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Fun Stuff => CHATTER => Topic started by: Patrick on 09 Dec 2007, 07:08

Title: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 09 Dec 2007, 07:08
Discuss your phobias, provide suggestions on how to get over them, etc.

If this becomes a list thread with a "Mine is more debilitating than yours" overtones, I will explode.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: öde on 09 Dec 2007, 07:20
We already had a phobia thread like last month.

My phobia is being raped by the big black guy on the bus who told me he was a rapist and went to prison for four years. But not really because he's a lying kid.

I turn my fear into hate. Fuck insects! (not in a sexy way).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 09 Dec 2007, 07:34
Where do I start? I'm scared of everything. Honestly, I'm not sure how I manage to leave to house. I predict I'll be agoraphobic in a few years.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 09 Dec 2007, 07:35
yeah, i recall this thread. ah well!
i am really terrified of molasses, cars and mold. there isn't really a way to get over these things. cars is a really tough one because it's something that is always going to be a part of my life. i never got my driver's license until very recently, and until then sort of let people laugh and think it was laziness when really i have just been absolutely terrified of them for as long as i can remember. i drove a car for the first time a few weeks ago and had probably the biggest panic attack of my life because i become absolutely convinced i would kill someone. in all honesty, though, i will vehemently argue against anyone who challenges me that being afraid of cars is WAY more rational than spiders or heights or dying or whatever. people die in car accidents all the time. they move really fast. they're heavy. it's fucking scary stuff. i guess with time my fear of cars will become easier and easier to deal with but i still aim to make them as small a part of my life as possible.
mold and molasses are somewhat easier to handle. i avoid mold by keeping my kitchen clean. i avoid molasses by staying the fuck away from molasses.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 09 Dec 2007, 07:36
^ Actually, I hate cars too. Driving is fucking terrifying.

And why are you afraid of molasses?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 09 Dec 2007, 09:07
We already had a phobia thread like last month.

*shrug*

I am terrified of cars too. This may or may not be directly related to the fact that I nearly get run over every day.

I don't even leave my house every day and the damn things almost nail me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Darkbluerabbit on 09 Dec 2007, 10:13
People who are afraid of cars are just sensible, and a refreshing departure from the SUV mentality. "The roads out there are dangerous so by golly I'm gonna have the biggest fucking vehicle I can so I come out on top in a crash."  I am far too nonchalant about cars, and tend to walk right in front of traffic provided I have any pedestrian right of way.  Legally, they should stop, but they don't always, so I should really be more careful.

I have no fear.  I do not especially care for those creepy basement lurking centipedes, but they don't send me into a panic. 
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 09 Dec 2007, 10:50
i know two different people who have actually been hit by cars, while not in a car themselves, because said cars didn't stop even though they as the pedestrian had the right of way. they are both okay now but spent a considerable amount of time in hospital recovering from bruises/broken bones/head trauma/etc. IT'S REALLY FUCKING SCARY I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MORE PEOPLE DON'T LIVE IN FEAR OF MOVING VEHICLES (although i do appreciate the amount of people posting here who agree with me, seriously you have no idea how much of a weirdo other people make me feel like for being terrified of something that is a pretty normal part of modern society. or maybe you do.)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 09 Dec 2007, 10:54
 I got hit by a car at a slow speed and believe me, it hurts. Also I have a fear of falling, not of heights, necessarily, but of high places where I am not safe from falling, and have either nothing supporting me (plane) or must hold myself up (tree).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Eli on 09 Dec 2007, 11:04
The dark, seriously. I sleep with a lamp on at night and don't go outside after twilight. And the funny thing is, this just started a couple of years ago. I used to need complete darkness to sleep. Maybe it's because I got the internet and stupidly watched screamers sent to me as pranks? I offered to go out to the barn with my boyfriend to help with the animals. I made him take a huge flashlight and I clutched his arm every step of the way there and back.

I don't have a phobia, but I don't like spider. My boyfriend has a real phobia of them. He won't even look at pictures and if you crawl your hand up his back, he freaks out. That's how I know it's real love when he kills them when we see them in my bedroom. But then he promptly goes in convulsions.

After reading 1984, seeing large quantities of rats or mice make me run away in fear.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 09 Dec 2007, 11:11
Cutting myself on coral, large spiders, drowning, anything involving my fingernails/toenails being removed. Basic stuff, really.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: I is Grammar on 09 Dec 2007, 11:21
I'm not afraid of large spiders.  In fact, I think they are pretty damn awesome.  It's the small spiders that scare the bejeezus out of me.  They look like they could hide anywhere and creep into your clothes or shoes at any point and you would never know it.  Eughhhh....
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Storm Rider on 09 Dec 2007, 12:16
I think I've mentioned it before, but I really hate needles. Hatehatehatehatehate them. I know that I really should be donating blood now that I'm old enough, but I just can't get over the thought of those goddamn needles. Going in for vaccinations is bad enough.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tom on 09 Dec 2007, 12:18
Well, its good to know that I'm not the only one scared of cars. I'm not actually afraid of spiders or snakes, it's just getting bitten by them that scares me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 09 Dec 2007, 12:28
(although i do appreciate the amount of people posting here who agree with me, seriously you have no idea how much of a weirdo other people make me feel like for being terrified of something that is a pretty normal part of modern society. or maybe you do.)

Being hit by a car travelling at 60mph is like falling off a 12-story building. The maximum distance somebody is able to fall without dying is about 3 stories.

THE MORE YOU KNOW...
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tom on 09 Dec 2007, 12:29
the safer you don't feel
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: imapiratearg on 09 Dec 2007, 12:42
I think I've mentioned it before, but I really hate needles. Hatehatehatehatehate them. I know that I really should be donating blood now that I'm old enough, but I just can't get over the thought of those goddamn needles. Going in for vaccinations is bad enough.

Donating blood sucks.  I did it once and I nearly passed out.  Granted, I hadn't eaten anything all day, and only had a cup of coffee in my system (go me!).  I will probably do it again someday, when I can get over the discomfort of it.

I don't think I have any phobias, so much as paranoia.  I always feel like I"m being watched, or some serial killer is going to break into my house at night and kill my whole family in front of me, or I'll fail to protect them or something, and then I'll die.  I don't like walking in dark places in town at night, because I always think some drugged up moron wielding a knife or broken bottle will jump me and murder me.

So...yeah.  Paranoid is me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: thegreatbuddha on 09 Dec 2007, 13:01
And why are you afraid of molasses?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boston_Molasses_Disaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boston_Molasses_Disaster)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 09 Dec 2007, 13:04
I fucking hate bats.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BrittanyMarie on 09 Dec 2007, 13:30
Last night I threw up twice due to one medium-sized spider. I did kill it though, and called my mom afterwards to brag that I did it by myself. Normally I just stare at it until it moves out of sight.

The only way to really get over a fear of stuff like that is to deal with it head-on; I was in the science museum in Minneapolis and got to pet a tarantula and it actually really helped.

(I also agree that a fear of cars is way more rational than spiders or something; same with that fear of falling mentioned above)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Gemmwah on 09 Dec 2007, 15:35
Spiders. Hate every single last one of the bastard things. You will never get me to stand close to a spider with knowledge of it. I burst into tears at a faire once because there was tarantula in a cage about 10 feet away from me. The act before me. I had to pass it to get on stage. Well, until the guy who took it realised i was having a panic attack not too far away and took it straight from the stage to his van. They make me so scared that I am physically sick. I cannot stand them and even just thinking about them makes my skin crawl.

Pigeons. Horrible disease filled birds that are everywhere. I mean seriously, they live in every city, areabout as common as rats and can fly. How these things don't freak the fuck out of everyone else in the world is beyond me, they're filthy, they shit everywhere, noisy, and chase me. Do. Not. Want.

And finally. Sheep. I would not last long in New Zealand or Wales, that's for sure. Even watching them through a car or train window gives me the willies. I can't stand them. They're clouds with legs, but they're on the ground. They always look like they're plotting something and i really don't want to be around when their plan finally goes into action. They're ghastly. I think it's the most irrational fear out of all the ones  I have, and to be honest I don't care.  I can't eat lamb, and I can't wear wool because both bring me out in hives because I have such a freak out. I hate sheep.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tehz on 09 Dec 2007, 15:41
I used to really like spiders, but not anymore. I can't completely describe why, but they just irk the shit out of me now.

I also hate looking in the mirror/out of windows when it's late in the night or when I'm home by myself. With mirrors, I always expect someone to be standing behind me, and with windows, I always expect for like, a face or a pair of eyes or something like that to appear.

Honestly, I'm afraid of a lot of things, but I'd rather not go into details about some of them.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jodizzle on 09 Dec 2007, 15:45
Cars for me too. Well realy not so much cars but driving.  This is why I do not even have my learners yet and I'm very soon to be 21.  I think I hould try to go for it soon though, because alot of jobs need you to be able to drive as a pre-requisite.

Also, clowns. I know it's an obvious one but goddamn those sons of bitches are scary!
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: I is Grammar on 09 Dec 2007, 16:11
Clowns are probably the scariest things on the face of the planet.  Ugh, I get nauseated just thinking about them.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: IronOxide on 09 Dec 2007, 16:29
I have a thing about Cancer. No seriously, in lengthened conversations about it I get uncomfortable, feel ill, and sometimes pass out. I'm not sure what it is, I kind of feel this way about most medical-type things, but cancer in particular really gets me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 09 Dec 2007, 16:31
My fears are silly. Needles(i'm afraid they will break off, flow through my blood stream, and stab me in the hearts), cotton balls(they make my skin crawl. I can't even explain it. I don't want to think about them), flying(I am convinced something will go wrong. Always).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Chrasstor on 09 Dec 2007, 16:33
I tried to find that one quote from the Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers movie, where that one princess girl is all, "I don't fear death, I fear being caged or whatever..." and then Aragorn is like "You're a princess, that shit aint gon' happen."..

Oh well.

I don't like spiders. So, I guess I have slight arachnophobia. I still kill them when I see them though-it's just a slight "Oh fuck, it's a spider!", then I squish it;sometimes even with bare-hands.

Oh yeah, and I have a slight phobia of midgets and blatantly opened homosexuals who I don't know. I don't know where the midget thing comes from, but I think the homophobia links back to when my mother told me about molesters and my best-friend's brother came out of the closet and was hardcore-gay around me all the time. I was like 7, I'm okay with my sexuality and stuff, so it's not that... Like, on the internet, or anywhere that isn't face to face I'm fine with talking to them, but I just get nervous around gay guys in person.

