Friday, April 05, 2013
Your Turn
“I’m claustrophobic in bathrooms on planes, so I have my husband hold the door [shut]." Kim Zolciak. Do you suffer from any phobias? Someone explained to me on Twitter that even though I think this would make the situation worse that it makes Kim feel safe because someone is standing there. What does she do when she travels alone? Not use the bathroom? Ask a stranger?
She should just pee with the door open.
ReplyDeleteFear of heights and fear of falling, so roller coasters are a no-go. Also hate bugs. And don't get me started in how much screaming is involved when I need to kill a spider!!
ReplyDeleteLove spiders.. HATE bees *shudder*
Delete@Alicia OMG, I had a bee invasion in my kitchen over the weekend!!! And a panic attack. They're gone now; their point of entry has been sealed off
DeleteHoleeee sheeeet - you are a brave, brave woman VIP
DeleteVIP: Were they bees or yellow jackets? The former good, the latter aggressive.
Delete@Shelly I think just bees. 8 of them having a party on my kitchen window, inside my house! Thankfully bee removal service came within an hour, and screened in a vent on my roof that they were using to get in. No more since then, but I'm still a bit jumpy!
DeleteI have dental phobia. In the chair, I have completely different personality. It's a nightmare every time I go.
ReplyDeleteFind a dentist who will knock you out. That's the only way I can stand it. My palms are sweaty just thinking about being in that chair
DeleteI know a woman who used to have her ex hubby hold her hands while she pooped. If it wasn't him, it was her sister.
ReplyDeleteThat's just a tad too close, for me.
I've already discussed my fear of anal bleaching on a different thread.
ReplyDeleteDon't fear the bleacher(sung to the tune of Dont fear the reaper)! You know what this anal bleaching needs? More cowbell!!
DeleteLove it VIP!
DeleteVIP YOU WIN THE INTERNET TODAY just for the most creative use of anal bleaching. LMFAO!!!!!!!
DeleteShe's probably rarely alone, and if she is, she could always ask a flight attendant. I have a phobia of sharks when I'm swimming, but I don't think that's that weird. I also don't like rollercoasters, but not terrified of them. I'm afraid of not developing my spirit and personality enough, so that when I grow older I don't have enough of that inner sparkle and look like a depressed bitter old lady.
ReplyDelete@anna, you're aware of that, and afraid of it, therefore you won't become that person. I know I'm a cdan stranger but I've read about your story, and you possess the inner strength to maintain that 'inner sparkle'. That doesn't go away when you're conscious of it
DeleteMy phobia is being accidentally cut by a razor or other super sharp blade. Where the cut is so fine you don't even feel it before there's blood everywhere. Pretty sure it's from an early childhood mishap. So any movie scene where somebody is shaving & the camera moves in close I close my eyes. Same with a baddie approaching his victim with a straight razor. I can't watch.
ReplyDeleteFear of being upside down. No good ever comes from being upside down. Also have that dental phobia. I have to go next week and I've already stolen a Xanax from Mr.B.
ReplyDeleteI have a crippling fear of heights. I went on a ride at the fair about 8 years ago on a dare and was nearly catatonic for about an hour afterward. Not much else scares me (I'm the friend you call to come take care of bugs and the one you want to take with you on Survivor :).
ReplyDeleteSpiders. Going all the way back to childhood. And disappointing my son. That about covers it. Everything else is negotiable (and even spiders are negotiable - the gf hates them too and somehow I get to be the designated spider/bug killer.
ReplyDeleteFear of heights that has become worse as I've gotten older. And a touch of agoraphobia. I say a "touch" because I honestly don't know how much was related to anxiety and depression. I do know that for about 6 months the furthest I could go on my own was the end of my driveway. Any trips out (i.e. shopping , doctors' visits) required an extra 30 to 60 minutes, to allow for the multiple anxiety/panic episodes, and I definitely couldn't go alone. I'm convinced my husband and my sister have record levels of patience for helping me through that period of my life. (The worst was about 7 years ago. Thankfully it's under control and I only deal with a little panicky feeling when I first start out some place new, and the panic attacks on my way to work have subsided.)
ReplyDeleteGephyrophobia - fear of bridges
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty crippling actually and I live in " Bridge City "
I have learned to deal with it via alternative routes and using the smaller bridges to get across the city however if I'm driving out of town and an unexpected bridge pops up my family knows the deal. I pull over, get out of the car and make someone else drive across. Otherwise I feel like I'm blacking out, my body starts wracking shaking and I hyperventilate. It's pretty ridiculous and annoying.
One of my daughters friends has a severe bridge phobia. When going into "town" she starts hyperventilating. I told her the secret was to close her eyes, hold her breath, and hold her feet up in the air. She did it and we made it across. I got a text a few weeks later from her mom after she noticed her in the rear view mirror doing that. She laughed so hard but it worked and now she does it over all bridges.
