"irrational" fears

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  • DataBased
    DataBased Posts: 513 Member
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    I have this inexplicable fear of putting my hands in soapy dishwater if there is silverware in the sink. I'm not afraid of the knives specifically - as a matter of fact, I'm just as afraid if there are no knives as I am if there are knives.

    Thank God for the dishwasher!
  • jb852013
    jb852013 Posts: 116
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    I am pretty much afraid of everything! When I was a little girl I wouldn't do anything such as slide down a tall slide, monkey bars, or this round thing that we would spin and then jump on. I was also very scared of getting in trouble at school and being sent to the office.

    Now I am afraid of driving on the freeway. I really can't do it while being safe. I get scared and can't think very well. I got in a wreck on the freeway, but could drive ok for a while afterwards. Then one day I just couldn't drive at all anymore without freaking out. Weird I know. Now I can drive, but not on the freeway. I am even afraid of four wheelers and motorcycles which my hubby loves. I used to ride on my hubby's motorcycle with him, but once a friend and his wife died on one and left their two kids who were the same ages as our kids I just couldn't do it anymore.

    I am also scared of someone breaking in in the middle of the night. We are not in the best neighborhood so there is a reason I am afraid of this.

    I am happy to say, though that I got over my fear of needles after having two children with no pain medication. The combo of the terrible pain from childbirth, and being stuck over and over again while pregnant makes it to where it really doesn't bother me anymore.

    My kids do scare me though. First, before they met me they hurt me something terrible. Then they get sick and freak me out! On Monday when we woke up my daughter's lips were very swollen. I took her to the doctor and found out it was an allergic reaction to something. Now I am worried about what she eats. And when they get high fevers it is terrible.
  • karinaes
    karinaes Posts: 570 Member
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    packaging styrofoam ..eek! :frown:
  • ucaminax
    ucaminax Posts: 157 Member
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    I have a fear of flying in commercial airplanes. One flight was so bad that at the 30 minute layover, I had decided to calmly ask the flight attendant if I could somhow get cash for the remaining value of my ticket so I could take the bus the remainder of the way. Of course I broke down in front of her, and she called all the other flight attendants and the pilot over with an "We've got an uptight traveller here" and they all surrounded me trying to make me feel better and talk about how turbulence is normal and it totally embarrassed andmortified me. I ended up calling my sister who hs the same fear and she was able to talk me into staying on the plane.

    A few years back, I took stock of my various fears and decided I would try to overcome them by facing them head on. I overcame my fear of needles by donating blood every time the bloodmobile came to our work. To overcome my fear of flying, I went paragliding, and volunteered with the wildlife researchers where I worked, and went on numerous animal tracking flights in teeny tiny low flying circling airplanes with windows open, and helicopters with windows open. I went flying with a friend who was a pilot and who let me take the controls and fly the plane. Interestingly, none of those other flying situations scared me at all the way getting on a commercal flight does. I found them all really fun and did really well. And all of that exposure and fun didn't help me at all with my phobia of commercial aircraft. I was still just as scared. The level of fear waxes and wanes over the years, usually waning if I am forced to take lots of flights, but never completely goes away. I drink a lot of alcohol before and during the flight if I can. I keep meaning to ask my doctor if she'll prescribe me a few tranquilizers to have on hand for flights.
  • PeaceCorpsKat
    PeaceCorpsKat Posts: 335 Member
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    I don't think I ave irrational fears.

    I don't like giant centipedes, but the ones I am used can kill you.
    And I don't like heights, but like you, I am a completely clutz.

    That's about it.

    Oh, wait.

    Zombies.
  • zeeeb
    zeeeb Posts: 805 Member
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    i have a really irrational fear of other people's feet.... god i hate them. expeically my partners, sinky big old crusty feet. nothing makes me cringe more!

    but yeah, i don't like to live in fear, so i try and over come my issues rather than avoiding them. sometimes it's just a matter of saying "I refuse to be ruled by that" and then it's gone.

    or saying "i could be dead tomorrow, so who cares about all the little things that could kill me today".
  • nemsmom
    nemsmom Posts: 48
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    My kids do scare me though. First, before they met me they hurt me something terrible. Then they get sick and freak me out! On Monday when we woke up my daughter's lips were very swollen. I took her to the doctor and found out it was an allergic reaction to something. Now I am worried about what she eats. And when they get high fevers it is terrible.

    How scary!

    My kids terrify me too! My son gets febrile seizures, is mildly allergic to the sun and has had acid reflux from birth that was found when he started spitting up blood. My daughter has had strep four times in as many months and is going in for a tonsillectomy on the third, this absolutely terrifies me! She had to be put under once before because she was tongue tied and since they wouldn't fix it until she was two they had to put her under. So I know she should be fine, but still, my baby is going in for surgery! It makes me want to cry!