I have no problem with homosexuals except that they kind of make me nervous when I'm around them. Oh man, I never want to meet a hard-gay midget.

PS- By midgets I mean people with dwarfism, not short people.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 09 Dec 2007, 16:43
I don't feel like my fears are so silly now.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 09 Dec 2007, 16:45
I hope no one freaks out on Chrasstor though. I mean, he's only being honest.


I'm afraid of the mentally disabled. Well, not really afraid. I'm just really awkward around them, I have no clue why.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 09 Dec 2007, 16:48
(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/Blackguy.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/Clown-3.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/molasses.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/NeedleThruArm.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/Bat.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/ScaryCar.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/Spider.jpg)

(http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c213/hey_there_fatty/Hardgaymidget.jpg)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jodizzle on 09 Dec 2007, 16:51
fuck you and the clowns!

I scrolled down and nearly cried.  I now hate you.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 09 Dec 2007, 16:53
That leather daddy dwarf probably gave Chrasstor a heart attack.

Also, getting stabbed in the eyes freaks me out. I can't wear contacts because I'm too afraid of touching my eye. Battle Royale (the book) is freaking me out because nearly everyone is getting their eyes gouged out.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jodizzle on 09 Dec 2007, 16:53
Mollasses actually.  But that doesnt look like mollasses to me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KvP on 09 Dec 2007, 16:54
I don't get clown fear. Is it the fake smile? Bad experiences at a circus? Being told that clowns are scary?

I can't abide by wasps and other stinging insects. Not at all. Fuck wasps.

And can I really say I have a phobia if I'm alright while looking at pictures? It seems like a lot of people here can get freaked out by the mere mention or displayed image of their phobia. I'm fine if I see a picture of a wasp, but if I know there's one in close proximity to me I either freeze up or drop everything I'm carrying and run for the nearest safe place while screaming at the top of my lungs.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: beat mouse on 09 Dec 2007, 16:54
there is a late 80s camaro that some crazy as fuck housewife drives her kids to school in. when i was in grade 12 i would walk to school every morning at around the same time and this crazy red camaro driving lady would race in and out of intensely slow traffic and fly around the corner of the busiest intersection on this half of town, with not one, but THREE schools on that block. on two separate occasions she did this while i was crossing the street and ended up on her hood as she was driving around the corner. so, housewives with camaros who should not be driving and i hate. that is what i am afraid of.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Chrasstor on 09 Dec 2007, 16:54
I hope no one freaks out on Chrasstor though. I mean, he's only being honest.
I can't see why they would. Though I'm being honest, I'm also not saying that it's really a 'phobia' per se. Like, I don't see a gay guy or little person and freeze up... It's just, I get really nervous and start sweating and stuff if I'm around one.

Usually, if I talk to the gay guy or something I have no problem with them... But like, it's kind of like the anxiety you get when just meeting someone, except multiplied by 10.

As for 'people with dwarfism'/'midgets'/'little people', I don't know what that's about... I'm sure I could become friends with one, but I get worrisome when I see one around.

EDIT: Those shots didn't work for me. It's more a thing of contact, I think.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 09 Dec 2007, 16:55
Oh.my.god. That needle. My hand went right up to my eyes as soon as I saw it. I had them covered as I scrolled past the rest.



ETA: Chrasstor, don't feel bad. I once worked with a lady who was so afraid of midgets, that once one when a family of midgets came into our store she hide in the refrigerator until they left.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jodizzle on 09 Dec 2007, 16:58
My clown fear stems from reading Stephen Kings IT when I was about 7.  And also i had a Ronald McDonald doona cover set.

For me it's the not being able to see their face properly.  I am also scared of strangers in masks/animal suits, but clowns mostly.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 09 Dec 2007, 17:00
Dude, Poltergeist. That clown toy was fucking scary.

Also, I was afraid of Shelley Duvall for a while. Mainly because she was fugly.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Liz on 09 Dec 2007, 17:07
I think I've mentioned it before, but I really hate needles. Hatehatehatehatehate them. I know that I really should be donating blood now that I'm old enough, but I just can't get over the thought of those goddamn needles. Going in for vaccinations is bad enough.

I second this.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Chrasstor on 09 Dec 2007, 17:19
I'm also kind of afraid of meeting people for the first time. Basically, I just don't say anything, and if I do, I stammer like a doofus or say things that normally I wouldn't say. I also don't like big gatherings without alcohol. For an example, I don't enjoy going to Hockey games or big public outings because I get dazed and actually get some of the afore-mentioned 'meeting someone for first time' symptoms.

It depends though, that's why I didn't initially put these. Sometimes I'll act normal when meeting someone the first time, or even crack jokes when I have an opening. Usually it's when I'm meeting somebody that I like will I freeze up. Like if it's a guy that I think is pretty cool in a non-douchey way, or if it's a girl that I think is attractive etc.

Actually, that's probably normal.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ampersandwitch on 09 Dec 2007, 17:22
Similarly, I am afraid of people pointing sharp objects at me, large gaping chasms, and large feral things with pointy teeth.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Chrasstor on 09 Dec 2007, 17:29
You guys don't understand me.

:'(
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: LordNagash on 09 Dec 2007, 17:38
I think I've mentioned it before, but I really hate needles. Hatehatehatehatehate them. I know that I really should be donating blood now that I'm old enough, but I just can't get over the thought of those goddamn needles. Going in for vaccinations is bad enough.

I second this.

I am not really afraid of needles, I just have a bad reaction to them. My arm gets sore for a week after the shot. At the height of it I can barely move the arm, like I lifted too much.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 09 Dec 2007, 17:39
I used to be afraid of needles, but after having to have my blood taken month after month for some medication I lost it

sadly I can't actually give blood
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Liz on 09 Dec 2007, 17:55
I get nauseous thinking about them.

And now I am going to leave this thread before I start freaking out.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 09 Dec 2007, 18:50
Getting an IV really make me truly dislike needles. Ick.

Also: Roaches. I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned! I can't stand bugs in general.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: squawk on 09 Dec 2007, 19:23
fucking cory and his fucking needle picture I AM HYPERVENTILATING

I already told you guys I'm scared of It's A Small World
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Runs_With_Scissors on 09 Dec 2007, 19:28
Water.

Water is the scariest thing ever.

Not the drinking water, but deep water. Oh man...insanely scary.

Also, getting sliced open by skates. It's not totally irrational, since I play hockey. I almost sliced my leg open when I fell the other day during practice. And the locker room horror stories about toes getting stepped on and stuff. I put my shoes on immediately after taking my skates off.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: I is Grammar on 09 Dec 2007, 19:40
When I first read that, I thought you were referring to skates as in the fish.  I was like, but skates can't cut you...they bite. 
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KvP on 09 Dec 2007, 20:29
Getting an IV really make me truly dislike needles. Ick.
Those little butterfly needles? but they deliver delightful painkillers! And they don't even hurt going in!

Remind me never to rely on you people if I ever need medical attention.

Not the drinking water, but deep water. Oh man...insanely scary.
I hear you. I can go out to the beach and swim, but I can't go out too far. There's a point where the shelf drops off and you're suspended over the oceanic void. I hate that feeling.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: E. Spaceman on 09 Dec 2007, 23:18
I used to be very uncomfortable around telephones. Now i work tech support.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tom on 09 Dec 2007, 23:20
Not the drinking water, but deep water. Oh man...insanely scary.
I hear you. I can go out to the beach and swim, but I can't go out too far. There's a point where the shelf drops off and you're suspended over the oceanic void. I hate that feeling.
Something like that happened when I was scuba diving. I swam out pretty far and I'm like "Shit were the hell did the coral go!". Deep water is real scary when you dive down heaps far and there is all this pressure on four lungs as you try to make it to the surface again.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Ozymandias on 09 Dec 2007, 23:58
I'm afraid of Americans.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KTkat on 10 Dec 2007, 00:00
That is one of the least irrational fears I've ever heard.

Also, being high places with no means of protection other than your own sense of balance is fucking terrifying.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 10 Dec 2007, 00:12
I hope no one freaks out on Chrasstor though. I mean, he's only being honest.
Of course this is true, and it would be both silly and downright rude to freak out on him about the midget or gay thing, there's nothing wrong with his being honest.  Am I allowed to freak out on him for this though?
Quote from: chrasstor
I tried to find that one quote from the Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers movie, where that one princess girl is all, "I don't fear death, I fear being caged or whatever..." and then Aragorn is like "You're a princess, that shit aint gon' happen."..
THOU SHALT NOT BUTCHER TOLKIEN!!!
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: The Overachiever Bandit on 10 Dec 2007, 01:02
I'm scared of roaches, and the mascot from this bank in my hometown. It's a blue owl, and it freaks me out.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tom on 10 Dec 2007, 01:07
I'm afraid of Americans.

That must make things difficult, they're every where.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KvP on 10 Dec 2007, 01:21
I'm not entirely sure everyone here gets that reference. Not that I blame them. We are pretty unsettling.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Storm Rider on 10 Dec 2007, 01:49
Hell, I know what that's referring to and I don't even listen to Bowie.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 10 Dec 2007, 05:37
I second Chrasstor's fear of new people. I end up making myself look shy (best case scenario), douchey (worst case scenario), or I giggle alot (middle case scenario).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 10 Dec 2007, 06:50
Lately I've realized I have a fear of heights. I'm not sure when that started, I certainly didn't used to mind heights. I think it may be a side-effect of my coming to grips with being a clumsy oaf.

Also, getting sliced open by skates. It's not totally irrational, since I play hockey. I almost sliced my leg open when I fell the other day during practice. And the locker room horror stories about toes getting stepped on and stuff. I put my shoes on immediately after taking my skates off.
aaaaand now I'm nervous about this. Thanks!

Also, have you seen Blades of Glory? lawl

I hear you. I can go out to the beach and swim, but I can't go out too far. There's a point where the shelf drops off and you're suspended over the oceanic void. I hate that feeling.
Oh man now I'm remembering the time back in Egypt when my family took a trip to the Red Sea. My dad and I were going out scuba diving and my mom and sisters were snorkeling alongside us. As we approached the dropoff in the coral shelf my mom stopped at the edge and peered over it, and then abruptly turned around and raced back to shore. I nearly choked on seawater from laughing.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 10 Dec 2007, 07:13
Somebody mentioned a fear of flying. I've never understood it, because it is several thousand times safer than driving. The requirements are rigorous as all hell. There's a biannual medical examination, there's a requirement for a bare minimum of I think 36 hours of ground school, and that's just for flying in CLEAR weather. There's a whole different level of shit you have to do to be able to fly in fog or clouds, and yet another different level of shit to be able to fly paying passengers, all requiring ground school, in-flight instruction, and a signed doctor's note every two years saying "This person's okay to fly."

