In writing my previous article on strange phobias I found a wealth of information so I thought i'd share with you some more bizarre and unusual fears and I have to say I don't think you'll be dissapointed with this second list though you may be shocked!
Hylophobia – Fear of Trees
An irrational fear of trees is quite a hindrance in life, but for some sufferers it extends even to a fear of wood! It can be caused by childhood trauma involving woodlands, whether it involves being lost in some woods or just being exposed to too many sinister horror stories involving woods at a young age. Depending on the severity of the situation sufferers can go as far as to run screaming from a lone tree in a park or even from objects made of wood so it is a very limiting condition in life with so many things manufactured from wood.
Nomophobia – Fear of Being Without Mobile Phone Coverage
You may laugh but amazingly over half the people in the UK are said to suffer from this, though unlike most other phobias not everyone will realise so obviously. Mobile phones are great and they’re very useful but people have begun to use them for everything, scrolling through apps and messages in boredom, texting, using social media etc. there’s always a reason to be on your phone and many people would be lost without one. This phobia can be brought on by having no signal on a phone, a phone running out of battery or even not being able to see a mobile phone, for example leaving your phone at home one day. It’s funny but also alarming how this has been listed as a phobia, phones are great everyone but mine was broken at one point last year and for a variety of reasons I didn’t have a replacement for three months and in that time, apart from some contact difficulties, I felt like I had more hours in a day and was more active. Being without mobile phone coverage or even without a mobile phone isn’t always a bad thing, at least for short periods of time.
Turophobia – Fear of Cheese
Yes the fear of cheese exists, from Cheddar to Red Leicester, Mozzarella to Gorgonzola, people are scared of cheese. The reasoning is that, as with most phobias, the sufferers associate cheese with a traumatic event, though aside of choking on some I’m not sure what that might involve! Some sufferers are scared of all cheeses, whilst others are terrified of just one or one group of cheeses (personally I think the smell alone of blue cheese is quite terrifying!). Some also have been known to be less or more scared depending on the method in which the cheese is sliced, the size of the piece of cheese, or even if it is in a packet or not. No toasted cheese sandwiches for those people, but at least they’re saving on calories!
Papaphobia – Fear of the Pope
That’s right, the pope. An icon of religion and hope to many, or an old man who dresses oddly like a Jedi to others. Whatever your view on the head of the Catholic Church or on Religion as whole, is he really that scary? His bodyguards maybe but the pope himself? Well for some he is a terrifying prospect and the fear is also associated with Hierophobia (the fear of holy individuals) and Haigophobia (the fear of holy things). Usually caused by a traumatic incident related to the Pope if not in fact involving him, the fear is uncommon but nevertheless exists.
IMAGE 1: http://savemyboredom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/nomophobia.jpg - Though technically a scene from a horror movie in which the man does need the phone for a good reason, this picture comically illustrates Nomophobia.
IMAGE 2: http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article3284094.ece/alternates/s615/%C2%A3%C2%A3%C2%A3-Melissa-North.jpg - An image portraying an actress pretending to have Turophobia.
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