DeleteBobbi that's so sweet! You've helped this little lady for life!
DeleteI get claustrophobic in extremely busy places. I once had a panic attack in which I blacked out, staggered around, and came to with everyone staring at me. I said I hadn't eaten (first excuse I could think of), so I was given yogurt and a granola bar, and waited for my husband to pick me up. I was embarrassed and scared shitless, as it had never happened to me.
ReplyDeleteMy psychiatrist said severe attacks like that aren't unheard of, given the triggers that were there.
I have a severe fear of statues. Can't explain it but they freak me the fuck out.
ReplyDelete@Lotta. Weeping Angels? *eg*
Delete@lotta and gayeld - the weeping angels terrify me!!!
Delete@Gayeld & dia, eeeep! Don't remind me!!
DeleteI don't like crossing over bridges. They freak me out.
ReplyDeleteI have a paralyzing fear of heights but will ride a rollercoaster all day long. I like spiders and lizards but snakes can fuck right off.
ReplyDeleteO&&really: same here except I do like snakes. I also love those rides where they haul you up and then drop. They tickle the hell outta me and I would ride it over and over if there were no line to wait in.
DeleteOh also Ferris Wheels and Sky Trams! I've been stuck in both and had to be rescued as a child ( once when I was two years old which much to my mothers astonishment I remember ) so those are both big no-no's. surprisingly I've bungee jumped, zip lined and went sky diving however!
ReplyDeleteMy phobia is my family finding out how screwed up I am. My boyfriend knows and that alone terrifies me because I could totally understand him throwing up his hands and saying I'm too much to handle. I guess that's a phobia too.
ReplyDeleteMy other phobia is heights but I love the adrenaline rush, so roller coasters are totally my thing
@Svetlana, my family knows about all of my issues due to the fact that moved in with my grandmother as a teen, and she told them all. They actually were very supportive. While they will never understand fully my anxiety disorder, or why I used to cut, or why I became bulimic (I sound like such a cliche, I know), they stuck by me. I still have the anxiety disorder, and they're still around, and have stuck by me.
DeleteIf they think less of you due to your issues, they most likely are people you don't want to surround yourself with.
@puggle wug, thank you. And I have/had those issues. Purge type anorexia, cutting, panic attacks. They aren't the type I should be surrounding myself with. I only keep them in my life because I feel guilty because they're my family. They played a huge role in my issues. I take total responsibility for my actions as an adult, but as a child in your parents care, you are supposed to be nurtured an showed you were deserving of being nurtured. I'm glad your family was supportive (even if they found out without your permission) I just don't see mine being anything but accusatory towards me
Delete@Alicia, the Marquam must be a nightmare for you! I'm not scared of bridges per se, but that bridge is horrible. If I'm not driving, I don't look down. The Astoria bridge is another one, holy crap!!
ReplyDeleteGirrrrl - I haven't driven on the upper deck of that bridge in ten years. Freemont and St Johns I don't do either. My ex husband , just to eff with me would tell me when we were at the beach that I " just needed to get over it " and would proceed to drive over the Astoria bridge over and over. Such a jerkface!!
Delete@Alicia, I can see why he's your ex! That's a total jerkface thing to do!
Delete@Alicia - that's is fucked up! I am actually on my way to Astoria right now. LOL! I was joki g with my friend that he should drive across if he wants to be a daredevil.
DeleteLet me share my horrible Marquam bridge story. Remember that freakish spring snow storm we had a few years ago. Happened just before rush hour. Well my car got stuck on the Marquam bridge. Holy Fuck! I had no chains and bald tires and was wearing heels. It was terrifying. They closed all the roads and I was finally able to get unstuck and get across. Can you imagine skidding towards the barrier wall knowning what wpuld happen? Gurrl! I found my steel balls that day.
@ Izzie - right?!?! Lol
Delete@ dia - I wish you could see me right now.. I have goosebumps for real!! You go with those steel balls gurrl!!
@dia, holy crap x2! I've been up there when during the super-heavy rainstorms, where you can barely see and there's a truck in front of you and have to take the OMSI exit... yikes. I can't even imagine that scenario!
DeleteThere's a scene in one of Chelsea Cain's books where they clear one of the bridges (I'm pretty sure it was the Marquam, might've been the Fremont) after a body is found on it and she describes looking down at the water from an empty bridge. Now that is heebie jeebies - fear of heights, fear of drowning, fear of bridges - all rolled into one terrifying moment. Add some snakes, a spider or two, and maybe a zombie - BOOM!
@Izzie and Alicia - it never occurred to me that I'd get stuck on the bridge. I was heading up the ramp and my car started skidding towards to wall. Every time I tired get unstuck I would slide closer and closer to the wall. I have no idea how I got myself out of that one. Angels? Divine intervention? Yes! and Yes!!!
DeleteUp until that point, breaking down on Marquam was one of my greatest fears. And now it's just snakes and squirrels! I really hate squirrels (long story - at University the squirrels would charge at you and chase you to demand food).