Besides, air traffic controllers are ALWAYS watching and providing instructions to aircraft both on the ground and in the air.

Does this help? :B
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ampersandwitch on 10 Dec 2007, 07:16
It shouldn't really.  The whole point of a phobia is that it's not rational.  Is there really any logical reason to be afraid of clowns?
I mean besides John Wayne Gacy Jr, I think we're good.



(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/kauhornz/john-wayne-gacy.jpg)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 10 Dec 2007, 07:20
well, what usually makes something a phobia in the first place is that it's irrational and difficult to explain.
thus i am superior to all of you because i have no phobias. only completely rational fears. it is totally justifiable to be afraid of molasses, but you guys are just weird.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Runs_With_Scissors on 10 Dec 2007, 07:42

Also, have you seen Blades of Glory? lawl


Actually, I watched that last weekend. Absolutely amazing movie.

Oh, and in reply to the fear of IV's. When I was getting prepped for my first surgery, they didnt exactly warn me that they were putting the IV in, so when the lady was like 'one two three -jabs in hand with hella scary needle thing' I kinda flipped out a bit. Especially because blood started spurting out of the thing since there was no stopper in the top to stop stuff from coming out. Now they have to put me under before they come near me with the IV. Thank the nurse and my mom(who totally lied to me just so I would agree to sit still for them to do it) for that irrational fear.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: supersheep on 10 Dec 2007, 08:08
Flying.
Actually, per 100 million passenger hours, it's actually slightly more dangerous than driving. And per million journeys, it's something like 60 times more dangerous.

EDIT: To clarify, the reason it's per million journeys is because that's how the statistic was given (in Kasperson et al, Communicating Risks to the Public: International Perspectives, pp. 109-111, available here (http://books.google.com/books?id=hfC-4veRbN4C&pg=PA109&lpg=PA109&dq=aircraft+deaths+per+hundred+million+passenger+hours&source=web&ots=LnMlPaCfMp&sig=7JG7esKcOi-6IjklqZkYZ_-5UnM).) And while you might be less likely to die on a plane than in a car, you are more likely to die on any particular plane journey than on any particular car journey.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 10 Dec 2007, 08:12
What does that mean? Why would per million journeys be any different than per journey?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 10 Dec 2007, 08:16
also, people tend to spend far more time driving than flying. that statistic seems a bit arbitrary.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 10 Dec 2007, 09:28
Getting an IV really make me truly dislike needles. Ick.
Those little butterfly needles? but they deliver delightful painkillers! And they don't even hurt going in!

Well, they DO hurt if they have to freaking, uh, dig into you to hit your damn veins. I have notoriously hard veins to hit. When I have to get blood drawn for any reason, I have to be pricked at least twice. And that's if they know what they're doing. Most people who do that sort of work in doctor's offices don't have much experiance at all. I remember one time they were trying to get blood from me, and they had to bring in three people before ONE of them could get it. By the time they were actually drawing blood from me, I was near passing out from the stress. And, uh, no, I would rather not give blood. I know I should. But I no good experiences I have had.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: TheFuriousWombat on 10 Dec 2007, 13:50
Flying.
Actually, per 100 million passenger hours, it's actually slightly more dangerous than driving.

I don't know about you, but I don't really think I'll ever spend 100 million hours (about 11,415 years if my calculations are correct) doing anything at all.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: supersheep on 10 Dec 2007, 14:10
By that token, you'll only die if you drive for about 350 straight years. Guess all those poor suckers who die in car crashes must be kinda glad that they can finally stop cruising up and down the highways.

STATISTICS WOW.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 10 Dec 2007, 15:03
Well, they DO hurt if they have to freaking, uh, dig into you to hit your damn veins. I have notoriously hard veins to hit.

I am pretty sure the arteries in my arms are made out of guitar cables. You can start hating me now.

Supersheep, I'd be interesting in knowing whether or not that book included military and private aviation in their statistics. U.S. Army helicopters are kindof notorious for falling out of the sky at a moment's notice, and three men died in different incidents at the Reno Air Races this year (because they were being FUCKING STUPID, but that's another story).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Dissy on 10 Dec 2007, 15:37
I'm afraid of Americans.

I love you now.


I have a strong hate for needles.  Dunno how it started or anything.  Its not really a fear in so much as I can use them to give insulin to my dog, or for playing darts and stuff, but thinking about them piercing my skin, or seeing them do so makes my stomach churn, and on occassion, pass out.  And I have to watch it go in, otherwise I'll either freak out, or pass out.  The time I went in for a quick oral op, the surgeon used a huuuuuuuuuuuge needle to numb the area he was working on. The first time he poked me, I bit down, hard, and broke the syringe.

For all four of the surgeries I went in for that required knocking me out, they used an IV, which "isn't" a needle in the technical terms as its a plastic tube, not metal.  Fucking doctors.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 10 Dec 2007, 16:09
I like needles, mostly because injections do not bother me in the slightest and I can go into all the gory details when talking to squeamish people.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Runs_With_Scissors on 10 Dec 2007, 16:15
My middle school had to call my dad so he could come hold me down to get a TB test done. I bit him and everything. Not exactly the behavior expected from an 8th grader. It was great. The nurses there hate me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 10 Dec 2007, 17:06
i actually have something constructive to add!

if you are afraid of needles and want to get over it just stop brushing your teeth for a while then when you go to the dentist to get fillings don't even think about closing your eyes. just sit and stare at the giant needles they stick into your mouth. eventually it won't be so big of a deal.

i'm speaking from experience as i used to be violently afraid of needles (as in, i would fight to get away from them) but i've been to the dentist something like 5 times in the last month and a half just for cavities and now needles don't bother me so much. i won't be putting any in my arms but in the mouth is actually sort of bearable now. it still makes my arms sore talking about needles, though, so it's not a perfect solution.
don't ask why i had so many cavities, it's a long story. i promise it wasn't my fault, though!

also, i recently discovered that i am afraid of people lurking outside my window. i lived on the second story (or higher) my whole life and now i live on the ground floor and never open my blinds for any reason for fear of someone just standing there looking in. this is a completely irrational fear since i live in the middle of fucking nowhere and own several guns but i can't talk myself out of it.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 10 Dec 2007, 17:46
Somebody mentioned a fear of flying. I've never understood it, because it is several thousand times safer than driving. The requirements are rigorous as all hell. There's a biannual medical examination, there's a requirement for a bare minimum of I think 36 hours of ground school, and that's just for flying in CLEAR weather. There's a whole different level of shit you have to do to be able to fly in fog or clouds, and yet another different level of shit to be able to fly paying passengers, all requiring ground school, in-flight instruction, and a signed doctor's note every two years saying "This person's okay to fly."

Besides, air traffic controllers are ALWAYS watching and providing instructions to aircraft both on the ground and in the air.

Does this help? :B



It doesn't help.

Its not that I don't trust the pilot. I don't trust the plane. I am convinced something will go wrong with it, that no one could have predicted, and we will all come crashing down, above the ocean(which is insane because the only times I have ever been in a plane was flying from St. Louis to Las Vegas, and St.Louis to Chicago), and we'll all drown or be eaten by sharks, or some other such fate.

I'm usually ok until we begin to take off. At that point I can't breathe, and I start freaking out. It's pretty much like that the whole time we're in the air. I think it's my fear of falling really. I'm afraid of how high we are, and falling from that point.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 10 Dec 2007, 17:53
if it makes you feel any better, you'd most-likely die in the crash before you got the chance to drown or be eaten alive.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: mostlyharmful on 10 Dec 2007, 18:04
I'm absolutely terrified of water.  Well, water by proxy--it's really just submersion.  Swimming lessons were horrible.

Insects are almost as scary.  For a while there was a wasp's nest outside of my bathroom window and on several occasions they flew in while I was showerin'.  Not fun.

I'm afraid of assailants coming through the front door even though I live in suburban Texas.  I hate how my family deliberately unlocks the door just to mess with me.   :|

Solutions to the above:

- Avoiding swimming and only take showers.

- Keep your place clean, set traps and have bug killa handy.

- Lock the door.

If only they weren't compulsions.

Edit because I'm slow and miss nuances in my language...
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Madartistgirl on 11 Dec 2007, 08:27
 Terrified of spiders. Of all sizes. Even the really tiny ones freak me out. I just have to see one and I start hyperventilating.
 Also needles. Even talking about them makes me cringe. I don't think that I could EVER give blood or even THINK about it.
 Actually, anything to do with blood makes me start hyperventilating. I would make a REALLY crappy doctor  :-).
 I agree with the deep water thing too. The worst part about that is that it's NOT IRRATIONAL. There actually COULD be a shark swimming underneath you! Or a poisonous jellyfish! Or any sort of jellyfish. Even if it's a lake. Maybe.
 Actually, I even get a little frightened of deep swimming pools, although I'm starting to get over that.
 I'm actually quite disappionted that all my phobias seem to be quite common. I wish I could be scared of something more unusual! Like paper or something.  :lol:
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ThePQ4 on 11 Dec 2007, 09:38
I used to be terrified of water, but I'm kind of over that now that I'm a better swimmer...now I just don't really have much of an interest in swimming or anything like that. Anything that involves me being out in the sun is stupid (I burn so easy, it isn't even funny).
I've mentioned my fear of CPR dummies before. The things freak me out!! Eeee, luckily, I don't have to deal with them often, so it's all good.

My sister has this totally irrational fear of needles. She freaks out. She had to get an IV put in because she had an infection and they had to give her some antibiotics and they kept missing her vein... Her boyfriend thought she was going to have a friggin' heart attack or something, or at least break his arm. I've never had a problem with needles though. Yay me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 11 Dec 2007, 11:24
Or a poisonous jellyfish! Or any sort of jellyfish.

...shit, way to ruin ocean swimming for me.

Oh well I'm always afraid of getting hypothermia anyway. Skinny jackass like me shouldn't be swimming in something that cold and uncaring anyway.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 11 Dec 2007, 11:50
I'm not afraid of the sea, or snakes. I want to die actually on my ship wrestling with a giant sea serpent as it drags me down underneath the waves in the middle of a hurricane.

