- Check out our list of unique phobias, from a fear of clowns, known as coulrophobia, to a fear of teenagers, called ephebiphobia
- These specific triggers can cause a reaction of annoyance or anxiety
Phobias are overwhelming fears of objects, places, situations, feelings, or animals that can make someone feel a sense of panic.If you have any phobias that prevent you from leading your fullest life, please seek help from a doctor or mental health professional.
You’ve no doubt heard of claustrophobia – the fear of being in a crowded or small space. You might have watched a documentary about Australia’s unique wildlife, and realised you have arachnophobia, the fear of spiders.
Living in Hong Kong, where so many people live in skyscrapers, it’s rare to meet someone with acrophobia, or a fear of heights. And while the announcement that Covid-19 vaccines will be available to teenagers is very good news, for some people, it might have triggered trypanophobia, or a fear of medical procedures with needles.
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But there are dozens of phobias that you may not have heard of, or even realised might be a problem for some people. Here are 32 of the irrational fears you might want to know about.
Achluophobia – Fear of darkness
Amaxophobia – Fear of riding in a car
Arachibutyrophobia – Fear of peanut butter
Arithmophobia – Fear of numbers
Ataxophobia – Fear of disorder or untidiness
Atelophobia – Fear of imperfection
Barophobia – Fear of gravity
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Batrachophobia – Fear of amphibians
Bibliophobia – Fear of books
Botanophobia – Fear of plants
Catoptrophobia – Fear of mirrors
Coulrophobia – Fear of clowns
Cyberphobia – Fear of computers
Dentophobia – Fear of dentists
Entomophobia – Fear of insects
Ephebiphobia – Fear of teenagers
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Genuphobia – Fear of knees
Glossophobia – Fear of public speaking
Herpetophobia – Fear of reptiles
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia – Fear of long words
Koumpounophobia – Fear of buttons
Leukophobia – Fear of the colour white
Mageirocophobia – Fear of cooking
Nyctophobia – Fear of the dark
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Octophobia – Fear of the figure 8
Ombrophobia – Fear of rain
Papyrophobia – Fear of paper
Phobophobia – Fear of phobias
Scolionophobia – Fear of school
Tonitrophobia – Fear of thunder
Wiccaphobia – Fear of witches and witchcraft
Zoophobia – Fear of animals