PS - I was stuck up there for an hour before I tried to get the car moving again. Aggg!
DeleteI'm terrified of fire. Terrified! When we were w/o power for 2 days this week, I was sweating bullets (I don't normally sweat. Don't hate me!) because the roomie insisted on having candles AND a hurricane lamp going. Omg, didn't sleep for 2 days!
ReplyDeleteI have some fear of heights, too...but not when I'm on a plane. I know. Weird. But since I developed Meniere's, the fear of heights is getting worse.
I, too, have had bouts of agoraphobia, so I feel your pain. I would have to mentally prepare myself for going out and about and even then, I would go out only at night. It's not bad now, though, but I do get super nervy in crowds. I'm 75% deaf and that adds to my anxiety in being in crowds. I can't always tell where sounds are coming from and it freaks me out.
Toes nails ripping off
ReplyDelete@dragon, that happened to one of my toes over the summer :(
Delete@SusanB:
ReplyDelete"No good ever comes from being upside down."
You.Are.Awesome.
I hate bridges!!! When I went to summer school for special-needs kids (deafie here), they made me walk across the Ambassador Bridge! ;( I'm not ashamed to admit I pissed my pants. Bastids. I told 'em!
ReplyDeleteSpiders don't bug me. The things they call Palmetto bugs here in NC...those bug me to death!!!
Not a phobia per se, but I'm also afraid of mirrors, at night, when it's dark. I saw a dumb horror movie on Cinemax years ago that scared the crap out of me (Mirror Mirror). Between that, Candyman, and Bloody Mary, I can't with mirrors in the dark
ReplyDeleteI though I was the only one with that phobia...damn you Bloody Mary!
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Delete@VIPBlonde, this is me, too, and it's definitely because of Bloody Mary!
DeleteI am fearful of sudden drops. Roller coasters, sky diving. I hate even watching videos of them from the POV of the jumoer or roller coaster. It makes me want to climb the wall.
ReplyDelete@VIP. Omg, I forgot Bloody Mary with the mirror in the dark! My oldest sister had an evil period...I was traumatized for years! Years!!
ReplyDeleteSnakes on a Plane!
ReplyDeleteAhhh dark mirrors too! I always expect something bad to happen lol
ReplyDeleteFear of butterflies and moths... Hate those things!
ReplyDeleteBridges or stairs with gaps between the planks or risers- horrible and petrifying.
ReplyDeleteSpiders love me and I hate them.
I have periods of agoraphobia and claustrophobia due to a few near death experiences. Kept having nightmares where I woke up in a coffin. Has lead to panic attacks which can be pass out extreme.
Lovely when you are trying to pretend to the outside world that you are not a complete headcase, but are a sensible, responsible mother of two. Trying not to have panic attacks in front of snotty mothers at the school gates is a frequent battle. Every day they don't notice is a win!
Judgy moms are the worst! And I'm not even a mom! There's so much pressure to have it all together
Delete@Emma Count me in as another one with a weird phobia about slotted stairs!!
DeleteTrypophobia. Fear of holes
ReplyDeleteSponge holes. Holes in bread. And especially all of the photoshopped images of lotus seeds in women's breasts or on mundane body parts. Shivering right now thinking of holes.
@Puggles and Svetlana: walking cliche here, too. Feel ya both. xoxo
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a cliche because it's more common than people realize?
DeleteSvetlana, nothing wrong with severing ties with "vampiric" family members (those are the ones who regularly suck the life and joy out of you, and do nothing but cause pain for you.) I did that about 8 years ago and it was one of the best things I've ever done. Do I feel guilty that I only have a relationship with 2 of my 7 siblings? Not anymore. All the rest did was make me miserable and feel like I had to defend everything about my life. Now I have built up the "family I chose" with the friends and remaining family members who make my life feel complete. ((hugs))
ReplyDeleteWow, that must be difficult. Thanks for sharing, I've never known anyone who's severed ties for that long. Guilt is like a weapon. How did you tell them, if you dont mind me asking?
Delete@Stewie and Svetlana, I haven't talked to my big sister in 9 years, tried many times to maintain a relationship with her but when someone is toxic it's best to cut ties.
Delete@Stew - Yes. Exactly. Life is SO much better when it is filled with people you have chosen to have in your life.
DeleteBlack Widows.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I used to catch tarantulas as kids, I will pick up a Daddy Longlegs and let it go outside. But black widows. *shudder* I don't scream like a girly-girl and make someone else kill them for me now (I smash them beyond recognition, just to be sure,) but I still hate them.
I third the mirrors in the dark. Just plain creepy.
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Delete@Alicia. No freaking way!!! Omg, I would have to hurt someone who did that deliberately.
ReplyDeleteSeriously I know! So mean. Luckily he's such a
DeletePOS that nothing I can do would ever hurt him as much as he is already inside. He's the most miserable person I know. Unfortunately I share children with him though so the saga continues!
