Fears and Phobias

[megacycle]

I have two fears that just leave me petrified or shaking.

Claustrophobia - An abnormal fear of narrow or enclosed spaces. The less room I have the more fear I feel.

Acrophobia - An abnormal fear of high places. Just the thought of climbing a ladder to get to the roof scares me, I literally can't climb to far up a ladder before I freeze up.

I can ride a roller coaster and ride an elevator just fine. A crowded elevator makes me nervous.It mainly strikes me if I have to climb it and can see how far down the drop is I literally freeze up

and If I'm pinned and can't move my heart races and I panic. I struggle and fight until I can freely move my body again.

What about you all, do you have any fears or phobias you would like to share?

[Joal 555]

Arachnophobia - it's totally irrational (as many phobias are). I know that spiders cannot harm me but I just find them repulsive, the larger the spider, the more repulsive! And especially when they go scuttling across my carpet, ugh!

[Heavy-Chevy]

Arachnophobia - it's totally irrational (as many phobias are). I know that spiders cannot harm me but I just find them repulsive, the larger the spider, the more repulsive! And especially when they go scuttling across my carpet, ugh!

I'm not scared of bugs that much but the only creepy crawlees that get me are those centipedes! EWWWWW!!! I hate those things!

[Chanel_no5]

Silver fish and dragonflies. *shudders*

And coughing. And vomiting. And heights. And crowds. And loud noises. And fire.

Yeah, the only two fears I've ever grown out of are thunder and darkness.

[Jorm]

Deep water, but for the very bizarre reason that I'm afraid I'm going to get swallowed by a whale...

[VoOs]

I used to have an irrational fear of seeing or hearing other people throw up, but that phobia was effectively cured around this time last year. Last summer was the summer I had to Witness it, Deal with it, and Clean it up. Mainly because of friends drinking and being idiots at the same time.

[megacycle]

Thanks for sharing your fears with me, Ouroboros, Chanel_no5, Heavy-Chevy, and Joal 555.

I once had a nightmare that I was stuck at work and all things went to heck. Co-workers not showing up and everything and had to work half a shift by myself.

Then I woke up and lived that nightmare for four hours one day. XD

[megacycle]

Sorry to hear that VoOs. But at least you got over your fear.

Thanks for sharing.

[Natsuko]

Here's something a little different; I am extremely scared of contracting a parasite. The thought of something living inside me and wreaking havoc on my body just... asjdkfjsakljklakl!!! Especially tapeworms, those things DISGUST ME. DX

Going along with this, then, is the thought of becoming pregnant someday. I'm young and I'm not trying to get pregnant or anything, but I mean, a baby lives inside its mother for 9 months, right? It's kinda like a parasite... oh my gosh, that's such a bad thought. XDDD And then there's the entire process of going into labor and giving birth... Let's just say I'm not ready to be a mom.

[Chanel_no5]

but I mean, a baby lives inside its mother for 9 months, right? It's kinda like a parasite...

That is actually exactly how I feel about pregnancy. It just feels so wrong to me, I never want to have babies. No way.

[SneezyHolmes]

Zombies, irrational yes, scary thought ,definitely.

[Dusty15]

Ewww parasites and flesh-eating bacteria and bugs in bodies are all SO GROSS. I'm totally and utterly revolted by that. I'm getting sick just thinking of it!

I also have the horrible fear of holes in bodies. I can't even google the name because I know I'll see those horrible photos...but like unnatural holes in skin, etc with stuff poking out...like those photoshops of boobs with lotus pods....AUGH!!

Otherwise, I hate the feeling of dropping. Just looking at roller coasters and imagining that feeling is a thrill enough for me!

I also really dislike hair not on people's head....like hair on the floor or in the drain. It's so harmless on a head but it seems so gross in the sink! haha

#off to cleanse my brain of horrible things now

[Anonymouse]

Horseshoe crabs. Dead serious. They're so terrible-looking it makes me want to puke.

Also, death. I know that's probably a rational fear and thus not a phobia, but it was actually debilitating for a while.

