Google Images
I was just looking over my posts about our trip and was struck by the fact that I blogged about two major phobias of mine — water and dark confined spaces. I’ve also blogged about my extreme aversion to snakes in the past too.
It occurred to me that three pretty big phobias sounds like a lot for one person to have and I’m wondering if that’s normal or not. On the other hand, there are other things that I’m not wild about — heights, for example — that I just push through and deal with without any huge problems.
So I’m curious — if you feel like sharing with the class — how many of you have serious phobias that could cause you freeze up or freak out, how many of them do you have, and what are they?
`
Birds. Can’t stand them. They’re small and twitch. With wings and all these tiny bones. And their eyes!!! And beak. Yuck.
I’m claustrophobic – probably pretty mildly so, but I can’t even stand being so close to something that the air I breathe in is warm (like my own breath being breathed back in). That makes cuddling with my husband difficult sometimes because I have to fidget until I’m positioned so that my mouth and nose get totally cool, fresh air. Really packed subway cars or elevators make me start to feel faint. There are other things that make me somewhat uncomfortable, but that’s the only thing that seems to really make me physically panicky.
I am with commenter Jen. Claustrophobic, with the needing fresh air bit. My anxiety level shoots up when the area around my nose is covered especially. This didn’t appear until about 17 years ago when my kids were small and buried me under some couch cushions. I panicked and shot out from under, scaring my kids to death
Packed elevators and such make me panicky too. I am scared of open heights, but that seems more practical and less odd to me.
Sharks, first and foremost. And recently, I’ve noticed a bit of claustrophobia sneaking in. I start to feel like I can’t breathe (although clearly there’s enough air) when I feel closed in (by walls or even people). Like you, I’m not crazy about heights, but I can deal with them.
Phobia-free, but a raging hypochondriac…
Jen,
I don’t know if it’s a phobia exactly, but I know I was out-of-my-mind panicky when I was hiking last week. We were at a point where I was totally exhausted and realized that I didn’t exactly know where the top was. I looked up at this steep expanse of rock that I had to try and get up and over, and I just freaked out. Thank GOD my younger son was with me, because my part-mountain goat older son had both my water and cell phone and was nowhere to be seen. I pushed through it, but man did that suck.
I also completely lose it if I ever have to encounter slugs, maggots or cockroaches. UGH.
Heights–open areas are terrifying. Behind glass is also scary.
Snakes out in the open but fascinating behind glass.
Traffic circles in DC
Knives and guns
Death
Very interesting to read the women who have to have unimpeded fresh by their noses – me, too! I don’t want to feel the warm air I breathe out, I want cool sweet fresh air. Maybe we’re all a little nutty. But no real phobias I can think of.
SERIOUSLY claustrophobic here. I get panic attacks just reading or thinking about tight spaces. Really dislike heights, too but can muscle through if I must.
Loose teeth. Hearing about them, seeing them, thinking about them…going to go find a corner to twitch & convulse in.
I don’t know if it’s a phobia, but I can’t handle watching medical procedures –even just blood being drawn from someone. I’ve almost fainted watching a simple blood draw, and watching a recorded medical procedure, even if there is a cloth all around it so you can’t hardly tell if it’s a body part, my toes start to curl up and I get all shivery. Heck, even talking about medical procedures makes me feel that way. After I decided to go forward with the hip replacement, I totally freaked myself out one night while lying in bed and thinking about what they actually have to do.
I’d make a really bad nurse or doctor!
Well, it’s weird, but it’s true. I’m a nurse (haven’t worked in the medical field since 1992–job change, never went back to nsg.) and of course, I could handle watching/participating in ANY medical procedure. Lately? Can’t watch any, not a single one, (mostly t.v) without turning away. Physically, turning my face away from the screen. Animals stuff? Can’t totally watch. Weird about this is, it was the opposite, when I chose people nursing over animal nursing, in 1983….can’t fathom what happened in my brain switchola.
I used to have a thing about needles. Having two kids has nearly cured me of that. I just won’t watch them go in me…I haven’t passed out lately, but have in the past. But I can watch anyone else getting poked now without squirming.
Other than that…I’ve got nothing. Love heights (parachuting is totally on my bucket list), closed spaces are cuddly, my mother has always sworn I’m part fish, and bugs (including spiders) are fun, funky, and funny. Snakes are, um, bizarre, but if they give my my space I’ll give them theirs. I’m not going to go chase one and catch it or keep one as a pet, but I like that they eat all the vermin in my yard.
The Dark. I hate hate HATE the dark. I won’t get up to go to the bathroom in the night, it takes all my courage to go comfort a crying child in the middle of the night, and if I wake up suddenly from a dream, I cannot roll over, because I’m convinced someone is waiting for me to wake up to attack me. If I don’t show taht I’m awake, I’ll stay alive. I’ve already left laundry on the line overnight because going out in the backyard in the dark is too much for me. I also don’t like closed showercurtains…when you’re…indisposed…in the restroom, behind the shower curtain is always the perfect place for someone to be hiding, ready to attack. You’re never more vulnerable than when using the restroom. Literally stuck with your pants down.
