World of the Bizarre

Woman is terrified of newspapers

By T.K. Randall
January 28, 2014 ·  20 comments

The peculiar fear is known as Cloephobia. Image Credit: sxc.hu Diane Freelove has had to endure a paralyzing fear of paper-based publications for more than 25 years, attributing her unusual phobia to uncomfortable childhood experiences involving her father playfully hitting her mother on the head with a rolled up newspaper."When I visit a shop, I walk as far away as I can from the newsstand," she says. "I can't go anywhere near someone who has got one and, if they approach me, I freak out." The 49-year-old has even taken to posting a sign on her door to ask paperboys not to deliver to her address.

Known as Cloephobia, a fear of newspapers is quite rare but not unheard of. It isn't clear exactly how it develops, but like many phobias it can cause the sufferer a great deal of distress in their daily life, even if it might sound rather strange to those who aren't afflicted with it.

Source: Metro | Comments (20)

Tags: Newspaper