Deep water, but for the very bizarre reason that I'm afraid I'm going to get swallowed by a whale...

I feel that way too about deep water except I'm scared of snapping turtles getting my feet, because there used to be a lot of them at the lake I swam in as a kid.

Also horseshoe crabs.

but I mean, a baby lives inside its mother for 9 months, right? It's kinda like a parasite...

That is actually exactly how I feel about pregnancy. It just feels so wrong to me, I never want to have babies. No way.

Thank God society gives us the option to not have them.

[tma]

Cockroaches... omg... HATE, HATE, HATE. Thankfully haven't seen one since I was a teen- and was huddled hiding in a shower in a campground because one was outside the shower.

Crowds. I'm not Claustrophobic- I can handle elevators, and MRI/CAT scans- but large cities- the state fair during Labor Day- nope... I get clammy and dizzy, lightheaded, and stomach is off.

Oh... and the Jersey Turnpike- I'm sure that Many, Many place in NYC would do this to me to as far as driving. But I drove on the Turnpike *once*- we stopped for brief stop- not a good idea. I had been white knuckling it- and maybe if we'd have kept going I would have made it, but I got out of the car and had a panic attack. Shivering and soundlessly bawling at the thought of driving more on it. Yes... it is stupid, but... I felt like the biggest idiot ever. My brother picked me up from Hours away so that we got both cars home. He gets the "brother of the decade award" on that one

I looked up the crowd thing- and actually this entire thing really fits.

"Agoraphobia is a condition where the sufferer becomes anxious in environments that are unfamiliar or where he or she perceives that they have little control. Triggers for this anxiety may include wide open spaces, crowds (social anxiety), or traveling (even short distances). Agoraphobia is often, but not always, compounded by a fear of social embarrassment, as the agoraphobic fears the onset of a panic attack and appearing distraught in public. This is also sometimes called 'social agoraphobia' which may be a type of social anxiety disorder also sometimes called "social phobia".`

Ok... everything except- the wide open spaces... unless they have tons of people.

[SterlingSilver]

I don't know if this makes sense: I have a fear of losing control of myself.

Like, if I jump up and scream profanity during a church sermon. Or if I fling myself off a boat or a tall building, to my death. Not that I would FALL, but that I would somehow climb over the railing and commit suicide without wanting to. So I usually keep myself far away from ledges and stuff, if only for that reason x'DDD

I'm also really scared of paranormal stuff. I can't handle scary ghost movies xD

[Jorm]

Deep water, but for the very bizarre reason that I'm afraid I'm going to get swallowed by a whale...

I feel that way too about deep water except I'm scared of snapping turtles getting my feet, because there used to be a lot of them at the lake I swam in as a kid.

Also horseshoe crabs.

At least snapping turtles make sense though, the chances of my encountering a whale at the beach have to be next to 0

Also... horseshoe crabs are adorable.

[Chanel_no5]

This computer is messing with me "for fun". I shall throw it out the window the day I can afford a new. Blaaah!

Anyway. What I was trying to write three times, was that yes AnonyMouse, thank God society is fine with us not having babies... too bad my own relatives are nagging on me to get a few.

[Bubbles]

I have globophobia :-(

I also have that pregnancy problem. Even being close to pregnant people makes me feel a bit icky like I can't breathe etc :-/ It should feel so natural, but it feels so wrong.

[Graham Cracked]

For some reason, veins. The knowledge of the veins in my wrist more-so than anything. I don't know why, but I get into such a whimpering mess when I think about it... .-.

[Kiwifruit]

Arachnophobia - it's totally irrational (as many phobias are). I know that spiders cannot harm me but I just find them repulsive, the larger the spider, the more repulsive! And especially when they go scuttling across my carpet, ugh!

