Got a Phobia? Share it!

Originally posted by targeting
Ok this is going to be as embarrassing as all hell. I've never actually told anyone this, but I'm afraid of pregnant women. The idea of pregnancy freaks me out in general. If you think about it a fetus is almost like a parasite and I keep thinking that the baby is just gonna pop out alien style. The stretched out stomach freaks me out as well. And then childbirth is the worst part. I can't find the scientific name for the fear of pregnant women, but I've had it for as long as I can remember. No one has mentioned this so I guess it's pretty weird but I don't get how someone can not be freaked out by it.

Ok...That's a new one!

I can understand it tho. Maybe we should call it Pregophobia?

I love this thread! So many people coming to it with honesty and laying it on the line. I have to believe that this may be the most down to Earth thread on ATS and I am so glad it has continued to grow.

Thanks for sharing with us targeting!

Peace

This may sound silly, but it is a real fear of mine. Fear that my dog is going to lick the straw in my soda as soon as my back is turned. My wife used to think this was silly... until we caugh the dog doing it.

Originally posted by TLomon
This may sound silly, but it is a real fear of mine. Fear that my dog is going to lick the straw in my soda as soon as my back is turned. My wife used to think this was silly... until we caugh the dog doing it.

If he was using the straw to actually drink the soda...THAT would be weird!

Thanks for sharing...

Peace

I have a very irrational fear of decapitation.

I think I may have, perhaps, died this way in a past life.

I have dreamed of dying this way. I remember how it feels, and I remember my last thoughts as I die and the last things I see. I have had these dreams since I was a child.

Decapitations in dreams are generally associated with lack of control of events or having lost touch with emotion. These are both issues I've had since childhood, so that may be the source of my dreams. Although, I have not had a decapitation dream in a long time... so maybe I'm over the issues.

Still afraid of being decapitated, though.

Also of driving behind vehicles with long poles sticking out of them. I think that they will stop fast and I will careen into them, impaling myself on the pole. I believe I saw a similar crash in a movie at some point, so that is probably the source of this fear.

Like the OP, my bugaboo is spiders... Not your run of the mill ones up to the size of a half dollar. We're talking about the tarantula to amazonian dinner plate size spiders. I was always aware of the tarantula size spiders from early elementary school and they always made me shudder. My phobia kicked in after I saw (actually using the word "saw" is an overstatement - I couldn't watch the whole thing) the movie arachnophobia. Before that movie, I had no clue that spiders could get that big, hiss, rear up, or be that freaky. I credit this movie with getting me to think about a spider's habits, the way they move, how they kill their prey, and just generally how creepy they are.

When I have nightmares, spiders are often the main antagonist or at least a major sub-theme.

Then imagine my horror when I learned about the orb spider, and camel spider. Then to hear about prehistoric spiders the size of Volkswagon Beetles almost caused me to faint.

Aaaahhhh... Just talking about this gives me the urge to spray toxic chemicals all around my house.

You all probably think this is an irrational fear... However, it seems pretty rational to me. Spiders should NOT get that big.

Originally posted by shansen
Love spiders, when I see one outside when winter comes, I bring it inside - don't think my house is full of them, though, ha-ha! IMO, they are perfect creatures, very well adapted. I especially like those little black/white jumping ones, I don't know their name but they have a pair of black eyes right in the front and they seem to look at you... cuties!

LATER EDIT: These I'm talking about

Jumping Spider



However, I HATE, HATE, HATE being catch in a crowd of people. I'm always thinking about out-of-control, panicked crowds and me being smashed under their feet... that freaks me out royally! Yikes!!!!

Great thread, btw, OP... S&F for ya, mate!

edit on 8-1-2012 by shansen because: (no reason given)

Okay - You're just being cruel to those of us with arachnophobia.

Originally posted by k21968
I am terrified of long bridges. I never realized it until I went on vacation to Destin Florida and drove across a long bridge and hyperventilated and almost passed out. Then I moved to Tacoma Washington and had to cross the Tacoma narrows everyday. I would literally have to psych myself into stepping on the gas pedal. To this day I cannot tolerate bridges, especially long ones over extensive spans of water.

