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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.
Categories: Psychology
Posted by Alex on Fri Nov 21, 2003
Comments (449)
More from the Hoax Museum Archives:
I have an extreme fear of myself touching my Akilies tendons, and my elbows, let alone other people touching them. Can anyone tell me what this Phobia is called?
Posted by Joshua Morris  on  Tue Aug 19, 2008  at  11:23 AM
I have an extreme fear of my Akilies tendons and elbows being touched, I have to wear altered socks, and I cannot wear shoes that touch them, and I cannot wear long sleeve shirts, and I cannot rest my arms on any kind of rest that touches my elbows. Can any one tell me the names of a fear of Akilies tendons, and elbows?
Posted by joshua morris  on  Tue Aug 19, 2008  at  11:26 AM
i'm absolutely terrified and nauseated from wet or crumpled paper , kleenex , paper towel , toilet paper , tissue paper .. i think you get the idea !
it absoloutly disgusts me , i have no idea why hahaha i could cry if someone rubbed like wet toilet paper on me or something
Posted by tess  on  Tue Sep 02, 2008  at  02:50 PM
I'm really scared of electricity...I get scared whenever I see the warning sign and power stations and those fenced off areas are really scary...they make me want to run a thousand miles. I'm interested in the science of electricity. I'd just rather stand back, thank you.
Posted by Melissa  on  Mon Sep 08, 2008  at  04:36 PM
I SO KNOW WHAT U MEAN ABOUT STYROFOAM EVERYTIME I SEE IT I FEEL REALLY ILL ..LIKE IM GOING TO THROW UP ... I START TO ROLL MY NECK AND BITE N MY BACK TEETH ITS SO GROSSS I HATE IT
Posted by GENEVIE MORIN  on  Tue Sep 23, 2008  at  04:33 PM
i think you guys are all douche bags just get over your fear
Posted by sdhakf  on  Wed Oct 08, 2008  at  01:36 PM
just to let you all no i have a fear of midgets too-they creep me out so bad i wanna run away. i feel awful about it and my friends make fun of me for it but i really cant help it. i apologize to any ppl i'm offending but its a serious thing... :down:
Posted by Sarah  on  Thu Oct 09, 2008  at  07:01 PM
I am absoloutly terified of clusters of dots or holes apparently its a just released phobia called trybophobia, i will scream at the top of my longs if i see them!
Posted by Cheyenne Griffith  on  Mon Oct 13, 2008  at  03:01 PM
I have a fear of dry things! Dry skin, rough carpet, cardboard, gravel, sand, construction paper, etc. etc. Anything that makes me thing of something dry, I start to gag and get chill bumps and want to clench my hands! Ugh! It is absolutely terrible. I have seen it get worse of the last couple of years, I better see a psych soon! I looked it up tonight it is called Xerophobia, fear of dry things.
Posted by Jenni  on  Sun Oct 19, 2008  at  11:41 PM
I have a huge fear of touching paper at all. When I do have to touch it, I have to wear gloves. Then I run to wash my hands, and I have to put on lotion. I know it sounds really weird. I lost my job 1 1/2 ago because of this. It has totally ruined my life.
Does anyone else have this?
Posted by Teresa Gustafson  on  Thu Oct 23, 2008  at  10:24 AM
I have a fear of soap and making sure it is all rinsed off good or I will be itchy and burning. Even if I think someone else has had contact with soap I think it transfers. I carry a wet washcloth around with me and constantly wipe my hands. It drives me insane. Does anyone else have this sort of phobia?
Posted by gymnastixmom  on  Thu Oct 23, 2008  at  11:53 PM
🐛
I have a similar fear of soap!!!! Read my post on page 7 or 8!
Posted by Jessica  on  Fri Oct 24, 2008  at  12:21 AM
Sorry, it's on page 9!
Posted by Jessica  on  Fri Oct 24, 2008  at  12:23 AM
Thank you for the response on the soap, I appreciate it. Does anyone else have a fear of soap or fear of getting soap on you and not getting it rinsed off? I am even afraid to touch door handles, fear that someone didnt rinse their hands good and it is on there. This is destroying my life and my parents said I wasnt like this as a child. I just wish I could touch it and be okay if its on me without getting rinsed. I take like a 30 min shower. Im afraid stuff I touch will have soap from someone else touching it too.
Posted by gymnastixmom  on  Fri Oct 24, 2008  at  08:04 AM
hello, i have a really bad fear of spines. i can't stand looking at them.
i feel like im going to vomit everytime the word spine is even said, i can't even stand people touching their own spines. i really wanna know what the proper word is for this. can someone please let me know?
Posted by Tsh  on  Sun Oct 26, 2008  at  08:48 PM
I hate finger nails and anything to do with them. I hate getting them ripped backwards and i grit my teeth and a bunch of crap like that to get past the thought of nails.
Posted by austin  on  Thu Oct 30, 2008  at  03:17 PM
i have a serious fear of midgets that was fully realized in a walgreens last night.
Posted by carl  on  Fri Oct 31, 2008  at  08:13 PM
My 13 year old daughter has anxiety and OCD.
She is afraid of wet laundry, she has to wear gloves to put the stuff from the washer into the dryer. She hates the feel of lotions and creams, a lot of fabrics, tags on her clothes touching her skin and the strangest one is fear of her belly button being touched. She can be in a dead sleep and she will freak out if someone even goes near her belly button.
Posted by Lori  on  Sat Nov 01, 2008  at  07:54 AM
I myself have OCD and have some pretty weird phobias- First MIDGETS! It's the fact hat I'm an Artist, and midgets are just... deformed... their arms and UH! Second Jeans. I Don't own a single pair. The feel is gross and icky! And the sound when you rub your palm to it! Third High pitched or chalky sounds, like when you scratch cotton shirts or when people have those ringtones adult's cant hear, AUG! Fourth Porcelain Dolls that look real, EW! My girl friend bought me one and I cried, it was very pretty, and had a beautiful dress, but OH HELL NAH! Last is I absolutely cannot dry my hands after I wash them, after doing anything I must wash m hands, but I have to let them dry naturally. Gods! And I'm 15.
Posted by Desiree  on  Thu Nov 06, 2008  at  06:44 PM
What is the fear of foam. I am not as bad as i was when I was younger, seeing as I can take bubble baths with out hypervenalting but I still cant stand a lot of it. I ususaly just use the soap bar. I feel crazy when I think about it, one time my brother chased me around with foam from the dish water, it was horriable.
Posted by lola  on  Mon Nov 10, 2008  at  07:19 PM
Hello, I have a really bad phobia of the back of my own head. I hate looking in the mirror at it or even touching it. Sometimes it seems to be talking to me and it bit my finger once. I DID NOT BURN THAT CHURCH.