Spiders…YIKES…maybe because my sis got bit by a brown recluse and had to have a total body blood transfusion … creepy, crawly. . .
I don’t have any raging phobias, but lots of dislikes and things that make me super uncomfortable. Things I could probably muscle thru if needed, but that I might avoid. Flying, open water, claustrophobia, snakes, death.
Yeah, I’d like to avoid death.
ps. I also don’t like big bugs. Went to Flamingo Gardens in FL and were having a terrific afternoon, until we looked up in the trees and they were harboring huge spiders in webs. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Well, whatever else I am, I’m highly susceptible to suggestion. I shouldn’t have read any of the above comments.
I’ve developed a bridge phobia as I’ve gotten older. I can muscle through it (keep your eyes on the pavement in front of you, don’t look to the side), but it is not fun. And MUCH WORSE when the children are in the car…
Heights have always been hard for me, but that has gotten worse also.
Extemely claustrophobic. Going to the dentist is a nightmare if I have to be in the chair with their hands in my mouth for very long. It’s also why I don’t do caves and swim underwater. Also furry rodents…can’t even stand to see them on tv or in a book. Heights to some degree but not as bad as the others. You are your mother’s daughter!
I don’t have any real phobias, although add me to the list of those who greatly dislike having their faces covered. A number of years ago I had a small cyst removed from my lip. The doctor put a small drape over my face during the procedure and I got cold, sweaty, lightheaded, and nauseated and kept thinking “TAKE THIS THING OFF MY FACE!!!!” even though there was a hole plenty big enough for my nose and mouth. I powered through it and the reaction subsided as soon as the drape was removed. I’ve never liked having my head under the covers. I don’t have any problem with putting my head under water, though.
June bugs creep me way out but I wouldn’t call it a phobia OK, I guess I should. Yuck, icky, shudder, gross. Other bugs don’t bother me (heck, I took Insect Biology last semester) but june bugs are completely gross.
Birds….ewww.
Claustrophopia. I can do elevators but airplanes when everyone stands up make me crazy. I have to be able to see to the front of the line then I am okay. Thinking about it makes me freak a bit.
Afraid of the dark. Sleep with the TV on every night.
Long bridges used to bug me but have conquered that one for the most part.
I have both a bridge and windy mountain road phobia–if someone else is driving and it’s a long trip, I’ll actually take a Xanax. However I can muscle through (as SC said) if need be. Slight fear of heights that I never used to have.
Caves, heights, crowds.
None, really, I think. I used to be totally fearless about heights and now I feel a little fluttery about them, but not phobic. I have no fears about bugs or animals – at least, not unreasonable fears though I have a healthy caution about big carnivorous animals. I haven’t been around hospitals or medical procedures enough to feel anything about it.
As a child I was terrified by the thought of fire – my house on fire or being trapped in a fire. When our car caught on fire last summer and would have burned our house down if not for the firefighters, I was panicky, with this intense yearning for the flames to be extinguished – I was so afraid that they just wouldn’t stop. I was transfixed by the fire. I’m embarrassed to recall that I almost forgot about rescuing the dog – almost. Fortunately I did remember and go get him.
I am petrified of being in an uncontrolled water situation: too deep and too far from the edge of the pool, being pushed under (my brothers would do this to me in normal horseplay fashion and I would FREAK), being pushed into a pool… and that is just the pool! I can go into a lake, river, or ocean but I need to be able to stand securely on the bottom with my entire head and shoulders (and preferably more of my body) out of the water. A year ago, my husband insisted I get out of the raft and swim in the warm, calm, slow-flowing river. I nearly had a panic attack as I swam clumsily toward the shore and waded out of the river on the slippery rocks. I’d never really thought of it as a phobia, but now that you’ve got me considering this, I think it IS a phobia.
I also begin to feel like I am suffocating if I don’t have fresh air blowing on me in the car. My husband tends to close the vents and/or turn the control knob to the “off” position, but it only takes me about 100 seconds to notice that I’m having trouble breathing. I’m so glad to read that others need fresh air, too!
Not really a phobia, but I’m very fearful of my house catching on fire. I’ve also had some panicky moments driving over tall bridges–and I grew up in an area full of tall bridges and was never scared until some time in my twenties. You can actually hire someone to drive you across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge if you can’t do it yourself. Also fearful of very long elevator rides. It’s not claustrophobia so much as a fear that the elevator cable will fail.
Claustrophobia. Mice. Bathroom germs.
I have quite a bad fear of heights which I battle with. You’ll have seen my most recent fb profile picture of me rock climbing? That’s me facing my fears. The next day I was signed up for a high ropes course- I had a panic attack at the top of a telegraph pole and had to come down.
I can no longer swim in the open sea despite being a strong, confident swimmer and qualified lifeguard. I got caught in a rip in Corfu and about 6 months later was in the sea snorkelling and looked round and the boat had moved. Cue panic attack in the middle of the Indian ocean…
I also don’t like the dark very much (I’ve been known to stay downstairs during a powercut cos it’s too dark upstairs!) & I’m not a huge fan of small spaces. Gosh. I’m quite a lunatic!