Our intricate brains allow us to enjoy everything it means to be human. But all that complex biological wiring can sometimes lead to strange anxieties that develop into persistent fears, known as phobias.

Phobias are anxiety disorders that make us adamantly avoid certain things we perceive as dangerous. And while it's perfectly normal to fear venomous animals, for example, the great lengths phobia sufferers go to avoid their triggers can be debilitating.

There are two main categories of these disorders: social phobias and specific phobias. The former involves fear of humiliation, like public speaking, while the latter involves particular environments or objects, like deep water or snakes.

Most of the disorders described here fall under the specific phobia umbrella, per the definitions in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

As such, this list is just as much a study of eccentric compound words as it is about strange human anxieties.