I hate getting shots. I get shaky and extremely anxious to the point that I once had to be sedated. I've gotten a lot better about it but the last shot I subjected myself to (a flu shot about 3 years ago) made me cry afterward. I feel a very odd sense of deep, personal violation when medicine is injected into me via syringe. Oddly, though, IVs don't bother me and I can sit under a tattoo gun for hours at a time. I wonder what that says about the kind of person I may have been in a former life.
ReplyDeleteTo hear of people struggling with the same issues I have...god, in a small way, it's comforting but it also makes me sad that there are so many of us out there. Hugs and love to all who shared their struggles with MI. <3
ReplyDelete@StewMcG, YES. I don't speak to some members of my family because they are very clearly disturbed and hateful people who *insist* that you have to stand by them and their crappy behavior b/c they're family. Bull. You abuse people and their trust over and over, doesn't matter if your name is mom, dad, aunt, grandparent, sister, whatever - you lose the right to a relationship.
ReplyDeleteI'm scared of Ferris Wheels too. Tried to get on a few years and almost had a panic attack waiting in line, didn't go on. Also sky trams, hate them but have no problem with roller coasters.
ReplyDeleteScared of spiders or bugs in general. Hate mice!
I have a fear of failure, like it can literally stop me from trying new things. Right now I'm trying to convince myself to go to nursing school, which I really want to but I'm afraid of failing. Also afraid of failing my kids.
Ahh I feel like I'm bringing everyone down :( I swear I'm a happy person!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm scared of ending up alone because I've cut off my entire family, because it is literally my entire family. I have my sister and that's it, everyone else is so judgmental and self righteous and opinionated in the worst way. Ahhh it seems like MI is the silent majority. We were talking about OCD on another thread. Is there anything more misunderstood than MI? Thanks to everyone sharing their stories, it really helps me. I don't really know anyone else going through the same thing
I am trypophobic, too...I hate holes..eek! My skin is crawling even thinking about honeycomb.
ReplyDeleteNow I feel really naked because I haven't told anyone except my husband about my fear of failing :)
ReplyDeleteEve, I'm glad you acknowledged your fear, even if only on an anonymous blog. Great first step. Consider that by not trying you ensure failure. Successful people fail all the time. You have to take a lot of risks or nothing great will ever happen. If it's worth doing, it will probably be scary, but you're capable of more than you realize.
DeleteAww <3 sister girl! I have the same fears:) I start my pre-reqs for nursing school in the fall and even though I'm a great student I'm terrified I won't succeed. I think also having a fear of failing your children is healthy. It just inspires us to be that much better for our little ones!
DeleteThanks @Jeneral and Alicia, this blog is better than a therapist :)
Delete@Svet. Don't worry about it: we'll go back to the scheduled snarking! ;)
ReplyDelete@AAEve. I think most of us feel that way. To hell with the judgey moms!
ReplyDeleteThanks Meanie :)
DeleteSvetlana, I just told them that I was finished with being a doormat and that, at the advice of my therapist, I was making only positive changes in my life going forward. They didn't really understand, and have tried to "trash talk" about me and my husband & kids to the rest of the family but I honestly just don't care.
ReplyDeleteI'm the youngest and the ones I cut off spent the first 30+ years of my life making me miserable. It was a long time coming.
The real catalyst, though, was when my mother died and I had a full, complete breakdown. Only 2 of my sisters were supportive. The rest of my siblings either ignored me or expected me to continue taking care of them and their needs like my mother did (my mother was the biggest enabler I've ever met, and I'm exactly like her.) Being the "pleaser", I spent the next 3 years trying to keep everything together. Everything finally came crashing down and I spent a week being held on a 5150 order. The stress my siblings put me under almost cost me my marriage, my health, and my life (I have major depressive disorder, in addition to a whole slew of other issues, and their BS made suicide seem like a viable solution.)
After being discharged, my husband and my therapist both sat me down and helped me realize that, while it sucks to have no contact with them, it's for my own mental good health.
Thanks to hundreds of hours of therapy, a prescription medication cocktail that worked wonders, and the love and understanding of my husband, children, and my "chosen family", I'm now a fairly well-adjusted person who has learned that the world will not fall apart (despite what I may have been told in the past) if I say "no" and stand up for myself. It definitely wasn't (and isn't) easy but it's better than the alternative.
Wow, that's heavy. That must be difficult maintaining a relationship and taking care of kids. Good for you for taking care of yourself. Thanks for sharing. I really appreciate iT
DeleteHair. Can't sit in a salon chair until the chair/floor have be cleaned. Shower must be spotless. Cats/dogs that shed, no way! And its only loose hair. Hair attached to people/animals don't bother me.
ReplyDeleteMe too!! I have to have my floors swept, showers cleaned, and even my sheets and blankets! I have long hair too which doesn't help lol.
