Phobias

My daughter has extreme arachnophobia. A few days ago we were choosing Valentine Day cards for her to pass out at the store. When she saw the ones with spiders, what you described happened to her- she began shaking and panicking and crying. She could not walk down the aisle past the box with the spider on it.

This happens anytime she sees a spider. If a book has a spider illustration, she will not read any of the book. If a Lego set has a spider piece, even if we remove the piece, she still does not want to do it. She has a neighborhood friend who knew how scared she is and used to try and put plastic spiders on her. It was so cruel. Her mom finally took all of the toy spiders away so she couldn’t terrorize Raileigh with them anymore.

I honestly think she is MORE terrified of spider pictures, illustrations and toy spiders than real ones.

 

I don't have any phobias like the ones described above. There's things that creep me out.

I'm scared of heights, but not to that extent, at least not that has hit me yet.

 

OH My -- my phobia is also birds! They are fine when they are outside and I'm inside. One got in our house once while I was gone. I came home and my teenage daughter had locked the cats up in a bedroom, had the outside doors open, and was attempting to catch the bird with a pillowcase. She just looked at me and said "don't freak out". She caught the bird and let him out and all was good again.

Another time, I was meeting a tutoring student at a fast food place and a bird got in. My sweet teenage student told me that she would protect me! I'm just not a bird fan.

 

I don't exactly have a fear of birds, but I'm definitely wary of them, especially in large groups. My irrational fear is that they're coming for my eyes! This all stems from when I was a kid. I could sneak out of my room at night and sit in the dark hallway and watch TV. One night I did this, my parents were watching some movie tribute type of show where they were showing clips from various movies... I happened to sneak out just in time to watch a segment from The Birds. That was it.... I never trusted a bird again... lol!

I have a fear of needles, but I'm working on that. I used to let that deter me from having a regular check-up because I knew they would draw blood. But now I just plan for it... I bring a snack and juice, and then tell them that I need to have the recliner chair reclined all of the way back and that I'll need to stay there for a while after they're done. I've found that they're much more receptive to this than having to pick me up off of the floor because I was trying to be "brave"

 

I'm deathly afraid of heights if I'm not in 100% control of the situation! This means no amusement rides; flying I need drugs, driving up mountains my eyes are closed until we're at the top, and for the love of all things, don't stop the vehicle on the edge! My ex did that one time because he thought I was being ridiculous...it was the last time he even thought of it.

I'm also terrified driving over wood bridges...so much so on a family vacation I had a complete meltdown when my dad wanted to go across one I opened the door of the van while it was moving! Needless to say I got in deep trouble, but at least we didn't go over the bridge!

 

I don't really have any major phobias like that. I don't like birds much and they freak me out a little in large numbers for the same reason as @tkradtke... The Birds movie!!

I don't really like heights a lot, but I can deal with them. It's funny though, because I will ride the biggest tallest roller coasters at the amusement park and LOVE them, but you will not get me on a ferris wheel. I think it's because the coasters go so fast I don't realize how high I am, but too much time to think on ferris wheels.

 

I am irrationally terrified of rodents.

Confession time: we had a couple this past summer in the basement. Since then, I no longer spend time in the basement unless I have to or someone else is down there with me. I also pray every single night the following prayer (and yes, y'all will definitely think I'm crazy after you hear this): Dear God, Please don't allow any mammals except (husband), me, & my two kids in this house, inside this house, within this house. Please also don't allow any mammals except (husband), me, & my two kids around this house, beside this house, next to this house, close to this house, close by this house, near to this house, near by this house, or in any direction or degree on a 3-D sphere with a 500 yard radius with the center of the sphere being the center of this house. Amen.'

I'm not sure that prayer is mathematically accurate (do spheres have degrees?!) but it makes me feel better.

I was pretty proud when I thought to use 'mammals' since that would cover rodents + any other kind of animal + burglars and rapists.

