What Are the Rarest Phobias?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsOverviewFear of ChickensFear of AgingFear of WalkingFear of VomitingFear of Peanut ButterFear of MirrorsFear of Making DecisionsFear of Long WordsFear of Chewing GumFear of Phobias

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Overview

Fear of Chickens

Fear of Aging

Fear of Walking

Fear of Vomiting

Fear of Peanut Butter

Fear of Mirrors

Fear of Making Decisions

Fear of Long Words

Fear of Chewing Gum

Fear of Phobias

There arecommon phobias, such as a fear of spiders, heights, flying, or public speaking. Then there are phobias that tend to occur less frequently, such as a fear of chickens, walking, or mirrors.

List of Phobias: Common Phobias From A to Z

Overview of Specific Phobias

Aspecific phobiais an intense fear that is out of proportion to the actual threat that an object or situation presents. People with this type of phobia experience severe fear and avoidance reactions when they encounter the source of their fear.

Specific phobias typically fall into one of four different categories. These categories are fears related to animals, the natural environment, medical issues or treatments, and specific situations.

To be diagnosed with a specific phobia, a person must:

Specific Phobia Prevalence

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), specific phobias affect approximately 12.5% of adults in the United States at some point during their lives, making them among the most commonmental health conditions.

While there are statistics about the general prevalence of specific phobias, there is a lack of information about the occurrence of each individual type. This is because virtually any object or situation can become a source of fear.

Research suggests that phobias such as the fear of heights and spiders tend to be among the most common, while fear of storms or vomiting is rarer.The most common phobias tend to be the most studied.

There may be any number of specific phobias, including some of the following rarest phobias that researchers have identified, described, and studied. Because these phobias tend to be rare, there is little research on their symptoms, origins, and treatments. In many cases, the only available information is single case studies.

Alektrophobia

What Is Alektrophobia?Alektrophobia is the fear of chickens or hens.

What Is Alektrophobia?

Alektrophobia is the fear of chickens or hens.

People can also fear an animal that may not seem to pose a serious threat. In one case report, researchers reported an instance of an 18-year-old woman with a severe fear of chickens and hens, a phobia known asalektorophobia. While uncommon, the condition may be related to the more common ornithophobia, which involvesthe fear of birds.

Gerascophobia

What Is Gerascophobia?Gerascophobia refers to the fear of getting older.

What Is Gerascophobia?

Gerascophobia refers to the fear of getting older.

Gerascophobiainvolves the fear of aging orgrowing up. This fear can lead to severe emotional distress and potentially dangerous behaviors, such as food restriction and other attempts to keep the body from maturing.

Ambulophobia

What Is Ambulophobia?Ambulophobia is the fear of walking.

What Is Ambulophobia?

Ambulophobia is the fear of walking.

Ambulophobiainvolves a fear of walking. This mental health condition can lead to serious impairments in a person’s life and ability to function.

Fear of walking tends to be much more common in older adults than in children and younger people. This is due to risk factors such as balance problems, dizziness, joint issues, osteoporosis,visual impairments, and side effects of medications that can increase the risk of serious falls and injuries.

The fear of walking stems from a desire to reduce the risk of falling, making it difficult for people to leave their homes or beds.

While rare in younger people, this phobia is more prevalent in older age groups. In one study of 379 people in long-term care facilities, researchers found that 30.1% had symptoms of ambulophobia. Among these participants, women and those over 70 were most likely to be affected.

Health conditions that can increase the likelihood of falling are a significant risk factor for this rare phobia.Conditions such as depression, postural hypotension,Parkinson’s disease, and a history of falling were all found to be risk factors for ambulophobia.

Emetophobia

What Is Emetophobia?Emetophobia refers to the fear of vomiting.

What Is Emetophobia?

Emetophobia refers to the fear of vomiting.

Emetophobiais a specific phobia involving intense and persistentfear of vomiting. While still rare, this phobia is estimated to be more common in women than men, affecting 7% and 2% respectively.

Symptoms of emetophobia can include anxiety, which is related to feelings of nausea and stomach upset.These distressing physical symptoms worsen the anxiety about vomiting, leading to a self-perpetuating cycle.

