What Really Scares People: Top 10 Phobias

Good thread -- wish I'd thought of it! But seriously, it's very valid to consider phobias. I am actually surprised at the relatively low percentage of people who admit to them.

Mine is heights. I only have to lean a bit far out our window and I get the shivers up the spine thing. Funny thing is, I love flying, and even when I did some flying in light aircraft I was absolutely fine. (Meaning I was in the seat and actually flying the plane.)

Here's another odd thing. When I was a kid I used to go rock-climbing. "Free", meaning no ropes, nothing. Just hands and feet. It never bothered me at all. But now? If I want to look over a cliff I literally have to lie down on the ground and creep up to the edge like a snake!

So -- things can change over time...

Beats me why but there it is.

Mike

reply to post by JustMike


JustMike when we are kids most of us weren't afraid of anything, we think we will live forever, it's a shame we have to grow up and face our so called reality.

Thanks, it is a fun thread.

reply to post by Aquarius1

There is that point of not considering our own mortality, yes. But I do recall the fall I had when I was about 14. I slipped and missed a handhold and dropped about 30-odd feet through the air, which was a strange feeling as I recall watching the cliff face receding from me and myself thinking "Uh-oh..." Then I just hit the steep slope covered in scree and tumble-rolled down and finished in some rough bushes.

For those who don't think 30-odd feet is very far to fall, it's quite far enough to kill you if you land on something hard enough or just land the wrong way. In my case it was fortunate that I landed on a nice steep slope and not a rocky outcrop about ten feet to my right.

I got away with some bruises and general soreness. The next weekend I think it was, I went back and did the climb again...

I'm not sure if that experience eventually led to my phobia, but I do recall the first time I felt the dreadful fear was when I was well into my thirties, and I was wondering, "What on Earth? I LIKE heights!"

Not any more I don't!

You said something else but I can't remember... must post and have a look...

Mike

Edit... Oh yeah... Facing reality...

You know, it's just now I've realized that I never had a fear of heights before my car crash.

OMG... (Oh my gosh!)

Now I know why...

The car went off the side of a road and over what was virtually a cliff. Flew through the air, direction down. I remember applying opposite lock to the steering while in mid-flight but no effect. Sounds funny now but it wasn't then... It seemed to take forever before my car finally finally hit a huge tree about seven feet off the ground.

It was that first moment, when the car took out a rather useless guidepost then went over the edge and into space and I remember thinking "I'm dead!" It was very, very scary.

Okay I had an NDE after the impact (subject for another thread really) but obviously I survived.

So that must be it.

I must think about this.

Thank you for your post, Aquarius. It has led me in a certain direction.





[edit on 26/10/09 by JustMike]

reply to post by JustMike


Mike I have been to your country twice, once in 94 and again in 96, beautiful..
Think if I fell 30 feet I would never climb again.....but of course I have never climbed, now I am too old for that.

reply to post by JustMike


Mike I had a similar experience except it was a boat accident..but I didn't have any fear when it was happening...didn't freak out until a Coast Guard man on his private boat pulled me out of the water and my left arm flipped back when I tried to reach up, first time I realized I was injured, dislocated elbow, this is also a story for another thread, there is much more.

reply to post by JustMike


Mike I had a similar experience except it was a boat accident..but I didn't have any fear when it was happening...didn't freak out until a Coast Guard man on his private boat pulled me out of the water and my left arm flipped back when I tried to reach up, first time I realized I was injured, dislocated elbow, this is also a story for another thread, there is much more.

You know, we might have to find that other thread.

Interesting how we can more-or-less ignore quite serious injuries when a crisis demands it, isn't it? Then there is the reaction...

By the way, where I am now is my adopted country, but yes -- it has its beautiful places. I hope to get to the US some day. I'm not that interested in the cities but I'd like to see the country. You sure have a lot of lovely places.

Hmmm... and maybe do some climbing. (Joking! )

To stay on topic.it would be interesting to see how many people's phobias can be linked to a specific event. In some cases it's obvious, but in others it cn be a real eye-opening moment -- as in my case.

I have no idea how to beat this phobia, though. Not sure if I even really want to.

Mike

I've suffered from anatidaephobia for many years now.

Whatever it is that I may be doing, the thought that I may be being watched by a duck as I do so, just makes me freeze with terror

reply to post by JustMike


I haven't beaten my fear of flying but nevertheless flew from San Francisco to Frankfort Germany every year in the nineties...Luftansia non-stop helped, the scariest flight I ever had was to Hawaii...too much water.

Originally posted by Taikonaut
I've suffered from anatidaephobia for many years now.

Whatever it is that I may be doing, the thought that I may be being watched by a duck as I do so, just makes me freeze with terror

I have never heard of that, learn something new all the time..you wouldn't like it here, in Oakland County, Northern Suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, we have numerous lakes and ponds with ducks everywhere...also Canadian Geese.

[edit on 26-10-2009 by Aquarius1]

It has to be spiders. Just the sight of one scampering across the floor chills me to the bone. I feel sick just typing about it. Those horrible long black legs... I can trace this back to an event as a toddler when I was covered in a type of mite after paddling in the sea.
Plus I'm not too good in very small spaces. I can get claustrophobic in a tent! The worst experience ever was climbing up a tightly enclosed spiral staircase in a tower. I could NEVER go potholing!

reply to post by Aquarius1


thanks for scaring the crap out of me with that image of a spider! now i wont sleep!

reply to post by Danna


You're in good company, now I am sorry I posted it.....but hey it's just a picture, I hope.

I am terrified of the dentist. The have to sedate me just to get me in the door without totally falling apart. I can barely take my husband or son to an appointment while staying calm.
My mom actually takes my son to his dentist now so that my freak out doesn't rub off on him.

I know its irrational, but that doesn't mean I can do anything about it

Mine is waking up to find someone or something by my bedside watching me.

I get shudders just thinking about it.

Originally posted by cindymars
Mine is waking up to find someone or something by my bedside watching me.

I get shudders just thinking about it.

That used to happen to me as a child, haven't seen anything in thousand years but will say when I go to bed I do not open my eyes just in case, not that there is anyone there.

Originally posted by Aquarius1

Originally posted by cindymars
Mine is waking up to find someone or something by my bedside watching me.

I get shudders just thinking about it.

That used to happen to me as a child, haven't seen anything in thousand years but will say when I go to bed I do not open my eyes just in case, not that there is anyone there.

LOL Oh not me, if I felt or sensed someone/something, I snap open my eyes ready to ponce on them/it. LOL

I would flipping tear into it/them.

reply to post by cindymars


You are braver then I am, no way would I attack, more like running for my life..or fly away.... [atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e36fc4191def.gif[/atsimg]

reply to post by blupblup
Im with you on the spider thing i definetely have arachnaphobia, as far as i can tell thats the only phobia i have ,but its enough, I know there is a huge size difference between me and them, BUT to me when confronted with one they are 13 ft tall. especially a black widow or brown recluse. yikes . And my fam knows better than to ask me to kill one.And they know not to let it get away when they attempt it. i demand to see it dead.