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I was wondering what phobias people have.

Posted: May 26, 2010

I just learned that I have a pretty severe bird phobia. I knew I didn't "like" birds because as a child, I was chased around my house by a bird who was protecting her baby. Ever since that, I never liked being close to birds or if a bird like flew above my head, I cringed and got nervous. The other evening, the hubs and I were sitting watching TV. All of a sudden, a bird came down our chimney and out our fireplace, and started flying wildly all over the living room. I totally lost it! I started shrieking like a banshee and ran out of the room until my husband got the bird outside. When it was all over, I was sort laughing and crying at the same time, my heart was pounding, I had broken out in a sweat -- just totally hysterical. My husband and my son thought it was hilarious. My son said it sounded like I was being murdered when he came out of his room to check on what was going on.

So apparently my dislike of birds has manifested into a pretty severe phobia. So I was wondering if anyone else has any full blown phobias just out of curiosity.

;

My phobias are heights, spiders, and formerly bunnies... - Hayseed

[ In Reply To ..]
I licked the rabbit phobia, also brought on by childhood trauma after getting bit by one, by adopting 2 teensy weensy babies and hand raising them myself. Now I stick my fingers in their mouths to check out their growing teefies and everything. No problems and phobia is officially gone.

Spiders are next on my "get over it" list. They are EVERYWHERE around here, all shapes, sizes, and colors. It's the ones that I accidentally happen upon that still scare the bejeezus out of me, but ovet the past year I have been able to let a few of them walk on me without me flipping out...I used to literally piddle my pants and my heart would race so bad I'd nearly faint. I kid you not. If I ever walk into a web though with one of those huge spiders hanging in it--I'm toast. :D

Heights though--I can only go up about 8 feet on a ladder. I start shaking so badly I actually make the ladder shake. I remember visiting some tower in Boston once and started crying when I got to the edge of the lookout area. Oh how I love to fly though, well, when flying used to be fun and we weren't treated like cattle and criminals.
;-)

Deathly afraid of Clowns, Birds and Heights! - Also bugs of any kind!

[ In Reply To ..]
I think I also have a severe phobia of my ex-husband and some bully girls from high school (20 years ago).

Somethings you never get over.

Holy crap! Yes--Clowns! - Hayseed

[ In Reply To ..]
That is so funny, well, not funny haha but funny in that you are right! They have got to be the CREEPIEST things on 2 legs. Thankfully they seem to have fallen out of favor with children's decor, well, at least that I can tell. I haven't seen a clown-related thing in what seems like eons.

I used to have a clown "jack-in-the-box" toy as a kid and I hated that thing. I do believe I buried it in the back yard--after smashing it with a rock, but it was made of metal (toys used to be made SOLID!) and so it really only dented, but enough to "kill" it.

Clowns... (shivers)....

CLOWNS are EVIL - StartrekMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I was really little when I met Emmett Kelly at the NY World's Fair. He tried to pick me up and I screamed. I then remember I almost got bit by a dog. The two memories are melded in my mind. Then, later on in life, I read Stephen King's "IT" That was it. Clowns are the absolute phobia for me. Put me in a volkswagon with a zillion clowns and roll me right into the grave! Seriously. No joking here. PS: It is the phoniness of the clowns that scare me... what's underneath.... s-c-a-r-y!

I have an early memory of a clown at a rodeo scaring the shizitt out of me! - oooo Clowns!

[ In Reply To ..]
When my son was a little guy, my sister gave him a clown doll that talked. It was supposed to be educational, but it was freaky looking. He hated that thing and sometimes the thing would start talking in his toy box. When he was like 7yo, I let him take the clown doll outside with his friends and try to destroy it with firecrackers and hitting baseballs at it. The darn things head came off and the thing STILL kept talking! I ended up burying it at the bottom of the a trash sack and putting it out for the garbage man.

My son is almost 18yo now and he still thinks about that clown doll. My sister has scarred him for life!

