Irrational Fears

reddy123

H and I went to a really cool rooftop bar and had champagne and felt like rich people for labor day. 

We were sat right next to the edge, with a grate-style fence between us and the edge. It made me really, really nervous and I had to sit at the far side of the table to the edge. The funny thing is, I was never afraid of heights as a kid, and now I get crazy vertigo, which scares me worse than the heights.

When I asked the waitress if anything ever blew off the edge, she told me a story about her friend's tips that she had to help her track down by her staying on the roof and shouting to her friend where her money was. She leaned over the edge to demonstrate it and gave me a heart attack.

Heights is my "normal" fear. Syringes and needles are my weird fears. I know we've talked about this before, but I'm curious about you gals.

I'll do a poll for 'normal' fears:

reddy123

Also I am curious about whether or not you always had your fear, or if you have any late comers (like me with heights)

katiewhompus

I have a phobia of phones. I know that sounds really stupid but it is what it is. Whenever I have to call someone other than family I get panic attacks and half of the time hang up the second anyone answers because I can't breath. If I managed to stay on the line I sound like a 10 year old kid because my voice gets really high and it sounds like I'm out breath.

I'm also scared of getting into a car accident on a bridge and falling off the bridge into the water.

Sharks in the deep end of a swimming pool. Yep, that's where they live.

ETA: The phone thing occured in the last 5 years or so. Not sure why.

kpwedkk

I don't mind heights, or turbulence...  This little guy though in my garage... well it says something all by itself!

ETA: I have a fear of blood, and the sterile smell in hospitals don't help the situation!

number55

I picked heights but it is more a fear of falling. I can do elevators and high rises, even the CN tower (not that I have) and I was fine when I went to the Eiffel Tower...but I can't do balconies or step ladders or roofs...anything where I feel like I might actually fall!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I've gotten progressively more afraid of heights as I've gotten older. My mom is really bad with it. She can't go on a ferris wheel or anything. I'm okay with rollercoasters and whatnot because you're strapped in. Like, if there's a huge fence or something between me and the edge? Fine. If there's any possibility at all I will be falling? No.

When we went to death valley, we were literally hugging a 100 foot cliff on the drive in. Thank god FI was driving. I had to close my eyes.

I used to be scared of spiders (and still am, like when I almost ran smack into one HUGE one who built a web across my walkway the other night), but now I freak out more about gigantic cockroaches.

I've never been afraid of water. I learned to swim in Lake Ontario.

reddy123

Wow, I'm surprised how many people have said 'heights'.

katie- that doesn't sound weird at all, I hate phones too actually. For me, it's not people I know, just strangers and biils and customer service calls get me anxious and I make H do them.

desertsun

I put spiders, but I also deeply loathe roaches and bugs that fly.

I had a tarantula wasp fly into my house earlier this summer. Thank goodness for my halogen lamp for luring the fuucker in and burning it to a crisp.

The one I had wasn't quite this big. But close.

reddy123

Mery and number- I used to be like that, but now I am afraid even with adequate fencing. 

It was really weird for me to hike this lighthouse I used to do all the time as a little kid, I got to the top and ran out and then just as fast glued myself against the wall of it in terror. My little cousins were making fun of me because there was a fence that went above my face, but I seriously was frozen.

number55

I have two other irrational fears.

1) of being t-boned. I picture it pretty much every time I enter an intersection. I just pretty much imagine a car not stopping for a red light.

2) something horrible happening to someone I love. I have done this for many many years. I used to wonder what it would be like if one of my parents were to be diagnosed with a horrible disease. Then it happened and it was as bad as I had imagined! I still envision horrible things happening (my brothers killing themselves, my dad dropping dead, FI doing work in his dad's shop and sawing his hand off...you name it, I can worry about it).  On a good day I realize that I am being irrational and shake it off. On a bad day I obsess (I am not OCD but I do have obsessive tendencies, but no compulsions).

Wow, that was a big confession...I don't talk about that much.

reddy123

uum, desertsun- I have never even seen anything like that before! What does it eat?!

Oh and all you arachnophobes would hate me because I catch spiders and keep them for observation, and make them attack each other, much to the horror of my friends. The funny part is, it started as a Buddhist 'no kill' thing, (I would catch the spider in a glass and release it) but then I got lazy and would leave them in their glass. Then I got evil and made them fight to the death. Not very Buddhist.

