Reading about phobias may be therapeutic. I know they help me chase my blues away.
On a bad day, I was surfing the web. I came across a site by Fredd Culbertson, www.phobialist.com . I couldn’t help it, but I found myself laughing at some of the phobias he listed. I’m so ashamed. But my day did get better as I thought, “at least that hasn’t happened to me.”
Definition of Phobias
The definition of phobia, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as “an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.” These fears may include just about anything–social phobias, animals, and objects are common. Phobias can result in paralyzing symptoms that include anxiety and panic attacks.
Fears, or phobias, affect millions of people around the world, but exact numbers are unknown. According to a report by www.MedicineNet.com, approximately “six million” Americans suffer from phobias, but many people do not seek treatment for phobias.
Weird and Unusual Phobias
I suffer from phobias. People fear things like public speaking, heights, and water. I apologize to all suffers, but some phobias of the just made me laugh.
Imagine trying to have a family dinner with anyone suffering from mageirocophobia, the fear of cooking or phagophobia, the fear of swallowing. They both go well with cibophobia, the fear of food, lachanophobia, the fear of vegetables or carnophobia the fear of meat. I looked for the fear of fruit to make a well-rounded diet. I found carpophobia. but carpophobia also seems to refer to someone afraid of breaking their wrists. Maybe that’s so they won’t have to pick up the fruit.
I can understand liticaphobia, the fear of lawsuits and politicophobia, the fear of politicians, both likely suffered by most of the world’s population. I searched for an official term for fear of lawyers, but got different response. Perhaps the lawyers got together and had the phobia name banned by a group of people suffering from liticaphobia.
Two people who could look out for each other would be a dextrophobic, someone who fears things on the right side of their body and a levophobic who fears things on the left side of their body. The only problem is, they would have problems standing side by side.
People suffering from ereuthophobia, fear of the color red, leukophobia, fear of white and cyanophobia, fear of blue would panic at the thought of traveling to the United Kingdom, Australia, Luxembourg or any other country with a red, white and blue flag. Not to mention the United States and their Fourth of July and Flag Day holidays. No cookouts for them.
The Ultimate Act of Cruelty
Try seeking therapy for this if you suffer from the fear of long word.. This phobia is hippoptomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. What psychiatrist came up with this term?
My Vote for the Most Ridiculous Phobia
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. I can see pets everywhere having this fear, but do people really suffer from this?
Odd Phobia Omissions
In surfing the web on phobias, I could find no terms from credible medical sources referring to either the fear of clowns or the fear of terrorism or terrorists. I know people, mainly children, who are afraid of clowns. Countries and their citizens victimized by terrorists fear terrorism. Agencies have been set up around the world to protect against terrorism, yet there does not seem to be an official term for terrorism.
The next time you are having a down day or feel nothing is going well, try a little phobia therapy of your own. I am sure you will start thinking your day isn’t as bad as you initially thought.
Sources
www.merriam-webster.com
www.phobialist.com
www.fearofstuff.com