Instead I'm deathly afraid of being near most insects beyond ladybugs, though I have a morbid fascination with them because I love watching specials on them on Animal Planet.

Also, afraid of mass murderers getting into the house to kill me and my family. I have an elaborate escape plan and sleep with an old BB gun within reach of my bed, though I admit that fear is less now that I have a cell phone. Can pump and shoot then club, all while dialing 911.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Dissy on 11 Dec 2007, 22:45
I know how to cure your fears of flying.  When you get to where you are going, take off your shoes and socks, and make fists with your toes.  And walk around doing that.


I think everybody has an ingrained fear of heights and water.  Because in the back of our heads, we know that one wrong move and we could die.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 11 Dec 2007, 22:55
When you fly anyway, you have to take off your shoes. At least at the airport.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KickThatBathProf on 11 Dec 2007, 23:46
My roommate has a fear of whales
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 12 Dec 2007, 06:25
Better not show him this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pCuUPLs2tc) then.

Or this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-I40PpmOY4).

And definitely not this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHIBwl-rSaI).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: a pack of wolves on 12 Dec 2007, 06:34
Vomiting. Scares the living daylights out of me. I can't even watch it on the TV, and as for being near somebody else hurling... urgh, nothing worse except going through it myself. If someone were to offer me the choice between throwing up or getting a broken arm then I'd smash the damn thing myself.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 12 Dec 2007, 14:25
The third whale video is awesome.  People are idiots.

"The would-be rescuers press closer, at one point trying to rope the whale and drag it to sea"
"Specifically what spurred the attack will remain a mystery"
Hmm, let me think.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 12 Dec 2007, 14:40
Man I didn't watch that first video all the way through until now. Towards the end those whales are real assholes.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 12 Dec 2007, 17:47
My friend is scared of Oompa Loompas.

I want to say that's irrational, but I know in my heart it's not.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Liz on 12 Dec 2007, 17:48
The original Oompa Loompas or the new ones?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 12 Dec 2007, 19:08
The originals are definately scarier then the new ones.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 12 Dec 2007, 19:11
Original. She hasn't seen the remake, to my knowledge. I can't imagine she could bring herself to do so.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Liz on 12 Dec 2007, 19:17
That's definately not irrational then. The old ones were ridiculously creepy, the new ones are just kinda weird.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Ladybug on 13 Dec 2007, 06:44
While I'm not particularly afraid of the water (or, well, if I think about how fucking deep it is, it is kinda scary, but falling off of a boat tube at about 50-70m deep didn't bother me that much), I haate the thought of being "deep" (as in 3-4m) after jumping into water, and not getting up to the surface fast enough, even though I have plenty of air. It freaks me out completely, to the extent where I'll breath out submerged and end up actually needing air before I reach the surface. Not very optimal. Also, I'm scared of sharks and snakes, but I'm not planning on coming into contact with either.

I think I also have a slight fear of heights, but mostly because I can't seem to trust railings and stuff like that. I don't understand how people can lean on railings that are more than 2m above the ground.. I keep thinking that it'll come loose, and they'll just fall down, because they've put too much of their weight on it. I think I used to do that as well, but not any more.

Oh, and fires. Ever since I was a kid, the only thing I'd have recurring nightmares about is/was fires - family/friends dying, being disfigured etc. Often there would be a fire, someone would die, it would be put out, we could all go inside again, and it would reignite, someone else would die/get injured and it continued. So yeah, fires scare the crap out of me, although not as much now as it used to.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: just-another-andy on 15 Dec 2007, 18:50
I have a strange phobia that's been a problem ever since I can remember.

Jewellry.

Can't touch it, be near it, hear it jangle or...smell it
without freaking out majorly. It's so ridiculous and it hinders me quite a lot.

HATE!
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: audacity on 15 Dec 2007, 18:52
ET. The alien.
Don't even get me started.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Ozymandias on 15 Dec 2007, 18:57
^ Oh, that reminds me.


Alf.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: öde on 15 Dec 2007, 19:04
Vomiting. Scares the living daylights out of me. I can't even watch it on the TV, and as for being near somebody else hurling... urgh, nothing worse except going through it myself. If someone were to offer me the choice between throwing up or getting a broken arm then I'd smash the damn thing myself.

Once I threw up so hard that my leg came up and vomit came streaming out of my nose. I did not like that at all.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: stella on 15 Dec 2007, 19:26
I have never admitted this fear to anyone, but I am scared of toilets.  Before you judge, I should elaborate that I am scared of the urban myths about people who stick things under the toilet seat like razor blades and needles filled with AIDS and things like that.  I'm not just scared of public toilets, I'm nervous at home too.  It's just the thought of sitting down on a toilet seat and being jabbed in the thigh (or worse) with a needle or a razor slicing my leg open.... I hate it.  I hate going to the public toilet when there's nobody else in the restroom area as well, I think it may have to do with the awful lighting that makes it feel like the bathroom in the movie SAW.  I'm scared I will be jumped and murdered in the toilet.  This sounds really dumb reading it back, but it's always creeped me out.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 15 Dec 2007, 19:35
 I've always been kind of scared that a snake or something will be in the toilet and bite me on the ass and/or balls.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: just-another-andy on 15 Dec 2007, 19:39
In my local Supermarket someone once wrote "Don't worry; the toilet scorpians only jump 6 ft high in here" then drew a line 6 ft high. I still check sometimes, just incase

Y'know?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: stella on 15 Dec 2007, 19:43
I do.  I feel not so weird now, thanks guys.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 15 Dec 2007, 20:49
I sat on a toilet and ended up with a large spider running around on my ass once.  I feel bad because I overreacted and the spider got flushed.  Poor spider, it didn't deserve that.  Am I helping?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 15 Dec 2007, 20:54
I have never admitted this fear to anyone, but I am scared of toilets.  Before you judge, I should elaborate that I am scared of the urban myths about people who stick things under the toilet seat like razor blades and needles filled with AIDS and things like that.  I'm not just scared of public toilets, I'm nervous at home too.  It's just the thought of sitting down on a toilet seat and being jabbed in the thigh (or worse) with a needle or a razor slicing my leg open.... I hate it.  I hate going to the public toilet when there's nobody else in the restroom area as well, I think it may have to do with the awful lighting that makes it feel like the bathroom in the movie SAW.  I'm scared I will be jumped and murdered in the toilet.  This sounds really dumb reading it back, but it's always creeped me out.

See, I have a fear of using the restroom when other people are in it (like public bathrooms). I just cant stand someone being in another stall. I cant even use the urinals.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 15 Dec 2007, 21:01
I sat on a toilet and ended up with a large spider running around on my ass once.  I feel bad because I overreacted and the spider got flushed.
How is that overreacting? If you had leapt up screaming... that still would have been an appropriate reaction.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 15 Dec 2007, 21:13
Perhaps that would have been an appropriate reaction, but saying so is a far less effective way of messing with the people who are afraid of toilets.  You know, in a friendly, totally non-malicious way...  :evil:
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: stella on 15 Dec 2007, 22:38
I sat on a toilet and ended up with a large spider running around on my ass once.  I feel bad because I overreacted and the spider got flushed.  Poor spider, it didn't deserve that.  Am I helping?

Strangely enough, that doesn't bother me as much as the idea of sharp objects or other perils hiding beneath the seat.  Statistically speaking, you're never more than 6 feet away from a spider, so it would stand to reason they were near the toilet.  I'm not nearly as nervous about spiders as I am about inadvertently undergoing female castration while trying to take a leak.  (Though if anyone wants to kill that huge spider on my ceiling, feel free....)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 15 Dec 2007, 22:50
See, I have a fear of using the restroom when other people are in it (like public bathrooms). I just cant stand someone being in another stall. I cant even use the urinals.

I always relished the opportunity. Especially when I've got some kind of intestinal disease (which is more often than not, these days) and I shit pure corpse-smell concentrate. Points for retching, triple word score for inducing full-on vomiting.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: stella on 15 Dec 2007, 22:55
... triple word score for inducing full-on vomiting.

You have no idea how happy you just made me. 
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Spike on 16 Dec 2007, 00:58
You have just reinforced my theory that states people only shit in public restrooms when afflicted by intestinal hell.

 I have lived in two houses so far, and I have developed an irrational fear of one room in each of these houses.  It's just one specific room that makes me uneasy, and I can never figure out why.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Alegis on 16 Dec 2007, 06:45
A little bit of agoraphobia. I don't like people.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 19 Dec 2007, 03:32
See, I have a fear of using the restroom when other people are in it (like public bathrooms). I just cant stand someone being in another stall. I cant even use the urinals.

I always relished the opportunity. Especially when I've got some kind of intestinal disease (which is more often than not, these days) and I shit pure corpse-smell concentrate. Points for retching, triple word score for inducing full-on vomiting.

wow, I was having a crappy day until I read this! Thanks for making my day shine a little browner!:D
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: öde on 19 Dec 2007, 07:09
Can you spiral a football though?

If I see and smell disgusting things, mostly puke or crap, I will probably throw up after a couple of minutes. Maybe onto the cause.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 19 Dec 2007, 08:32
Once someone came in to puke while I was showering, separated from them merely by a thankfully opaque shower curtain. I don't mind the act of vomiting, but I get really grossed out if I come across vomit on the sidewalk or something that hasn't been cleaned up.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cam on 19 Dec 2007, 11:01
A lot of the fears can be explained by basic biology.  The fear of feces, vomit, and bugs is just the way of your body saying, "This is some nasty stuff.  Stay away from it." 

My father was a Sergeant in the Marines.  I spent most of my childhood fearing him.  After that was gone, I wasn't really left with any phobias.  There are lots of things I dislike, but my primary fear right now has to do with things in the political realm that I can't discuss due to board rules. 
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: öde on 19 Dec 2007, 13:34
Flicker?

I'm certain Guiliani won't get into office. Firstly, his name is Rudy. Secondly, he is the least attractive candidate.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 19 Dec 2007, 15:57
Obama and Edwards are -effing sexy-
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cam on 19 Dec 2007, 16:05
Yes, yes, they are.


