These are the 7 craziest phobias
(like Miley Cyrus's paper phobia)
You really shouldn't let me go bungee jumping or put me on one of those half-collapsing wooden stairs in the middle of the jungle. No, really not. I'd rather eat a skunk. If you couldn't guess it yet: I confess, I have a fear of heights. Now, I'm not suddenly ‘the village idiot’, there are quite a few people who find heights scary. Or are afraid of getting stuck in a small space, but did you know there are people with fears that... Uh, rather, let's say, are very special. There are actually people on this planet who are not afraid to spit, but are afraid of ordinary everyday vegetables or utensils that you always use. Have you ever heard of someone being afraid of small holes? No, exactly. So just sit back and scroll on, because these are the craziest phobias ever.
1. Lachanophobia (Fear of specific vegetables)
Although this is one of the most important things you can eat, there are people who faint and raise a white flag when they see vegetables. Seriously. I once read about someone who was too scared to enter the supermarket because there were bell peppers at the front of the store.
And you even have a separate name for the fear of garlic: Alliumphobia. So this is really not a matter of ‘I don't like vegetables’. It often comes from a traumatic experience, like choking as a child, which makes you associate vegetables with something peculiar, like death or getting hurt. In the Netherlands, there are no statistics for this, but in Great Britain, several thousand suffer from this phobia, so it's not just one person. Ouch, that will be difficult when you go grocery shopping.
2. Chromophobia (Fear of certain colors)
Whether you're talking about white, purple, yellow, or green – you can genuinely be afraid of a color. And I'm not talking about you thinking that math should have a red cover and absolutely no green.
Just like with the fear of vegetables, this phobia arose from an unpleasant experience. For example, you might have linked blood loss to red, so you really can't stand to see it anymore. Or there's also something called color-related OCD. That's when you're afraid that the world doesn't look perfect and you get anxious when something isn't the right color.
3. Papyriphobia (Fear of paper)
Paper is one of the most commonly used objects ever. Or well, nowadays we use our laptop and phone much more, but once upon a time. Once in a long, distant past, you wrote every day on the remnants of a tree. And it's really everywhere: planners, newspapers, flyers, cardboard boxes – wherever you look, there's paper.
So that's very inconvenient for people with papyriphobia. Because yes: it's really true. Miley Cyrus recently mentioned in an interview that she has a huge fear of paper. With gagging tendencies and all, she tried to illustrate: her fiancé has to open all packages outside because she can't stand the sound and sight of the box. Maybe it's because of all those texts she had to memorize? Hannah Montana Who knows.
@jimmykimmellive #MileyCyrus on her engagement and serious paper phobia!
4. Ablutophobia (Fear of bathing, showering, or washing oneself)
You probably know this: you're on the train or standing on the escalator in your favorite store and suddenly a stinker appears next to you. That kind of person you can smell from 10 meters away.
Yes, it could very well be that this person has a fear of bathing or washing themselves. These people really exist. This comes from a deep-rooted fear of water, so they don't dare to come near anything that has water coming out of it.
5. Oenophobia (Fear of wines)
I think I have the opposite, but there is indeed a fear of wine. I kid you not. As a wine lover, I can't imagine this, but not everyone is happy when a glass comes your way on the terrace.
That fear can be so great that someone can have a panic attack right in the middle of the city. This isn't just about the smell or taste. If they see a glass or bottle, they have to leave. According to experts, this is because people are afraid of getting drunk. What will they do? Will they lose control? It can also (like everything on this list) come from a trauma.
6. Trypophobia (Fear of small holes)
You may have heard of this before, but it's really a weird one. Trypophobia is when you're afraid of objects with clusters of small holes. In short: a lot of holes.
Think of honeycombs, sponges, corals, or even skin abnormalities. The aversion that people feel is somewhat similar to those with misophonia. They get itchy, nauseous, and want to run away.
7. Chronomentrophobia (Fear of clocks)
Cuckoo. Yes, uh. What? If I walk through some house late at night, I find such a cuckoo clock scary, but regular clocks? I find that pretty intense. So just imagine having to throw up when you see a watch. Wow. What do you do when you walk into the station and see clocks everywhere? Mmm. Seems difficult to me. This fear usually comes from a fear of loud noises (ligyrophobia) or stress about time passing (time anxiety).
Some more honorable mentions: fear of certain colors, fear of rope, fear of certain numbers, fear of chopsticks, fear of words, and fear of Japan.
So. If you freak out when you're on a balcony, that's not so strange at all. There are always people who are afraid of something else – and sometimes of things you could never have imagined.
Image: Netflix series The Sandman
