Got a Phobia? Share it!

I had a paralyzing fear of spiders. I grew up out in the country in a very old house and it was not uncommon for spiders to appear on or in your bed. Sometimes we would wake up with spider bites and dead spiders under the covers. This is probably where my phobia began. Life in the country isn't all pretty.

When I was in my 20s we moved to a military base in Hawaii. One day I was leaving my bedroom when out of the corner of my eye I caught a shadow falling from the ceiling. I turned to find the biggest spider I have ever seen sitting right in the middle of my bed. It was a large cane spider at least half the size of my hand! I totally froze. I wanted to just leave the room and run away but everyone knows if you don't kill them you will spend the rest of your life laying awake at night knowing they are somewhere out there. And they WILL get you.

Just when I thought I couldn't be more terrified, I slowly moved towards the door and the sucker jumped at me! In fight or flight mode (and thinking of my children) I ran and grabbed the broom, all the while in horror at the thought that he wouldn't be there, and ran back in thinking, "He's a monster. Oh, God.. but please let him still be there. Please please please."

He was. And he lunged. It took a total of 8 very angry bludgeons with the side of the broom before he gave up the ghost. He was seriously running for it, too. But hell knows no wrath like a mother with arachnophobia. I left his carcass on the floor, watching it to make sure it didn't twitch, until my husband came home to dispose of the evidence. I had made my kill but I wasn't going to touch it.

Like shock therapy, ever since then I can handle spiders as long as they aren't too large. I can even coexist with them. For nothing compares to the terror of the Hawaiian monster and the Battle of Oahu.

My phobia is Clowns...eeek

It started when I was about 6, and my Dad took me to the Circus, and right then I thought 'That clown is not smiling really, he is nasty under that make-up...' and so it began.

I can't watch them on TV, could never even look at a toy one, oh my heart just pounds thinking of it. And I have NEVER got past the Pennywise part in 'IT' (Stephen King). To this very day I cannot bring myself to keep that part running.

Mad really, as I had a serious spider phobia which I got over and have kept Tarantula's for 20+ yrs (just made a thread today on my spider molting actually, and someone posted a link to this thread!) but with the Clowns I just cannot seem to get past that smile.

I have a huge fear of literally losing my head because to me it symbolizes the end you can't survive being beheaded. I also do not like wet loose hair and walking around my house in bare feet. I have to wash my dishes with running water and not sticking my hands in sinkful of water.

Originally posted by Urbanshadow
My phobia is Clowns...eeek

It started when I was about 6, and my Dad took me to the Circus, and right then I thought 'That clown is not smiling really, he is nasty under that make-up...' and so it began.

I can't watch them on TV, could never even look at a toy one, oh my heart just pounds thinking of it. And I have NEVER got past the Pennywise part in 'IT' (Stephen King). To this very day I cannot bring myself to keep that part running.

Mad really, as I had a serious spider phobia which I got over and have kept Tarantula's for 20+ yrs (just made a thread today on my spider molting actually, and someone posted a link to this thread!) but with the Clowns I just cannot seem to get past that smile.

I'm with ya on the clown thing. Those and Raggedy Ann dolls always scared me as a child. Something about those pale faces, brightly colored hair, fake smiles and the big eyes.

I have a fear of heights as well. Which is where my fear of sinkholes comes from, I think (that and imagining the earth just giving away beneath you and swallowing everything). And my hatred of flying. I am ok on rooftops, but anything higher than a single story and I start getting nervous. Forget the Space Needle or the Grand Canyon. Can't even get near the edge of those places.

Cool thread My phobia concerns centipedes. Chilopodophobia. I don't feel paralysed all the time when I see them, but I feel sick and need to throw up.

Where I live there are small blue centipedes with orange legs. I was talking to someone the other day who said that they can actually reach a foot long here. I'd die if I saw one.

I also have a very bad fear of fingernails being torn off fingers. I know it's quite specific, but it paralyses me even when I think about it. I can't cope with someone running their nails along a car's paint job, or using their nails to pick something off in case they snap or tear. I look away or run away or shove my fingers in my ears so I can't hear anything.

When I'm tired, I sometimes just see mental images of people being tortured by having their fingernails ripped off. It's really strange because I've never had a personal experience with it, and I don't remember watching many movies with that kind of thing at all. And of course, a thought tends to keep coming back when you try to look away or not think about it haha.

Sometimes I also sleep with the light on, but that's occasional when I forget rationality. It's not something to be proud of, but if I get scared and the lights out, I can't breathe till it's back on.

So those are my fears...


