Keep reading to learn more about what a phobia is and which ones are more rare.

Specific phobias typically fall into one of four different categories.

This is because virtually any object or situation can become a source of fear.

a therapist handing a glass of water to a patient who is discussing their rare phobia

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In many cases, the only available information is single case studies.

Alektrophobia

What Is Alektrophobia?

Alektrophobia is the fear of chickens or hens.

Specific phobias are often focused on a fear of a certain key in of animal.

Common animal fears typically involve creatures such as snakes, dogs, or insects.

People can also fear an animal that may not seem to pose a serious threat.

While uncommon, the condition may be related to the more common ornithophobia, which involvesthe fear of birds.

Gerascophobia

What Is Gerascophobia?

Gerascophobia refers to the fear of getting older.

Gerascophobiainvolves the fear of aging orgrowing up.

Ambulophobia

What Is Ambulophobia?

Ambulophobia is the fear of walking.

Ambulophobiainvolves a fear of walking.

This mental health condition can lead to serious impairments in a person’s life and ability to function.

Fear of walking tends to be much more common in older adults than in children and younger people.

While rare in younger people, this phobia is more prevalent in older age groups.

Among these participants, women and those over 70 were most likely to be affected.

Emetophobia

What Is Emetophobia?

Emetophobia refers to the fear of vomiting.

Emetophobiais a specific phobia involving intense and persistentfear of vomiting.

Although emetophobia is considered rare, milder forms of the fear of vomiting can still lead to potential problems.

Arachibutyrophobia

What Is Arachibutyrophobia?

Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

Arachibutyrophobiais a rare phobia that involves afear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.

People may experience life-threatening breathing problems due to swelling.

In some cases, they may also developsymptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Spectrophobia

What Is Spectrophobia?

Spectrophobia is thefear of mirrors.

As a result of this fear, people may avoid any situation where they might encounter a mirror.

Decidophobia

What Is Decidophobia?

Decidophobia is the fear of making decisions.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

What Is Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia?

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia refers to a fear of long words.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, also known assesquipedaliophobia, is the name of a rare phobia that involvesa fear of long words.

The exact nature of the fear can vary from one person to the next.

In either case, encountering long words can lead to feelings of anxiety and panic.

In some cases, people with specific phobias mayexperience panic attackswhen they encounter the source of their fear.

Chiclephobia

What Is Chiclephobia?

Chiclephobia is the fear of chewing gum.

Chiclephobiais a rare phobia that involves afear of chewing gum.

Phobophobia

What Is Phobophobia?

Phobophobia is a fear of phobias.

One of the most uncommon phobias involves a severefear of phobias.

Symptoms associated withphobophobiainclude those that are common to other specific phobias.

This includes physical feelings of fear such as chills, sweating, and rapid heartbeat.

It may also include avoidance of any situation that might produce feelings of fear or anxiety.

Technology-assisted treatment, such asvirtual exposure therapy, can also be effective.

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National Institute of Mental Health.Specific phobia.

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Cleveland Clinic.Anaphylaxis.

2014 Sep 11;16(5):10.4088/PCC.14l01636.

Cleveland Clinic.Phobophobia (fear of fear).