Some of them are a bit oversimplified. For example, the so-called “fear of long words” is actually specifically supposed to be referring to an anxiety about misspelling or mispronouncing long words, which is a slightly more sensible and relatable phenomenon. Then there apparently some that are just made up, like apparently the palindrome ones.
Nah not really. There’s a bunch of names that were given just for the sake of inventing a names and getting attention. From Wikipedia: >>> Many -phobia lists circulate on the Internet, with words collected from indiscriminate sources, often copying each other. Also, a number of psychiatric websites exist that at the first glance cover a huge number of phobias, but in fact use a standard text to fit any phobia and reuse it for all unusual phobias by merely changing the name. Sometimes it leads to bizarre results, such as suggestions to cure “prostitute phobia”.[2] Such practice is known as content spamming and is used to attract search engines.
An article published in 1897 in American Journal of Psychology noted “the absurd tendency to give Greek names to objects feared (which, as Arndt says, would give us such terms as klopsophobia – fear of thieves, triakaidekaphobia – fear of the number 13…)”.[3]
Anatidaephobia is the phobia of being watched by a duck. The phobia even specifies that the fear is not that the duck will attack, but that it will simply spy on you and it hides from you. Funny enough there is a game by the same name that literally surrounds around hiding from ducks.
Doesnt phobia treatment usually involve some sort of exposure therapy? Call me crazy, but making the name a palindrome itself seems like a clever part of the treatment, as even discussing the phobia would help provide exposure, and work towards a cure. (Assuming it’s a real thing…)
It honestly feels like ableism how often often terms for phobias intentionally trigger them, or speech impediments include the letters/particles which cause the problem.
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