Although emetophobia is considered rare, milder forms of the fear of vomiting can still lead to potential problems. Some people may develop additional phobias such ascibophobia, which involves thefear of food, particularly when it comes to foods that might lead to stomach upset or illness.

Arachibutyrophobia

What Is Arachibutyrophobia?Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

What Is Arachibutyrophobia?

Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

Arachibutyrophobiais a rare phobia that involves afear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. This fear may have a number of causes, including a more general fear of choking or traumatic experiences involving a peanut allergy.

Anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock) is a type of severe allergic reaction that involves rash, hives, rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, vomiting, and facial swelling. People may experience life-threatening breathing problems due to swelling.

People who have experienced anaphylaxis as a result of an allergic reaction may experience lingering feelings of stress and anxiety after the event. In some cases, they may also developsymptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Spectrophobia

What Is Spectrophobia?Spectrophobia is thefear of mirrors.

What Is Spectrophobia?

Spectrophobia is thefear of mirrors.

Spectrophobiais a rare phobia that causes people to experience fear in response to mirrors or what is reflected in a mirror. They might fear seeing themselves or other people or objects reflected in a mirror surface.Research suggests thatpeople with depressionor schizophrenia are more likely to perceive distortions when looking at their reflection in a mirror.

As a result of this fear, people may avoid any situation where they might encounter a mirror. This can create significant disruptions in an individual’s life, making it difficult to enter different social settings or even leave the house.

Decidophobia

What Is Decidophobia?Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions.

What Is Decidophobia?

Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions.

While many people struggle with anxiety about making decisions, some people experience fear so severe that it constitutes a specific phobia.Decidophobiais an intense and paralyzingfear of making any decision, from small everyday choices to larger life decisions.

Symptoms of this phobia include putting off decisions out of fear of making the wrong choice, feeling panic when making decisions, and dependence on others to make choices.

Cognitive distortionsoften play a role in the development and maintenance of specific phobias.Such distortions may also lead people to overestimate the consequences of their choices, which can make even simple, everyday choices seem more consequential than they actually are.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

What Is Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia refers to a fear of long words.

What Is Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia refers to a fear of long words.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, also known assesquipedaliophobia, is the name of a rare phobia that involvesa fear of long words. The exact nature of the fear can vary from one person to the next. Some people might fear long words that are difficult to spell, while others might fear words that are difficult to say aloud.

In either case, encountering long words can lead to feelings of anxiety and panic. In some cases, people with specific phobias mayexperience panic attackswhen they encounter the source of their fear.

Chiclephobia

What Is Chiclephobia?Chiclephobia is the fear of chewing gum.

What Is Chiclephobia?

Chiclephobia is the fear of chewing gum.

Chiclephobiais a rare phobia that involves afear of chewing gum. Symptoms of anxiety and panic may happen when people think about chewing gum, but they can also occur when seeing other people chewing gum or seeing previously chewed gum.

Phobophobia

What Is Phobophobia?Phobophobia is a fear of phobias.

What Is Phobophobia?

Phobophobia is a fear of phobias.

One of the most uncommon phobias involves a severefear of phobias. People who haveother anxiety disordersor other types of specific phobias may be at a higher risk of developing this type of phobia.

Symptoms associated withphobophobiainclude those that are common to other specific phobias. This includes physical feelings of fear such as chills, sweating, and rapid heartbeat. It may also include avoidance of any situation that might produce feelings of fear or anxiety.

Final Thoughts

While these represent some of the rarest phobias, it is important to remember that specific phobias tend to be highly treatable no matter how common or rare they might be.

Research suggests that psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, produces positive results for treating different types of specific phobias. Technology-assisted treatment, such asvirtual exposure therapy, can also be effective.

What Treatments for Phobias Work Best?

