In the early days ofMaury,talk show host Maury Povich brought on a wide variety of guests. Serial cheaters, married siblings, and a woman who found out her partner was cheating because she found a tooth in her bed have all been on the show. One of the most memorable moments was a woman who had a fear of cotton balls. That’s right - the guest was terrified of cotton and cotton balls after a traumatic time in the hospital as a young child....

I’m sure we have all felt a tad bit overwhelmed in large crowds, perhaps at concert with thousands of people all squished together or maybe during black Friday when everyone is out at malls trying to get the best deals. The feeling of so many bodies pressed up against each other, in some ways so close it becomes difficult to breath. For some, the idea of being anywhere near a situation like the one just described is horrifying and provokes many feelings of fear and danger....

Trying something new is scary. There’s a lot that can go right, but there’s also a lot that can go wrong. Knowing this, you might try to prepare before trying something new, psyche yourself up, or ask for advice. But if the fear of failure prevents you from trying anything new, or holds you back from living your life, you might not just be uncomfortable with new experiences. You may be experiencing atychiphobia....

Do you know when the next Friday the 13th is? They always seem to sneak up on us! Most Gregorian calendar years experience two or three Friday the 13th each month. In 2020, you might remember that COVID-19 was declared a National Emergency on a Friday the 13th. For many, this was the “start” of lockdowns and the pandemic that changed our lives as we know it. Many people dreaded Friday the 13th before 2020....

We all may have a general dislike for being dirty or of germs, but for some even the possibility of encountering germs or something contaminated can create immense distress. Recent events have made many individuals overtly cautious of germs, becoming sick and contaminated, but for some individuals they have been living with this fear already. Mysophobia (also known as Germaphobia) is the irrational and extreme fear of germs, dirt, and contamination....

I’m sure we have all tried getting a bit of “spring cleaning” done every so often in hopes of decluttering our homes or personal spaces, and we come across a few belongings that have no particular use, but we still find a reason to keep them. Maybe the item has some special memory attached to it. Perhaps, it is so old and insignificant that you don’t really know why you have it....

Were you ever afraid of the dark as a child? It’s okay to say if you were! A lot of children did not like to sleep alone at night. Every creak in the floorboards or whoosh of the wind sent them intofight-or-flight mode, and that’s completely okay. The ‘fight-or-flight’ response is our body’s primal reaction to perceived danger, preparing us either to confront the threat (‘fight’) or to avoid it (‘flight’)....

Maybe in your childhood you dreamed of the day you would be older, an adult, and be able to do all the things an adult or older person can do. For many people, growing older is something we can’t wait for and are excited about. It could be because of the things one is able to do when they are older like drive a car, go out with friends without supervision, and a number of other activities, but would you believe me when I say there are some individuals who fear getting old?...

Kristen Wiig inBridesmaids.Amy Schumer inTrainwreck.Bruce Willis inThe Kid.There are plenty of movies about commitment phobes. You might know a few people like this in your real life. All their lives, they fail to commit to one person, sabotaging relationships and preferring to be alone. But are these people total jerks, or do they have philophobia? Philophobia isn’t a fear of commitment, but the effects of this fear are pretty similar. With a proper understanding of what causes philophobia and theories in psychology about attachment, a “commitment-phobe” may get their happily ever after, just like in the movies....

When was the last time you rode a roller coaster? Did you have fun? Did you scream? Or did you vow to never go on a roller coaster ever again? If you have a fear of roller coasters, your experience probably wasn’t as fun as the thrill-seekers in your life. Having a fear of roller coasters is common, but it can be frustrating when you chaperone trips to amusement parks or check out thrill rides with your friends....

Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…. Can you hear the theme song from “Jaws” in your head? Even if you’ve never seen this Hollywood blockbuster, “Jaws” has probably made an impact on you. Many people can trace their fear of sharks directly back to this movie! What is galeophobia? How common is it? And can you overcome it to become a fearless swimmer and surfer?...

There is something unnerving about the dark. We can’t see what is around us, if something is lurking out in the darkness watching us. All things that can be described as unsettling, as something to be scared of. Many of us have at some point feared what goes bump in the night, and for some that fear can still be very real. Nyctophobia is the irrational fear of the night or dark; a fear so intense that it interferes with one’s daily life and sleep patterns....

There are few things more exhilarating than watching a boxing game. The two fighters have very little to protect them in the ring. It’s definitely dangerous, and if you’re a fan of the sport you’ve probably seen some crazy knockouts in your time. The wrong (or right) punch sends a boxer down to the ground, and you just know they lost consciousness. Is this good for their brains? No. But what exactly happens when they get knocked out?...