Okay, I'm a dork and I'm embarrassed I admitted that.

Nebb

Heights, tall bridges, driving off tall bridges, zombies, drowning, fires in the middle of the night, being murdered, my dog being stolen or getting lost and then someone mistreating him and him being sad and missing me.

zippityb

Cockroaches.

slubkin

I can handle spiders and bugs for the most part (I ignore them if they're out of reach and squish them if they are in reach).  I can even handle mice and rats although I don't like them in my home at all.

My fears are oddly specific:

- Heights I can fall from.  I'm ok looking out a window of a skyscraper but dislike being on a ladder or tall wall or something.

- Enclosed spaces with no windows, especially if they are stuffy or hot.  This includes elevators and small rooms.

But my huge phobia has recently gotten worse: Getting blood drawn. I don't like getting shots either but getting blood drawn always makes me feel faint and panicky, and the last time I had to get blood drawn I passed out cold and ended up in the ER because I was unresponsive and my blood pressure was dangerously low.  This was the first time I've fainted, the first time I've been in an ambulance, etc.  It's not helping my phobia either.  :P

pixiedust84

WTF is a tarantula wasp. That is now on my list of fears. Holy crap.

My irrational fear is worms. I freak out when there are worms out. I hate the smell too. When it's rainy and wormy I take twice as long to walk anywhere because I go so slow to ensure I don't step on a worm. I had a worm in my shoe once when I was little which I discovered when I put the shoe one. I'm no psychiatrist but I'm pretty confident that's where my fear comes from.

LP11509

Most people don't like roaches, but I'm actually afraid of them.  To the point where I have a panic attack if I see one.  And even though I have not seen one single roach in my apartment since we moved in July 2009, I still have this irrational and obsessive fear that one will pop up one day, and so I spray the perimeters of my apartment regularly.

I'm also afraid of needles to the point that I broke down crying when I had to get blood drawn a few months ago.  I was 27 at the time. 

ETA: I also have a fear of someone hiding behind my shower curtain.

npasquale16

I think I'm just an irrational person in general, who has disproportionate fear to the situation at hand.

I'm increasingly afraid of heights.  I had a panic attack at Six Flags when FI and I were in the cable car thing that transports you across the park.  The thing is, when I was in college I rode one across the entire city of Madrid.  I have no idea why I'm so afraid now.

Another irrational fear is being sidewiped (normal) and careening off the side of the road (abnormal).  I say it's abnormal because any time a car comes a little close to  me, I think, what if they hit me and I careen off of the side of the road? Like, every time.

I am afraid of the dark and sleep with a light on until FI gets into bed.

I am afraid of being possessed.  I think it's because I saw The Exorcist at a retty young age. 

JanetPlanet1029

None of the usual stuff scares me much.  But- you know that urban legend about the guy under your car that cuts your achilles' heel muscle so you can't run away?  I check under my car as I walk up to it, every time.

Also, I'm afraid to go scuba diving or even snorkeling, because I'm afraid the boat will drive away and forget me like those people that got eaten by sharks.

reddy123

number- since being in a serious wreck I am terrified of sudden wrecks. And I worry about my family in accidents too. I don't drive and sometimes attribute it to my wreck (which was 6 years ago, haven't driven since), so I should probably be putting more energy into defeating that fear, instead of heights, hehe.

slubkin

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:7d446734-07aa-4932-b4c8-95f702bb4246">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]
I'm also afraid of needles to the point that I broke down crying when I had to get blood drawn a few months ago.  I was 27 at the time.  ETA: I also have a fear of someone hiding behind my shower curtain.
Posted by LP11509[/QUOTE]
Don't feel bad, LP, I cry pretty much every time.  And I always have to tell the lab tech that I seriously freak out.  This passing out and ending up in the ER really upset me bad though.  FI was with me and he freaked out at how white and cold I got when I fainted, he was really scared.

