Phobias

[Dervish]

Hey gang, gather around ye olde e-campfire and let's have a discussion about phobias.

I will ask that if somebody says they have a phobia of something that you don't go posting pictures or misleading links to force them to look at said phobia, no matter if it's well-intentioned or not.

Anywho, this stems from the blood donation conversation and how it inevitably brought up the point that some people have phobias of needles, and now rationalizing how they can be good things does nothing to alleviate the phobia, and I thought it would be a good time as any to have a discussion about these things that make us irrationally afraid, even if it's utterly ridiculous to most people (such as there's apparently people who have phobias of balloons and packing Styrofoam).

So, residents of Iwaku, what phobias rattle your brain cage? What experiences have you had with them? Do you know what caused it, what exactly do you experience when you encounter your phobia? I am legitimately curious and would love to hear your stories about it, and get a discussion going. Who knows? Maybe you'll find somebody who has a similar phobia to you and they found a coping mechanism you haven't tried yet. The goal is to be kind and supportive, and while joking and playful ribbing will definitely occur, please don't be malicious towards other people. It should go without saying, but I feel obligated to remind people not to be dickbags even if the temptation is there like the urge to vacate your bowels after losing a bet and having to eat 50 dollars worth of Taco Bell.

Anyways, I don't personally have any phobias or any kind of irrational fear, so I sadly am lacking in the good story department. Lame way to start off, but I'd like to get to know you guys and maybe I can relate similar experiences.

It's story time, and I brought the marshmallows.

 

[AetherDream]

I can't say that I've got anything resembling a phobia; while I am scared of spiders, the fear doesn't hit me like it would if I had arachnophobia. That being said, the worst nightmares I tend to have do revolve around spiders. Though those nightmares are more along the lines of a waking nightmare and as such, in the moment, I genuinely think that my bed is full of spiders and will flee my room after tearing the covers off of my bed.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I'll just repeat what I posted in the Blood donor thread:

I don't have any phobias, but I have a pet peeve that works on a similliar "Logical reasoning doesn't help" idea that redblood mentioned.

Sharing germs, I can't stand drinking out of the same straw, cup, or eating out of the same bowl, untensils etc. as other people.
It freaks me the hell out, I know it's generally harmless but it makes me go "Gah!".

There are two exceptions where I seem to able to overcome it though.

1) If in a relationship. Note this hasn't happened for over 2 years now, but I've found when in a relationship I don't have issues doing the stuff detailed above strictly with that other person.
I think this is because I recognize that kissing shares far more germs, so the other actions by comparison is mere child's play.

2) Little cousins. When you have a 2 year old cousin trying to share a fork full of cake with you, but with a fork they just used?
God dammit I just can't say no to her and make her feel rejected like that! :(

 

[Dervish]

I can't say that I've got anything resembling a phobia; while I am scared of spiders, the fear doesn't hit me like it would if I had arachnophobia. That being said, the worst nightmares I tend to have do revolve around spiders. Though those nightmares are more along the lines of a waking nightmare and as such, in the moment, I genuinely think that my bed is full of spiders and will flee my room after tearing the covers off of my bed.

For me, spiders don't creep me out nearly as much as they do most people. I think they're kind of fun, in a way. At my last job, there was always a lot of spiders that took up residence in the tank room and I fed them horse and black flies that I swatted to see how fat I could get them before the winter hit. When I was around 7-8 years old, I had a rubber Street Sharks hand puppet that I kept on the post of my bed's backboard and apparently a spider laid eggs in there and they all hatched and I had to deal with hundreds of baby spiders crawling all over my bed for an evening. Even after that, they still never really bothered me. I guess out of all the crawly things in the world, spiders have never bit me while asshole horseflies and blackflies made in their unholy mission to hunt me down. I always looked at it as spiders ate the things I didn't like.

I also haven't been stung or bit by a hornet, bee, or wasp since I was around 9 years old, and I do a lot of outdoorsy stuff. A lot of it's really how you react around them.

I'll just repeat what I posted in the Blood donor thread:

I don't have any phobias, but I have a pet peeve that works on a similliar "Logical reasoning doesn't help" idea that redblood mentioned.

Sharing germs, I can't stand drinking out of the same straw, cup, or eating out of the same bowl, untensils etc. as other people.
It freaks me the hell out, I know it's generally harmless but it makes me go "Gah!".

There are two exceptions where I seem to able to overcome it though.

1) If in a relationship. Note this hasn't happened for over 2 years now, but I've found when in a relationship I don't have issues doing the stuff detailed above strictly with that other person.
I think this is because I recognize that kissing shares far more germs, so the other actions by comparison is mere child's play.

