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Bizarre Phobias
Tom wrote to ask about the reality of a site called The Phobia Clinic. At first glance, the site definitely looks like it represents a real business that's selling a program to help people overcome their fears. The strangeness comes when you dig into some of the fears that they claim they can cure, and you have to wonder... do such fears or anxieties really exist? For example, they can cure you of Arachibutyrophobia (that's a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth), Ballistophobia (a fear of bullets... but why would anyone want to overcome their fear of bullets? Isn't that a good thing to be afraid of?), Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (fear of long words... the name of the anxiety alone probably sends sufferers into convulsions), and the list goes on and on. Despite all the weird anxieties, I think that the Phobia Clinic is real enough, in the sense that they'll take your money and offer some kind of 'cure.' But I'm skeptical about whether their cure actually works.
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Categories: Psychology Posted by Alex on Fri Nov 21, 2003 |
Comments (447) |
| More from the Hoax Museum Archives: | |||
I have this realy weird fear of being tickled. If you even just say you're gonna tickle me, i'll actually scream. I tremble and i run away. I've heard of the fear of being tickled by feathers, but being tickled at ALL makes me do these unusual things. Of course, since i scream, my riends ticle me all the time. IM GOING INSANE! at the end of every day my throat is actually coarse from screaming and i cover myself with mi hands as i walk to my dorm. I need help PRONTO! any ideas?
Posted by miri on Wed Mar 07, 2007 at 10:08 PM
I actually have a friend who is afraid of baked beans, and another firned said she also knows someone who is afraid. It must be quite common! Anyone know a name for it?
Posted by Bethan on Wed Mar 14, 2007 at 03:56 PM
I am an Omphalophobic. omphalophobia is the fear of bellybuttons.
Posted by Rachel in United States on Thu Mar 29, 2007 at 07:03 PM
I'm So Glad People Have Responded To My Post On Fear Of Dwarves And Midgets. It Is Both Comforting And Eye-Opening To See That I Am Not Alone. Hopefully One Day This Fear Will Be Further Studied And Become A Treatable Nuisance Of The Past. If There Is Anyone Else Who Has Any Information Concerning The Fear Of Dwarves..Please Share. It Would Be Greatly Appreciated.
Rene
Posted by Rene in New York on Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 12:25 AM
Rene
I've always been afraid of midgets, too. It's totally irrational and embarrassing but I think that somehow they're contagious. There must be some evolutionary reason for this phobia.
(My mother cannot stand the site of a loose eyelash on someone's face.)
Posted by MLE in Connecticut on Wed Apr 11, 2007 at 08:28 PM
(My mother cannot stand the site of a loose eyelash on someone's face.)
About the fear of Midgets:
I do not have this fear to the extent of a phobia, but my sister does. I remember once we were in Amsterdam in a clup, and really high on some mushroom and dancing like crazy, and she spotted a little person dancing in the floor, she freaked out into a bad trip and spent the rest of her days in the hotel room. She claims it is because of a B-movie she saw when she was 6 in which a group of midgets were lynching a nun. The name of the movie was translated "I don't want to be born" into Turkish.
I asked a psychiatrist friend of mine, and he said it might be related to a primal survival mechanism of "leaving the odd one out". That is, when facing a person with genetical abnormality, the brain urges one to stay away with the irrational fear that the abnormality can be contagious. We know that most cultures in ancient times killed babies that were born with bigger than usual heads, small or no limps or digits.
Posted by Umut in Ankara on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 07:59 AM
I do not have this fear to the extent of a phobia, but my sister does. I remember once we were in Amsterdam in a clup, and really high on some mushroom and dancing like crazy, and she spotted a little person dancing in the floor, she freaked out into a bad trip and spent the rest of her days in the hotel room. She claims it is because of a B-movie she saw when she was 6 in which a group of midgets were lynching a nun. The name of the movie was translated "I don't want to be born" into Turkish.
I asked a psychiatrist friend of mine, and he said it might be related to a primal survival mechanism of "leaving the odd one out". That is, when facing a person with genetical abnormality, the brain urges one to stay away with the irrational fear that the abnormality can be contagious. We know that most cultures in ancient times killed babies that were born with bigger than usual heads, small or no limps or digits.