😊 lol

xxx
Posted by Augustus Jr. II  on  Thu Nov 13, 2008  at  04:51 AM
The dry hands and feet thing. I have it pretty bad.

I hate dry hands and cannot touch my hands together or touch anything else that is dry when my hands are dry. Paper is the worst, especially newspaper or anything really dry feeling. Rough fabrics kill me. I could never fold a piece of paper in half and then run my fingers down the fold.

My feet are just as bad. I cannot rub them on carpet or ever have them be bare. I have to wear socks and I have to keep lotion on them. When my feet start feeling dry in my socks it drives me nuts. Also I cannot touch my feet together! I also walk around with fists when my hands are dry like someone mentioned before until I can get them moist again and build up some sweat.

I would seriously like to have some discussions with people who have this to see similarities. email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). thanks
Posted by thomas  on  Thu Nov 20, 2008  at  07:47 PM
I have the terrible fear of the word "homework", and I REALLY don't know why! Also, I have Ephebiphobia (fear of teenagers), Graphophobia (fear of writing), Gerascophobia (fear of becoming old), Anthrophobia (fear of people), Dinophobia (fear of whirlpools), Hemophobia (fear of blood), Cibophobia (fear of food), Coprophobia (fear of poop), Hobophobia (fear of bums and beggars), Philophobia (fear of being in love) Pogonophobia (fear of beards), Teratophobia (fear of deformed people), the fear of soap, doorbells, colors, Bulgarians, salt, dancing, singing, and wet cloth. I know it all sounds really weird and unbelievable but I do. Most of this stuff will make me cry or puke or scream, and all of it will set me on edge and give me a ton of goosebumps! Hell, just thinking about it all scares the life out of me. God how I wish people would stop treating this like a joke! If you have any names for the fears that didn't have "phobia" after them, PLEASE tell me!!! :exclaim:
Posted by hi  on  Wed Nov 26, 2008  at  03:34 PM
I am Jesse,and I am fourteen years old.
I have a phobia of rubbing my hands together,
or people touching the inside my hands.
People say Im crazy and if they know about it they rub their hands together just to aggervate me.I can't help but cringe and shake when I hear the noise,and my body seems nonresponsive until it stops,I have no idea what the phobia is called or if anyone has the same problem,it would make me feel better if someone did.
Posted by Jesse Marie  on  Thu Nov 27, 2008  at  09:56 PM
I have a fear of touching people, even my family. Like I hate giving hugs and especially holding hands or anyhting affectionate it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. Ha its weird because im really friendly its just I dont like the feeling of someone SO CLOSE. Its invading my bubble lol
Posted by Danielle  on  Fri Dec 05, 2008  at  08:29 PM
I'm 16 years old, and I have coulrophobia[[fear of clowns]]
It's not like most people's fear of clowns though, where when they see one they get the creeps.
If I see a clown, I have a panic attack. I scream, cry, shake violently, and sometimes even black out or pass out.
It's horrible. =/
Posted by Shawnee  on  Sat Dec 20, 2008  at  08:48 PM
I thought it relieving to read that I was not the only one afraid of midgets. I went to universal studios once and there was one taking tickets. I had to get in the back of another line for fear of it touching me...
Posted by Samantha  on  Fri Jan 09, 2009  at  01:49 PM
i have a this huge thing where after i do the dishes i have to put huge drops of lotion on my hands twice. if my hands get dry i freak. and i have a fear of dying. when i'm around people who are considered dangerous i don't talk to them. and i try not to look at people wrong.
Posted by ashley  on  Mon Jan 12, 2009  at  03:27 PM
I cannot rub my hands together when they are wet and I cannot touch anything. what is this called?
Posted by marie  on  Wed Jan 14, 2009  at  05:36 PM
:) hi.. i have a fear of clipping my nails.. my hands sweat if i touch anything after i clip my nails. i also don't like to touch wool and other stuff like.. it grosses me out. So can anybody tell me what's the scientific name for nail-clipping pfobia?
Posted by Ascension  on  Sun Jan 18, 2009  at  03:12 PM
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