 

I am sooooo claustrophobic and also can't stand anything bound around me, including hands or feet tied, anything on me bound so I can't move.
Once I had a sweater on that was too tight and tried to pull it over my head and got stuck. I totally panicked and hyperventilated. I am screaming and my daughter had to cut the sweater off of me. When my kids were young and we would play on the floor, if they all piled on top of me I would freak out. If I ever got arrested and put in handcuffs they may as well just take me to the looney bin!!!!
I also have a horrible fear of bridges. I refuse to drive over a bridge and if I am with someone and there is no other way to get across, I will close my eyes, put my hands over my ears and lie down on the seat until we are across. When I lived in the Charleston SC area it was horrible because Charleston is surrounded by nothing but bridges, especially that Ravenel Bridge!! Now here I am in Michigan and I will never visit the UP because of that 5 mile Mackinac Bridge.

 

I have the same sort of shaking, breathing, cold sweat things around latex balloons. I know, right? Silly. Mylar balloons and me are besties. But latex? No. No. No. And no. This has been hard on my children because they LOVE balloons and restaurants love to give them out to kids. I've tried soooo hard to grit my teeth and let them have SOME semblance of a normal childhood but "luckily" we have some very "aggressive cats" who "attack" the balloons (my cats are like what? We've never touched any!!!) and the poor balloons don't make it past a day or two.

 

My mom is terrified of bridges! We had a family reunion in Isle of Palms about 10 years ago and went to drive around Charleston one day. Well, my mom kept telling my dad to not go on that brige, but he went that way without telling her until we were approaching. She cried the whole way across.

 

@IntenseMagic I LOVE Isle of Palms, but daughter would always have to drive so I could hide!!

 

I do when it comes to going to the Dentist. Even to the point where my hubby will make all my appointments for me and we go together.
I think it goes back to when I was a child the dentist didn't numb us up before he did his work. And no matter how many time I tell myself it doesn't hurt I still cry every time I'm in the chair.

 

Elevators. The thought of getting stuck makes me feel pukey when I have to get on one. I'd rather walk up 11 flights of stairs. Ugh.

 

@NancyP My aunt and uncle used to have a home in Isle of Palms. There or Kiawah Island are like my dream retirement spots!

 

For years my mom would never drive over the Mackinac Bridge, then when my dad passed away it forced her to and now she doesn't have a problem doing it, except she won't drive on the open grids only the paved part. She has a camp 40 minutes from Copper Harbor and stays there for 3 month of the year.

 

I have similar fears: afraid of heights. I can't stand driving up mountains, I have to keep my eyes on the mountain side of the road, not the drop-off side or I will experience fear and panic. I also can't stand going off-road driving in a vehicle because so much of the ride will be with steep angles and that also makes me feel panicky.
I also can't stand driving over wood bridges. I'm afraid they will fall apart as we are crossing.

 

I don't have any real phobias but there are things I don't like... spiders and snakes top that list. I cannot even look at a picture of a snake and when I watch Survivor, I have to close my eyes if they start to show a snake. I also hate going to the dentist. I have had bad teeth all my life (yes, even baby teeth had to have fillings) so I tense up which just makes things worse. Last time I had a tooth filled, they had to give me 2 double shots (essentially a quadruple) of novacaine so I wouldn't feel anything... but that doesn't stop the sounds.

And, you might find this weird but when the art doll challenge in MOC was posted, I had a reaction to looking at the layouts. Let's just say that I had to avoid looking at that thread because I they creeped me out so much.

 

I'm so glad it's not just me, with these two! Luckily DH is also afraid of heights so he is EXTRA careful when I'm with him!

I would rather tuck and roll out of a moving vehicle than go over a wood bridge! You know it's a serious issue when you get to that point LOL!

 

I don't like people coming up and hugging me around the neck (or dog piles or tight turtle necks)...it kicks in that fight/flight instinct, and fleeing isn't what my body wants to do

Please tell me it's not a FIVE mile long wood bridge?!!? I'd be stranded if I ever had to drive over it!

Your poor mom...it would have been on like Donkey Kong LOL