According to Medical News Today, a phobia is a type of anxiety disorder that causes an individual to experience extreme and irrational fear about a situation, living creature, place, or object.” Although you might have heard a few of them, there are well over 100 phobias and some of them are very strange; so strange that they warrant an explanation. Here’s a list of the weirdest phobias you have never heard of. 

1. Plutophobia

If you’ve never heard of Plutophobia, it doesn’t have anything to do with a dwarf planet in our solar system or a certain Disney dog. Plutophobia is the fear of money, wealth, or rich people. The phobia is named after the Roman god Pluto who happens to be the god of wealth. Much of the scientific community believes that it stems from having low self-esteem or the belief that a person does not deserve success or money. Some also believe that this disorder could arise as a result of feeling like there isn’t enough money to make ends meet. People with plutophobia often feel unworthy when in the presence of successful people and it can lead to depression and difficult social interactions if left untreated. 

2. Globophobia

Globophobia is generally defined as the fear of balloons, but if we’re being specific, it’s associated with the noise a balloon makes when it is popped. For those suffering from globophobia, seeing a person attempting to pop a balloon can induce fear and panic attacks. For some people, just feeling or smelling a balloon can cause the aforementioned symptoms. Globophobia can get so bad that other round inflated objects like bubbles and balls are also triggering. Commonly seen in children, most people overcome the phobia by adulthood. 

3. Pogonophobia

Pogonophobia may be the strangest entry on this list. It comes from the Greek word “pogon,” which means beard and it turns out to be a real condition. People with pogonophobia can experience extreme distress when they look at people with beards or other types of facial hair, so they tend to stay away from mustaches, sideburns, and the likes. Some believe that this specific phobia is linked to a previous traumatic incident with a person who had a beard, while others think that it may stem from associating beards with poor hygiene. 

4. Arithmophobia

Arithmophobia is the fear of numbers, and this is easily the most relatable phobia as many of us may have experienced this at least once in our life. People with arithmophobia feel uneasy, nauseous or distressed when they see numbers. This specific phobia can include the fear of all numbers or a specific number. While it may not seem like a big problem, people with arithmophobia often experience issues when learning and certain professions like accounting and banking are out of the question. It usually develops out of superstition associated with numbers like 13, 666 and 4 in much of Asia. 

5. Agmenophobia

Agmenophobia is the fear that a line (or queue) one joins will be slower than other lines. Having to make the decision of which line to pick can be anxiety inducing and people just have to hope that they’ve picked the right queue. Like many other phobias, the cause of agmenophobia is unknown but some believe that it could be related to the thought of wasting time standing in line. Some also think that it can be induced by not getting to the front first but it’s an easy fix; bringing a partner or friend to stand in line often reduces stress.