EEEK the Clown head - STMT

[ In Reply To ..]
You are right to be scared. And the friends trying to destroy it good effort... but I don't think you can destroy these clown dolls... they are absolutely demonic I think!
PS: I live by the clown museum in florida. Every time I'd pass, I would cringe. They never had many tourists go. Then, they moved... but closer to my house. AHHHHHHH. Just as long as those clown things stay put, I'm just sayin...(you never know). Seriously. This is indeed a true phobia and from your experience shows it should be!

phobia - Jewel

[ In Reply To ..]
I have a social phobia and agoraphobia. I really have to prepare myself to get out of the house. It's a pain and it is crippling. My family suffers a lot because of me, but they usually try to be supportive.

I freak out even just knowing I have to go to the store, even when I'm desperate for something like feminine hygiene products!

For example, if there is an upcoming wedding, party, holiday gathering or such, I have to take my meds, tell myself in the days leading up, that I'm going to be going somewhere, make a "dry run" to the venue. on the day of, take extra meds and take a pill with in case I have a panic attack, get reassurance from my family. I usually make a bee-line for our table or find a place to sit. Eventually, I settle down and can make it through the event.

I have flat out made a spectacle of myself, once passed out from hyperventilating at a barbecue... It is physically and mentally exhausting and I hate that it happens to me. I hate it so much. (Yes, I see a doc...)

That's my phobia. It came on after a major car accident, they think it's like a PTSD thing.

I wonder why do you feel like this? - why

[ In Reply To ..]
I really want to help you.
Where there traumatic events in your past that caused you feel like this?

Were you attacked in some way or is it just that you have low self esteem? what caused this?!

Remember, nobody is perfect, everybody has his weaknesses, just go out, look everybody into his eyes and think: "I am better and smarter than you and I am not afraid!"

If you tell yourself this over and over, you will believe it and then others will also believe it because you are!

Most important:
Wean yourself off the meds, they are devastating you by making you believe that you cannot go through life without them. I hope you are not taking them too long.

Do you have any documented mental or psychological illness that would necessitate those meds?

Holy crap, poster named "why"--Why would you advise that?! - Hayseed

[ In Reply To ..]
I have OCD and mild agoraphobia and I cannot imagine having someone tell me to "wean myself off my meds" because they were bad for me.

That sounds like that Scientology jibberish and it makes me kind of angry you would suggest such a thing.

:-

Some MTs think they're qualified to prescribe for others. - LOL nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

I was only trying to help....better not to bother!! - and not to care

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

wow, excuse me for trying to help - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
After your reply I really think that you need all the meds you can get your hands on, also anger management, because, according to you just everything is "crap." Each of your comments includes "crap."

why - Jewel

[ In Reply To ..]
Apparently you didn't read the last time. My symptoms started after a major car accident. A friend was killed. I nearly died. My recovery period was long and also traumatic with set back after set back.

It has nothing to do with esteem, everything to do with a trauma. Much like a person who has gone to war and seen something or been through something that they will never, ever forget.

As far as the meds, I've tried not taking them. The symptoms are worse.

I see an expert, a real live medical expert. I would venture to say you are not, correct?

FYI: Illnesses like this are BIOCHEMICAL and REAL. I don't need to tell myself that I am "better or smarter" than anyone. Sheesh, I'm just like everyone else.

This is a problem that I am working through. I have a life goal, to get back to where I used to be. I have enough people in my real life telling me that this is all a silly problem that I am making up. Now you... Thanks so much.

I'm glad that my immediate family and doctor believe in me.

I used to be the EXACT same way. - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I was the same way you are. I actually was able to work a job, I worked out of the house at that time. But I was CONSTANTLY having panic attacks at work. I had to be driven to and from work. I could not even drive a car around the block without freaking out. I couldn't go to stores, because I would freak out in the lines, or around people, the list goes on and on. I would hyperventilate as well. I missed so many social events that my family about disowned me, because they didn't understand.

Well, the guy I lived with for about 10 years who did everything "for" me, like drive me, shop for me, etc, well I guess he had enough of it and he left me. He actually dropped me off at work and never showed back up to pick me up. I was in full-blown panic, because he wasn't there. During these years of my agoraphobia, I wouldn't even ride in a car with anyone but him. He was my "safe person".