Ok..this subject was mentioned but I didnt see anyone with an actual chalk phobia. I am freaked out by chalk. It makes me feel like it will never get it off of me if I touch it. I won't even let my kids have sidewalk chalk. I almost quit a college algebra class because the teacher used the chalkboard. I was able to convince him to switch to the dry erase. Its not just the dryness-its the impending dread of that scratching noise too. OMG everyone thinks I'm crazy. I also HATE my elbows touched. WEird, huh?
Posted by Heather in Houston, TX on Fri Apr 13, 2007 at 10:49 AM
I HAVE A FEAR OF WALKING THROUGH THE DOOR FIRST AT SCHOOL, IT BOTHERS ME SO MUCH! AND I ALSO HAVE A PHOBIA OF HEARING CERTAIN WORDS USED TWICE IN A ROW NEXT TO ANOTHER WORD USED TWICE IN A ROW.
Posted by Shannon in mi casa on Mon Apr 16, 2007 at 03:09 PM
I have a terrible phobia of the movie "The Ring" and "The Grudge". I didn't see the grudge, because the previews would give me panic attacks. I also have a phobia of soap...IF i use it (at home, I don't use it in public), I have to make several trips back to rinse off whatever was washed. Whenever I get into a situation where The Ring is involved (catching a glimpse of something on tv), i have what i think are convulsions, but i don't know what they are called, they are very physical (my stomach muscles contract up and i can't breathe at all) and almost always include some form of self-mutilation, usually hitting my head on a wall, with a shoe, whatever is near...thinking about someone getting soap on me can also induce these attack-things. PLEASE help I don't know what to do about the convulsion-like-episodes, and has anyone ever heard of a fear of soap or a specific movie?
Posted by Julie in California on Tue Apr 17, 2007 at 11:05 PM
Help.My son is in grade 6 and has thus paper phobia. He cannot touch paper especially after the shower. It seems to be getting worse. Can we fix this? Can we improve it? How can I help him? Is ther anyone who has got over this problem or found a way to improve the phobia.
Posted by Lisa in Victoria, Australia on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 06:56 AM
Omg I'm so glad I found this site!! I have a massive phobia of wet toilet paper. I have no idea why and it sounds so stupid that I never tell anyone!!! I freak out when going in swimming pool toilets...wet toilet paper all over the floor just makes my skin crawl!!
Posted by Helen in London on Sun Apr 29, 2007 at 04:36 PM
I'm glad I'm not the only one out there with a strange quirk - i really dislike cardboard and some paper, especially newspapers. I don't class it as a phobia yet as if i really have to handle it i will grin and bare it. It's not all cardboard, just the unshiney shuff, like raw cardboard as i call it. I think it developed from working in a shoe shop and dealing with boxes all the time. I hate the feel on my hands especially after i have washed my hands. It makes my skin crawl. Sometimes i forget i'm carrying cardboard and i when i realise (soon after) i drop whatever im carrying. Pizza boxes is the worse and the sound of them opening, yuck. I've dropped one in the middle of the street before without realising. The sound of cardboad on cardboard makes my skin itch. Everyone finds it funny and not really serious so rub it in my face, scratch it ect.. I'm glad there is others out ther and a name for it Papyrophobia so i can prove to the sceptics that i'm not just strange!!
Posted by Angelmouse in Scotland on Tue May 08, 2007 at 07:26 AM
Right, so i have a fear of chalk, in school i couldnt even watch someone right with it, i cant stand the sound, it makes me spasm all over. one kid in my math class ate a piece just to gross me out, and i puked. yea its that bad, i cant touch it or anything, and somehow this also ties in with snow....you know like when its so cold that the snow crunches? i cant walk on it because of the feeling and sound. Also, grinding teeth....gyyyaaaahhhhhhhh! and when the dentist scrapes your teeth with that pointy thing!
not sure how but all of this ties together for me.
does anyone know what the name for any of those phobias is??? please!
Posted by Samantha on Fri Jun 08, 2007 at 11:18 AM
not sure how but all of this ties together for me.
does anyone know what the name for any of those phobias is??? please!
Please, please tell me what the fear of achilles tendons is. I'm deathly afraid of them. I hate the word. It's hard to just type this. They physically hurt when I even hear the word. I've passed out in movies because of certain things happening. Please, please, please what the name?