Also- I love your wedding gown in your signature, I'm looking for something similar!

number55

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:e4d188ae-273a-4261-8559-afc7f47f7168">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]number- since being in a serious wreck I am terrified of sudden wrecks. And I worry about my family in accidents too. I don't drive and sometimes attribute it to my wreck (which was 6 years ago, haven't driven since), so I should probably be putting more energy into defeating that fear, instead of heights, hehe.
Posted by reddy123[/QUOTE]

<div>I was in a car accident about 6 years ago too. It wasn't that bad but the car was a write off (I was fine, so was the driver). Last year I spun out on ice. No injury to myself other then a lot of damage to my car. </div><div>
</div><div>My fear of accidents is related to the cost involved I think, more than the physical danger. </div><div>
</div><div>That being said, I am a horrible passenger since the accident 6 years ago. I am never confident in other people's braking (we weren't even moving when we were hit in the accident but the car behind us didn't brake).</div><div>
</div><div>
</div>

reddy123

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:1fb18388-5ad9-48e3-8d2c-9211d492aafa">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]None of the usual stuff scares me much.  But- you know that urban legend about the guy <strong>under your car that cuts your achilles' heel muscle so you can't run away?  I check under my car as I walk up to it, every time. </strong>Also, I'm afraid to go scuba diving or even snorkeling, because I'm afraid the boat will drive away and forget me like those people that got eaten by sharks.
Posted by JanetPlanet1029[/QUOTE]

<div>Creeeeepy! Yeah, we can't even get into my fears of male attackers, I would go on and on.</div>

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:8b2522c9-1532-4923-b204-5114e2f73f8e">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]uum, desertsun- I have never even seen anything like that before! What does it eat?! Oh and all you arachnophobes would hate me because I catch spiders and keep them for observation, and make them attack each other, much to the horror of my friends. The funny part is, it started as a Buddhist 'no kill' thing, (I would catch the spider in a glass and release it) but then I got lazy and would leave them in their glass. Then I got evil and made them fight to the death. Not very Buddhist. Okay, I'm a dork and I'm embarrassed I admitted that.
Posted by reddy123[/QUOTE]

Apparently they feed off the flowers of milkeweeds, western soapberry tress, or mesquite trees.

They're called tarantula hawks (although they are wasps) because they hunt tarantulas and lay their larvae on them and then the larva hatches and feeds on the living spider.

I know. WTF.

There is some creepy shiit in the desert.

Anysunrise

I'm not really afraid of heights, but looking down from or looking up at tall buildings makes me nauseated.

-I've also always been terrified of syringes. I've needed an IV for surgery since I was born, and you'd think I'd be used to them by now, but no. I cry and freak out to the nth degree.

-Ladybugs. Fvck ladybugs. I was at Ontario Place (big water park in Toronto) walking up the giant waterslide stairs, and they were covered in the things. I think that's where it started. I had them all over my feet, and those things deff fvcking bite.

-Anything with more than 4 legs that can hatch eggs in my ear.

-Undertow. I was sucked under during our vacation in florida and it's freaked me out ever since, even though I'm a strong swimmer and have lived on the water my whole life.

npasquale16

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:a9e2c2f5-decb-4d68-b4e7-4b39661535ab">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Irrational Fears : I was in a car accident about 6 years ago too. It wasn't that bad but the car was a write off (I was fine, so was the driver). Last year I spun out on ice. No injury to myself other then a lot of damage to my car.  My fear of accidents is related to the cost involved I think, more than the physical danger.  <strong>That being said, I am a horrible passenger since the accident 6 years ago. I am never confident in other people's braking </strong>(we weren't even moving when we were hit in the accident but the car behind us didn't brake).
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]
This is absolutely me.  A few years ago, we had a terrible ice storm, but I tried to make it into work.  I slid on ice and hit the Hummer in front of me.  Then six other cars, including a cop car, slid into us at different angles.  I had my seat belt on, but still slammed into the sterring wheel and was badly bruised.  From then on, I'm a terrible backseat driver and I'm deathly afraid of bad weather.

