified of the sight of their own belly button. The thought of touching one  makes them feel disgusted and filled with dread.

Causes: Usually starts in childhood and connected to a negative experience associated to the navel. Frequently associated with the feeling of being dirty or disgusting in that area related to what they were told or experienced.

Trypophobia - Fear of Holes

Interestingly this unusual phobia is not a fear of holes in the way you might think.

Type of phobia: It is a specific phobia in the situational category.

Fear of what exactly? Sufferers have a persistent and pathological fear of tiny holes that make up irregular patterns not just in images but in foodstuffs, carpet etc. People feel their skin is crawling and itchy frequently causing a panic attack when their brain interprets the shapes the holes make with danger; sometimes the thought of the irregularity and sometimes the fear of what could be in the holes.

Causes: Considered to be a biological revulsion based on either an evolutionary fear of things that are not quite right or an experience related to a skin condition resulting in sores or blisters.

Sidonglobophobia - Fear of Cotton Balls or Plastic Foam

Apparently there a large number of sufferers of this rare phobia on the islands in the South Pacific; no reasons known!

Type of phobia: A specific phobia in the object category .

Fear of what exactly? For some people it is the sound made by the cotton or foam when they are used for wrapping whilst for others the thought of what will happen if they touch it prevents any interaction at all. Sufferers will often burst into tears because one half of the brain says cotton is not dangerous and you are wearing it in your clothes, however, the other half succumbs to the irrational fear that it might happen and a full blown panic attack can occur rapidly.

Causes: There are no exact details, however, as this is a specific phobia it is likely to have developed during childhood or related to a traumatic experience.

A man with a beard!

Pogonophobia - Fear of Beards

Considering the current fashion regarding beards as well as the fact that men can grow them quite quickly, this is a very challenging phobia to have when you may be faced with it daily. Thousands of people around the world have this phobia.

Type of phobia: This is a specific fear and comes under objects.

Fear of what exactly? Men with beards, seeing a beard, being surrounded by people with beards can all cause severe anxiety and dread in sufferers.  It is extremely debilitating considering the likelihood of encountering a man with a beard in daily working life. Stomach disorders are common as phobics live with a high level of nervousness and anxiety; panic attacks may occurr when it gets too much.

Causes: This type of specific phobia is most likely to be traced back to either a traumatic experience or some sort of triggering event.  Sometimes it can be the repetition of a phrase heard as a child that embeds this type of fear, e.g. “The only man you can trust with a beard is Father Christmas”.

Allodoxaphobia - Fear of Opinions

This is a rare and unusual phobia and not just about not wanting to hear what others think of you.

Type of phobia: This is a social phobia.

Fear of what exactly? Sufferers live in constant fear that people will give an opinion of them. This creates a very high level of anxiety so phobics will put deep restrictions on themselves and avoid unnecessary interaction with others.  At worse sufferers will read all responses as negative and overanalyse everything said to them. This behaviour can embed feelings of low self-esteem and self-criticism to the point of experiencing a severe personal crisis.

Causes: Social phobias usually develop from past experiences that lead to a low sense of worth, this particular one is likely to generate in people who don’t feel counted or valued in life or at work.

If you are affected by a phobia and wish to talk to someone about it, email Kate 

The Phobia Fixer is supported by Wholelife Coaching.