You must have heard or even experienced some overwhelming and debilitating fear of an object, place, situation, or feelings, like hydrophobia(fear of water) or claustrophobia (fear of confined or enclosed spaces). You might not even know about your phobias unless subjected to one of these situations. Here is a list of some bizarre phobias which appear to be fictional but aren’t.
Syngenesophobia: Fear Of Relatives
It is quite common among millennials to feel embarrassed or annoyed by their family. However, people who have syngenesphobia experience a severe phobia of their relatives. It becomes so severe that it requires getting counselling and medications to overcome the phobia and strengthen the relationship with family if there isn’t a clear, explicable explanation for the anxieties, as evidence suggests that having close family ties can lengthen life.
Neophobia: Fear of New Things
Neophobia is a phobia that describes an extreme and unreasonable fear of all new objects and experiences, despite the fact that many people are frightened of change. Neophobia can affect happiness and wellness since those who have it miss out on a lot of life-enriching opportunities. When referring to the diet, it can also suggest that patients miss out on a variety of nutritious meals. Additionally, studies have indicated that the stress caused by neophobia can reduce life expectancy.
Heliphobia: Fear of Sunlight
Heliphobia, a rare yet devastating condition, is the dread of sunlight. Heliophobics may also have a fear of bright lights in addition to having intense sensations of anxiety and panic when exposed to the sun. The dread or condition is usually accompanied by concern about the sun’s alleged risks; however, unless you’re a vampire, completely avoiding the sun is probably impractical and unnecessary.Even while sunshine is beneficial for maintaining bone health and mood regulation, it can still be harmful to your health.
Geliophobia: Fear Of Laughter
Numerous studies indicate that laughing is beneficial to our health, fostering interpersonal relationships, enhancing mental health, and protecting the heart. The act of laughing or being near people who laugh, however, can actually trigger intense fear and anxiety in those who have geliophobia. The fear of laughing in improper settings or of being laughed at by others is one of the suggested causes of geliophobia.
Optophobia: Fear of Opening One’s Eyes
Optophobia, or the phobia of opening one’s eyes, would have to win the prize for Most Inconvenient Phobia, if such a thing existed. Even while opening our eyes is something that few of us ever think about, for people who have a phobia, this routine, everyday act can be a nightmare. Fortunately, if you are reading this list, you almost certainly do not have this ailment.