Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Fun with Polls What do you fear?

So, I was a little bored while waiting on the line at the patisserie, and came up with a question to post when I'd get back.

Phobia is a usually irrational fear of something, which can reach to the point of obsession.

So, out of curiosity, what are your phobias? Mine is microbiophobia (fear of microbes).

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

P.S.: I found a list of phobias here . (Whoa, there are lots!!) I tried to include only the most usual ones.

P.P.S.: I'm not trying to say we are all obsessed, or cowards, or nuts. Just asking.

You needed to let us choose more than one option, Anna, for the truly paranoid among us!

LabRat

Agoraphobia, thou don't affect me too much now but when I was younger I wouldn't climb any stairs for quite a while. It's all stems from me falling down a cement stairs back in China for seven times while I was young doing a lot of damage to my head with lots of scars. I had to go to those Chinese hospital for stiches. Which also resulted me in having a deep rooted fear for physician, needle, or surgery until this very day. I can't even go into a clinic without freezing up. Although if it wasn't for my own purpose like if I'm visiting a friend or family in the hospital, then, I'm fine. That's probably why I avoid doing sports, to avoid getting hurt and to avoid hospital treatments.

I don't like to be crowded around also but not a phobia.

LOL Rat!! Oh my, do I sympathise as a fellow arachnophobe!!

I'm going to explain how I've dealt with it so far in hopes of helping people who are in the same situation (I saw when checking the results that at least one other FoLC has said they've got that phobia of planes).

Well, first, you need to have something to motivate you. You can't conquer a phobia just for the sake of conquering it. You need to think of something you absolutely *want* to do and can't do without taking a plane, such as, I don't know, if your biggest dream is to visit the Fiji Islands, or if you really, really want to attend an event on the other side of the planet, or if a really close friend of yours or a member of your family moves halfway across the world. You need something that basically gives you no choice: either you take the "*%#£$! flying thingy" (as I used to call them) or else you stay home and forget about it. You need something that makes you say: NO WAY I'm forgetting about it. The motivation has to be stronger than the phobia.

Now, you need time to work on your own phobia. It won't go away overnight. I've been working on my phobia of planes for almost three years, and I'm still not confident at all when the moment comes to board the thing. But it does get better with every flight.

I started off by watching planes take off. My parents and I were on holiday in Venice, and the campsite happens to be at the very end of the airport, so we really saw the planes take off. I observed dozens of them. I didn't see any of them crash, which helped.

The second step was to make the decision and set a date for my first flight. I talked with trusted friends about the phobia and told them I really wanted to conquer it. One of them convinced me almost two years ago that I could give it a try, and I made the decision thanks to the conversation with him: I would take a plane the following April, for a friends' gathering in the UK. The fact that it was in the UK gave me a back-up plan in case I couldn't do it (I could still take a train), plus it was going to be a short flight, so if I panicked, I wouldn't have to stay stuck up there for 8 hours or so. Also, a trusted friend of mine was going to fly with me. Flying for the first time just by yourself is really not something you want to do if you're plane-phobic. Oh, and I didn't tell anybody about it except the people who *had* to know. I didn't want additional pressure, especially if I freaked out at the last minute and ran out of the airport.

Anyway, first flight happened. Friend was here to reassure me even when I asked her every 30 seconds if that noise or that feeling was normal. I even shrieked and asked her what was that smoke coming out of the engines (!!!!!!!!!!!!) when in fact it was just clouds. Yes, I'm laughing about it now, but my heart just about stopped when I saw that!!

I'm not going to claim it was easy. Take-off and climbing up was the worst part, and that's one part of the flight that I still totally dislike.

But, much to my own disbelief, I did it.

Then it became a bit easier. I had my first transatlantic flight in October, where I even sat near the window for part of the flight and took plenty of pictures.

One of the biggest steps for me was last February, when I took my first transatlantic flight *by myself*. (and survived the experience!)

Now, to clarify, while calming pills and the like do calm you down when you're *on* the plane, they're not very useful for phobias. Yes, they will knock you out. But the worst of the panic is actually the anticipation before the flight. From the moment you take your ticket to the moment you're up in the air. I've learned to mostly control that. I'm mostly fine until a couple of weeks before the flight. Then there are a few nightmares, but again they're less and less frequent these days. The morning of the flight is still something I don't cope very well with, but I'm hoping to get better with this.

Anyway, my point is, if *I* could do it, anybody can. Because I was very, very much a plane-phobic.

Sorry to have rambled for so long!!!

Kaethel

I voted for openspaces and hieghts and other. I suffer panic attacks and the other is parking my car in an unknown parking spot or not knowing where to park my car. Thats weird i know but thats my 2 cents.
jen

What am I afraid of? Confined spaces. Bees and wasps. Terrified. Absolutely terrified.