In subtle transition away from politics, I don't really think it qualifies a phobia, but I hate, hate, hate, hate large lines or big groups of people not moving.  Fuck you people, I have places to be.  Get out of my way already.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: öde on 19 Dec 2007, 16:09
I really hate it when people block public paths or roads, especially people who decide to stop dead in the middle of a crowded pavement.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Jimmy the Squid on 19 Dec 2007, 17:09
Once someone came in to puke while I was showering, separated from them merely by a thankfully opaque shower curtain. I don't mind the act of vomiting, but I get really grossed out if I come across vomit on the sidewalk or something that hasn't been cleaned up.

My brother threw up in the shower a fortnight ago. And on the bathroom floor. And in the sink.

And that was just in the bathroom... Urgh.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ampersandwitch on 19 Dec 2007, 17:30
I had the hugest vomit phobia when I was younger.  When I pushed my brother off the bed when we were playing "Beauty and the Beast" in my youth and he landed on his head and got a concussion and started vomiting everywhere, the first thing I did was run down the stairs and build a couch-fort that would save me from the ensuing vomit-flood.  I think this fear stems from my brother's horrible airsickness that caused him to vomit every time we boarded a plane up until he was ten, or when we had a car ride, or a train ride, or especially a boat ride.  Even earlier in my life, however, is when my brother vomited on a hill and I tried hard to outrun it but it got my shoes.

I think I'm over it now, at least enough so that I can play nurse to my increasingly alcoholic friends.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: stella on 19 Dec 2007, 23:55
On a school trip to Europe, I had to share a hotel room with a friend and a girl we didn't know.  The first night there, all of our stuff is in the bathroom.  We wake up to find the strange girl sitting on the toilet, tossing her cookies all over the bathroom and our things (clothes, toiletries, etc.).   Disgusting. 

....ever since then, I have a fear of strange girls I am forced to share hotel rooms with.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Zoe on 20 Dec 2007, 04:36
hm, cant say i have anything aganst oppaloompa, but i'll stick with the usuals, small spaces, and uncontrolable situations.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Lila on 21 Dec 2007, 12:42
butterflies.
When I was younger, my mom didn't believe me. She took me to one of those butterfly-ariums. You know, those big domes where they have butterflies flying around and they land on you? Of course, she didn' t tell me where we were going, or I would have flipped out, and I was wearing a floral print skirt. And it was high noon in FL (we were visiting my grandparents), so the butterflies were going full tilt all over the place.
shudder]
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 21 Dec 2007, 12:45
....ever since then, I have a fear of strange girls I am forced to share hotel rooms with.

this can't come up often, can it?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jhocking on 22 Dec 2007, 07:47
You'd be surprised.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: just-another-andy on 22 Dec 2007, 17:06
Ive found I have an insatiable fear of heights. Especially when it comes to rollercoasters. I don't care how fast the motherfucker is going as long as it's not more than 10m in the air. I hate not having that control and I fear for my life.

When I was 11 I went to Florida on holiday and like all tourists we went to Universal studios. The last ride of the day was a toss up between Jurassic park boat ride thingy or Dr Doom's Fearfall. My uncle started moaning when I wanted to go on the boat ride so I eventually succcumed and we went on fearfall. so there we are, sitting there all strapped in and waiting for something to happen...my 11 year old self is sitting there in a world of my own assuming there must be an announcement before the ride begins.....ohhhh how wrong I was; we were shot 200 ft into the and I was terrified. I think the fear began right about there.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: on 23 Dec 2007, 09:17
I get terribly anxious around large crowds of moving people in a small space, although i have no idea why so i guess this could be seen as a phobia? I'm also not a fan of flying or heights but both of these fears are completely rational (the fear of falling/crashing to the earth from a great height is pretty rational in my opinion). I've never understood people's fear of clowns, Although i would guess that the media has more than a little to do with it (films, books and the like).
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 24 Dec 2007, 11:58
butterflies.
When I was younger, my mom didn't believe me. She took me to one of those butterfly-ariums. You know, those big domes where they have butterflies flying around and they land on you? Of course, she didn' t tell me where we were going, or I would have flipped out, and I was wearing a floral print skirt. And it was high noon in FL (we were visiting my grandparents), so the butterflies were going full tilt all over the place.
shudder]

I used to fear butterflies too. I thought it was just me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: normz on 26 Dec 2007, 02:45
mayonaise ....

i can eat a whole meal and if at the end you tell me it had mayonaise in it, it will immediatly induce a panic attack and possible vomiting

i have be known to starve rather than cope with mayonaise
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ledhendrix on 26 Dec 2007, 06:16
I can't stand cows and i'm pretty uneasy around other large herbivorous creatures. My reason being if one of them decided to charge you, you are pretty fucked. Whereas with predators you know where you stand, if you came across a bear you would know to keep your distance. A cow though could be all placid and nice and you could walk past if fine, then WHAM out of nowhere it runs at you. And they have the stare.... i hate that stare.

Any particular reason for having a mayonaise phobia?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cernunnos on 26 Dec 2007, 08:29
It's really gross?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 26 Dec 2007, 12:03
my housemate has a really intense fear of sharks. she frequently has nightmares about being eaten by sharks and actually keeps an eye on the showerhead everytime she takes a shower to make sure no sharks come out of it and eat her. anytime a shark is on television she panics and has to change the channel. attempt to discuss sharks with her and you will visibly notice her cringe and look at the floor. i used to think this was irrational but after a bit of thought is there really anything on earth scarier than a motherfucking shark. seriously look at this shark. look at those fucking teeth. i think she might be the smartest person i know.

(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/351/sharkbt5.jpg)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: captain zoe on 26 Dec 2007, 17:03
I'm another one totally horrified by vomit and the act of vomiting.  If I ever start to feel even the slightest bit nauseous, I freak out.  I HATE vomiting.  This summer, when I had my tonsils out, I was more scared of possibly throwing up because of the anesthesia than the actual surgery and recovery.  (I did end up yakking up bile and blood the 2nd night, that was awful.)  The sound and smell of vomit just freak me out.  I can't eat oranges, cheetos, or those orange crackers with peanut butter in them because of my brother, who would regularly vomit these up in the car.  Ew. 

And I am also slightly claustrophobic.  I have nightmares about being inside a CAT-scan machine, because I wouldn't be able to move and get out. 
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Lila on 27 Dec 2007, 07:17
butterflies.
When I was younger, my mom didn't believe me. She took me to one of those butterfly-ariums. You know, those big domes where they have butterflies flying around and they land on you? Of course, she didn' t tell me where we were going, or I would have flipped out, and I was wearing a floral print skirt. And it was high noon in FL (we were visiting my grandparents), so the butterflies were going full tilt all over the place.
shudder]

I used to fear butterflies too. I thought it was just me.

My friend at camp is afraid of them too...
but everyone else makes fun of me for it. The weird thing is, I'm not scared of bees.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Dissy on 27 Dec 2007, 09:55
(http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/351/sharkbt5.jpg)

That looks like one good meal. 
Seriously, I had spotted hammerhead a few years back. 
BEST. FISH. EVER.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Kylos on 27 Dec 2007, 18:18
Needles. I nearly broke Gemmwah's hand when she came with me for a blood test once. I think i'm forever in her debt for that.
Heights. I can't stand on something that's even a foot off the floor. Combined with my next fear of enclosed spaces, it makes flying hard.
Finally spiders and the dark. They all never fail to creep me out.

I think my biggest fear would be me trapped with spiders who have needles for legs in a plane at night with the lights off.
Oh the horrors of science.

Edit: I just remembered another one. Anything with more than four legs. specifically, cephalopods. Add squids, octopus(es? pods? pii?), and even starfish to that horrible plane journey.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Oreogeek on 27 Dec 2007, 19:46
I'm claustrophobic. I no longer fly. It's all kinds of a pain in the ass. It's kept me from getting particular medical procedures done because I can not bear having something around my head or over my face. MRI's are out of the question, unless it's the open kind. There's another machine they have, it's huge and doughnut shaped and I can't even lie still for that. I've almost torn those up. I hate them, but I hate the fear that it will fall on me more.

I've also become slightly agoraphobic. I'm having more and more trouble leaving my house. I live in Miami, and I have no desire to drive. I just know I'll kill someone or they'll kill me. My family has no sympathy and don't understand my desire the have the car shredded just so I don't have to deal with the mere IDEA of driving. They think if they with hold doing things for me, I'll drive the car and do it myself. The problem is I'll happily jump in a cab if I'm REALLY desperate, otherwise I just do without or they get so pissed with me they do what I need anyway. I am working on my fear of driving, I sit in the car and get used to it, but like I said, I live in MIAMI. People get shot just changing lanes and not using a signal down here.  :roll:
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 27 Dec 2007, 21:33
Well the moral to that story is use the damn signal every time. Seriously, its not so hard! I do it, I never change lanes without a signal, I do it when I'm by myself on the road out of habit because I get so pissed whenever other people do it. What I'm saying is if I lived in Miami I'd shoot you.

When I was just starting out driving I was scared shitless as well. Feelings like lack of control of the two ton vehicle, reflexes not being adapted to controlling this thing, and what ifs of events beyond the car that I couldn't control made my first few driving lessons go a month in between. It was because of this that it took me nearly three years to start driving, I didn't have my license until this year, as in, being 19 years old and getting my license in August. I got over it though, but I can see where you're coming from.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emaline on 27 Dec 2007, 22:35
I do not drive. I know I will kill people if I do. I'm 19. I get by alright.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 27 Dec 2007, 22:38
guys i am so glad there are other people aside from me who are afraid of driving.
i know i have said this a few times before but it bears repeating considering how shitty everyone's always made me feel about this. i only started learning how to drive this year. i'm 20.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: jodizzle on 27 Dec 2007, 22:51
I'm 21 and I still havn't even started!  I feel like I have to at some stage.  Eventually.  Mostly because for alot of jobs you are required to have your own transport.  But you know, I'll cross that bridge when i come to it.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 27 Dec 2007, 23:05
in ontario we use the graduated licensing system (http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/index.html) - it takes two years to get your full license!
i waited as long as i could, but i think i pretty much have to start now to ensure i can drive  a car by the time i graduate. this sucks. everything sucks. a blooo blooo blooooo
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 28 Dec 2007, 01:23
6 months from learners permit to provisional, 18 months from provisional to full here.

But yeah, being afraid of driving a two-ton death machine, perfectly rational fear. But if I can conquer that through confidence in my own ability then so can you!