15 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Trivedi SK, Mangot AG, Munoli RN.A rare case of alektorophobia treated successfully with graded exposure therapy.Ind Psychiatry J. 2016;25(1):116-118. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.196039Perales-Blum L, Juárez-Treviño M, Escobedo-Belloc D.Severe growing-up phobia, a condition explained in a 14-year-old boy.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2014;2014:706439. doi:10.1155/2014/706439Lubińska-Żądło B, Kowalczyk B, Mokrzycka D.The use of a stabilometric platform in the prevention of falls of elderly people with neurological and orthopedic diseases.Nurs Publ Health. 2020;10(4):233-240. doi:10.17219/pzp/129918Górski M, Buczkowska M, Krzywkowska K, Całyniuk B, Górska K, Buczkowski K, Fojcik J, Grajek M, Polaniak R.Ambulophobia as a specific phobia-defining the problem among patients of long-term care facilities in Poland.Front Public Health. 2022;10:801109. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.801109Dargis M, Burk L.A transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of emetophobia: A single case study.Clin Case Stud. 2018;18(1):69-82. doi:10.1177/1534650118808600Cleveland Clinic.Anaphylaxis.Lee Y, Chang HY, Kim SH, et al.A prospective observation of psychological distress in patients with anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2020;12(3):496-506. doi:10.4168/aair.2020.12.3.496Pitchot W.Effective treatment of eisoptrophobia with duloxetine: a case report.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014 Sep 11;16(5):10.4088/PCC.14l01636. doi: 10.4088/PCC.14l01636Caputo GB, Bortolomasi M, Ferrucci R, Giacopuzzi M, Priori A, Zago S.Visual perception during mirror-gazing at one’s own face in patients with depression.Sci World J. 2014;2014:946851. doi:10.1155/2014/946851Verma S, Arya B, Kandhari N, Kumar R.Efficacy of cognitive drill therapy in treatment of multiple phobias: A case study.SIS J Proj Psy Ment Health. 2018:25:76-79.Cleveland Clinic.Phobophobia (fear of fear).

15 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Trivedi SK, Mangot AG, Munoli RN.A rare case of alektorophobia treated successfully with graded exposure therapy.Ind Psychiatry J. 2016;25(1):116-118. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.196039Perales-Blum L, Juárez-Treviño M, Escobedo-Belloc D.Severe growing-up phobia, a condition explained in a 14-year-old boy.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2014;2014:706439. doi:10.1155/2014/706439Lubińska-Żądło B, Kowalczyk B, Mokrzycka D.The use of a stabilometric platform in the prevention of falls of elderly people with neurological and orthopedic diseases.Nurs Publ Health. 2020;10(4):233-240. doi:10.17219/pzp/129918Górski M, Buczkowska M, Krzywkowska K, Całyniuk B, Górska K, Buczkowski K, Fojcik J, Grajek M, Polaniak R.Ambulophobia as a specific phobia-defining the problem among patients of long-term care facilities in Poland.Front Public Health. 2022;10:801109. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.801109Dargis M, Burk L.A transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of emetophobia: A single case study.Clin Case Stud. 2018;18(1):69-82. doi:10.1177/1534650118808600Cleveland Clinic.Anaphylaxis.Lee Y, Chang HY, Kim SH, et al.A prospective observation of psychological distress in patients with anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2020;12(3):496-506. doi:10.4168/aair.2020.12.3.496Pitchot W.Effective treatment of eisoptrophobia with duloxetine: a case report.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014 Sep 11;16(5):10.4088/PCC.14l01636. doi: 10.4088/PCC.14l01636Caputo GB, Bortolomasi M, Ferrucci R, Giacopuzzi M, Priori A, Zago S.Visual perception during mirror-gazing at one’s own face in patients with depression.Sci World J. 2014;2014:946851. doi:10.1155/2014/946851Verma S, Arya B, Kandhari N, Kumar R.Efficacy of cognitive drill therapy in treatment of multiple phobias: A case study.SIS J Proj Psy Ment Health. 2018:25:76-79.Cleveland Clinic.Phobophobia (fear of fear).