LP11509

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:8969de99-80ac-4202-82ca-2b6675e1bb77">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Irrational Fears : Don't feel bad, LP, I cry pretty much every time.  And I always have to tell the lab tech that I seriously freak out.  This passing out and ending up in the ER really upset me bad though.  FI was with me and he freaked out at how white and cold I got when I fainted, he was really scared. Also- I love your wedding gown in your signature, I'm looking for something similar!
Posted by slubkin[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>I feel slightly better that I'm not the only person over the age of 10 with such a huge fear of needles!! I think mine stem from when I had to get 5 tubes of blood drawn at age 4, and then the nurse dropped one on the floor and I had to go back and get another one.  </div><div>
</div><div>And thanks!!  It's an Artistic Bridal dress.  I believe they only sell them in the store that I bought it from since it's a private label - but I could be wrong about that?  I got it at European Bridal in Cincinnati. I LOVED it, but the bustle broke several times.  I finally got sick of fixing it and just hung it from my wrist at the end of the reception, like this:</div><div>
</div><div>
<a href="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/5/13/c59d314e-4806-4199-9dea-0cc63b984649.large.jpg" title="Click to view a larger photo" onclick="return gSiteLife.LoadForumPage('ForumImage', 'plckPhotoId', 'c59d314e-4806-4199-9dea-0cc63b984649', 'plckRedirectUrl', gSiteLife.EscapeValue(window.location.href));" class="PhotoLink"> <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/5/13/c59d314e-4806-4199-9dea-0cc63b984649.medium.jpg" alt="" /></a>
</div><div>
</div><div>And to show off the train:</div><div>
</div><div>
<a href="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/2/4/8272f1a3-8064-4405-b4fe-585a5f517add.large.jpg" title="Click to view a larger photo" onclick="return gSiteLife.LoadForumPage('ForumImage', 'plckPhotoId', '8272f1a3-8064-4405-b4fe-585a5f517add', 'plckRedirectUrl', gSiteLife.EscapeValue(window.location.href));" class="PhotoLink"> <img src="http://cdn.cl9.vanillaforums.com/downloaded/ver1.0/content/images/store/2/4/8272f1a3-8064-4405-b4fe-585a5f517add.medium.jpg" alt="" /></a>
</div><div>
</div><div>/end threadjack</div>

katiewhompus

For me it's the bed and the achilles heel after seeing the scene from Pet Cemetery. I can't sit on my bed and normally do this weird hop into and out of bed. I also have to be fully cocooned in blankets no matter how hot it is in the room.

When I worked at PSmart I was always scared of someone coming in and robbing the place, or of my fish tanks breaking. None have ever broke since I worked there but it was terrifying to think of 5,000 gallons of water and over 2,000 fish going on the floor.

reddy123

desertsun- omg, weird! In some sick National Geographic way I want to find a youtube video of them hatching out of a tarantula, it sounds like a horror movie.

any and other needle scaredy cats: I always thought I was a freak for sporadically crying and panicking  at the doctor's when they whip out the shots.... now I feel better

JanetPlanet1029

Oops! Sorry to add to everyone's fears

Seriously though, that was a big thing around, maybe, 10 years ago.  Supposedly it was a gang initiation thing, and was spread around via email warnings.  It all was an urban legend, but I NEVER FORGOT. 

And I will also add the tarantula wasp fear- it looks like something from Jurassic Park.

desertsun

Just imagine something with a stinger the size of your pinky flying at your head. I seriously almost peed my pants. It was not cool. I am KEEPING that halogen lamp, even though it is from my college days and falling apart.

I'm also on board with the car accident thing.  I told my H that if we ever move somewhere it snows, I will need a driver. I am not safe on snow or ice and would be terrified of driving our future kids around in bad weather and getting in any kind of accident.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_snarky-brides_irrational-fears?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:17Discussion:256f10f3-5f3d-49e7-b5af-94abf36a59fePost:29280d7c-fb1b-4af5-9527-e13d4fd50515">Re: Irrational Fears</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Irrational Fears : Apparently they feed off the flowers of milkeweeds, western soapberry tress, or mesquite trees. They're called tarantula hawks (although they are wasps) because they hunt tarantulas and lay their larvae on them and then the larva hatches and feeds on the living spider. I know. WTF. There is some creepy shiit in the desert.
Posted by desertsun[/QUOTE]

I am so glad to live in a place with very few bugs.

We do have huge cockroaches. They get big by... I dunno, eating all our garbage or something. We don't have any IN our house, but sometimes I see them on the sidewalk and sometimes they get IN our house. One day the cat ran up to play with something and... yeah it was a roach almost as big as he was.

I'm not afraid of snakes. Just of things with more legs than 4. Except ants and flies. Those just annoy me.