Irrational fears are said to be a byproduct of both genetic and environmental factors. According to Dr. Katherina Hauner of Northwestern University, it’s a maladaptive response that affects 9% of Americans in their lifetime. 

In her interview with Scientific American, she noted that such fears could develop from a frightening event where a person has no control, even if they just witnessed it. 

“For instance, watching a devastating airplane crash on the news may trigger a fear of flying. That said, discerning the origin of the disorder can be difficult because people tend to do a poor job of identifying the source of their fears.”

There’s also instructional fear acquisition, which neuroscientist Dean Burnett explained in his article on The Guardian website. It’s the kind of fear we develop after watching a horror film that leads to three sleepless nights in a row. 

“Certain horror films are particularly good at this, presenting everyday things like birds as things to be feared, associations which stay with people for a long time,” Dr. Burnett explains. “The Final Destination series is particularly cruel in that it tries to make people terrified of ‘not dying.’”

Dr. Burnett also pointed out that humans have evolved to acquire phobias, especially against predators. He mentioned studies showing that primates develop a fear of snakes much quicker than other stimuli. 

“If you’re evolving in an environment where snakes are a genuine but subtle threat, this tendency would help no doubt. It might explain the spider thing (arachnophobia) too.”

According to Dr. Burnett, sufferers of irrational fears and phobias are fully aware of what they’re dealing with. And because it involves multiple brain regions, the condition becomes more complex to handle. 

“You can’t simply make someone encounter the thing they’re afraid of to show them it’s harmless,” he explained. “As far as the brain is concerned, the fear response IS a negative physical consequence, so on a subconscious level, the phobia is self-fulfilling.”

Research suggests that irrational fears may feed underlying anxiety. Some of the disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. 

The research also pointed out that these anxieties usually pose little to zero threat to the person. It states, “Many people living with anxiety know their fears are irrational, but certain thoughts and situations still set off a flight, fight, or freeze response.”

Outside the common phobias are some rare, weird ones you likely haven’t heard of. One example is arachibutyrophobia, the fear of having peanut butter stuck to the roof of one’s mouth. 

Nomophobia is a fear of not having your mobile phone on you. Developed at the dawn of the digital age, it’s a phobia that 66% of the world’s population suffers from.

Money may be a necessity for many people, but some actually fear it. This condition is called plutophobia, and people who suffer from it either fear wealthy people or fear becoming rich themselves. 

Optophobia is a fear of opening one’s eyes, and it can be crippling. People who suffer from it cannot live normal lives and would rather spend most of their days indoors or in a dimly lit area.

People who fear balloons suffer from globophobia. Their fear levels vary, but it commonly manifests among children during birthday parties. 

If you fear long words, you may have hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Otherwise known as sesquipedalophobia, it is common among people with dyslexia and those who don’t enjoy reading out loud.

So what is the best way to combat irrational fears? Dr. Hauner suggests exposure therapy, a form of cognitive behavior therapy deemed the most effective treatment for anxieties and phobias. 

“During exposure therapy, a person engages with the particular fear to help diminish and ultimately overcome it over time. An individual might, for example, look at a photograph of the dreaded object or become immersed in the situation he or she loathes.”

How about you, dear pandas? What are some of your irrational fears? Share them in the comments!