I live on the Gig Harbor side of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge(s). The west bound bridge is galloping gertie's replacement, while the east bound one is only about 4 years old.

In engineering school, the old Tacoma Narrows Bridge (galloping gertie) was a required study in catastrophic engineering failures. I spent countless hours studying film of that stupid bridge and watching the last guy running for his life right before it fell into Puget Sound. That was 30 years ago...

To this day, I catch my breath and tense up every time I go over it. So, I can totally relate to this one.

Originally posted by Helious
reply to post by jude11

 

I'm not real sure about heights but I think with spiders, it really is a combination of things. I think they were probably slightly more menacing to our ancestors as they were larger back then because there was more oxygen in the atmosphere allowing them to grow bigger. Along with snakes, spiders seem to be a basic fear with people having having varying degrees of fear towards them. Funny thing is, I am not scared of snakes at all.

Spiders although largely non aggressive towards humans will almost always bite if they feel they can not run out of self defense, they will bite out of accidental contact to skin if they feel threatened and can not escape and a rare few, including wolf spiders can be outright aggressive towards humans.

Spiders can cause necrotic wounds on rare occasions such as the brown recluse and Hobo spiders and bites can result in flesh decay and huge open wounds, even amputation in very rare cases. They also appear menacing because of the eyes, fangs and legs, the spiders movement is fast and and is unlike most creators because it has eight legs so it seems unusual too us. There is the fact also in how it eats it's food, by cocooning, biting and paralyzing and then liquefying and sucking up it's victim, pretty horrendous if you ask me, no shock so many people are scared of these things.

Anyone see Starship Troopers? If spiders were the size of large dogs, you would run away from it for your life, faster than you ever ran before I'm guessing lol. That being said, not everyone is afraid of them, I seen a guy on the show Logmen on History, pick up a brown recluse and eat it, so, who knows haha.

He ATE it???? Shudder!!!!

reply to post by JimmyNeutron


That jumping spiders link tripped my trypophobia.

Totally forgot about that one.

I'm not afraid of spiders or bugs at all. But, their eyes gross me the heck out. Clustered circles or holes or bug eggs or skin lesions make me feel physically ill if I look at them too long.

Tryptophobia Images

Ugh. Man, feeling grody now.

Originally posted by Tasty Canadian
But secretly (and this is just between you & me) I have this innate fear that I am one day going to come strolling contentedly out of a public washroom with 3 yards of 3 ply toilet paper waving in the breeze, securely tucked in the back of my pants or stuck to the bottom of my shoe.

True story: this has happened to me before.

In my defense, I was tired and making an interstate moving trip. Stopped at a gas station to recharge and use the bathroom. Came out, cashier smiled at me, I smiled back and went on my way. Got to the car and people are laughing, turn around and find a very elegant 4' tail of toilet paper sticking out of my pants.

I laughed pretty hard. Also laughing pretty hard recounting that memory.

Originally posted by sarah17
...things (mostly animals) coming out of the toilet...

I remember an episode of Highway to Heaven (I think I was four or five years old) where a woman kept telling Mark Gordon that there was a snake in her toilet. He would go check and find nothing there, and assumed she must've been neurotic. The last time he went to check, there was actually a water snake coming up out of the toilet. Totally freaked me out for awhile afterwards, but I eventually got over it.

I don't know if this is already a phobia and if it is I don't know what do you call this

I don't like others touching my chest. feels like it hurt whenever other touched it on purpose or much worse pinch my nipples(devastating don't like the feeling). even when lying, i don't like the feeling whenever my chest was caught in between the bed and my body (prone or in side lying position). . . i abruptly change into fetal type of position when it happens . . i don't know if this feeling is because i'm afraid of having breast cancer even though it does not greatly affect males. . . i'm just afraid of it getting hurt. . .

if this is a phobia, what kind of phobia is this? or what do you call this?