DeleteSince I was a toddler, my mom has said I would scream if there was hair floating in the tub. Makes no sense where the fear came from! I don't freak out as much with pet hair. Salons aren't that bad for me though, just only on floors, sheets, and the TUB.
Also I'm such a little girl about the dark! I can conjure up the scariest things in my mind. I know that stems back to the Filipino tradition of scaring young kids so they don't run around the house. "Don't go over there, the MOO MOO is there waiting" which is code word for Dont Break My Shit running around in the dark. Thanks grandma!!!
Lizards freak me the fuck out, I *think* I know where it comes from; during a traumatic childhood experience I remember seeing a lizard on the kitchen sink "watching". Sorry, don't mean to sound creepy. :( To make things worse we moved to Florida after said incident which forced me to face my phobia daily. A lizzie that gets in my house is a gonner, Raid for wasps is the shit as it sprays really far out. Don't live in Florida anymore and there are lizzies where I live now but not nearly as bad as in S.Fla. I can walk comfortably on a sidewalk and not worry about those fuckers running across my feet! This reminds me to boil some eggs and leave the shells around where the lizards hang out. They think birds are in the area and leave. I've heard feathers work too.
ReplyDeleteIt was hard trying to be strong and not pass off the phobia to the kids; they're teenagers now and sympathetic with their mother. IOW, they know any lizzie prank equals death penalty. I hate this phobia, it's paralyzing and I feel for everyone who suffers from one. Fortunately it's the only one I have. I love heights and speed, I'm actually going for a ride on an aerobatic flight next week and I'm psyched!
My husband is scared of thunderstorms. He turns into a small boy, runs for the iPad and his headphones and hides in our closet until it stops. It's our little secret. lol
Am I the only one that has trouble posting from an iPad?
@Svetlana - If your bf knows the extent of your damage and is still there it is a good sign. And if your family really loves YOU they should let you have the space you need. Try explaining to them. Understand they are going to take it hard, but that's how it goes. I live 1800 miles from my family for a reason. I love them, but I can't have them in my life every day. There's just too much going on there. And what happened to you as a child is NOT YOUR FAULT. But I know (oh man, do I know) how easy it is to blame yourself. Surround yourself with people who have earned your love and respect and are willing to help see you through and you will be amazed at how much better life is.
ReplyDeleteThanks @lucas, and we're both planning to move out of the country next year. He's really supportive, but he also had an amazing childhood, has the best nuclear family, and I'm eternally grateful for all of them. I do so much more for them than I do my own family. It is difficult not to blame myself. Ahh. I'm glad you found a way to keep a good relationship with your family. Thanks for your many, many many kind words.
DeleteSvetlana, no problem. If I can help just one person who might be going through what I went through, then it really wasn't for nothing. And like Lucas said, bad things that happen to you are NOT YOUR FAULT. Being able to say that, in regards to my own life, and really mean it was like having a 50 lb. weight taken off my mind.
ReplyDeleteSending hugs and light to you and all the rest of us CDaNers with MI and/or family issues.
:)))) thank you, and meanie Reese, izzie, puggle, and everyone else.
DeleteAll drawers and closets must be COMPLETELY closed, esp at night, because when i was little girl i used to dream clowns came out of my open closet doors and be mean to me. All i hv to say to hubby is "clowns!", and he closes the closet or drawers, lol
ReplyDeleteAwe! I have to have all drawers closed, cupboards shut etc. to sleep for no reason. I always toss and turn like I have unfinished business
DeleteI'm so terrified of spiders that I can't even get near them to kill them. My husband likes to release them into the wild rather than killing them. So scary! They could come back in the house! Anyone have a non toxic remedy to spider proof the house?
ReplyDelete@GMG - peppermint oil (or maybe it was spearmint). Spray a solution of it around the foundation of your house. My ex is super-granola and this worked like a charm.
Deleteheights, horses, being crapped on by a bird and the dark.
ReplyDeleteI have nightmares about my shoulder blades touching. Can't explain it, but ever since I was a child it always terrified me.
ReplyDelete+1 to the slotted stair phobia, or any stair phobia. I hate going down, up is no problem, but down just invites in a whole new shit storm. I always feel like I am going to fall and crack my skull open.
Going down bleachers also scares the fuck out of me. You could not ever pay me to run down a set of bleachers or stairs.
CANDYMAN.CANDYMAN. CANDYMAN.
ReplyDeleteI have a deep, intense fear of riding animals. I found this out on an elephant riding expedition in Laos two years ago, when I completely panicked -- hyperventilation and crying -- at the thought of trying to mount one. I eventually rode one (mounting from a platform), but had my eyes closed and fists clenched on the bar the entire time. No way will I go near a horse or anything else.
ReplyDelete@Seachica - I debated long and hard about actually responding and my bad side won: That deep intense fear of riding animals would make our third date a real letdown ;)
Delete(I couldn't resist. Really, I tried.)