Posted by Dwayne in Kentucky on Thu Jun 14, 2007 at 01:22 AM
Achilles tendonitis.
Sorry, sorry... had to be said. I couldn't help myself.
Posted by Charybdis in Hell on Thu Jun 14, 2007 at 10:25 AM
Sorry, sorry... had to be said. I couldn't help myself.
My mother has Arachibutyrophobia, the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of her mouth. Really. Well, at least she started out with Arachibutyrophobia, but now she just hates peanut butter, and when I say "hate," I mean HATE. She can barely stand to have it in the house. Heck, she can barely stand to have it in the same hemisphere.
Posted by Kathleen in Indiana, USA on Thu Jun 14, 2007 at 01:19 PM
About that achilles tendon fear of Dwayne's...well, you might try looking here: http://www.phobialist.com/
It's just a list (a very LONG list) of phobias, and it's indexed both alphabetically and by feared thing, so maybe you can find something there. I didn't see anything, but I didn't look very closely. And even if you don't find it, well, the lesson you learn from the phobia list is that it is, in a way, really normal to have irrational fears, it's just that people don't always agree on what those things ought to be.
Posted by Kathleen in Indiana, USA on Thu Jun 14, 2007 at 01:42 PM
It's just a list (a very LONG list) of phobias, and it's indexed both alphabetically and by feared thing, so maybe you can find something there. I didn't see anything, but I didn't look very closely. And even if you don't find it, well, the lesson you learn from the phobia list is that it is, in a way, really normal to have irrational fears, it's just that people don't always agree on what those things ought to be.
i have a deathly fear of napkins. i hate the way the feel and when they rub together, i always use a towel to wipe my hands, or even my pants. i hate them especially when they get wet. sometimes i will throw up. also, i have a phobia of midgets. i feel like their diaphragms are being crushed since they are small. AH
Posted by marisa in michigan on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 07:00 PM
i also have a fear of breaking that string under my tongue, it would hurt so bad! and i HATE when the fork scrapes on the plate.. also i hate when you scratch the top of the car ceiling with your nails GAHH i cannot even think about it. i think im the only person weird enough to have all these odd phobias.
Posted by marisa in michigan on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 07:02 PM
i have a phobia of seaweed. if i see it i will gag.
Posted by Emily in MICHIGAN on Wed Jul 11, 2007 at 07:04 PM
ey i have homophobia i am not scaired of gay people but the freak me out and make me very angry just know ing they are there makes me mad i dont even like gay girls and im a dude does any1 know how 2 help over come this i dont wanna hate gay people i just do oh and ps seaweed fear girl sea weed is an ingrediant in most tooth pastes lol
Posted by Alex Ferguson in texas on Fri Jul 13, 2007 at 01:29 PM
Omgosh i have this insane fear of styrofoam and its ALWAYS the packaging of gifts so im beginning to hate christmas and birthdays (though not phobias lol but i dont want them to come) Any time i see styrofoam i HAVE to walk away and if someone touches it im completely paralyzed. After they stop i feel the need to grind my teeth together and scratch my nails on a hard surface like jeans or plastic. Just typing this is making me grind my teeth. I don't even know if their is a name for that phobia and i guess its not the name so much that im concerned about but if anyone knows how to help it i would appreciate hearing from them.
Posted by i goby Hugs on Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 12:43 AM
i have a fear of midgets...i feel so bad but i cant help it! i told my boyfriend and he didnt believe me until one time at the casino there was a midget worker and i tryed so hard not to look but he made me and i cryed...i felt horrible. luckely the midget didnt see me.
can anyone relate????
Posted by angelina in california on Sat Aug 11, 2007 at 03:35 PM
can anyone relate????
i hate cardborad and lollypop sticks they make me cry, if some one put them on me i would screem
they make me feel sick, i can't stand them
Posted by jordan in lilport on Mon Aug 13, 2007 at 12:48 PM
they make me feel sick, i can't stand them
I have a fear of glue. Does anyone know what this is called? I've checked the Phobia List website and it's not there, and using Search Engines comes up with nothing.
Thanks in advance. ;3
Posted by Tagg in U.S.A. on Thu Aug 23, 2007 at 04:25 AM
Thanks in advance. ;3