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1Trivedi SK, Mangot AG, Munoli RN.A rare case of alektorophobia treated successfully with graded exposure therapy.Ind Psychiatry J. 2016;25(1):116-118. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.196039Perales-Blum L, Juárez-Treviño M, Escobedo-Belloc D.Severe growing-up phobia, a condition explained in a 14-year-old boy.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2014;2014:706439. doi:10.1155/2014/706439Lubińska-Żądło B, Kowalczyk B, Mokrzycka D.The use of a stabilometric platform in the prevention of falls of elderly people with neurological and orthopedic diseases.Nurs Publ Health. 2020;10(4):233-240. doi:10.17219/pzp/129918Górski M, Buczkowska M, Krzywkowska K, Całyniuk B, Górska K, Buczkowski K, Fojcik J, Grajek M, Polaniak R.Ambulophobia as a specific phobia-defining the problem among patients of long-term care facilities in Poland.Front Public Health. 2022;10:801109. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.801109Dargis M, Burk L.A transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of emetophobia: A single case study.Clin Case Stud. 2018;18(1):69-82. doi:10.1177/1534650118808600Cleveland Clinic.Anaphylaxis.Lee Y, Chang HY, Kim SH, et al.A prospective observation of psychological distress in patients with anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2020;12(3):496-506. doi:10.4168/aair.2020.12.3.496Pitchot W.Effective treatment of eisoptrophobia with duloxetine: a case report.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014 Sep 11;16(5):10.4088/PCC.14l01636. doi: 10.4088/PCC.14l01636Caputo GB, Bortolomasi M, Ferrucci R, Giacopuzzi M, Priori A, Zago S.Visual perception during mirror-gazing at one’s own face in patients with depression.Sci World J. 2014;2014:946851. doi:10.1155/2014/946851Verma S, Arya B, Kandhari N, Kumar R.Efficacy of cognitive drill therapy in treatment of multiple phobias: A case study.SIS J Proj Psy Ment Health. 2018:25:76-79.Cleveland Clinic.Phobophobia (fear of fear).

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.DSM-IV to DSM-5 Specific Phobia Comparison.Impact of the DSM-IV to DSM-5 changes on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health [Internet].

National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.

Thng CEW, Lim-Ashworth NSJ, Poh BZQ, Lim CG.Recent developments in the intervention of specific phobia among adults: a rapid review.F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-195. doi:10.12688/f1000research.20082.1

Trivedi SK, Mangot AG, Munoli RN.A rare case of alektorophobia treated successfully with graded exposure therapy.Ind Psychiatry J. 2016;25(1):116-118. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.196039

Perales-Blum L, Juárez-Treviño M, Escobedo-Belloc D.Severe growing-up phobia, a condition explained in a 14-year-old boy.Case Rep Psychiatry. 2014;2014:706439. doi:10.1155/2014/706439

Lubińska-Żądło B, Kowalczyk B, Mokrzycka D.The use of a stabilometric platform in the prevention of falls of elderly people with neurological and orthopedic diseases.Nurs Publ Health. 2020;10(4):233-240. doi:10.17219/pzp/129918

Górski M, Buczkowska M, Krzywkowska K, Całyniuk B, Górska K, Buczkowski K, Fojcik J, Grajek M, Polaniak R.Ambulophobia as a specific phobia-defining the problem among patients of long-term care facilities in Poland.Front Public Health. 2022;10:801109. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.801109

Dargis M, Burk L.A transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of emetophobia: A single case study.Clin Case Stud. 2018;18(1):69-82. doi:10.1177/1534650118808600

Cleveland Clinic.Anaphylaxis.

Lee Y, Chang HY, Kim SH, et al.A prospective observation of psychological distress in patients with anaphylaxis.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2020;12(3):496-506. doi:10.4168/aair.2020.12.3.496

Pitchot W.Effective treatment of eisoptrophobia with duloxetine: a case report.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014 Sep 11;16(5):10.4088/PCC.14l01636. doi: 10.4088/PCC.14l01636

Caputo GB, Bortolomasi M, Ferrucci R, Giacopuzzi M, Priori A, Zago S.Visual perception during mirror-gazing at one’s own face in patients with depression.Sci World J. 2014;2014:946851. doi:10.1155/2014/946851

Verma S, Arya B, Kandhari N, Kumar R.Efficacy of cognitive drill therapy in treatment of multiple phobias: A case study.SIS J Proj Psy Ment Health. 2018:25:76-79.

Cleveland Clinic.Phobophobia (fear of fear).

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