Yup,..this! I HATE spiders SO MUCH. I get hysterical if there's one in my room and I have to deal with it (eg if no one else is home!) I really cannot rationalise it at all...they're just the most ugly, scary little things on the planet and they way they move is so terrifyingly creepy. My utter terrors when I'm looking at them are that 1. They'll get ON me >.< or 2. They'll run away and I won't be able to find them but I'll KNOW it's in my room. I don't want them put outside either, I want them DEAD, or they might come back. Ugghhhhhh.....*shudders*

One of the worst moments in my life was waking up mysteriously at about 4am...not sure what woke me. I half-rolled over and FELT SOMETHING RUN DOWN MY FRONT. I brushed it off and turned on my lamp, and saw the BIGGEST WHITETAIL OF MY LIFE (look them up, such ugly spiders) crawling up the sheets underneath me. I have NEVER got out of bed so fast in my life xD Luckily I had an empty small plastic fruit container on the table next to me, so I grabbed that and slammed it over it (normally I can't get my hands that close, it's like there's a wall blocking me, but the thought of it getting away was scary enough to get me through it xD). It then ran round and round inside in panic, and stretched up to touch the roof of the container while I held it down tightly so it couldn't escape, and ugghhhhh...I sat there for two and a half hours just staring at it, unable to do anything until I heard my dad get up for work, then I called him in to deal with it. For MONTHS after that I slept with the light on and unmade and made my bed each night to double check there were no spiders in it xD

[Lalena]

I'm emetophobic (fear of vomit) although it has gotten *slightly* better as I've gotten older. It's still pretty bad though ... I won't go out to certain bars with certain friends because I am afraid of someone drinking too much and getting sick. I also don't do bachelorette parties for the same reason.

I also have a fear of heights, or more a fear of falling. It's really bad on balconies. I hate it when people I love lean over a railing. Everyone must stand at least a foot away from the railing when I'm around or I will FREAK OUT!

[megacycle]

I don't have a fear of spiders but I seem to always walk into a spider web when mowing the lawn. I always stop in my tracks and frantically start wiping off the part of my body that got hit by the web. Then spend the rest of the day thinking I got a bit of web stuck to me until I bathe or shower.

[March Hare]

I have a most definite fear of an UNSPEAKABLY AWFUL INDISCRIBABLE HORROR. Yes, the Munchkin monster.

No, but seriously, there is nothing specific that I fear... except something that might be lurking somewhere, around a corner in time and/or space. This is why I suck at trying out new things.

Fear of failing, combined with fear of fear itself, I guess I should call it.

[Enkidom]

I'm emetophobic (fear of vomit) although it has gotten *slightly* better as I've gotten older. It's still pretty bad though ... I won't go out to certain bars with certain friends because I am afraid of someone drinking too much and getting sick. I also don't do bachelorette parties for the same reason.

I also have a fear of heights, or more a fear of falling. It's really bad on balconies. I hate it when people I love lean over a railing. Everyone must stand at least a foot away from the railing when I'm around or I will FREAK OUT!

I'm very similar on both phobias. I did once try to confront the falling phobia by doing a bungee jump...I totally froze trying to do it facing outwards, but I was able to facing backwards and wearing a chest harness where I couldn't see the ground. It was the same with abseiling down a building for charity...I had to face away from the ground the entire time. I'm fine with heights as long as I can't see the ground approaching (except on roller-coasters, where I am strapped in).

I'm also afraid of the inability to escape from confined spaces. As long as I know I have an escape route, I am fine, but if I feel trapped, I start really panicking.

[Cauldwell]

Germophobia - which got much better after challenging myself to work in a hospital lab for 6 months

Melissophobia - a fear of bees. Although honestly it's probably more a fear of wasps, I just can't tell the difference between them :S

Spiders and snakes don't bother me at all, even the poisonous ones just make me keep my distance and go "You die now" lol!

I'm also afraid of the inability to escape from confined spaces. As long as I know I have an escape route, I am fine, but if I feel trapped, I start really panicking.

I'd never actually put it into thought or words, but I have this too

I can remember the exact incidents that gave me the last 2 phobias, but I put the germophobia down to learning things about disease before I really could understand it properly. Well that and I get curious about diseases, and even now end up learning more than was really good for me. Wikipedia is not my friend