Just send me your credit information and I'll send you this ten-page pamphlet on how to be a better you today.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: amok on 28 Dec 2007, 05:31
I'm 21 and only about a third of the way through learning, and on hiatus at the moment anyway. I also took years to finally crack and get down to it because the idea terrified me. Surprisingly ok once I got started though, huzzah.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Lunchbox on 28 Dec 2007, 06:21
I have been driving since my feet could touch the pedals of a car. However, I totally understand how you can be scared of driving. I have a brand new car, and have already been smashed into in it (it was relatively minor, and the other people were insured, so the car is good as new again, but STILL). I am an overly cautious, flustered, twitchy driver now and it is horrible.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Lines on 28 Dec 2007, 06:23
None of you should ever ride with me in a car. I am a good driver, never hit anything or gotten in an accident, but still. I would rather drive than be driven, though, because the way people drive most of the time freaks me out. Especially if the car I'm in is a stick shift and makes the car jerk when shifting gears.

Bugs that are not green or brightly colored and are gross looking freak me out. Like, butterflies, ladybugs, praying mantises, and the cicadas that are blue with orange eyes - I am completely okay with insects like this. Even green spiders are okay, because I'm amazed with the fact they are bright green. But things like spiders that have a bigger body than the point of a pencil, roaches, millipedes (even though they are harmless), etc., and even the cricket that fell off of a fan and onto my head once will freak me out and either result in me screaming and flailing about or slowly backing out of the room to curl in a ball so someone else can kill it. I don't know if I mentioned this in the last phobia thread, but my 9th grade bio teacher had a millipede in a small plastic cage that she was carrying around the room and when she got to my table, I turned around and it was inches from my face, I fell off my chair. She laughed at me, so I yelled at her.

I tend to be more paranoid than have irrational fears. I don't like small elevators packed full of people, because the elevators in the building I'm in at school tend to break down a lot because of this very reason. I am afraid of walking around alone at night and sometimes driving, because I don't live in the best neighborhood and some asshole teenagers once tried to open one of my car doors while I paused at a stop sign and chased me down the street a bit once I realized what they were doing. I'm also afraid of people breaking in my house and I don't understand how some people don't lock their doors at night and I won't sleep over at my friend's houses if they don't lock their doors either. All of these make sense to me, so I don't think they qualify as phobias. The spider and bug thing, though, do not make sense, so I think I do have a phobia of nasty bugs.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: amok on 28 Dec 2007, 06:56
Yeah being afraid of dangerous things is just normal I think. And nasty bugs are nasty. Although I find the furry varieties of spider kinda cute.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 28 Dec 2007, 13:13
Man, if a group of teenagers tried to break into my car while I was at a stop sign I'd make them regret it real quick.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Thomas Edison on 28 Dec 2007, 15:26
Being alone.

Seriously, I hate it. If I'm in a big place, there has to be people around, or if I'm in a small place, I have to be with someone.

They can be strangers for all I care, but if I'm on my own somewhere (excluding my own house) then I freak and run until I find people.

Who then get scared of this chubby guy chasing them.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: camelpimp on 31 Dec 2007, 16:47
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2025/2152612113_3542c232f4.jpg)
I'm certain poodles with non-douchebag owners don't look this terrifying, but I saw a dog show a little while ago, and I remember looking at a standard poodle and saying to myself, "Jesus, that looks like an alien."
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Gemmwah on 31 Dec 2007, 19:17
that is horrible. why would you post that?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ackblom12 on 31 Dec 2007, 20:06
Finally spiders and the dark. They all never fail to creep me out.


(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/ackblom12/2665.jpg)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 31 Dec 2007, 21:16
mayonaise ....

i can eat a whole meal and if at the end you tell me it had mayonaise in it, it will immediatly induce a panic attack and possible vomiting

i have be known to starve rather than cope with mayonaise

How do you feel about a well made aioli?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: FUBAR on 01 Jan 2008, 22:59
a dirty bathroom
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Slick on 01 Jan 2008, 23:05
Man I have an irrational fear that I am turning myself into an unsettling spiral of despair and wasted moments because an inner portion of me feels this to be a form of art and that by destroying myself slowly, thoroughly, and beautifully, I might somehow move someone to think on what transpired for more than a moment.


Also, fucking tortlenni in alfredo sauce. What the hell is that?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 01 Jan 2008, 23:37
It's perfectly rational to be afraid of alfredo sauce. That shit is -terrifying-
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: 2wenty7 on 02 Jan 2008, 07:43
My main ones are injections and wasps. Basically anything sharp, thin and pointy that wishes to stab me really creeps me out.


I also have a fear of being hated, if I know someone they have to like me or a get really nervous and fidgity.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: FUBAR on 02 Jan 2008, 09:53
Addendum: I have a completely irrational fear of my friends secretly disliking me but putting up with me because they're being nice. You'd be surprised how much of my day goes into thinking about this, analyzing facial expressions and tone of voice when talking to me.


I think it's perfectly normal paranoia everyone gets it...unless you're left handed, in that situation it could be an onset of psychosis  :lol:
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: BobJoeJim on 02 Jan 2008, 22:49
It's perfectly rational to be afraid of alfredo sauce. That shit is -terrifying-

Wait... WHAT???  This unjustified attack on what is perhaps my favorite food needs to be explained.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 02 Jan 2008, 23:24
It's like carbunara with anorexia, man.

Also Anyways I'm going to say that I have pretty much the same thing going on. I mean, I couldn't care any less what a complete stranger thinks of me, but if it's somebody I know/like, I don't want to come across as a dick.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Meg on 11 Jan 2008, 21:07
Automatonophobia.

Sucks, since I'm currently living in Lisbon and there are statues EVERYWHERE.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Paav on 12 Jan 2008, 00:43
I also worry that overnight everyone who knows me will wake and realize what a complete piece of ass candy I am. I worry that the police will arrest me, though I haven't broken any law besides speeding in years.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bryanthelion on 12 Jan 2008, 22:18
Addendum: I have a completely irrational fear of my friends secretly disliking me but putting up with me because they're being nice. You'd be surprised how much of my day goes into thinking about this, analyzing facial expressions and tone of voice when talking to me.


I have that too. God damn! I have alot of phobias.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Boro_Bandito on 12 Jan 2008, 22:24
That's not so much a phobia as it is pure perfectly human paranoia, I think the same thign too every now and then, especially because there's another guy in the group we can't stand and we sort of pretend to like him amongst my friends on the sole fact that he's my best friend's roomate. So yeah, I can imagine that talking behind his back aimed at me between others.

This guy, I don't hate him, but he is annoying as hell. But he means well so I'm actually sincerely nice most of the time.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Caiphana on 12 Jan 2008, 22:42
I just bought a bike today, for the purpose of having a mode of transportation to the store, library, a job, etc...

I'm fucking terrified of it. I haven't ridden a bike in twelve years, and I've never ridden a bike with hand brakes or gears.

I got a pretty red helmet that looks like it could totally take my bike if it tried anything, though. It's got, like, pointy bits in the back.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 13 Jan 2008, 02:28
I also worry that overnight everyone who knows me will wake and realize what a complete piece of ass I am.

lololololol
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SuperClare on 01 Feb 2008, 12:38
Zombies. Apparently, not too irrational, considering they're scary as fuck (That was from one of my friends), but I am seriously terrified of even the idea of them. Also, torture. According to one of my friends who is a Phsycology geek, it's because I don't like the thought of anything/ one so lacking in humanity that it will continue to hurt me even after I've been begging and screaming etc. for it to stop. I think he's kind of right.
But yeah- masses of dead dudes, who are all trying to eat you alive, swarming all over the globe?
*Shudders*
I don't get how people can watch zombie films.
I had nightmares after Shaun of the dead, for christs' sake!
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Eli on 01 Feb 2008, 14:27
In Colorado, the flies walk more than fly. I'm so scared of them. They'll crawl on you and you have to flick them off. They won't fly away just because you're batting at them.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Thrillho on 01 Feb 2008, 14:57
I have a fairly major phobia of using the phone, especially when phoning people I don't know, that almost got me fired from my website job.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: 0bsessions on 01 Feb 2008, 15:33
Zombies. Apparently, not too irrational, considering they're scary as fuck (That was from one of my friends), but I am seriously terrified of even the idea of them. Also, torture. According to one of my friends who is a Phsycology geek, it's because I don't like the thought of anything/ one so lacking in humanity that it will continue to hurt me even after I've been begging and screaming etc. for it to stop. I think he's kind of right.
But yeah- masses of dead dudes, who are all trying to eat you alive, swarming all over the globe?
*Shudders*
I don't get how people can watch zombie films.
I had nightmares after Shaun of the dead, for christs' sake!

Fucking pussy.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Gurkburk on 01 Feb 2008, 15:38
The fear of going through my whole life without mattering to anyone.
The fear of outliving everyone.
The fear that I've already hit the peak of my life and that it can only get worse from now on.

The shit that keeps me up at night, basically. Also when I close my eyes I hallucinate a bit but I guess that's off-topic :P

EDIT: Oh man I checked the pets and cuteness thread after this one, it's my new therapy for everything.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: psyne on 01 Feb 2008, 16:20
I always feel like I"m being watched, or some serial killer is going to break into my house at night and kill my whole family in front of me, or I'll fail to protect them or something, and then I'll die.  I don't like walking in dark places in town at night, because I always think some drugged up moron wielding a knife or broken bottle will jump me and murder me.

So...yeah.  Paranoid is me.
Me too. I hold my keys between my fingers when I walk around town at night, and I hate looking out the window at night (actually, I periodically turn out my lights and look out the window to reduce glare and make sure no one's there.)*

I have a weird thing about people touching my neck. I flinch and want to hit them and feel like they're going to strangle me.
I also freak out when I see movies where people have their fingernails or teeth pried out as torture. I'd probably cave before they even got the pliers a foot away from me.  :oops:


*this is slightly justified. My room is on the ground floor facing the backyard of my apartment, and one time this summer I was changing for bed with my blinds open (I never thought about it because it was like 4am, no one's playing horseshoes, and the apartments are pretty empty over the summer - college town), and I turned around and saw this creepy looking, fat black dude standing RIGHT at my window with a bug-eyed look. And I was alone in the apartment at the time. I ran around locking every door and window and closing all the blinds, and couldn't get to sleep for hours. I wound up sleeping with a baseball bat next to me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 01 Feb 2008, 19:58
The dark, because there are bad people out there, and I couldn't see them if they were in the dark. Seriously, I refuse to walk anywhere after dark unless it is lit up by streetlights or something.