2) Little cousins. When you have a 2 year old cousin trying to share a fork full of cake with you, but with a fork they just used?
God dammit I just can't say no to her and make her feel rejected like that! :(

I used to be more of a 'oh dude, that's gross' when it came to sharing a drink or whatever, but it's something I kind of developed a laissez-faire mentality around the time I had my first apartment and went camping with my post-highschool circle of friends, mostly because living with room mates is a universally disgusting experience so "here, try this unholy concoction of mixed liquor" is a lot easier when you don't have any clean classes available, especially when you're camping and already half-drunk around a 12-foot bonfire*. Being in the army helped, too, for similar reasons. When you haven't bathed in a week out in the field and you run out of water and your buddy's offering his canteen, you're usually too thirsty to care. I imagine that would be torture of conflict of interest if you had a severe germ phobia.

*Not an exaggeration.

Kissing's biological purpose is kind of a shared immunity for the germ-sharing purposes you mentioned. The more you suck face, the more pathogens you get adapted to, and the stronger immunity you both share with each other. It's just something you don't think about because it's a sign of affection, where sharing a spit-encrusted beer bottle is far less alluring for the most part.

Yeah, kids are disgusting. I'm pretty sure they're the reason the Black Death rolled through Europe, probably because they got into something they shouldn't have and then they proceeded to slobber on everything else their parents loved.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

I am claustrophobic. I literally freak the fuck out if I can't stretch out my arms and legs. I've even panicked when my kids all dog piled on me to try and tickle me. (Scared the crap out of them while doing it too. @_@) But, I have an extremely logical reason for my fear; I was stuffed in a car trunk when I was a kid when my dad tried kidnapping me. He was pissed off that my mom got full custody, so he decided to stuff me in the trunk of his car and drive the hour ride up to my grandmother's house in the middle of the summer. I don't remember it, but my family told me about it. What I do know is that ever since then I cannot stand being unable to move freely. I hate when I have people all around me and I can't move how I want to, and you can forget getting me inside an elevator.

 

[AetherDream]

I'm not sure how well I would have handled having the contents of an egg sac spilling out onto my bed. You were certainly far braver a child than I was and an adult that I am now. I probably would have to burn the bed with a flame thrower. Not that I've got one handy...I'd have to use one of those improvised flame throwers that you see in the movies and would probably end up hurting myself more than the hundreds of baby spiders who were busy eating one another. I shudder at the thought.

 

[Dervish]

I am claustrophobic. I literally freak the fuck out if I can't stretch out my arms and legs. I've even panicked when my kids all dog piled on me to try and tickle me. (Scared the crap out of them while doing it too. @_@) But, I have an extremely logical reason for my fear; I was stuffed in a car trunk when I was a kid when my dad tried kidnapping me. He was pissed off that my mom got full custody, so he decided to stuff me in the trunk of his car and drive the hour ride up to my grandmother's house in the middle of the summer. I don't remember it, but my family told me about it. What I do know is that ever since then I cannot stand being unable to move freely. I hate when I have people all around me and I can't move how I want to, and you can forget getting me inside an elevator.

I can't remember what movie I was watching, but there was this scene where the character had to escape from a cave that was just tall enough to crawl through flat on his or her stomach and they couldn't even lift their head. I remember thinking that I didn't think I could do that because I'd probably panic if I tried it and got stuck because all it would take is wedging yourself in one way you couldn't back out of and you're fucked. That's an extreme case and I think most people would be "fuck that shit!" along with me, but that's definitely one instance I could see myself getting into a blind panic.

I'm very sorry to hear your dad did that too you; that's absolutely terrifying! Having somebody you love and trust abuse you in that kind of way is awful, and it's not like most kids know about how to knock the seats down in a car from the trunk, if there's even that option. Being forcefully confined is definitely one of those things I can see screwing a lot of people up, even if you were older.

To be fair, elevators are awful places to begin with, especially dealing with several seconds in awkward company with people, one of whom will inevitably fart.

I'm not sure how well I would have handled having the contents of an egg sac spilling out onto my bed. You were certainly far braver a child than I was and an adult that I am now. I probably would have to burn the bed with a flame thrower. Not that I've got one handy...I'd have to use one of those improvised flame throwers that you see in the movies and would probably end up hurting myself more than the hundreds of baby spiders who were busy eating one another. I shudder at the thought.

Truth be told, I don't know how I handled it so well, either. I remember trying to trap them in this Wendy's child's toy Swiss-army knife knock off that had a little "sample" compartment, I think it was for encouraging playing outdoors and pretending you were a scientist or some shit. Needless to say, it didn't work as planned. Like 3-5 spiders verses like 100 is a drop in the bucket. I don't know where the hell they wall went to, because I know I couldn't have gotten them all, but I might have thrown out the puppet afterwards in fear of it happening again, only this time going to play with it. I get the heevy jeevies when I walk through a cobweb and think I might have gotten a spider or some eggs on me.