I have a general fear of heights and a fear of flying. My huge phobia though is fire alarms, especially loud, obnoxious ones. Absolutely paralyzing. It's not so much the alarm, but the anxiety about anticipating it going off. When I was in high school the principal would warn me in advance the day we would have one so I could discretely cut out of class and evacuate a minute or two in advance of the alarm sounding. My teachers loved it because they always knew when the alarm would go off too by me leaving class like that.
ReplyDeleteI can't stand feet. I don't want anyone to touch mine or me to touch theirs. It's the reason I had to quit massage therapy school. I literally freaked the f out and was shaking so bad I had to leave. Just to screw with me my husband will touch my bare foot with his bare foot and I literally feel like I'm about to jump out my own skin.
ReplyDeleteMy other phobia is cockroaches. I can't kill them cause of the sound it makes all crunchy like. It makes me gag. The other week I was pulling up carpet and a dead roach popped out from underneath and I actually threw up as I picked it up with a paper towel.
And if it wasn't obvious before now you guys know, yes I am weird.
Oh, @bobbi, FEET! I do not like feet. I hate going on FB and everyone's sharing their pedicures - gah!
DeleteMine seems so silly, but I have a phobia of people vomiting. Goes back as far as I can remember. I completely lose it if I see someone blow chunks, even on tv. Just the thought of it makes me panic. I think it is anxiety related. Something about seeing other people lose control of their bodily functions. I'm trying to get over it; with a baby on the way I know there is going to be a lot of puking in my future.
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Delete@stewmcgee-I'm in the same boat. Only talking to 1 family member now and she is hanging on by a thread. I'm the youngest and have waisted over 30+ years of my life because I listened to critical, over bearing, jealous siblings. I have had it. They were bullies when I was younger and all they are is assholes now. I live close to all of them and it has been hard to stay away. You think they would take my constant avoidance of them as a clue. 1 sibling found out from another 3rd party that my kids are involved in sports now. Now the sibling has printed a schedule (thanks to the Internet ) and now shows up to every game. How do you politely tell someone -"you weren't invited". I'm trying not to be rude but sometimes the doormat feeling comes back. I know it's only a matter of time before they treat my kids the same way they treat me. Note to all of you who have younger siblings-if we want your help, opinion, advice etc we will ASK FOR IT! Other wise BUTT OUT!
ReplyDeleteI also have the dentist anxiety.
A fear of being alone which sounds ironic since i tend to isolate. also a fear of going to jail. Ironically I just got a job working at a detention facility. So I guess I will have to get over that last one.
@sherry- if you are reading this I got the job. Good luck on your interview Monday !
Well, thanks a lot everyone. After reading some of these phobias, I'm starting to get creeped out by the idea of mirrors in the dark. Since my bedroom closet doors (all 6 of them) are mirrored, this is going to be an interesting night.
ReplyDeleteAlso a fear of blood. If I see blood I get light headed and start seeing splotchy lights and feel faint. A friend cut her hand and needed 3 stitches and I almost sat in a trash can in the ER because I was seeing the spots.
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ReplyDeleteI'm slightly claustrophobic too. I start wigging out whenever I see a character in a movie enclosed in a tight space. That's how bad I am. Taking a date to "127 Hours" that one time was probably not a good idea. I kept squirming around. She probably thought I had to adjust - um...something else.
ReplyDeleteI hate Bees too. I scream like Ned Flanders whenever one is around. Fuck bees!
heights, tall bridges with curves (feel like i'm falling), dogs, tight spaces, birds, spiders. dogs and small spaces are the worst. i can drive a different way (usually). but with dogs they can smell fear or something. i've been bitten twice in the last couple of months at work (hospice care in people's homes).
ReplyDelete@ Jeneral - congrats! Btw a tiny bit of baby spit up isn't too bad - especially when you're changing poopy diapers and your baby starts to pee on you. But yes, for such tiny creatures they can produce amazingly large amounts of vomit from time to time! Maybe this will be your cure:)
ReplyDeleteMaybe I watched too many soaps growing up, but the thought of being buried alive freaks me the f out!
ReplyDeleteMy guess is she doesn't really understand the definition of clausterphobia. She's illiterate. Like when she said she was a 'singer'.
ReplyDeleteHUGE fear of heights; in a tall building it's not so bad, but if there's any kind of open space that goes way down at all...I'm not sure if I'm more afraid of falling, or of losing my shit and jumping; all I know is that there are plenty of escalators where I can only close my eyes and hang on tight to the railing until it's safe. Seeing it on TV/in a movie is nearly as bad--I don't freak out, but it can definitely make me sick and dizzy.
ReplyDeleteClaustrophobia is another one--I can't stand the idea that I can't somehow "escape" from a given place, whether it's a matter of being surrounded by lots of people, or in a small enclosed space I need the Open MRI whenever I have one done, and CT scans can be rather stressful as well when the table starts moving into the tube.
