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This unusual phobia is mostly triggered by visual or olfactory exposure and can be related to childhood trauma.
Bananaphobia can also treated through certain psychological interventions. (Photo Credits: X)
Sweden’s Gender Equality Minister, Paulina Brandberg, is said to have a “phobia” of bananas which has prompted the administration to follow certain protocols during her official visits. The news was broken by a Swedish outlet Expressen which reportedly got the information from some leaked emails. In those documents, Beandberg’s staff revealed that she had a strong allergy to bananas and that’s why the fruit should be removed from event venues.
Brandberg later addressed the topic during an interaction with Expressen, claiming that she is not allergic to bananas but has a phobia. The symptoms, however, may sometimes seem reminiscent of allergy. According to Brandberg, this condition has made a great impact on her health and she has been undergoing treatment to overcome it.
Earlier in 2020, Brandberg shared a random post about this issue on X (formerly Twitter) with the title– “World’s weirdest phobia of bananas,” the Money Control report claimed. The post, however, has already been taken down from the microblogging platform.
The condition, medically known as “bananaphobia”, may be quite rare but it can lead to severe symptoms. People battling this issue may experience nausea and anxiety when they encounter bananas.
This unusual phobia is mostly triggered by visual or olfactory exposure and can be related to childhood trauma. It can be caused by some other factors which may seem hard to determine. Brandberg’s representatives might have deemed it as “an allergy” so that the event organisers don’t get confused.
Brandberg, however, is not the only known person to have this rare condition. Teresa Carvalho, a Social Democratic MP and legal policy spokesperson, is the one who can also relate to the Swedish minister.
Shedding light on her suffering from the same ailment, Carvalho shared a post on X where she also showed sympathy for Brandberg. “We may have had many tough debates about working conditions, but on this issue, we stand united against a common enemy,” Carvalho wrote.
Similar to any other phobia, “bananaphobia” can also be treated through certain psychological interventions. Patients are recommended to undergo Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which can help them overcome the negative thoughts associated with the fruit.
