One of the most common mental illnesses in the United States, phobias have the power to rule over people’s lives. These fears can range from common, such as the fear of heights (acrophobia), to quite something quite strange. There are three separate categories of phobias: social phobias, agoraphobia, and specific phobias. These all play a different role amongst individual’s lives, and today, we are going to discuss specific phobias, particularly the most unusual phobias. From the fear of yellow to clowns, thousands of phobias sufferers feel tormented by the most interesting things.

Xanthophobia: Fear of the Color Yellow

It’s strange to think that anyone could fear a simple color, but people who are xanthophobic have an extreme fear of the color yellow. This fear comes from a range of items—the sun, daffodils, yellow crayons, even the word yellow can terrify them.

Lutraphobia: Fear of Otters

How can these sweet creatures scare anyone? It’s simple really—an event, like an attack or bite from an otter, can bring about this phobia. People who have this fear will try to avoid otters, in person or on-screen, at all times.

Globaphobia: Fear of Balloons

According to People Magazine, Oprah Winfrey has this phobia, and she’s not alone in this fear. Globaphobia is the fear of balloons and can range from the fear of seeing balloons to hearing them pop.

Coulrophobia: Fear of Clowns

Haunted farms scare a lot of people for several reasons, and for those who are coulrophobic, the fear of clowns keeps them from visiting. Research found this fear came about in part due to the entertainment industry and their terrifying characters. There’s quite the difference between those who scream in a haunted maze and those who can’t handle the thought of clowns at all.

Nomophobia: Fear of Being Without Cellphones

Probably impacting way more people than any of the others on this list, nomophobia is the fear of being without your cellphone. Often called cell phone addiction, people who have this fear can experience anxiety or panic attacks over losing their phones or going without them for a few hours.

Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to The Roof of Your Mouth

People with this fear aren’t necessarily afraid of peanut butter itself, but instead the thought of it getting stuck to the roof of their mouth. Peanut butter sandwiches are definitely something that this group will not enjoy!

Turophobia: Fear of Cheese

The last fear on our list is that of turophobia—the fear of cheese. Those who are turophobic typically have a traumatic memory or experience, like choking on cheese. Some people may fear a specific type of cheese, while others fear the item altogether—no pizza for them!