Actually, reminds me of this genuine concern I had when I was a kid. My grandfather had a couple of those big ass sea shells that distort sound when you listen to the openings (you know, "you can hear the ocean!" bullshit adults tell you) on the coffee table and I always had this worry in the back of my mind that there was something in there that would come out and bite my ear. I still listened to them on occasion, but it was always on my mind.

 

[AetherDream]

Your trapping method reminds me of what I once tried to do when a swarm of bees decided to appropriate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Back when I was young, my mother made me peanut butter and jelly for the first time ever. I was so excited that I left my lunch bag outside on one of the lunch tables for the first half of the day. When I came out for lunch period, I saw the bees flying in and out of the bag in what resembled a tornado...a bee-nado. Not to be robbed of my sandwich, I resolved to capture as many bees in the bag at once and pop the bag, killing or stunning most of them and allowing me to make off with the bounty. Needless to say, this plan did not work. I was stung several times upon the bag's bursting. I didn't even get the durn sammich back.

 

[Dervish]

Your trapping method reminds me of what I once tried to do when a swarm of bees decided to appropriate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Back when I was young, my mother made me peanut butter and jelly for the first time ever. I was so excited that I left my lunch bag outside on one of the lunch tables for the first half of the day. When I came out for lunch period, I saw the bees flying in and out of the bag in what resembled a tornado...a bee-nado. Not to be robbed of my sandwich, I resolved to capture as many bees in the bag at once and pop the bag, killing or stunning most of them and allowing me to make off with the bounty. Needless to say, this plan did not work. I was stung several times upon the bag's bursting. I didn't even get the durn sammich back.

I admire your dedication to the greatest of all sandwiches.

Peanut butter is pretty much my family's staple breakfast food to the point my grandfather requested that peanut butter sandwiches be served at his funeral.

Last time I got stung by a wasp was on a field trip to this place called the Sharron Temple where we were learning how to make wax candles and do other old colonial things. We'd just gotten our cast candles back and we were getting ready to go back to the buses when one landed on my shoulder and stung me for no fucking reason.

I mean, usually those assholes leave you alone if you don't swat at them or flail around, but this one for whatever reason decided to play Attack on Titan before it was a thing.

 

[C92cool]

Sadly I have no phobias anymore. I once had Nyctophobia and Thanatophobia but I have learn to love the dark and I have learn to accept Death for what it is.

 

[LeVen]

I had an unrealistic fear of dinosaurs as a child. Anything having to do with it I'd be terrified for the rest of the day and part of the next day. Idk if that counts as a phobia lol.
Luckily I have no phobias.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I used to be more of a 'oh dude, that's gross' when it came to sharing a drink or whatever, but it's something I kind of developed a laissez-faire mentality around the time I had my first apartment and went camping with my post-highschool circle of friends, mostly because living with room mates is a universally disgusting experience so "here, try this unholy concoction of mixed liquor" is a lot easier when you don't have any clean classes available, especially when you're camping and already half-drunk around a 12-foot bonfire*. Being in the army helped, too, for similar reasons. When you haven't bathed in a week out in the field and you run out of water and your buddy's offering his canteen, you're usually too thirsty to care. I imagine that would be torture of conflict of interest if you had a severe germ phobia.

*Not an exaggeration.

Kissing's biological purpose is kind of a shared immunity for the germ-sharing purposes you mentioned. The more you suck face, the more pathogens you get adapted to, and the stronger immunity you both share with each other. It's just something you don't think about because it's a sign of affection, where sharing a spit-encrusted beer bottle is far less alluring for the most part.

Yeah, kids are disgusting. I'm pretty sure they're the reason the Black Death rolled through Europe, probably because they got into something they shouldn't have and then they proceeded to slobber on everything else their parents loved.

I completely get that the pet peeve is illogical and that such actions actually strengthen ones immune system.
But it's something that the back of my head just get's creeped the hell out by.

As for your camping story? Yea, that would be a pretty shitty situation for me to be in.

I do realize that kissing is more of a universal exception, generally.
I've met people where stuff like kissing is literally their phobia.

And yes kids are messy, very, very messy.
But at the same time I still love em... Which considering my disliking to germs astonishes me.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Not sure if it is phobia level, but thunder freaks me out. I just can't think straight when it is around, especially as it gets louder. It isn't even that I think it will hurt me, it just fills me with a shiver that I can't shake off. For whatever reason, recordings of the noise don't freak me out either. I guess it is just makes me nervous to know that more energy than I will use in my natural life just exploded within a mile of my house.

 

[Dervish]

I had an unrealistic fear of dinosaurs as a child. Anything having to do with it I'd be terrified for the rest of the day and part of the next day. Idk if that counts as a phobia lol.
Luckily I have no phobias.