I tend to feel like the walls are closing in around me even when I'm in a normal-sized room for too long, but where it's dark and confined... I remember my first trip to Ailwee Cave, there's this tunnel you have to walk through at the end, where's it's extremely dark and the walls are so tight you can't walk two abreast, and the ceiling is so low you have to crouch. I was *hyperventilating* by the time I got out. I also hate taking elevators and the like... which might be a problem when I get to Paris and want to go up the Eiffel Tower

And bees... I stepped on a wasp once when I was eight or nine and it stung me through the centre of my foot. Have hated and feared them ever since - can't do anything while one's in the room It really, really irritates me - not to mention the people I'm with!

I also don't like dogs, though I've never had any negative experience with them... to the best of my knowledge, anyway. Give me a kitty any day!

Sorcha

I have a complete phobia about being buried alive. I am fine in any other enclosed space lifts etc don't bother me at all, but I go into complete panic if I have to go under ground. I can't drive through a tunnel or go in a cave which can be a problem considering I studied Geology at uni and spent half the time having to be psyched up to go into caves and other places to look at rocks.
It all came to a head when I went to Norway on a field trip don't get me wrong it is me favorite country out of all the ones I have visited but they don't know how to go round anything, lakes, mountains they go through or under everything. On the way to our first camp site we went through 127 tunnels one even had traffic lights in the middle and doors at either end it was that long. I have to agree you need a reason to get over these things since going to Norway, it was a choice between going through the tunnels or not getting my degree, I am a lot better I can go through as long as I can see daylight at one end or the other or I am last in a cave so I know I can be first out.
Sorry to whitter on once I start on tunnels it is hard to get me to stop.

I did!! ... Didn't I? Because I certainly meant to.

Since you are all sharing your stories, I'll share mine too.

When I was (very) little, I was a kid like all others. I liked to play outside, didn't mind sitting down on the street, yard, soil or wherever we were playing, I climbed on trees and would touch almost anything.

Then, (around 5 or 6 years old) I started reading my father's Biology books. (I learned to read very young, and made a habit of reading anything available). But, as you understand, in Biology books you can find an awful lot on microbes, on illnesses they cause and other "pleasant" stuff.

During the next five or six years, it didn't affect my life that much. I did become a little more careful, but nothing abnormal.

When I was twelve, I started getting obsessed. I began with getting a shower every day after I got home for the day. (Well, up until then I had swimming practice every evening, so it wasn't that much of a difference.) But then it got really hopeless. Right now, I can only touch the floor of our home (and *some* of the other homes). Floors of other buildings, streets, pavements etc.? Not unless I am able to wash my hands afterwards. Same with things outside home, such as ballustrades, flowers, cars (I only have a tolerance for... what's their name, knobs? The part you open the car's door from.) and lots of other things.

I've tried to fight it, because I know that most people around me aren't like me and are perfectly healthy. (But then again, I haven't had a fever in years... unlike them.) Sometimes I do irrational stuff - say, I drop a pencil and have someone to pick it up for me, so that I don't touch it now that it's "dirty", but then I use it to write without washing it or something. I *know* it's irrational, but I can't help it.

They say that if you learn a lot about what you fear, you stop fearing it. Few people know that, but this is one of the reasons why I decided to try getting into Medicine. (Not the basic one, but I had certainly kept it in mind.) If I make it there and it helps my phobia, I'll let you know that this method works

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Actually, Anna, that sounds kind of like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - have you seen Jack Nicholson's As Good As It Gets?

I couldn't vote, because you didn't have an option for 'nothing'. So far I don't think I really have any phobias. I have things I don't like or try to avoid, but they don't seem to affect me the way my friends' phobias affect them.

And I have tremendous admiration for anyone who does have phobias - I've seen how a couple of friends have battled with theirs and shown incredible courage in learning to overcome them. Way to go, guys! And keep up the good work!


Wendy

My phobias? Hmm, where do I start.

Flying. Trains. Boats. Public Transportation. Heights. Bridges. Tunnles. Walking alone in the dark. Doctors.

I am sure there are more, but that's all that comes to mind right now.

I have conquered a lot of my fears -- when I was a kid, I was afraid of the phone and afraid of knocking on people's doors. Now, I actually use the phone quite regularly (although I do prefer email and im), and I do go to people's doors -- even if it takes me a while to psych myself up. I do go on and enjoy roller coasters. I did live on the ninth floor of a dormatory my freshman year. I do occasionaly go to the doctor and I do go to the dentist. I do drive over bridges and through tunnles -- even when I am frozen so I can't move. I even do walk alone in the dark through the city (although I am constantly on the look out for scary people). I have been on boats and trains (well, public transportation).

The only one of my fears that I haven't tried to conquer is flying. If I could fly the plane (or drive the train/bus), then I would absolutely go into a plane. However, I do not like the feeling of putting my life into someone else's hands! That's why I have to drive and no one else can when I am in the car. I want to control my own destiny.

- Laura

I have, but it's been a while.
I remember Nicholson's character more like a weirdo with behaviour issues, so I did some research and found out some very interesting facts. From what I gathered, OCD is a very serious state of mind that has to do with recurring thoughts and behaviours, and my own recurring thoughts and behaviours are not more often than a normal person's, I believe. They used to be when I was little - like rituals for stepping on pavement stones equal times with each foot, or brushing my hair same number of times from both sides - but I tried and managed to grow out of it. They've disappeared almost completely by now.

All the more reason to quit this microphobiac (as it seems to me) behaviour. I don't want to become an OCD patient, do I? But, you know, every time I say I'll quit it, I think "but microbes ARE dangerous! Why stop being careful?". And you get the idea...

(Time to see a shrink?)

There's always "other"... if you are curious to see the results. And you won't be lying, either

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

I have been working on conquering a phobia about driving on large highways. It used to be really bad, but now it's just uncomfortable.

Of course, now that I'm the one driving a group of us to Chicago next week for a mini FoLCfest, I figure I'll be cured by the time I return! (There's that motivating force that Kaethel mentioned!)

When I was really, really young - about 3 or 4 - there was a very popular TV ad from Esso that claimed if you used their gas, it would put 'a tiger in the tank.' For a very intense few months that totally confused my parents, I stopped flushing the toilet! I didn't want any tiger jumping out from the back of the toilet tank!

Irene

These two from the master list Anna linked struck me as... well funny.

This last one (tell me it's a joke :rolleyes: ) reminds me of something I heard: Who was the cruel person who decided to put an "S" in the word "lisp"? <g>

Anyway... enough OT... here are my fears:

Put me in the arachnaphobe and entomophobe category! If it has more than four legs, it is NOT my friend. This used to be a true phobia for me... I remember a time when I saw a spider on my jacket from across the room. I was paralyized and started crying. Didn't wear the jacket for a good few days. And if I found a bug in my bed... yipes! My dad would have to strip and wash my sheets and check *everywhere* in case there were more. I think I remember sleeping on the couch a few times even after he'd checked. This fear isn't so bad now... but spiders and roaches still get me pretty upset... even just hearing about them. See... there's this intersection that I'm terrified of... but not really the intersection, only the right most lane of the east bound part of the road... and only when I'm stopped at the traffic light in the first spot. It's not so bad when I'm *near* that first spot... but if I get stuck at that light...

Sara

LOL. Speaking as the poster child for therapy, I think we're all a little nutty sometimes.

I'll be first in line to say death creeps the hell out of me.

The flying thing gets to me, too, mostly international flights. People think I'm nuts when I say that just because I've done so much flying, but 9/11 really flipped me out. It's just not something I ever put on the 'what if' list, so when it actually did happen... And then of course, I was stuck in Turkey during the whole thing, so when they finally stuffed us onto a flight a week and a half later, I was like, you're kidding, right?

I don't mind the dark so much...it's what might be lurking around in it that bothers me. I flip out when I have to house-sit for my parents during the summer (they go on a lot of trips). I basically glue my Labrador to my side...and then wake him up when I hear something. :p No really, he's good about keeping watch over me, most of the time.

JD

Lucky you! Homer is hopeless in that respect. He has absolutely no guarding instincts whatsoever. Partly because he just adores the entire world and it obviously hasn't ever occurred to him that anyone could be up to anything but wanting to play and pet Homer :rolleyes: and partly because he is the world's biggest wuss.

He has never barked in his entire life (he's three now) - unless it's play barking when he's excited during a game. Doesn't bark at anyone knocking on the door, or if he hears something outside. Occasionally, now and then, he might become concerned enough about something he thinks he hears outside to insist that one of us goes check it out. Then he refuses to leave the living room and peeks around the doorframe until you give him the all-clear.

And at night - forget it. Homer sleeps sounder than the dead.

Got used to it now and really wouldn't have the little runt any other way. But after a couple of decades of keeping very security conscious German Shepherds before him, it was something of a shock for a while to realise he wasn't guarding your back.

One thing about Homer - he used to be a terrific little hunter-killer when it came to spiders. For a while I felt really secure and didn't care because I could rely on him to take care of any I saw. Then he got into the habit of playing with them like a cat plays with a mouse instead of killing them and the good times were over. <g>

Then, one night, he went after one of the huge ones. Caught it, threw it up in the air, whacked it a good tennis volley with his head as it came down and the next thing I knew, it was rocketing into the side of the sofa with a splat - just inches away from where I was sitting. Haven't trusted him since. <g>

Which wasn't as bad as my all-time favourite horror. The day I asked my German Shepherd Saxon to get one on the wall. He very nicely and delicately did - then wandered over and prompted dropped it - still alive - in my lap. Then looked at me with "What? Wasn't that what you wanted me to do?" puzzlement as I jumped up shrieking.

Is it any wonder I'm a spider basket-case?

LabRat

Snakes. I'm terrified of snakes. Those evil little buggers! :p
Well, I'm not scared if the snake is inside a terrarium, and I have no troubles at all holding a snake if I'm handed one. So zoos are no problems at all. But if I see a snake on the ground I panic, I scream and I run. Don't ask me why. It's just the way it is...

Dunno, Anna. I was the first person to vote on the poll after you and then it said 'vote for 1'. Now it says 'vote for `14'. Go figure. Maybe it was just my pc playing games.

LabRat

Spiders and Claustrophobia are mine. But not the usual type of claustrophobia, not me. I'm fine in close quarters...I can even ride in elevators, as long as I know that the doors will open when it stops. As soon as I realize I'm locked in, I shut down. My hubby found out the hard way when he locked me inside the restaurant he was managing as a joke...ha ha, real funny! Even though it wasn't a "small, closed-in" space, I still freaked out until he opened the door.

Oo, Sara, you would love the three-inch-long, flying roaches we have in Florida!!

I picked Other, since there wasn't a "no phobia" option. Flying doesn't bother me, I did it a lot when being shuffled between parents in the summer. Insects, spiders, other crawly things don't bother me, which is a good thing since the hubby's an arachnophobe. I'm the designated bug killer. I've just found out you have to be careful when dropping books on roaches.. blech. I'm fine with heights, as long as there's a railing (I may not have a phobia, but I'm not stupid, either! )

The only thing I have a real aversion to is scary movies, but that's because I've been traumatized enough. Freddy, The Ring, Jason.. you get a supernatural villain, and I will freak out a bit. If there's a mortal villain, that's fine, you can fight back. But you can't fight the supernatural! Stupid overactive imagination.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The only thing I have a real aversion to is scary movies, but that's because I've been traumatized enough. Freddy, The Ring, Jason.. you get a supernatural villain, and I will freak out a bit. If there's a mortal villain, that's fine, you can fight back. But you can't fight the supernatural!

LabRat

Interesting poll.

I have a fear of heights. It's not a crippling fear, but it's there. I remember when I was really young (before 12 years old), I was really afraid of heights. When I walked across an overhead bridge, I walked right in the middle and kept my eyes on the bridge floor. Even looking over the railings and seeing the cars zoomed pass underneath me was enough to trigger the "falling" feeling. It's not so much the height that bothers me, I think, but rather the depth. I went up the CN Tower (tallest free standing structure in the world) in June, and I was fine looking out of the windows and seeing the view of Toronto city from up there. The glass floor was a different story. It took me some time to prepare myself before I was willing to walk over it. When I looked down, I felt like I was falling. :p Anyhow, I'm glad that I've grown out of my phobia. At least, I have a higher tolerance for heights compared to the time when I was 12.

This is just an observation, but I find it interesting that nobody here has mentioned that they are afraid of public speaking. After all, more people are afraid of public speaking than they are of death.


metwin1

Okay, I was going to be quiet, but I have to add my voice to the others who are afraid of spiders. Can't stand the nasty little things! It used to just be spiders, but since I got to college I've extended it to bugs in general. More common bugs I can deal with (ants, ladybugs, etc), and anything that flies is pretty much okay, but little creepy crawly things just freak me out. I think originally I was afraid of spiders because my Mom was afraid of them when I was little. I adored her and anything that scares your mom must be pretty darn terrifying indeed!

I can let them live if they're outside, but if they're in my house they have to die (if someone else wants to rescue them, that's okay, but if it's up to me I'm going to kill them). And if I find them on the wall or something I can usually just kill them and be done with it, although I'd rather call my brother to do it for me <g>. But I cannot stand finding them in crazy places, and they seem to know it and hide out just for me! I found one hiding among the pencils in my desk drawer once, and another sealed up in the cellophane on my lampshade! How the hell did he get in there? (And, more importantly at the time, how the hell was I supposed to get him out?!)

And cats are no help at all! The couple of times I've pointed out spiders to Twilight she's been completely uninterested. Buttercup, Ian's cat, will chase after them a bit but not actually kill them, which isn't particularly useful. Once I had one cornered behind the trash can. Buttercup was watching one side and I was kneeling on the floor with a shoe in hand on the other side; between the two of us I figured we could keep it there until my brother came home and he could kill it for me. Of course, Buttercup didn't understand the plan and got bored of waiting, so she reached in with one paw and slapped the spider, which of course sent it running for cover straight at me! I screamed and jumped and threw the shoe at it and hyperventilated for fifteen minutes . Then I just left the shoe in the middle of the kitchen floor and waited till someone else came home to clean it up. I had this irrational idea that if I picked the shoe back up, the spider was somehow going to come back to life and come running at me again. My Dad came home and laughed at me, but he cleaned it up for me

There was also the time I woke up and saw a spider on my cabbage patch doll next to me in bed-- I'd never gotten out of bed that fast! Or the one I found on my shirt while trying on old clothes... That one had me crying hysterically. I'd had a really horrible week, and my reactions definitely seem worse when I'm stressed out. And unfortunately spiders seem to really, really like my dorm. They don't come inside too much, but once I counted 18 of them in the windows in the stairwell...

When I got to college I started to worry about other creepy crawly things. Once when I was extremely stressed out I was packing a suitcase and some weird worm/caterpillar/furry thing came running out of it at me. So then I didn't like caterpillary things.

And one day shortly thereafter I went to the bathroom to take a shower and found a giant centipede on the wall. It was as long as my hand and as big around as my finger. It was on the other side of the handicapped shower stall, so probably six or seven feet away from where I would actually be showering, but that was too close. I didn't even want to get close enough to kill it. I just admitted defeat and surrendered the bathroom to it! So then I didn't like centipedes either

If I knew they were going to be there, I think I'd survive. It's the shock I don't like. Especially when they're coming at me! <shudder>


Kaylle

Oy, join the bug club, Kaylle. When we evacuated campus for Hurricane Ivan last semester, the ants apparently took up residence and started a colony, namely, in my bathroom that I share with 3 other people. However, my latest anti-bug award goes to moths and mosquitos. They're the bane of my existence lately because I have to open the windows to air out all the smells of turpentine when I paint. The bugs clearly take it as an invitation to come right on in and settle down in my room. If it flies, it doesn't need to be anywhere near me. I hate the shock factor, too.

JD
:p

That's partly my problem with spiders, too. Although that part mostly comes into the annoyed bracket rather than the fear. I mean, if you're scared of mice you can jump on a chair if one starts running around the room and just get out of its way. But you just can't get away from these beggers. They're everywhere.

And LOL, I have that same philosophy - if they stay out of my territory that's fine. But if they come into the house, they definitely asked for it! Although, I'd love to be able to capture them and just let them out into the garden, rather than killing them. Since they're so harmless they don't really deserve killing. Some hope though.

I have a huge list of things that I do, based on previous experiences over the years. Like, I'm wary about reaching out to switch on a lamp if it has a shade - after the time one fell out of the shade and onto my hand when I did. Or walking under a lampshade on the ceiling after one fell out of one and landed on my shoulder, of closing curtains, after I found a big one sitting on the bedroom curtains...And so on.

I had a brief period of relaxation when I discovered that a wasp spray actually killed most of them - very, very slowly - but it got there eventually. They'd sit there looking unperturbed for about half an hour and then suddenly fall off the wall, all eight legs in the air. Which, I'm ashamed to admit, I always found very satisfying. Until I read that any poison strong enough to kill a spider is strong enough to kill a human ten times over! So that put paid to using that. The house used to reek of the stuff. <g>

Centipedes and that kind of thing don't really bother me. I did have a pretty freaky encounter with one a few years back, mind you. I was in the office at work, eating a peach for lunch. Was down to the last few bites, when the stone suddenly split apart in my hand as I lifted it to my mouth and out of the corner of my eye I saw this thing uncurl from the centre of it and launch itself into the air. Shrieked like a banshee and dropped the peach and then spent the next fifteen minutes trying to persuade my colleagues I wasn't nuts, because there was nothing there.

Eventually, one of my colleagues moved a file binder and there it was on the side of it. A centipede about as long as my ring finger.

I swear I've cut peaches up and disposed of the stone before eating them ever since.

And now that I've freaked out all those who love peaches...I'm off for breakfast.

LabRat

Spiders and heights seem to be winning and shockingly those were my top two and both are situational for me. Spiders I can sort of handle if I see them first and know they're there, but if they sneak up on me, conniption city!! Jumping, screaming, running, frantic brushing of hands through hair...you know.

Heights I can handle if I have something to hold onto. I climb like a monkey, even at my 35 year old self and have no problem sitting in a tree or on a bushy, craggy cliff top that can handle me, but you leave me out there free form, no handles, nothing and watch me pee my pants. We went to the Grand Canyon and found this one slice in the side that dropped straight down and, unwisely looking over, I thought I was gonna puke. My poor hubby had to drag me away as I had frozen up. Recovered quickly, but nightmares of toppling over are reaccuring.

TEEEEEJ

When I was very young I was getting in bed and a spider came walking up between my sheets. I made my mother tear all the sheets off my bed and inspect them to make sure that it wasn't a mommy spider with a bunch of babies.

Snakes terrify me because the summer I was about 6 I was almost bitten twice by poisonious (sp) snakes at both the front and back door of our house. They were both on the brick wall. One leapt off the wall at me as I stepped out of the front door and missed my head and foot both by a fraction. Ever since have hated snakes. Especially since I can't tell poisonous from non-poisonous.

Have a terrible fear of heights that have made it difficult to fly, use bridges and open balconies. I fly now but make sure I get an aisle seat - for some reason that helps. If the bridge is flat and not too high its okay but for bridges that do bother me I make sure that if it is multiple lanes not to be on the outside lane. I have also learned to tunnel my vision so that I am conccentrating on the vehicle in front of me - the bigger the better like an 18 wheeler. That way I'm not seeing the down part. Its not the bridge but the height. I can go across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which is 15 miles long and it doesn't bother me but the Annapolis Bridge is really hard. Its the height.

One phobia I have but don't know what it is called is a fear of water that I can't see through. A swimming pool doesn't bother me but water that I can't see what is in it drives me crazy. If I go in the ocean I have to have raft and I pull my feet up as soon as possible and I can't wade in it except at the very edge. The reason is when I was 9 I was in the ocean no higher than my knees and a crab tore up the ball of my left foot with its claws. Ever since the only way I can stand to be in water that I can see what is in it is to not have my feet on the bottom hanging on to a raft. So even though I live at the beach I never go in the ocean.

Edit: Found this in the page Anna linked to - this is what we have: Cleithrophobia or Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place. <g>

That is exactly what I have, too, Anne, so I completely understand you. I'd hate a joke like that too. I am not afraid of small spaces if I know I can get out. I still hate elevators, and I'm always uneasy in them, but I can ride them. As soon as I'm locked in, I freak.

Re elevators, I've hated them ever since I was little and my mom told me the story of how she and her friends got stuck in one when they were little and waited for the operators for hours to get them out. That idea terrifies me. Plus I get the uneasy feeling that the cord is going to snap. I have to add that the elevators in Canada are about 4 times bigger than the ones I had to ride in back in Israel. They're tiny. When I visited this summer my family would take the elevator all the time and I avoided it at all cost. Fortunately we were only talking 2 or 3 stories, not 14, like here (oh, the fun I had clibing THAT up and down. I may get a nice view out my window, but just wait til the fire alarm goes off with no reason). <g> And no, I don't know why they were taking the elevator down 2 or 3 stories.

Going back to the topic, I can't *stand* being locked anywhere. It was worse when I was little, but it's still there. From the time I was in grade 3 til the time we moved here, I've had my own key and would come home alone from school every night. My parents would only come home much later in the evening. I used to never lock the door behind me, because I had the uneasy feeling that it might not open again. My parents told me, repeatedly, to lock it when I'm alone, but I could never bring myself to do it.

Furthermore, when I *did* find myself locked somewhere, I freaked out, went into hysterics, and had my heart racing and my airways tightning. Even if I wasn't alone.

Once in elementary school, me and the rest of the class, including the teacher, got locked inside a classroom. I started crying hysterically, even though obviously I knew were were going to get out eventually. Even if we didn't open the door, there was a small window from the classroom to the hallway which students could fit through, so while the teacher wouldn't encourage me to climb through it, I'd like to have seen her stop me if it took them longer to open it. <g> I also have to add that I was the only one in hysterics.

Another time I got locked in the school gym with a girl a year older than me. We were only locked in it for a little while, less than 20 minutes, probably, now that I think about it, but it seemed like forever. She kept telling me to calm down, but I was in hysterics again.

And another time, when I was 12, we were having stuff done to our apartment and the door to my new room had no handle on it yet. My friend's dad was the one doing the work, and he was right outside the room we were in (my friend and I). She closed the door, forgetting the missing handle, and of course we got locked inside. Now, he was *right* outside the door and opened it in about 30 seconds with a screwdriver or something, but in those 30 seconds I went into hysterics again.

Then, when I was 13, I was riding down the elevator and it was packed with people, so I was definitely not alone, when there was a power shutdown for abour a minute. In that minute, the elevator stopped, and the lights went out, and while all the other people just sort of went, "dammit," I started freaking out and screaming for them to press the alarm. A minute later the lights went back on and the elevator opened on one of the bottom floors, so we all exited and took the stairs down the remaining few flights... but I think those people thought I was a lunatic. <g>

I also have Phasmophobia - the fear of ghosts (Wendy, put away the lipstick <g>). Yeah, I know I wouldn't normally find a white sheet floating around out to get me, and I'm only *really* afraid of them at night, but still.

Once I was at the computer at night, and some plastic bags that were on the balcony started rattling because it was windy. And they were white. <g> In addition to that, back in my room I had a huge picture on the wall, and the frame was pretty light, so the wind coming from my open window made it knock against the wall every few minutes. That night I thought the place was haunted. I was in tears at the computer and in an IM convo with a friend, who told me I was being a wuss.

And really, I know I was... but I can't help it. At night, whenever I need to leave my room, I feel uneasy until I turn a light on. Fear of the dark accompanies this, though I don't know if I'd call it a phobia.

Also, like Karen, I hate scary movies. A lot. I ran out of the room in tears when I watched Scream and couldn't sit through it (course, I was 11), after only the first victim died, and when I watched The Ring there were at least two parts where I ran out of the room and started crying. I did sit through it, though. In agony.

I'm also afraid as hell of death. Not necessarily my own. I'm often paranoid about things, but for the most part I get over them.... besides worrying about my family. I find myself thinking, each time my dad leaves for work or I leave for school, "what if this is the last time I see them?" I suppose in a way it makes me not take things for granted, but it also ruins my nerves. When someone is late to come home I freak out. Once I came home from school, expecting to see my whole family home... instead, no one was home. I called my best friend, in tears, and kept her on the phone for about an hour until they came home, and in that hour came up with so many horrible theories of what might have happened to them that it couldn't have been healthy. I know it's natural to worry for family when they're late, but not this much.

I get nightmares about things like that, what might happen to them, and I'm always really, really upset when I wake up. I don't want to elaborate here, but again, it can't be normal and healthy. I'm really paranoid about these things. Sometimes I even feel like I know something horrible is going to happen eventually, and I'd like it if it just happened so I could stop being afraid of anything else happening. I know that it doesn't make any sense, of course, and I also know that I probably will still be just as paranoid, if not more, if anything happened (/me knocks on wood) but I can't help thinking that way sometimes. I think it might be because I haven't experienced any losses so far, and I know I'll have to at some point. I don't know the name for this phobia, but it's definitely a phobia.

Here's my... 2 dollars <g> It was great to get off my chest. Thanks for the thread, Anna. I'm finding other people's posts fascinating, by the way - like Wendy, I really admire those of you who are conquering their phobias, and it's kind of nice to know I'm not a lunatic after all. Sorry for ranting for so long, hope it wasn't too tough to get through. <g>

Julie

OK, I should have read though the posts before voting. 'Cause I don't really have any of the phobias listed. I'm only afraid of heights if I could fall. If there are railings, I'm more afraid that something I have with me will fall or float away (if it's papers). Like if there are binoculars or a camera around my neck, I have this niggling fear that somehow the perfectly good strap will break. On a trip my class took to Costa Rica (we built a school), we took a day off to ride on a ship around, and someone had their camera sitting on a bench right next to the water--and I was all "put it around your neck!!!"

Snakes--I'm afraid of being bitten, that's it. If I know I won't be bitten (like if someone's holding it), then they're neat and I like petting it.

Spiders . . . I am more afraid of the little ones that want to land on me than anything. Daddy-long-legs are cool! I used to remove them for this girl at summer camp, they'd be in the bathroom stalls. She was freaking out and I couldn't understand it. I had learned that they had such small mouths that they couldn't bite humans, so I was perfectly fine about picking them up, letting them crawl on my head, down my face . . . was fun to see others' reactions as they freaked out WATCHING. The little ones could bite me and that's what I'm afraid about. Never was around big ones, really, other than daddy-long-legs, but I think that tarantulas would be cool to pet, as long as I know they won't bite.

Hmm, I'm noticing a theme--I'm afraid of being HURT, not of the animals. OK, so I don't like pain or illness/injury of any sort and will avoid it as much as possible. Which is probably why I don't try anything risky, and have broken no bones yet, while my brother has broken several and knocked out some teeth in all the crazy stuff he's tried. Therefore, I love harmless stuff like earthworms--fun to play with and hold . . .

Hi

I voted and then thought about it for about four hours.

I picked only other.

I don’t know if I have a full blown fear, therefore phobia. I used to be too scared to see any sort of doctor or dentist, but I gradually got over it enough to see a doctor now. I went to a dentist regularly for a few years a few years back after not going from elementary to university. Though, I have to make myself go back now. I didn’t have the moola before so that was my excuse. Now my excuse is I have no time. The real reason is - I’m lazy.

I don’t have a fear of spiders. They are my friends. But I won’t go out of my way to touch ones that I think might bite; then I get scared.

I find I am afraid of dark corners, only when I am sleepy. My imagination goes wild. Is that a phobia? My psych prof says no, but sometimes it is really scary!

Heights…hmm. I don’t like going up ladders or standing on a roof. I’ve done it and get scared. though if I know I am safe and my agility is good (it isn’t now) I love it. Being able to see around. I would love to go sky diving, but I am afraid of being the part of the percentage that don’t make it. So….I kinda have a phobia? I have not been around high places a lot.

If I have control over a situation I am not scared. If I am being forced it depends. If I panic then it is gave over and I guess I get ‘phobic’ (brain power is minimal, can’t think of a good work). I think this plays for claustrophobia and some others. If someone poured a bowl full of ants or spiders on me I’d freak out, but trying my hardest not to kill them. Being stuck in an elevator or stuff like that doesn’t freak me out. Now if I get stuck in a cupboard and my air is compromised and don’t think I get out on my own then I’d get scared. But that’s not a phobia, that’s just "get me out!".

I’m leery of stuff.

I am frustrated by the idea of death that I think it scares me, but not to the point of it being a phobia. I just can’t grasp the idea of nothingness.

Okay. I guess I don’t have a phobia.

No wait! A HA! I have a fear of PAIN. No matter what I try and avoid it. I don’t go doctors, etc. b/c I don’t like them touching my eyes, ears and throat b/c I don’t want any pain. Dentist = pain (my root canal hurt way less than fillings), I want my ears re-pierced =pain. I would like a small tattoo = pain (well there’s also "will I like it in 10, 20 years?"), I want to skateboard again like I did nine years ago…um PAIN! I bought new in line skates …I’m afraid on them well guess what! PAIN. I have never fallen on my blades. I never tried many tricks b/c of pain. I got my first pair in ’95 and stopped using them in 2003 b/c they were creaking. I bought a new pair in 2004 and it just feels so different that I am afraid to fall = pain. What a waste of money.

I quit martial arts after 10 years b/c I didn’t want to spar any more. I could take the bruises, but when I was introduced into uncontrolled sparring…well PAIN!

I do have a fear of doing stuff in front of people. But I think that is a crazy anxiety thing. It prevents me from doing awesome in life. I get afraid and I take too many baby steps. Is there a phobia for that? Though, if I am confident that I know what I am taking about I am not afraid, e.g. public speaking… I guess it isn’t a phobia, just anxiety.

Ok I have it figured out now after my verbal spaz - I have a pain phobia.

****shad up Roo**** K

Bringing this thread back to the top as I have something to say. I don't know if this can be any help to other plane-phobics, but in the spirit of conquering my own fear, I'm going through an experience that I thought I'd share.

The one plane I always take is the Air France flight 358 from Paris to Toronto. I always take this one because it's the only direct flight that operates all year round, and I've got my frequent flyer card with Air France.

Now, some of you may have heard on the news that the Air France flight 358 crash-landed when it ran off the runway in Toronto airport last week. It happened during a major thunderstorm; visibility was poor, but the pilot still decided to go ahead and land. It turns out that the crash may have been caused by human error (they landed too far down the runway) and a sudden gust of wind that took them even further down. Thankfully, the cabin crew managed to get everybody out in under 2 minutes, before the plane caught fire.

Now, being the plane-phobic that I am, I have to confess the whole thing really spooked me. And all right, everybody got out alive, but for a while there I couldn't help think that it was truly spooky that a serious crash had to happen to the flight I usually take. What made it worse is that when I got over here (here being Canada) in July, I got very upset and frustrated because there was a huge thunderstorm over Toronto, which made our pilot decide to divert the flight over to Montreal. Back then, he explained to us passengers that the visibility was very poor, that more and more planes were circling around Toronto airport, and that we were running out of fuel, which was why we were flying off to Montreal to land there and refuel and wait until things got better. Back then I was extremely upset at having to go through another take off and landing, especially as these are the parts of the flight that I hate the most. Right now though, I wish I could see my pilot and thank him for his very sensible decision. If he hadn't taken that decision, it could have been my plane that crashed down into the ravine in Toronto.

You're probably wondering why I'm rambling on and whether I actually have a point.

Well, here's the thing. I was very lucky to have friends offer their unconditional support when I wasn't sure I could get back on a plane after hearing about the crash. I was very lucky to have a friend break the news to me very gently and focus on the fact that everybody got out alive. And I'm okay. And I have to fly back to France on Sunday, and I'm going to be fine and take that plane and okay, I'm probably going to be scared out of my wits, but I will cope, because fear cannot possibly win.

So here's a message to all plane-phobics (and I know we have at least a couple on the boards). You might think your phobia will always be there and that you'll never manage to conquer it, but I think that someday you will. And okay, you're never going to enjoy flying, and you will probably be scared of flying for a while even if you actually force yourself to take planes, but what matters is that if you decide to fight your fear, then the more you do it, the more in control you feel. And there are some steps backwards (as the past week or so was), but you get there, because you don't actually go all the way back to square one. I always thought that the day I heard about a plane crash, I'd be back to before I started flying - I'd never actually imagined that the flight involved would be my usual one... - but it didn't happen. And you know what? I'm not going to let it happen!

Kaethel

Well said, K! Keep going with that positive attitude.

Yvonne

Good for you, Kae! And yeah, when I heard about that flight crashing, my first thought was of you and how you were never going back to Europe But I'm glad to see I was wrong!

PJ

I'm very proud of you also, Kae, especially since I saw first hand that you really do have a phobia.

I'll be thinking about you all day today and wishing that I was there with you supporting you instead of cheering you on from afar.

Irene

Hope it goes well, Kae! It sure must have been a shock, and it's great that you managed to conquer your fear.

See ya,
AnnaBtG.

Having watched Kae walk into the gate and conquer that side of her she had to defeat, I am definitely proud of her.

Kae, it's great that you won't let your phobia win over your life. You're a winner every time.

Julie

YAY!!!! I'm so proud of you, Kae!!!

Hope your return journey was nothing but boring and routine!

Let us know when you get home safely.

Sara

I'm home! Well, as home as France can ever be to me.

Anyway, got back into my apartment around 5 pm today, and I haven't slept in 29 hours so I'm a bit woozy right now (but funnily enough, rather hyper, too).

First and foremost, I want to thank all of you who have posted your encouragement. Yesterday at the airport wasn't easy. :p So I want to give big hugs to Irene, who called Wendy's cell phone and talked to me and promised me she'd be with me in thought, Wendy and John, who were there all the way through, gave me hugs, reassured me while forcing me to be strong, and Julie, who was also an absolute sweetheart and a great support at the airport. You guys are fantastic!

The flight was a bit of a pain. I had to wait a long time before boarding as they improvised a huge security check at the boarding gate. They searched through every single passenger's carry-on. So we took off over two hours later than planned. As for the flight... well, some of you may have heard I'm crazy about rollercoasters (love 'em, can't get enough of 'em). So okay, I adore rollercoasters... but I'd never had a 7 hour ride before!!!! In other words, we went through turbulence all the way through, and some of them were pretty bad. :p It calmed down when we got to Ireland.

All right, so now I'm going to go and have some dinner and then I'll probably hop over to IRC before bedtime.

Btw, for those of you who've been trying to email me over the past week or so, apologies for the full mailbox. It's now been taken care of.

Kaethel