Also afraid of singing or dancing in front of people, it doesn't extend to playing an instrument for some reason.

I also have that phobia or phoning people that I am not in frequent contact with.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 02 Feb 2008, 05:11
what's with people being afraid of strangers? statistics show you're far more likely to be attacked or murdered by someone you know than someone you don't know. there's nothing to worry about.


...wait...
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 05:15
Because I know that almost all of the people I know, I could beat the shit out of if it came down to it.

And I would like to know how much of that is involving drunk rages and/or suspicion of cheating.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 02 Feb 2008, 05:31
what's with people being afraid of strangers? statistics show you're far more likely to be attacked or murdered by someone you know than someone you don't know. there's nothing to worry about.

This just goes to show that we should all murder everybody we know. That way, they won't murder us.

This really won't help the statistics at all, but at least Number One is going to be safe.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: McTaggart on 02 Feb 2008, 05:54
When I'm walking around places at night, especially on nights when I'm not feeling terribly safe, I stay to the badly lit back roads where no-one can see just so that people don't see me. This also gives you the benefit of less traffic and more often not being on the most direct routes between places. I figure (and every time I've been started on has been in these situations) that people getting attacked and such are mostly targets of opportunity of drunken bogans. These people are often going between places and will take the shortest route, which if they're going long distance is more likely on the main roads though if they're going short distances (which I'll concede is more likely the case) this becomes less likely true. Not really an issue because at least here it's easy to notice them before they notice you (they're usually pretty loud) and there are enough little alleys and other roads that you have more options when it comes to avoiding them.

The people who cruise around in their commodores with their australian flag out the window looking for people to fight, however, will take the main roads. Luckily you can hear them coming.

So phobias? I freak out at the sound of a v8. I do not trust commodore station wagons and I am very wary of the australian flag.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 07:12
Oooh, here is an odd one. I get nauseous at the sight of blood, unless it is mine. Not sure if it counts as a phobia.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Chrasstor on 02 Feb 2008, 07:28
I have a completely rational fear of getting my penis chopped off by a needle, in a dark room filled with alfredo-spiders. The person that chops off my penis can only vaguely be identified in the dark as Rosy O'Donnell with Tommy's rapist beard. But, then my penis grows back and starts shooting out flowers everywhere, vanquishing TommyDsk'Donnell and turning the alfredo spiders into normal spaghettis that glow so hard they lighten up the room. Then I start making out with Tommy O'Donnell's body until it implodes into etherspace.

I'm also afraid of Saves The Day. Completely irrational, those poor kids aren't hurting anything but themselves :'(
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 02 Feb 2008, 07:36
I get nauseous at the sight of blood

that would be hemophobia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemophobia). except that usually involves a really intense fear of your own blood, too, so i guess you just don't like to watch other people get hurt? that is okay i think!

i'm still standing my ground that it's the really common phobias that are most irrational and weird. what's the deal with being afraid of bugs? i've never understood this. they're thousands of times smaller than you and stuff. i realise the whole point of a phobia is that it's irrational but i still find it interesting that so many people share a fear of something that will basically almost never hurt you. is it a cultural thing? who knows? i know fear of strangers is something that is entrenched in everyone due to vast overexaggeration by the media so i guess that one makes sense.

personally i'm baffled more people don't agree driving is the scariest fucking thing in the world.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 07:39
My dad is afraid of spiders, but that is because he got bitten by a brown recluse when he was a kid, so that is a rational one.

I think I may just be desensitized to the sight of my own blood, as it isn't all that infrequent for me to bleed. I don't cut myself or anything, because pain is bad, but I am clumsy. Almost gave myself a cheek piercing with the end of a high e string once.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: KickThatBathProf on 02 Feb 2008, 08:06
personally i'm baffled more people don't agree driving is the scariest fucking thing in the world.

As a person who's been in three different car accidents and lived to tell about them, I can safely say that I HATE DRIVING.

It scares me also
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 08:09
I have been in two, but one I was too young to remember, which I came out of completely unscathed, and the other was just a bump when the guy behind us didn't compensate enough for the ice. I love driving, as long as it is highways, I don't like driving in the city, especially not when pedestrians are out, I always worry that my foot is going to slip off the brake.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SevenPinkerton on 02 Feb 2008, 08:38
My only huge fear is to end up like my parents.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 08:38
Old?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Thrillho on 02 Feb 2008, 10:54
Fat? Bald? Impotent?

Parents of a no-hoper?

I joke.


I gotta say, I find the idea of driving terrifying as well. I think I'm going to be too twitchy to be a driver. I know you're supposed to be alert, but I think I'm going to skid or hit the brakes at the slightest things.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: bbqrocks on 02 Feb 2008, 11:37
I am scared of spiders.

However, my fear is not irrational! I fear spiders because I am scared they are actually tarantulas.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SuperClare on 02 Feb 2008, 12:46
Fucking pussy.

Okay. Well, what the fuck was with THAT?
Jeez.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 02 Feb 2008, 13:40
...I realize sarcasm is hard to detect in text, but seriously? That was an easy one.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Neskah on 02 Feb 2008, 18:57
So... no one else is afraid of dogs?

It's the most irritating of fears. Because every one turns around and says "aww but you'd love MY dog!". Oh yeah? Scared of heights? Come to my highrise, the veiws fucking spectacular! People just accept it when you say you're scared of spiders, or flying. But people keep trying to change my mind about dogs, like it's some decision I made.

I really wish I wasn't scared of them. It's not fun. It's not some show put on for attention. I get angry. I resent being made to feel so helpless. So sick with fear and being unable to do a god damn thing about it. No one should ever be made to feel like that.
I'm feeling sick and shakey now, just thinking about it. My dad took me to a dog show when I was 11 to try and get me to confront my fear. It was the first time I ever had a panic attack.

My best friend owns a dalmation and an alsation. She made me come over when they were puppies to adjust to them. I thought it would help, but now they are so big. I can go round, I'll pat them but i can't be alone with them. I can't look them in the eye. I scream and run when i hear them bark.

It's hard to leave the house day or night, because there's always some negligent owner who lets their mutt wander around off a lead, or leaves the gate open. I do leave the house, I sing to myself to distract myself from thinking that there might be a dog around the corner. I must look like a loony, but it sure beats crying and shaking. I do however feel proud that I do go outside alone. That i don't hide in my house. I'm aware that one day I just might stop going outside for fear of dogs. I hope that day never comes.

And I get that most dogs are lovely and harmless, but the thing about phobias is that they are irrational, you're not thinking of the best possible outcome.

Anyone else at all scared of dogs? Anyone?
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Tom on 02 Feb 2008, 20:03
When I was 5 a poodle tried hanging onto my thumb with it's teeth while snarling menacingly. This did not imbue me with cynophobia but merely an extreme intolerance towards small yapping dogs. That being said, I actually like fair size dogs like golden retrievers and German shepherds.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: tania on 02 Feb 2008, 20:22
the thing about conquering dog fears (or fear of most animals, really, but dogs seem to be most common) is that the whole thing actually is a completely self-fulfilling prophecy. dogs can literally smell fear; they have a very acute sense of smell and are able to detect certain chemicals that other animals and people release in their sweat glands when they are afraid. unfortunately, for most predators fear is synonymous with aggression and once the dog smells this it pretty much assumes that you're going to attack it unless it attacks you first. this is why it's so common for people who love dogs and people who hate dogs to end up relating completely different stories and think the other person is a lying jerk. "dogs always attack me, they're so dumb" vs "oh i love dogs, i've never had any problems with them" etc. it's hard to control your emotions, especially if you've already had a lot of bad experiences with dogs but maybe this information will help you in the near future. i love dogs and all but they are really not smart enough to have personal grudges against people they've never met, they're just acting on their instincts.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 02 Feb 2008, 21:12
I like dogs, animals in general like me.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Neskah on 03 Feb 2008, 00:46
Oh i don't hate dogs. I resent being scared. If I hate anyone it's bad dog owners. A dog is simply an animal following it's instincts, what ever they are at any given time. I don't expect it to have a human thought process. Anymore then i think telling my cat off will stop it killing birds.

I'm aware it's a fear and I very much know they can smell fear and respond to it. Thus the Panic attack when I was 11. I could not stop envisioning them smelling me and hundreds of dogs responding and going for the kill. The fact this didn't happen didn't help.

Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Thrillho on 03 Feb 2008, 05:23
I got attacked by two dogs in the space of about three weeks once. I ended up being scared to leave the house, scared to walk down my own damn road to go to school.

I built up more and more courage, etc. Honestly, whilst I'm not entirely over it (if something moves in the corner of my eye or something, I still jump like a motherfucker even if it turns out just to be a plastic bag, and the unexpected sound of a dog randomly barking scares the shit out of me), the reason I've reached the point I'm at now is because of what I believe is called aversion therapy. A mate of mine had an Alsation, that at the time was bigger than me - a big-ass motherfucker that probably could've ripped me to shreds. But it's the dopiest, soppiest thing I've ever known, it was fantastic, and aside from it managing to at one point stand on my testicles (no, really) it played a great part in helping me recover from this fear.

Basically...find the most docile dog you can, and identify with it.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: imboden on 03 Feb 2008, 10:35
I have a fear of heights.  But its weird.  I'm ok to be out on my grandmothers balcony 11 stories up.  But put me on a zip line 2 stories up, I'm scared shitless.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 03 Feb 2008, 19:55
A mate of mine had an Alsatian, that at the time was bigger than me - a big-ass motherfucker that probably could've ripped me to shreds. But it's the dopiest, soppiest thing I've ever known

The dogs here in Tirana are a strange thing. I nearly got bitten by a golden retriever on a farm about 3 weeks ago, but my mate's Alsatian/German Shepherd down the street is a 140lb furry bucket of kisses and adoration for anything it sees.

I do think it might be due to the fact that my friend's dog knows me, though. I was walking to another friend's house in the neighborhood and he was barking like crazy and growling at anybody who got within 10 feet, but when I walked up to him he started wagging his tail (altering the earth's orbit, no doubt) and let me scratch him behind the ears.

Dogs are just fuckin' weird I don't know.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 04 Feb 2008, 02:40
I have a fear of heights.  But its weird.  I'm ok to be out on my grandmothers balcony 11 stories up.  But put me on a zip line 2 stories up, I'm scared shitless.
Huh. Is it the temptation to jump off or something? I get that, but I still love heights. Is the temptation to jump off high things called vertigo?