I saw Jurassic Park way too early and that opening sequence where the worker gets killed by the raptor in the cage ended up freaking me the fuck out for the longest time. I still have reoccurring dinosaur nightmares, usually involving the large ones chasing me around.

Jurassic Park's my all time favorite movie and one of my favorite novels, so it's not like it freaks me out or anything, but for some reason the nightmares come back periodically.

I completely get that the pet peeve is illogical and that such actions actually strengthen ones immune system.
But it's something that the back of my head just get's creeped the hell out by.

As for your camping story? Yea, that would be a pretty shitty situation for me to be in.

I do realize that kissing is more of a universal exception, generally.
I've met people where stuff like kissing is literally their phobia.

And yes kids are messy, very, very messy.
But at the same time I still love em... Which considering my disliking to germs astonishes me.

Oh, don't take it as me invalidating your phobia! I was just relating my own experiences to it. I get where you're coming from, but man, that sucks.

I actually kind of get where people are coming from for being scared of kissing. I myself don't really like kissing all that much, for whatever reason. I have some days where I'm feeling off and it's like a nuisance more than anything. I can't wrap my head around French kissing being enjoyable. Tongue hockey is fucking gross feeling.

Kids are hit and miss with me. If they're well behaved and can hold a conversation of sorts I tend to like them, but if they're hyperactive or screaming or moody it's my personal Hell. I still remember what it was like for me being a kid, but I know if older me met kid me, older me would probably think kid me was literally the worst thing imaginable, even though I was pretty well behaved for the most part.

 

[Dervish]

Not sure if it is phobia level, but thunder freaks me out. I just can't think straight when it is around, especially as it gets louder. It isn't even that I think it will hurt me, it just fills me with a shiver that I can't shake off. For whatever reason, recordings of the noise don't freak me out either. I guess it is just makes me nervous to know that more energy than I will use in my natural life just exploded within a mile of my house.

Hard to say, but I'd say there's definitely a layer of irrational fear there if it effects you emotionally that way. I usually look forward to thunder storms, it's a very entertaining show. Shitty weather and storms are a thing I love a lot. Once, in Florida, there was a tornado hitting just outside the town I was in and moving closer, and I was outside my hotel room on a lawnchair just watching the winds whip shit around. I went inside when the gazebo had it's palm leaves torn from the roof. I think I was like 13 at the time.

 

[☆Luna☆]

Hard to say, but I'd say there's definitely a layer of irrational fear there if it effects you emotionally that way. I usually look forward to thunder storms, it's a very entertaining show. Shitty weather and storms are a thing I love a lot. Once, in Florida, there was a tornado hitting just outside the town I was in and moving closer, and I was outside my hotel room on a lawnchair just watching the winds whip shit around. I went inside when the gazebo had it's palm leaves torn from the roof. I think I was like 13 at the time.

Surprisingly enough, I've actually been close enough to a tornado that I rationally should have been scared. I agree. While tornadoes are super destructive, they are kinda cool to watch. Especially the twisters that sprout up occasionally that are too weak to cause any real damage.

 

[Dervish]

Surprisingly enough, I've actually been close enough to a tornado that I rationally should have been scared. I agree. While tornadoes are super destructive, they are kinda cool to watch. Especially the twisters that sprout up occasionally that are too weak to cause any real damage.

It's just one of those things that's uncommon enough to not feel real. You know full well what you're seeing, but as long as you are relatively safe, it's just a crazy show more than anything. Breaks up the tedium.

You couldn't pay me to willingly relocate to Tornado Alley, however. Fuck that shit.

 

[☆Luna☆]

It's just one of those things that's uncommon enough to not feel real. You know full well what you're seeing, but as long as you are relatively safe, it's just a crazy show more than anything. Breaks up the tedium.

You couldn't pay me to willingly relocate to Tornado Alley, however. Fuck that shit.

*giggles*, how much would I have to pay you in addition to moving expenses, to live in Tornado alley for a year?

 

[Dervish]

*giggles*, how much would I have to pay you in addition to moving expenses, to live in Tornado alley for a year?

More than you're making. ;)

 

[C92cool]

Not sure if it is phobia level, but thunder freaks me out. I just can't think straight when it is around, especially as it gets louder. It isn't even that I think it will hurt me, it just fills me with a shiver that I can't shake off. For whatever reason, recordings of the noise don't freak me out either. I guess it is just makes me nervous to know that more energy than I will use in my natural life just exploded within a mile of my house.

Astraphobia, also known as astrapophobia, brontophobia, keraunophobia, or tonitrophobia is what you have and it's a fear of thunder or lightning. Both animals and humans can get it and it's treatable. I think what you have described is phobia level, but it would be hard to get over unless exposed to it often and essentially being mentally trained that it's ok and that the noise won't hurt you. That's just my opinion though.