Oh, and let's not forget really sharp/exposed blades; I can deal w/most of my kitchen knives, but when I was making a quilt years ago, someone suggested I get one of those circular cutters that look like a pizza wheel for cutting fabric--I had to give it away because the blade just freaked me out too badly. And nothing too tight around my neck, either... (Why yes, my mother does think I was a victim of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution in a former life--why do you ask?)
I can't go to the grocery store without xanax and a chaperone. I have an overwhelming fear that I will get to the register and not have enough money and people will stare at me. That, and the dentist. I totally freeze up.
ReplyDeleteMirrors are windows into worlds that you can only see a little piece of. Who knows what's going on in there?
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of nuns. Absolutely terrified. If I see one somewhere I start to have a panic attack and have to leave.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I nearly missed a flight once because the terminal was full of nuns (I think it was after the Pope visited Toronto) and I hid in the women's washroom and refused to come out. Thankfully they boarded their plane and we were able to run to our gate.
I don't have any real phobias - there are many things/ bugs/ situations that scare me and/ or make me uncomfortable, but nothing crippling.
ReplyDeleteNow, if enty did a Your Turn about Weird Hangups and Obsessions, I could write a book.
Mildly claustrophobic. I am obsessed with fresh air; I always have the windows open for a bit every day, no matter what the weather is. Nothing worse than stale, smelly, dank air and rooms.
ReplyDeleteI have foot claustrophobia. I can't wear socks and shoes or I go insane.
ReplyDeleteI also have bandage phobia (whatever that's called). It started after I had knee surgery, I woke up in the middle of the night in a full blown panic attack and couldn't get my compression bandages off fast enough. When I was in the emergency room a couple of years ago, they put me in the room where they do casts...they had to move me. I live in fear of breaking something and having to get casted...they'll have to sedate me for 6 weeks.
@Alicia...
ReplyDeleteI also have a ferris wheel phobia...
They are a tool of the Devil.
(Weird because FERRIS Bueller is my favorite movie of all time :P )
Tool of the Devil.. Yes!! I am officially calling them that from now on!
DeleteAnd our cats name is Ferris:) after Mr Bueller himself.
As I recall, Kim has issues with some travel--she always made a huge deal of it when she had to travel for Bravo promotions and she's found reasons to miss a lot of the Housewife trips they do--she always makes some excuse but I think it is because of her phobias.
ReplyDeleteI used to have a huge fear of snakes--ever since I was a little kid I had a recurring dream until I was about 30 and was in therapy and one night I had the dream and in the dream instead of being helpless I got a broom and swept the snakes out of my house and I never had the dream again.
It was all very freudian. :)
I can't walk over foot bridges...Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty scared of driving over them too, but I literally have an impossible time going over any footbridge unless it's fully covered. Especially with cars underneath, really messes with my equillibrium.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm up high in an open space I have the overwhelming desire to swan dive. I was on a balcony in Vegas last year and had to grip the wall to keep myself from going over.
ReplyDeleteI am very claustrophobic too and if I can't feel air moving I can't breathe. The Fear Factor episode where they put people in morgue drawers still freaks me out. I'm getting teary just typing about it.
But I love spiders and I'll pick them up and relocate them to the front porch to eat bugs.
Fear of heights like on a ski lift or high tower or balcony...not on a plane, tho. Fear of falling. And really weird, I can use a public toilet but have to remove the first foot or so of toilet paper that the person before me touched. I'm terrified of what might happen if I use that piece. And I have this OCD thing about not having my car in 1st gear after stopping. I put it back in gear probably 10 times just to make sure I have it in 1st. And I have to tell myself not to touch it even when I want to check it again. Weird stuff. Thank God for medications to keep it in check.
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of snakes, which I attribute to being forced to feed a mouse to a snake at 6th grade camp. Yesterday when my kids and I were getting out of the car, a rather humongous earthworm (it looked like a snake - I swear!) was in my driveway, coiling around and I swear to God I think it hopped. I FREAKED out, and grabbed the hose spraying it into the street. I would not be satisfied until the dickhead (literally. It's head looked like a penis) was halfway across the street. A delivery driver pulled his truck over, and asked me if I wanted him to remove the worm. I said yes! Also because he was cute and called me Miss instead of Ma'am. Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteSpiders, heights, those are the worst! If Miss Webslinger invites me to her hi-rise penthouse party, I'll have to send my regrets.
ReplyDeleteFeet - Oh my God I hate feet so much! Izzie, I'm right there with you. What drives me crazy right now is all the commercials for cellphones feel the need to show a photo of a rainbow pedi. OMG HURL!!!!! (Sorry, Jeneral.) :) Man, I dread Summer.
I am also scared to death of heights, but I have tried to overcome them by doing idiotic things in foreign countries (where most idiotic things are done. Ammirite?) Anyway, I have bungee jumped a couple of times in NZ and OZ, and both times I was convinced I was going to have bladder control issues (I cleaned that story up for the squeamish). No pee pee. Lots of laughs. I highly recommend it!
