Always checking your phone? Afraid you might lose it? Want to glue it to your pocket with industrial glue? You may have nomophobia.
The fear of being “out of mobile phone contact” or without a cell phone is a common psychological state in our wireless age.
In a study from 2010 conducted in the UK, researchers found that even five years ago, 53% of mobile phone users in Britain tended to experience large amounts of anxiety when they lost their mobile phone, ran out of battery or credit, or had no network coverage.
Modern life has so many stressors that, in fact, nomophobia isn’t the only bizarre condition around. A panicking brain with a stressed out amygdala can cause a host of irrational reactions.
Some people admit to feeling a sense of freedom akin to being on vacation when finding themselves away from their cell phones, but maybe they’re afraid of cows. It takes all kinds.
Check out these 7 other categorized fears:
1) Chickens Causing You Stress?
Alektrophobia is the fear of chickens and fowl in general. No Kentucky Fried Chicken here. Triggers can include “past trauma related to an attack or aggressive behavior by chickens, and… the daily habits and behaviors of chickens.” Treatment for this phobia as with many, can include counseling, systematic desensitization, hypnoanalysis, and medication.
2) Hate Showers?
If you’re afraid of getting in the tub, you may have ablutophobia. This biggie is the persistent fear of washing or bathing. Wikipedia says this phobia is a situationally specific condition, such as happening when someone is trying to kill you in the shower, and that it tends to be more common in children and females than in males.
3) Afraid of being happy?
Some people just don’t want it all. Cherophobia is the fear of experiences that can invoke positive emotions, and the deliberate avoidance of them. I guess it would be scary to suddenly have all your dreams come true and your worries taken away so you can live like a rock star. As Chuck would say, only dread one day at a time.
4) Too Many Colors?
Oh, how Benetton would suffer. Wikipedia defines chromophobia as “a persistent, irrational fear of, or aversion to, colors,” but I can’t believe this phobia even exists. It is said to be a rare and conditioned response, sometimes due to hormonal or psychological associations. A fear of red can be connected to a fear of blood, for example. Or green to a fear of the dancing leprechauns.
5) Trees, Trees and More Trees
Hylophobia-people who choose to live in downtown condos where the living room window is directly in front of a raised highway likely have this. A definite fear of trees and forests.
To be honest, I’m not really sure that hylophobia is a true phobia or simply one fabricated by the wizards of the internets. However, I think I’ve met a few sufferers. Especially when working as a tree planter in Canada’s wild north.
Nothing like some hylophobia hitting you when you’re facing a desolate plot of empty dirt land surrounded by hidden moose and black bears, with some 2000 pine seedlings in your pockets. What fun! Time to get this new forest tucked safely underground before 5pm with only a shovel and a pair of withering boots! A gourmand recipe for great times. Oh, Canada!
6) How About That Wax Museum?
So, onto different things-automatonophobia is the fear of ventriloquist’s dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues and anything else that falsely represents a sentient being. Puppets? Maybe, right? But maybe they have their own category, like, Pinnochophobia-they aren’t EXACTLY like the real deal-could be. Madame Tussaud’s probably wants to be in its own category anyways, far away from the crass lower brow of things like the Muppets and their eerie dark crystals, one would think. But maybe not- maybe it’s one big automaton orgy.
7) The Difficulty With Daisies
And last but not least-sometimes the plants in the back seem to have eyes and look as though they are staring right at you. I’m sure you’ve felt it. A date giving you too many red roses, one date too soon. A lingering bouquet. Nasty carnations: antophobia.
Antophobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of flowers. It’s when you experience not being able to be around too many tulips, a rant of raging roses or a dangerous drove of daffodils. The local florist isn’t a place for get-well-soon gifts anymore. That’s right. Now it’s just a little shop of horrors.
So, those are the phobias. Treatments abound. Have some tea and relax.
Photo credit: Farknot Architect/Shutterstock