Here is a link to a phobia list
phobialist.com

reply to post by sheeplemama_awakening


I know what you mean about the cotton. Usually if my fingers are too dry that feel is just too much for me. I don't like touching soft clothing, cotton, or paper if my hands are dry. It gives me the creeps. Often I'll run them under water first anyway if I think they feel too 'powdery'.

getting shocked by electricity...I'm overly careful with outlets and changing bulbs...ect...When I was a child I witnessed my cousin getting shocked by one of those old fashioned coil heaters that houses used to have in the bathrooms...since then I have been paranoid of getting shocked even as rediculous as it sounds I even have a hard time changeing batteries in a flashlight...I know its harmless to do so but it still freaks me out...

reply to post by jude11


Heights. On a Family Vacation to St.Louis Mo as a 9 yr old, we were up in the Arch. I was kinda leaning over a little looking out the small windows and started to notice the Sway in the Wind of the Arch. Freaked me a little so I backed away from the window and stepped on something that made a metal slapping metal noise. It was Fairly loud so I looked down to see what it was and saw DayLight through the edge of a trapdoor I was standing in the middle of! (for Maintenance I guess?) I was already fairly mechanically inclined at that age and knew that door was going to give way right then?!?!! Shook me up pretty good to say the least!
We went down shortly after that and Dad decided to take us on a helicopter ride. I was still shaken and didn't say anything to my parents but decided to go onboard. Well we had I guess an X-Nam pilot or something because this guy didn't just take us for a gentle gliding tour, he was climbing, banking, diving with some pretty agressive manuvering! I was Chitterin' My Drawers I tell you!! Needless to say that ever since then I am a bit leary, no scared, of Heights, Ferris wheels, and anything where there is a possibility of Mechanical Failure that will hurt or kill me or others. On same vacation, we ended up in the Colorado Mountains on some roads that were right on the edge of Super High Cliffs. My Dad is driving, looking around and I am FREAKIN ! Every now and then hes like lookin sideways out the Passenger Side Window, and will be like "#!" as he swerves BACK ONTO THE ROAD!! He was like inches from goin over several times!! OMFG I still Tremble thinking back on all that.! LOL!
I'm ok in cars trucks etc., but just seein someone on a ledge up high, or on a cliff or something even in movies, ,I get that Rush feeling! LOL! well Srry so long here but had Multiple reasons for my Still Present Paranoias! LOL. Later, Syx.

reply to post by jude11


I'll bet I am the only one with this....would love to meet another....I can't put my hands and fingertips together in the praying position....or touch anyone else's fingertips. I feel the fingerprint grooves willI interlock and will stick. I know they won't really but I still can't do it or watch someone else do it either.

Originally posted by Vespa51
reply to post by jude11

 

I'll bet I am the only one with this....would love to meet another....I can't put my hands and fingertips together in the praying position....or touch anyone else's fingertips. I feel the fingerprint grooves willI interlock and will stick. I know they won't really but I still can't do it or watch someone else do it either.

Well. there's a new one!

We are such a funny species huh?

Nice share...

Peace

Cars.

Vehicles are like giant metallic monsters. I'm not one of those people who will never ride in a car due to some traumatic event, I'll still ride in a car, I've even driven a couple of times... but cars scare me.

The interstate scares me especially. The speed of all the vehicles, only inches away from each other, and the semi trucks are the worst.

My fiance gets really angry at me sometimes, because I'll stop him from crossing the street when we're walking around town. We live in the city.

A couple years ago, he and I were crossing a big street, and I was hit by someone going 60 mph. It was a cop, no less. Since then, I don't like crossing the streets with people. I can cross streets fine when I'm alone. With other people, it scares the hell outta me, because I try to account for everyone's actions and whatnot.

I'm 19 and still don't have my license. That's pretty bad.

But, there's not really anything else I'm afraid of. So, it evens out.

Apiphobia

I'm deathly afraid of bees. Not once have I ever been stung, and I'm 25 years old. Maybe that's the problem. Fearing what I don't know.

Originally posted by XxNightAngelusxX

I'm 19 and still don't have my license. That's pretty bad.

Don't feel too bad. I used to have the same fear. I didn't get my license until age 23, and I'm only 25 now. Eventually, the restrictions of not driving became too much of a burden on my social life. That's when I just sucked it up, and dealt with it.

Orange juice.

One time, my room-mate swapped out my orange juice for egg-yolks.

Originally posted by SymbolicLogic
Orange juice.

One time, my room-mate swapped out my orange juice for egg-yolks.

OK,

That;s just wrong on so many levels.

Peace

It's more of an anxiety thing than a true phobia, but here goes. I have a fear of physical and psychological discomfort. I'm beset with nervousness at the slightest ache and twitch, and god help me if I look up any of my symptoms on Google.

This is probably the strangest (or at least, I haven't heard of anyone else who's had it) phobia around.

I have a fear of seeing pictures and video of outer space, particularly galaxies and nebulae, but not neccesarily planets. What makes it stranger is, I'm not afraid to HEAR someone talking about outer space, I'm not even afraid to look up at the night sky. It's just pictures and video of stuff way out there. I've had it ever since I was about seven or eight years old.

I literally cannot look at a picture of a nebula or a galaxy. I quickly look away and scroll down. :/

I am absolutely terrified of crabs. I think it's because when I was a young boy, the first time I ever saw a crab I didn't know that they could walk (and run) side to side. So when I was sitting down and saw one a few feet over facing forward like I was, I thought I was safe. Then, of course, the little armored spider just came prancing toward me with his massive claws and I about died of fear. Cried for hours. Now I can't even see one in the seafood section of the store without feeling physically ill.

Also, the fact that they can amputate their claws if it gets injured is just disturbing.

My friends have a blast with this, however. Every time they go to Joe's Crab Shack I manage to get bombarded with lovely crab pictures on my phone.

*shudders*

Has anyone said "things that remind me of Aliens because when I was young, I was a̶d̶o̶p̶t̶e̶d̶ abducted." yet?