It feels kinda like I am tilting out into empty space, even when there is a solid barrier between me and said gap.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: psyne on 04 Feb 2008, 10:25
I have a fear of heights.  But its weird.  I'm ok to be out on my grandmothers balcony 11 stories up.  But put me on a zip line 2 stories up, I'm scared shitless.
Huh. Is it the temptation to jump off or something? I get that, but I still love heights. Is the temptation to jump off high things called vertigo?

It feels kinda like I am tilting out into empty space, even when there is a solid barrier between me and said gap.

You might be getting vertigo there, but vertigo itself isn't a temptation, it's a kind of dizziness, where you either feel like things around you are moving/spinning, or like you're moving/spinning when you aren't. It can cause people to fall over from the dizziness itself or overcompensating the opposite direction. Ever spun in a circle for a while then stopped and felt like everything else is spinning around you? It's like that. (And I think it's usually spinning rather than falling forward, but it might be both. I'm not an expert.)
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SevenPinkerton on 04 Feb 2008, 11:43
I don't know anyone with an Alsation dog, and two or three people mention having them above. Weird.

I went through a summer in which for the first time in my life I feared death. It was a result of falling in love with someone that I felt needed me, weirdly enough. I guess I never really valued life or thought about what I'd be leaving behind or losing until I met my now fiance. I hyperventilated for months, had a few panic attacks, and became a huge hypochondriac. I was convinced I was going to die at any time. Finally, school started again and all I needed was something else to think about, but not before I was prescribed lexapro by a senile doctor.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Nodaisho on 04 Feb 2008, 12:37
Yeah, I think I know what you mean, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people mainly wanted to live because they felt that someone else needed them, or they didn't want to make someone sad.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: cynnabyte on 06 Feb 2008, 09:28
I can't say I have any phobias. Other than waking up and having a phobia. Does that make me phobiphobic? Like a fear of phobias? I could never be afraid of falling. Besides, it's not the fall that sucks. It's the landing! Fear of Americans? Everyone has that! Especially us Americans. Needles have always fascinated me.. They just pop it in and out flushes your vital juices!  "Amazing!"               
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Bibliophile on 06 Feb 2008, 14:09
Cynnabyte, that reminds me of this:
Quote
The Bene Gesserit Littainy against Fear.
Pg 19 of Dune

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Reading this thread I have come to the conclusion that we are afraid of only one thing - pain. Being afraid of the dark is being scared of the unknown, because what we don't know about might hurt us. There could be scary things hiding in the dark. Being afraid of needles and spiders etc. is a fear of pain. Being afraid of driving because we may hurt others is a fear of the distress we may cause others and therefore the worry and guilt we cause ourselves, and/or the pain of incarceration. Worry and guilt are kinds of pyschological pain. The fear that our friends and family don't really like us and are just being polite is the fear that we are unloved. Feeling unloved is another kind of pyschological pain. We are also scared of things we don't understand, because if we don't understand every aspect of a thing and how or why it works then it might be something that could cause us pain.

We're human. The majority of us don't like pain, because pain is a warning that something is wrong. "OW! HOT!" can mean "Take your hand off that hotplate, it is burning your skin and that is not a good thing." "Aw! SAD!" can mean "They don't like you - change your behavior so you are more socially acceptable and then more people will like you and be your friend - because there is safety in numbers." Therefore, there is not really any such thing as an irrational fear. Really, an "irrational fear" is just someone labeling you to make themselves feel more comfortable because they don't understand your fear and, well, didn't I say not understanding things was a fear already?

So basically, the best we can do is try to analyze each fear and weigh risks against benefits. Is it worth the effort to get over your fear of sharks? If you ever want to go scuba diving, probably yes. If you don't, probably not. If you worry sharks will come out of the shower head during your daily wash, probably yes. Fear is an instinct that has evolved over millions of years. Those that worried there was a lion hiding in that bush lived every time there really was a lion. The rest became cat food. The scared live on and breed and pass on their scared little genetics.

To conclude (I didn't mean to write an article guys, sorry, I started typing and it just sort of... happened. At least there is a scroll bar!) sometimes it is worth fighting against your instincts and sometimes it is not. As a librarian, I could be crushed by a stack of falling books and be killed! But this is very unlikely event and it is not worth giving up a paycheque for. Any time I make the Vancouver to Sydney flight we could crash! But it's only a slim chance, so I don't let it get in the way of seeing my loved ones. Basically, like everything in life, you need to put it into perspective.

P.S. Having said all that, thank you to Ephemere and everyone else for talking about their fear of driving. I am 23 now, and I still don't drive.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SevenPinkerton on 06 Feb 2008, 15:42
I actually just finished a section in Montaigne's writings concerning the fear of death and the fear of pain. He calls all fear a natural instinct against pain. Even our fear of death is a fear of the pain or the unknown, while when we are actually confronted with death, at the moments right before you slip away, you can be filled with perfect calm and acceptance and realize it's just a part of life.
Of course, he also contradicts himself again, because the dude is like that, but I found it intriguing.

And I must comment, I certainly do not believe all fear is from a fear of pain. How then would I explain my sudden fear of death due to my fear of leaving my lover behind? That's not pain, just plain insanity and emotions.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 06 Feb 2008, 16:17
Fear is an instinct that has evolved over millions of years. Those that worried there was a lion hiding in that bush lived every time there really was a lion. The rest became cat food.

Or they evolved into George Washington, who went on to fuck the shit out of bears.

Regarding driving, I'm 19 and I'm only learning to drive this summer. I'm not so much afraid of CARS so much as I'm afraid I'll kill somebody. I don't even care about my own safety (either I'm suicidal or just absurdly altruistic*), just so long as I don't get anybody else killed I'll be alright dying.

I don't care if an animal runs in front of my car, though. Unless it is the size of a golden retriever or larger, I am not going to risk running into a pole for the sake of a gat-damn squirrel. If I hit somebody's cat, that really sucks. Chihuahuas? Different story, I hate the bastards. But if a deer stops in front of my car, I am going to be like "OH FUCK THAT IS A DEER" and stop.

*Bahahaha no way am I altruistic, it's GOT to be a deathwish
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Bibliophile on 06 Feb 2008, 17:09
And here I was worried I might just be talking out of my ass, but it turns out I'm just having similar thoughts to some guy born in the 1500's who was a very influential writer and popularised essay writing. Well there you go. o_o

"When I play with my cat, how do I know that she is not passing time with me rather than I with her?" - Montaigne

Holy crap, the man is a genius.

And I must comment, I certainly do not believe all fear is from a fear of pain. How then would I explain my sudden fear of death due to my fear of leaving my lover behind? That's not pain, just plain insanity and emotions.

Exactly! It is emotions! And some emotions are painful. You do not want to hurt her by leaving her behind. You feel guilty about how she would suffer from the loss. It's that guilt (even though it would be something you have no control over) that hurts and makes you fearful.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Emilie__x on 07 Feb 2008, 06:16
I have a phobia of being disliked.
Everyone I come across I have to make them like me in some way & if I fail, which is becoming less and less rare, I obsess over it for weeks.

This is either due to having no real friends until the age of 14/15 & being bullied and generally hated or the fact that after about 8 or 9 months of knowing me, people decide they don't want to do so anymore because I get irritating... Or both of them.

I'm also scared of loads of hygiene related things, like I hate touching doors (or just surfaces in general, thinking about it), especially in public places because of how many people have touched them & you can actually feel the yuck on them.

I try to wash my hands as often as possible because I am grossly aware of the dirt accumulating on them...


I'm also scared of uhm... I can't remember what they're called...
dsfigkjb in French they're called aeoliennes... dkgjbg...
Whatever; they scare the CRAP out of me.
I have no idea why; I just get really fucking panicky when I see them even like in pictures...

...& daddy long legs are terrifying.
Not because of their deadly poison... Just dflkgjh!
Although I've been working on that one & I'm getting better :)

Oh and bad knowledge and/or expression of the English language and its grammar when it's through ignorance.
I think that's more a frustration though...
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: SevenPinkerton on 07 Feb 2008, 08:18
Yes, Montaigne is a genius. If he lived still I would seek him out and throw myself at him. In his section about the ridiculousness of custom and habits, he goes over his sex life and how he just can't bother having sex anytime but before bed, and certainly not standing up. And he finds that very irritating. I'm sure I could help him. I have a habit of fantasizing about ancient philosophers. At least I'm over Francis Bacon.

I sort of have a fear of people that I know. I love strangers, but I'm afraid of running into people I know because I never know what to say to them. I'm fine with good friends, but when it's just acquaintances I get really really nervous. And even though I'm 23, I still get scared talking to adults I respect.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Toba on 07 Feb 2008, 22:12
Bugs flying at my face.  Jesus christ I don't get why that freaks me out.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: pen on 08 Feb 2008, 05:57
I think anything flying at my face would freak me out, but I wouldn't really consider it a phobia.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Cartilage Head on 09 Feb 2008, 05:47
I don't like people reaching and touching my face. I wouldn't get along well with blind people.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: dalconnsuch on 11 Feb 2008, 22:47
this may sound odd

but i have the worst fear of snails and slugs, seriously, i freal the fuck out

ironically my college's mascot is a giant snail
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Patrick on 12 Feb 2008, 06:26
SC is a cool town and all, but between hippies and shitty weather, I don't know which is worse, the phobia of snails or having to be stuck there year-round.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: blaha 41 on 12 Feb 2008, 17:20
i'm scared stiff of sky diving. i'm not sure when it happened because I really like bungee jumping.
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: ampersandwitch on 12 Feb 2008, 17:21
I don't like people reaching and touching my face. I wouldn't get along well with blind people.

Physical touching at all is a little for no if I don't know you well enough.  That scary art teacher who pet me for like thirty seconds because he liked my picture? No thanks!
Title: Re: Phobias.
Post by: Elizzybeth on 12 Feb 2008, 18:21
Is that a phobia, though?  I'd call that pretty normal.  The being afraid of being touched by strangers thing, that is, not the petting art teacher.

I'm irrationally afraid of eels, which are generally fairly gentle creatures that only attack humans when truly provoked.  It doesn't interfere with my daily life (turns out I'm a land animal, which means I don't come into contact with creatures that hang out 150 meters under the sea) and thus is not a phobia.  But come on, this is terrifying:

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/NvrTooMuchPython/moray_eel_big.jpg)