    Oh and I'm scared of open curtains at night (not as bad as I used to be) open closets at night (can't sleep if my closets or bathroom door are open in my room) mirrors in a dark room (thanks to my brothers and that whole bloody mary thing!) and the dark in general. My list of fears goes on and on, but I have to say these are my biggest, after anything to do with my kids!
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    Sharp knifes, I will use them, if it's on a cutting board, but will never hold something in my hand and slice/cut it. Now the story behind the fear. I was 6, I asked my mom to cut me a apple to snack on, she said she was busy, so I got a knife from the kitchen and an apple, and while holding the the apple in my hand I stabbed the apple with the knife, it went straight though and into my palm, it left a nasty gash, blood everywhere, just horrible.
  • capnwo85
    capnwo85 Posts: 1,103 Member
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    Trampolines. Never been on one, never will.
  • brookepenni
    brookepenni Posts: 787 Member
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    Walking behind traffic (like when its stopped at lights). Years and years ago I was walking behind a car which was stopped at a set of lights - but as they went to take off, they rolled backwards with the gentle slope of the land (idiots that cant do a hill start)... Anyway - the car knocked me to my feet and popped my knee out of its socket and I swear I thought I was going under that car. Now - unless its absolutely flat - I cant step behind a car on a slope - often I break out into a mild sweat if I think I might give it a go.
  • Bergiere
    Bergiere Posts: 39 Member
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    I have a fear of deep, dark water, or mostly what could be in it. I blame my sister, Jaws and James Bond. I've at least gotten to the point where I can swim in lakes and rivers, but I'll freak out if anything touches me.
  • Spliceintuit
    Spliceintuit Posts: 26 Member
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    I have a major fear that can not be cured. Gone to many clinics to get rid of it. Nothing worked. Yes, I've done hypnotism as well as other methods. I can't mention it here or anywhere for that matter in case someone tries to use it against me. So only a few people know of my fear. To put it precisely, I will stand in front of a fast moving truck coming toward me and probably die in the process before I want to encounter this fear. I love spiders. I'm not scared of them. I will hold a deadly one before I face my fear. To someone else, this fear is completely harmless. It sucks for me though!!!
  • hadlam
    hadlam Posts: 90
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    Ok this one yes it completely irrational beyond belief and honestly I don't know why it terrifies me as much as it does but.....dead hair. I'm absolutely terrified of it. So what i mean is my hair on my head or anyone elses, FINE!! As soon as someone chops it of GROSS! Makes me scream, squeal, freak out, dry retch ahhh its so horrible.
  • shannonichole
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    Beetles.

    The large brownish black ones that fly (Palo Verde Borer Grub Beetle?). They come out at night and make thumps/clicks on your walls as they fly into things. Completely terrifying.
  • kimmieey
    kimmieey Posts: 87
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    :indifferent: One more I forgot to add, remembered because it woke me up this morning....

    Sleeping with my feet uncovered. :frown: I saw this movie (The Other Side of the Sun) and this guy was in a foreign country and he slept with his feet uncovered and the bottoms were eaten off by rats.

    So if either of my feet ever become uncovered i instantly wake up in a panic.:sad:

    Thank you everyone for your posts!!!!!
  • ambrwaves27
    ambrwaves27 Posts: 206
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    Cockroaches. . .nasty with those little feelers. Not to mention they survive nuclear explosions. . . .so wrong.
  • kimmieey
    kimmieey Posts: 87
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    Cockroaches. . .nasty with those little feelers. Not to mention they survive nuclear explosions. . . .so wrong.

    If you freeze them they don't die, once thawed they move on like nothing happened.
  • dillyweed
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    I hear ya. I'm not the kind of girl who shows skin in public. But I have stripped my shirt off in public because there was a spider on me. They all must die. lol
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
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    Clowns- there could be a serial killer under that make up

    Nope, I'm with you, I hate them, even as a child. We have a video of me at Chucky Cheese just crying my head off when i'm 2 because a clown is trying to talk to me. They are evil. HELL Gacy was a damn clown!!!!

    Also I'm scared of the dark.
  • PinkiePie07
    PinkiePie07 Posts: 103 Member
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    Snakes. Granted they're creepy and scary but most people can at least function around snakes. I can't even go into a reptile display at a zoo or museum. One time I went on a week long trip away from home and when I came back my parents told me there was a snake in my room. It was a joke, and I knew it was a joke, but I still couldn't be or sleep in my room for a week due to the nightmares and panic attacks. I was 19 at the time...so yeah.