 Hello Psych2Go fam, welcome back to another video. We hope you're staying safe and healthy during these crazy times, and we've always got you back with plenty of videos to keep you company. When does fear become a phobia? The American Psychological Association defines phobias as extreme or irrational fears towards a certain stimulus that is grossly out of proportion to the actual threat at hand. It's when a fear worsens to the point where it starts to hinder our personal, professional, and social functioning, classified as an anxiety-related disorder. Phobias are among the most prevalent psychiatric illness in the world, along with depression and other anxiety disorders. Some phobias are more common than others. To know more, check out our video titled 7 Common Phobias We All Have. But there are actually quite a number of phobias we don't even know existed. Wondering what those phobias are? Here are 7 rare, but very real phobias you might not know about. 1. Allodoxophobia Allodoxophobia is defined as the fear of other people's opinions. It's also linked with the fear of debate, discussions, and confrontations, as well as extreme anxiety and discomfort at discourse and controversy. People who suffer from this phobia do not want to know or hear about the opinions of others, which can be a problem at school, work, and everyday conversations. This phobia is so rare that psychologists are still arguing about whether or not it should even be considered a proper phobia at all, since so people are known to have it. 2. Decidiophobia A specific phobia that often co-occurs with another anxiety disorder. Decidiophobia is the fear of making decisions, and it's extremely rare. Those who suffer from decidiophobia feel panicked and afraid whenever they're asked to choose something because they don't trust themselves enough to make the right decision. As a result, they have a habit of relying on rituals or superstitions to decide, like flipping a coin, consulting their astrology, or asking for signs from the universe about what to do. 3. Nomophobia A modern day affliction, nomophobia refers to the fear of being without one's phone. It's usually characterized by anxiety about not having your phone charged, misplacing it, forgetting it, breaking it, or not being able to check it throughout the day. While 66% of the global population shows signs of nomophobia, only a few are actually serious enough to be considered a clinical case in need of therapy. As you might expect, it's especially common among adolescents to age 13 to 18 years old and was only brought to light in 2013. Before that, it was simply characterized as signs of smartphone dependency and social media addiction. 4. Cotoptrophobia Are you creeped out by the sight of your own reflection? There's a phobia for that, it's called cotoptrophobia, or isoptrophobia, the fear of mirrors. Researchers believe this particular phobia may be rooted in religious beliefs or superstitions, as mirrors often serve as portals for ghosts, spirit, and operations to appear in many urban legends. It's also commonly associated with witchcraft and satanic rituals. Thus, those who suffer from cotoptrophobia avoid mirrors and anything with reflective surfaces at all costs. 5. Chorophobia Chorophobia is the fear of dancing. Those who have this phobia avoid dancing in areas where dancing usually takes place, link ballrooms, clubs, stages, studios, theaters, and so on. Being around people who are dancing or watching them dance on TV can also be a nightmare for them. Chorophobia is closely associated with social anxiety, fear of embarrassment, and low self-esteem. It can also be caused by upbringing. For example, being brought up in a strict household where dancing is prohibited. 6. Oblutophobia Mycophobia, commonly known as germophobia, is one of the most common phobias in the world, so maybe it's not such a surprise that its exact opposite falls on the other end of the spectrum. Oblutophobia. Oblutophobia refers to the fear of cleaning, washing, or bathing oneself. It normally begins in early childhood, while some of us dislike taking baths when we were still little. There are actually the rare few who never grew out of this fear. Because everyone needs to shower and clean themselves regularly, people who have Oblutophobia suffer from poor hygiene, body odor, skin irritation, fungal infections, and a weakened immune system. 7. Ancrophobia Ancrophobia is the very rare and extreme fear of wind. It can refer to a wide variety of air-related fears like the fear of drafts, swallowing air, and even being blown away by strong gusts of wind. People who have ancrophobia try to stay away from doors and open windows as much as possible. They feel anxious around windmills, hand dryers, air conditioners, and overhead air vents. Based on a 2009 study, a possible explanation for this phobia is that those who suffer from it have learned to associate wind with tornadoes, hurricanes, and other wind-related disasters. Were you surprised by most of the phobias listed here? These are just a few uncommon phobias being studied further by psychologists and researchers today. There are more unusual phobias that aren't discussed in this video. If you'd like to know more, let us know in the comments below and we might make a part too. With that said, if you are suffering from a specific phobia of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional today to help ease your fears and better manage your phobias. Lastly, if you find this video interesting, don't forget to like and share. Subscribe to Psych2Go for more psychology videos. Thanks for watching, see you next time.