I got Entomophobia and Arachnophobia, lol. I don't remember how I developed it but I always feared of those little insect monsters and mostly of those which can fly. Anything including butterflies flying around me creeps me out. And spiders, I just don't like them. I am afraid what they will spit out of their body.

Well i have Dentistphobia.

Since i had 2 root canals done in germany...OMG that was the most Scary experience of my life (and trust me in my life happend some SICK SH!T!).

The doctor was like from a really bad horrormovie, About 170cm tall fat bold and had a very strange smile on his face. All the time.

His nurse was a Eastern European woman who was....well sexy but VERY STRANGE!!!

He had this habbit of laughing franticly when he hit a nerve (My nerve)

"does this hurt? hahahahaa" or "Hehe we are going to dig the nerve out now *big grin on his face* "


Well after this procedure i was done with dentists ...for over 8 years now, i take VERY good care of my teeth now so i dont have to have another visit....

reply to post by ottobot


This. I have trypophobia. Once I saw a scene in a horror movie that triggered it so badly that I cried for like two hours after exiting the theater. It's pretty ridiculous. I also extremely dislike spiders and bees, probably for related reasons.

People who photoshop the lotus seed pattern onto things are EVIL. Example: evil

One person I've met, and many online, seem to have it with lots of things like bread and other foods, and the lotus pod by itself, straws, etc. But mine seems to be mostly confined to clusters on bodies and skin, animals, bugs, or just a hole in the skin in general. That one picture floating around of the fingers with the holes is seared in my brain.

Originally posted by jude11
I am still intrigued by this "Cotton Ball" Phobia!

Not going to count but maybe 4 or more people in this thread stated cotton balls as a phobia. What is it with these little suckers? I don't understand it but phobias are at times irrational in nature right?

If someone has the time to elaborate on this particular one I would be grateful.

Thanks folks!

I have to say that this is my favorite thread of all. Just amazing what stories people are sharing on here.

Peace

I have this too, Sidlongobophobia.. I rarely talk about it because people think I'm crazy and I don't blame them.

I think it must have something to do with texture and sensory disorders. It feels so unpleasant, it sounds horrible, it gives me a feeling like nails on a chalkboard and I avoid it at all costs.

I have the same reaction to touching, specifically scratching, fabric. Especially denim. I don't even think there is a name for it.

I cant say i really have a phobia but if i do it would be only Funnel web spiders and white tips im not afraid of anything else apart from them buggers because iv seen how messed up your skin get when u get bitten by a white tip spider

Looks like ur skin was set on fire with sulfur WWI style

Originally posted by 1nOne
reply to post by jude11

 

Crossing bridges. Phobia just suddenly appeared for no apparent reason in my mid-thirties.

And I thought I was the only one. The bigger body of water it is, the worse it is. I've had that fear for as long as I can remember. I'm from Notre Dame country in northern Indiana and we have our share rivers and streams up there so I learned early not to look down. Especially when I cross the Mississippi. The fear is still there, it's just more tolerable if I only have to hear and not see the running water.

I've never had a water related accident so I don't really know where this fear comes from.

reply to post by jude11


My phobia is heights, even though I know most of its not real even the heights, I see in movies or tv. if they stay too long on the subject, gets me to avert my eyes.

Can't stand them to the degree, when I'm a dept. store I'll go up the escalator, but prefer to go down the elevator. Weird, huh?

I have 3 things that spring to mind
Needles. A lumbar puncture as an 8 year old means I can't watch needles on TV (hospital shows) and last time I had a blood test I almost passed out and had to lie down for 45 mins before I had enough colour and could get up again. Even people talking about them makes me feel ill!

Heights, but not all the time. Odd in that I can go on roller coasters, but if I go up in a tall building I cannot go near the window. It's like I feel I'm going to fall straight out...so if I'm high but strapped in it's ok, but if not I get disorientated and deeply uncomfortable.

Foam. Soft squishy foam like you get in packaging, in fact my skin is crawling typing this as it's made me think of it.Grim

People brushing teeth, sound of that turns my stomach. Not a phobia but gets "honourable mention"