ReplyDeleteSunny-my closet raiding partner! You've been to NZ?!?! Was that in the travel agent days? I'm so envious, I hope to make it there someday!
Delete@curly
DeleteYes!! My BFF and I backpacked through the South Pacific and SE Asia for 4 months and had a blast. Are you planning to go? There is so many cool outdoorsy things to do there, and it is just stunning
Omg, that's a dream trip! Sadly, no plans yet but it's definitely on "the list"! :)
DeleteOh, and trains. I'm really afraid of oncoming trains. If it's already passed where I am and it's just a line of cars it's OK, but the big light and the horn and OH MY GOD AAAAAAAUUU!!!!!
ReplyDeleteMice.... If there is one in the house I have to move out and stay with a friend until its caught.
ReplyDeleteClowns.... Probably no need to explain this one
Heights... Ditto
My Boss.
I'm terrified of snakes, growing up in rural Australia, this wasn't a good match! I also get very anxious in crowds. Austin has some great music festivals (ACL and SXSW) I can't go to any of them the anxiety is just too much.
ReplyDeleteI also have a very irrational fear of cotton wool. The feel of it and the souhd it makes uuuggghhh! Just thinking about it makes me crazy. I have to get my hsuband to pull it out of medicine bottles for me. ABout 10 years ago he thought I was kidding and chased me with one I had a mini meltdown, needless to say he just removes tham for me now :)
I'm terrified of snakes, growing up in rural Australia, this wasn't a good match! I also get very anxious in crowds. Austin has some great music festivals (ACL and SXSW) I can't go to any of them the anxiety is just too much.
ReplyDeleteI also have a very irrational fear of cotton wool. The feel of it and the souhd it makes uuuggghhh! Just thinking about it makes me crazy. I have to get my hsuband to pull it out of medicine bottles for me. ABout 10 years ago he thought I was kidding and chased me with one I had a mini meltdown, needless to say he just removes tham for me now :)
sorry for the typos I was reeling a little thinking about the cotton wool :)
ReplyDeleteMine is horses. They terrify me. Mules are not much better. Have trouble breathing and have trouble moving. I swear they know and come at me. I work hard at staying away from them.
ReplyDeletewow, had to set up a new account. wonder what I did that was so bad that I lost the old one. Actually I probably don't want to know.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone with mice, get those electric buzzing things, they freakin' work! They sound like fluorescent lightbulbs, but aren't loud.
ReplyDeleteKatydid, I hear you on the squeaky cotton. Thinking about it is grossing me out! I also have problems with velvet, velour, cords, microfibre... I can't touch them. If I see someone hug a person wearing velvet it bugs me.... how can they touch it? The antidote for me is to squeeze plastic like a container or a pillow in a Ziploc bag.
Svetlana, your sensitive comment to Anna (about her fear of being a less than sparkly old lady) was so thoughtful and sweet, I loved it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Cara Dee, I totally get the stair thing. I have a phobia about escalators, especially really long ones, and only if they are going down. I have to count to three, let several go by, and still force myself on eventually. It's especially embarrassing when there is a bunch of people waiting behind me :-(
@califblondy: That's the same exact urge I have, which is part of why exposed heights freak me out so badly! I'm sorry you feel that way, too, but at least I'm not the only one...
ReplyDeleteFrogs.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really scared of heights, but I have pretty bad intrusive thoughts. A lot of times when I'm high up, aallll that's running through my head is how easily I could jump. Not that I want to, it's just those stupid intrusive thoughts. Even though I recognize them and would never act on them, I have to get myself out of the situation to make them stop.
ReplyDeleteI never realized it till I read through this thread, but I'm terrified of failure, too. Example: There's a new call center opening in my city. Nothing glamorous, obviously, but they pay well and have nice benefits. I got myself all psyched up about applying for a job, but then I found a website that outlined their interview process and scared myself out of applying because I just assume I will fuck it all up. And it's easy stuff! but I just envision myself freezing up and....ugh, thinking about it is putting me on the verge of a panic attack.
Spiders, lizards, tree frogs( not regular frogs, but tree frogs look like they're up to something), and those creepy grasshoppers with the jacked up legs. Ughhhh! But, strangely not snakes. I've a healthy respect for the poisonous ones, of which we've many here in the sticks I call home, but not the bone chilling girly screaming fear my hubby has.
ReplyDeleteAnd..heights. Just, no.
Seaward, I have thoughts like that too. I feel less of a weirdo now that I see I'm not the only one!
ReplyDeleteThoughts about heights I meant. Failure sucks too, though!
DeleteI think I need to get back to a little thing called proof reading. It's sucko when your entire phone screen is cracked!
ReplyDeleteIm claustrophobic. Those bathrooms freak me out!
ReplyDeleteAlso antiques. Antiques freak me out, remind me of dead ppl