A phobia can be loosely defined as an extreme fear of something. While most of us can say we're afraid of common things like heights, a phobia is a much more intense fear that can cause panic attacks and other real physical symptoms.
Most phobias are related to a traumatic event, an embarrassing situation in the past or a condition that makes someone hypersensitive to certain things. There's a common list of phobias you've probably heard of, but the ones below are downright bizarre: