Phobias and neuroses?

KytchynWitche

I am pretty scared of pretty much everything. I'm particularly afraid of birds, heights, confetti, all kinds of rodents and rodent-like creatures, and all kinds of clowns, mimes and living statues. Because seriously, that's creepy.

I have so many phobias one of my friends once asked if I was scared of sea bass too. I have no experience of sea bass, but I said probably, so now I feel kinda obligated to add it to the list too.

Also, I have a tendency to check my food 100x before I eat, even if I've just made it, 'cause I'm sure I'm going to find mould, worms, bug parts or other yucky things. I have been proven right three times so far. I'm a little neurotic.

How about you?

hlvonb

urbaneca said:

I am pretty scared of pretty much everything. I'm particularly afraid of birds, heights, confetti, all kinds of rodents and rodent-like creatures, and all kinds of clowns, mimes and living statues. Because seriously, that's creepy.

I have so many phobias one of my friends once asked if I was scared of sea bass too. I have no experience of sea bass, but I said probably, so now I feel kinda obligated to add it to the list too.

Also, I have a tendency to check my food 100x before I eat, even if I've just made it, 'cause I'm sure I'm going to find mould, worms, bug parts or other yucky things. I have been proven right three times so far. I'm a little neurotic.

How about you?

@urbaneca

Wow.

I am not sure what I would be afraid of. I guess when it comes to what I am drinking or eating I either have to watch the person make it or double check the food when I get it

HaileyDancingbear

Aww birds?  But they're so cuddly!  lol My phobias would be spiders, bees, ANY insect that can sting or bite me basically, and most social situations.  I hate introducing myself to new people, I hate being in big groups of people I don't know, etc.  I can count the people I feel truly comfortable with (excluding blood relatives- I'm not afraid of my family) on one hand.  FI, my MOH, one of my BM's, our best man, and I have a leftover finger :P.  

I'm getting better though, at least now even though it's hard for me and I feel uncomfortable, I can actually talk to people.  When I was younger my parents took me to see a psychiatrist to talk about my social anxiety- I was too afraid to talk to her.  So I consider it progress.

Drewsgirl31

Mine would be clowns, spiders, ladders, teeth/mouth injuries, and my strangest is kneecaps. They completely freak me out and make me do that crazy icky wiggle dance or if my H, SIL or BIL are being particularly assholey, they will hold me down and mess with mine until I cry, yea they're dicks lol

Blergbot

Pretty much any insect, period. And Spiders. Heights, roller coasters, and needles. I'm getting better about smaller needles, but one of my biggest fears is having to get a spinal tap. My anxiety level (I have moderate anxiety) feeds into these fears. @urbaneca Have you ever talked to a psychologist about OCD? Anxiety and OCD can go hand in hand, and that last issue you listed sounds more OCD to me (totally not a psychologist).

KytchynWitche

@Blergbot - I used to be hugely phobic about needles, to the point of punching out a nurse who tried to give me a tet-shot. My doctor teased me about it for years afterwards, until I moved away and couldn't see him anymore. I got a tattoo on my back/shoulder when I was 24/25 and I've gotten better about needles since then. The list in my post isn't exhaustive - I'm also scared of large spaces, small spaces, crowds, and a whole host of other things. I've actually been in and out of psychiatric treatment since I was 4 or 5, and I definitely have obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but I'm not full-on OCD. I do have severe anxiety disorder, along with borderline personality disorder, and suffer from night terrors, and hallucinations (both visual and audio). Basically, I'm screwed up.

@rwhite0123 - Yikes! Sounds like your family can be real assholes. I'm sorry

@HaileyDancingbear - Yep, birds. I'm actually afraid of anything that "flaps". I'm so with you on the social anxiety thing. *hugs* I'm glad you're making progress!

@hlvonb - Yeah, watching the food being made doesn't help for me. I still have to check it.

Blergbot

I definitely have some ocd tendencies sometimes, too.

ShallowSeas

I check my food constantly also.  I didn't realize I was doing it until my mom and FI both pointed out to me that I inspect every bite before eating.  I'm also terrified of accidentally eating mold because when I was little, I watched a Ripley's Believe It Or Not episode where a man ate a slice of bread with mold on it and got some kind of flesh eating virus that ate away almost his entire face.  I am also afraid of windows at night; I'm afraid i'll see someone looking back at me.  And, of course, spiders.

blabla89

I am TERRIFIED of revolving doors. I get some funny looks from my coworkers when we're going somewhere and come to a revolving door, because I either walk around to another door or freeze up for a minute before I make myself go through it.

I'm also afraid of the normal stuff like spiders, heights, and germs.

climbingsingle

I have a fear of birds too. 

I can't leave the house with an appliance running, even just for 5 minutes. I'm terrified of there being a fire when I'm not home. 

FiancB

I used to be really bad about needles, thanks to a dentist going to give me my first filling. The shot must've hit a nerve or something- it was REALLY painful, then it didn't work, but I didn't know I was supposed to be totally numb and the shot hurt so bad I wasn't going to ask for another one. It took like 10 years before I could go to the dentist without crying, or a shot anywhere. I've gotten a lot better though. 

I also used to be really phobic about vomit. Like if I think I might get sick or if someone else around me might.I get really upset and have to get the hell away from them. I would also get really upset if someone on TV/movie is nauseous or throwing up. I have to be really, really sick to throw up, otherwise I just can't let myself even though I know it would be better to get it over with.

 I've gotten better with that too. I still get anxious but I don't act like a crazy person. I think that one was from our road trips to CA when I was little when we'd almost always get sick (curvy roads through the redwoods) so my mom would gear us up with bags to puke in and other things, and my dad would get super pissed when one of us would throw up. 

I pass out really easily. I've passed out over those eye drops that make your pupils dilate.

Funny enough I'm studying to be a nurse. You'd think I'd be the worst person ever, but I figured out I don't do so badly when I'm the person doing it. If I'm the person receiving or just watching, I think about it too hard and down I go. So clinicals might be interesting. 

chibiyui

Spiders.

I also get really twitchy when anything gets near my eyes, FI can brush my cheek and if he gets to close I flinch. It takes a lot of effort to get through the air poof glaucoma test.

cruffino

i'm afraid of flying...which is annoying because i fly alot. 

i also have a phobia of IV's. i don't mind an injection or even a blood draw, but the thought of a little tube in my vein really freaks me out and disgusts me. again, annoying because i have had the misfortune of needing a fair number of IV's in my life. 

pumpkinsandturkeys

I'm afraid of most heights, but not terrified by them -- I'm fine with rollercoasters, etc.

Spiders/house centipedes/other weird bugs are not my friend, either.

I recently discovered that having to walk up/down a stopped escalator gives me an anxiety attack. You'd think it would just be like stairs, but no -- no, it is not.

My biggest phobia is cotton balls/raw cotton. I'm fine with cotton clothing (I actually prefer natural fibres), but cotton in its raw form (balls, cotton makeup remover pads, the spiderwebs at Halloween...) nauseates me and makes me want to cry. Every time I see it, I think about it catching on my fingertips, and the weird, ripping sound it makes as it stretches, and how scratchy it feels on your nails... UGH. I got chills throughout my body just typing that.

lyndausvi

I'm afraid of most heights, but not terrified by them -- I'm fine with rollercoasters, etc.

Spiders/house centipedes/other weird bugs are not my friend, either.

I recently discovered that having to walk up/down a stopped escalator gives me an anxiety attack. You'd think it would just be like stairs, but no -- no, it is not.

My biggest phobia is cotton balls/raw cotton. I'm fine with cotton clothing (I actually prefer natural fibres), but cotton in its raw form (balls, cotton makeup remover pads, the spiderwebs at Halloween...) nauseates me and makes me want to cry. Every time I see it, I think about it catching on my fingertips, and the weird, ripping sound it makes as it stretches, and how scratchy it feels on your nails... UGH. I got chills throughout my body just typing that.

*** Stuck in box

My DH has the exact same phobia.    He shakes all bottles to make sure it's not stuffed with cotton. If they have cotton he hands them off to me to open and discard of the scary cotton while he is in a different room.  God forbid he was wrong on his assessment on whether or not there was cotton in there.  I've come home from work and the cotton laced bottle will be hidden away until I can remove the toxins.  It's pretty funny.  I'm not allowed to line my Christmas village with fake snow.    That all said he will eat cotton candy.  LOL.  He is also not a fan of heights.

I don't have any phobias.  I have a slight fear of falling.  I think that comes from falling on ice and breaking my arm and another time skiing and tearing some ligaments.   Its doesn't stop me from doing anything, I just get a little anxious.  I avoid roller coasters if I can.  However, I LOVE skydiving.  Although you really don't feel like you are falling when you skydive like on a roller coaster.

JCbride2015

Thanks to our dear friend Sandy, I now have a fear of standing water-- even a puddle or a clogged drain will freak me out.  I also can't stand that sewer/drain smell of standing water in the street.  Wind, extreme rain, any kind of extreme weather really gives me anxiety now.

Other than from the hurricane, I really don't have phobias.  House centipedes gross me out more than any other bug, but I can kill one if I need to (as long as I can catch it, those suckers are fast).

emmyg65

Heights, deep water, the dark, and invasive medical procedures. I can get a flu shot and donate blood, but I hate IVs and anything beyond that. I would much rather go through natural childbirth than get an epidural. I also dislike going through revolving doors and getting on or off escalators, but those don't approach "phobia" level. 

KatWAG

I guess my neurose is time. I HATE to be late and it gives me horrible anxiety when I am late. I even freak out when I am not in control of how late I will be. IE: when my plane is delayed.

I am horribly afraid of knives. I cut my finger off in 7th grade cooking class. And I have been scared even since. My family gets annoyed around the holidays since I am not much help preparing dinner. I am fine with dinner knives but any "big" knife terrfies me. (FTR: my finger was reattached)

JCbride2015

 

KatWAG said:

I guess my neurose is time. I HATE to be late and it gives me horrible anxiety when I am late. I even freak out when I am not in control of how late I will be. IE: when my plane is delayed.

I am horribly afraid of knives. I cut my finger off in 7th grade cooking class. And I have been scared even since. My family gets annoyed around the holidays since I am not much help preparing dinner. I am fine with dinner knives but any "big" knife terrfies me. (FTR: my finger was reattached)

Your entire finger, like the whole thing?  You must have been a strong 7th grader.  What the heck kind of middle school teacher lets that happen?!?!?!?!  And what did your teacher do???  The worst thing that ever happened in my classroom was a fistfight, I can't imagine a cut-off finger!

ChemFanatic25

I actually hate meeting new people. Normally I'm a HUGE talker - almost to the point where it is obnoxious. When I was younger, I was quiet around new people, mostly because of insecurities. I over came that mostly in college by going out of my way to introduce myself to someone. I wouldn't think about it, I wouldn't dwell on it, I wouldn't plan what I was going to say. I basically word vomited in the fastest way possibly. "Hi, how are you, my name is ChemFanatic. I like 'some kind of alcohol' and your shirt is AWESOME!" It really helped because while only a few people were taken aback most people actually responded and then I would slip into my normal way which included my efficiency of sarcasm and jokes.

I hate spiders, hate them, hate 'em, hate 'EM! They're ugly and freaky and I can't handle it. Also, I have a major fear of scary movies. Whatever I see on the screen, I'll make ten times worse, gory, bloodier, more mangling, etc and thanks to my imaginative brain I then cannot sleep because I have scared the crap out of myself.

WinstonsGirl

Not sure I have many phobias, other than painful ways of dying.  Drowning, stabbing all scare the hell out of me.  For some reason, my brain thinks getting shot would hurt less than getting stabbed.  

I do hate getting needles (I'm a ginger, so super sensitive), finding spiders (DH's man job to kill them.  I don't want to feel them get squished between my fingers/kleenex) and of getting stung by wasps.  I can handle bees outside, but wasps around dinners that won't go away start to get me going.  

pinkcow13

I hate bugs. Particularly roaches, I have a huge roach phobia. Even just seeing a picture of a roach freaks me out and give me anxiety. And I cannot kill those things because I am so scared. Typing about them is giving me anxiety now. I also hate flying. I'm terrified of dying in a plane crash. I used to take sleeping pills before flights, and now I take Xanax. Which sucks, because I love traveling. I went skydiving a few years ago to try and conquer my fear, and I was fine for my next flight, but then it came right back. I'm also a bit of a hypochondriac, and going to any sort of doctor gives me anxiety. I always think I have some sort of disease, and I have been like this since I was about 10. 
I actually have to schedule my routine gyno appt and it is causing me anxiety just thinking about it. 

edit: spelling

KatWAG

JCBride2014 said:

 

KatWAG said:

I guess my neurose is time. I HATE to be late and it gives me horrible anxiety when I am late. I even freak out when I am not in control of how late I will be. IE: when my plane is delayed.

I am horribly afraid of knives. I cut my finger off in 7th grade cooking class. And I have been scared even since. My family gets annoyed around the holidays since I am not much help preparing dinner. I am fine with dinner knives but any "big" knife terrfies me. (FTR: my finger was reattached)

Your entire finger, like the whole thing?  You must have been a strong 7th grader.  What the heck kind of middle school teacher lets that happen?!?!?!?!  And what did your teacher do???  The worst thing that ever happened in my classroom was a fistfight, I can't imagine a cut-off finger!

Not my entire finger. Above my knuckle. So about half. (gross details, the finger wasnt completely chomped off, a small part of skin/ tissue were still attached, so I got some blood flow. So I think that helped save the rest of the finger)

Honestly, since I cut through my nerves, I didnt even feel it.  Until I looked down and saw the blood. My teacher didnt do much. She wrapped my hand and finger in a towel and rushed me to the nurses office. Then I went to the hospital and had surgery.

I guess the knives had just been sharpened. Regardless, a 13 year old probably shouldnt have been handling a knife with such minimal supervisor.

But I got to stay home for almost 2 weeks from school. Which was pretty cool in middle school.

Cokezerofreak

Height and rodents for me.  The heights I attribute to a fall I had one day after Kindergarten class when I was 5.  I was waiting on the ice cream man down the street, we had a front porch that was about 4 feet up from the sidewalk.  I leaned over it to see where he was at and fell.  Big scrape on my forehead.  As for rodents, I just don't like them.  They are dirty and freak me out. 

Now when it comes to food that I won't eat, my list is long.

pumpkinsandturkeys

lyndausvi said:

I'm afraid of most heights, but not terrified by them -- I'm fine with rollercoasters, etc.

Spiders/house centipedes/other weird bugs are not my friend, either.

I recently discovered that having to walk up/down a stopped escalator gives me an anxiety attack. You'd think it would just be like stairs, but no -- no, it is not.

My biggest phobia is cotton balls/raw cotton. I'm fine with cotton clothing (I actually prefer natural fibres), but cotton in its raw form (balls, cotton makeup remover pads, the spiderwebs at Halloween...) nauseates me and makes me want to cry. Every time I see it, I think about it catching on my fingertips, and the weird, ripping sound it makes as it stretches, and how scratchy it feels on your nails... UGH. I got chills throughout my body just typing that.

*** Stuck in box

My DH has the exact same phobia.    He shakes all bottles to make sure it's not stuffed with cotton. If they have cotton he hands them off to me to open and discard of the scary cotton while he is in a different room.  God forbid he was wrong on his assessment on whether or not there was cotton in there.  I've come home from work and the cotton laced bottle will be hidden away until I can remove the toxins.  It's pretty funny.  I'm not allowed to line my Christmas village with fake snow.    That all said he will eat cotton candy.  LOL.  He is also not a fan of heights.

I don't have any phobias.  I have a slight fear of falling.  I think that comes from falling on ice and breaking my arm and another time skiing and tearing some ligaments.   Its doesn't stop me from doing anything, I just get a little anxious.  I avoid roller coasters if I can.  However, I LOVE skydiving.  Although you really don't feel like you are falling when you skydive like on a roller coaster.

THIS. Most pill bottles have stopped putting cotton in the top, but every now and then... Yuck! I used to try to pull it out with tweezers, but then it starts pulling apart and... *shudder* I want to vomit now.

My dad thought it was hilarious and once put a line of cotton balls under my duvet, so they stretched across the width of the bed. I pulled back the duvet to go to bed, and freaked when I saw them. He laughed hysterically and I refused to go into the bedroom until he removed them all.

tmclawchick

pumpkinsandturkeys said:

I'm afraid of most heights, but not terrified by them -- I'm fine with rollercoasters, etc.

Spiders/house centipedes/other weird bugs are not my friend, either.

I recently discovered that having to walk up/down a stopped escalator gives me an anxiety attack. You'd think it would just be like stairs, but no -- no, it is not.

My biggest phobia is cotton balls/raw cotton. I'm fine with cotton clothing (I actually prefer natural fibres), but cotton in its raw form (balls, cotton makeup remover pads, the spiderwebs at Halloween...) nauseates me and makes me want to cry. Every time I see it, I think about it catching on my fingertips, and the weird, ripping sound it makes as it stretches, and how scratchy it feels on your nails... UGH. I got chills throughout my body just typing that.

OMG. I didn't even KNOW what a house centipede was until I moved to Michigan for law school. HOLY EFFING CRAP. I had an absolute episode the first time  every time I saw one. *cringe*

pittiemama14

Heights, and not just fear of heights, a full fleged phobia. Sometimes I can't even handle walking up stairs without having a panic attack. When we drive over bridges I have to pull over and let someone else drive over it, or just suffer through the panic attack while driving.

Moths, again full fleged phobia. I cant see them, be around them, talk about them without freaking out. So nasty. I litterally either scream and run away or freeze and not move until someone gets rid of it.

The underside of wrists also gross me out, and I don't like looking at or touching other peoples or my own. And I can't wear bracelets because of it. My brother used to shove his in my face to be an ass when he was mad at me. Ughh.

Jells2dot0

KatWAG said:

I guess my neurose is time. I HATE to be late and it gives me horrible anxiety when I am late. I even freak out when I am not in control of how late I will be. IE: when my plane is delayed.

I am horribly afraid of knives. I cut my finger off in 7th grade cooking class. And I have been scared even since. My family gets annoyed around the holidays since I am not much help preparing dinner. I am fine with dinner knives but any "big" knife terrfies me. (FTR: my finger was reattached)

I start to have panic attacks when I'm late or think I'm going to be a late.

I do not deal well with death and I also have a phobia of the kitchen. I can't do the dishes, unless only my own are in the general area. Even then, I use one of those long sponge tools to rinse them prior to putting something in the dish washer. The dishwasher must only have my used plates in there and I will not unload it even if it's clean. I cannot pick up any food that is something I am not eating and I cannot take out the garbage without gagging. Bathroom garbage is fine, though. If something food related touches me and it's not from my own food, I'll freak out and feel ill.

 

edit: spelling

cupcait927

I have pretty intense fear of bridges that has developed out of nowhere in the past few years. Any bridge I have to go over, particuarly if it's over water, all I can imagine the bridge collapsing under my car or for some reason driving into the edge and going off the bridge. My heart starts racing and I get panicky. When FI and I were coming back from Carolina Beach, I was driving and didn't realize that I was going to have to drive over this very large, very tall bridge until it was too late and I almost started crying. I was white knuckled, sweating, heart racing the entire time I was driving over it. I had to tell FI to stop talking and distracting me because I was so scared. Even when I'm not driving, I'll close my eyes on bridges like that until we're past them and god help the person that tells me to look out the window at "how pretty the water is!" when we're driving over something like that.

I also have a fear of getting shots. Again, no idea why. I can get tattoos, piercings, my finger pricked and my blood drawn but absolutely refuse to get a shot. I won't get the flu vaccine unless I can do the nasal spray and have to get nitrous oxide at the dentist and a cloth covering my eyes so I'll relax enough for them to give me a shot in mouth when I have cavities filled. I hadn't gone to the dentist in about 6 years because I knew I had to have cavities filled and I didn't want the shots in my mouth. FI finally convinced me to go to his dentist and I was about ready to pass out sitting in the waiting room from anxiety over the needle. I'm a little more ok going now that I can have nitrous oxide and I can't see the needle but I still get pretty worked up right beforehand.

I have pretty bad anxiety in general and the thought of having to talk to new people or go into a situation alone or where I'm not prepared terrifies me. That's one that I should probably work on, considering I work in a field where networking is essential for my career path.

lyndausvi

Jells2dot0 said:

KatWAG said:

I guess my neurose is time. I HATE to be late and it gives me horrible anxiety when I am late. I even freak out when I am not in control of how late I will be. IE: when my plane is delayed.

I am horribly afraid of knives. I cut my finger off in 7th grade cooking class. And I have been scared even since. My family gets annoyed around the holidays since I am not much help preparing dinner. I am fine with dinner knives but any "big" knife terrfies me. (FTR: my finger was reattached)

I start to have panic attacks when I'm late or think I'm going to be a late.

I do not deal well with death and I also have a phobia of the kitchen. I can't do the dishes, unless only my own are in the general area. Even then, I use one of those long sponge tools to rinse them prior to putting something in the dish washer. The dishwasher must only have my used plates in there and I will not unload it even if it's clean. I cannot pick up any food that is something I am not eating and I cannot take out the garbage without gagging. Bathroom garbage is fine, though. If something food related touches me and it's not from my own food, I'll freak out and feel ill.

 

edit: spelling

I also get panic attacks if I'm late or think I'm going to be late.   Never thought of it as a phobia though.