The fear of chairs is called Cathedraphobia. This is a sub-branch of general furniture fear called epiplaphobia and characterized by the anxiety towards empty chairs, mainly antiques. It manifests through sweating, shortness of breath, or anxiety.
As with most phobias, the fear of chairs is almost always accompanied by a fear of losing control. Those suffering from a fear of chairs are often afraid they can’t control their reaction in the vicinity of certain chairs. In other cases, just thinking about certain chairs can trigger this fear.
Famous people with a fear of chairs
One of the unknown fears is the fear of chairs. This has been characterized as a division of general furniture fear and it often leads to sufferers seeking treatment from professionals in the form of antidepressants or beta-blockers.
The fear of chairs has been popularized in the mainstream media by Hollywood actors such as Billy Bob Thornton. The US actor once said he doesn’t like to be in a room with antique pieces of furniture such as old chairs, mainly made before the ‘50s. Patrick Fugit is another actor with fear of chairs, particularly when alone in a room.
As other phobias, the fear of chairs is treatable. There is no universally-approved medical treatment for the condition and medical professionals can try out various medication, therapies, and strategies in their efforts of reducing the fear of chairs.