Well, an employee I worked with took me home and I read the note saying he had left. I sat on the couch for hours, just not even knowing how to function in the every day world, as I had not done it in so long. I realized though that I had NO choice. I had to get my butt up and drive that car, shop for myself, go to work for myself and be comfortable being alone by myself AND being in public with others. It was like an overnight process almost. It is so strange to me now that I didn't drive for so long and all of the limitations that I had on myself. I was seeing a psych, on multiple medications and STILL living like that.

Today, I don't take meds. That has been around 10 years ago. I still have anxiety, which I just do my best to work through. I wanted to tell you this, because I am proof that you ARE strong enough. For me, it took me having to be back in the corner in order to fight my way out of it. As long as I had alternatives as far as not deailing with life, I let them be. BUT, when it came down to it, I was so much stronger than I ever gave myself credit for and it worked for me and I believe you can be that strong as well. It is ALWAYS mind over matter. When your heart is beating fast, you are hyperventilating, feeling like you will throw up and embarass yourself or possibly even have a heart attack, I KNOW it is so hard to tell yourself that and you want to knock out anyone that tries to tell you, but I PROMISE you get beat it, I am no different than you.

Good luck and I hope somehow you can start living life a little more. It's not so bad out here:)

What a great post! That's what I was talking about, "why" - no messaage

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

To Jewel, I was in a similar state - ORMT

[ In Reply To ..]
after a very traumatic injury where my best friend died in my arms and I also had a long physical recovery. No one, no one, can understand what this is like except someone who has been or is going through it. I really take exception to "why" post that this can just go away with simply telling yourself a few lines and stopping medications! Unbelievable, but understandable to come from someone with no clue what we are dealing with.

I am sorry I cannot be of much help other than to tell you my experience. I had a good friend who took me in after I had lost everything due to my phobia of going outside and who encouraged and helped me (in some unorthodox ways) to resume what I loved best before the injury (backpacking) and who helped me sort through my guilt and anxiety like no therapist could (maybe it was because she genuinely cared and I was not paying for it, who knows). It has been a long process, but I am slowly overcoming my phobia of going outside and being around people enough to start to enjoy life again. I am still not entirely well physically or mentally and still have my moments of severe anxiety, guilt, and nightmares, but I am getting better. I see a therapist also and am taking medications. Without the medications I could not have come this far. Strangely, what helped me a lot was returning to the place the incident took place and placing a memorial to my best friend who gave her life for mine. This had a healing affect on me and helped me finally realize there was nothing I could have done to prevent what happened. I also find it really helps me to be able to talk about my injury with others who have similar phobias due to traumatic events. I was not able to do this for a couple of years after the injury, but when I finally opened up it was like releasing a flood.

All I can say is hang in there because there is hope and I will pray for you.

phobias - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Certain flying bugs, including bees and other stinging bugs, send me over the edge! I can't even control myself, and make a total fool of myself. In particular, june bugs and flying roaches. It can be pretty hysterical, actually, although I've hurt myself pretty badly a few times, and once almost drowned while swimming in a lake where a horsefly kept landing on my head! Come to think of it, most of my injuries have been horsefly-related. The worst part is they always bite me in the end, so then I'm hurt AND bitten. Once I even left my baby in the baby swing and ran from a bee, until I snapped out of it and realized what I was doing. I just lose all sense of reason, not to mention decorum! I've screamed at complete strangers to help me, also, but they just look at me like I'm crazy.

Also choking or any type of asphyxiation. At the slightest hint that I might be choking, or whatever, my body just goes into panic mode, making it MUCH worse.

mice, snakes, cemeteries at night - omg

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

Not afraid of birds but... - mtvet

[ In Reply To ..]
Funny about the bird thing... I saved a baby dove that fell in my pool... Now, 2 years later he's a very loyal pet. But, my phobias are flying, high bridges (hate going to San Francisco because of it!), dying too. Before I had kids, I didn't feel that way. I flew all over. Now, my kids are 12 and 14 and we have never been on a vacation that required flying because of my phobia. We did take a cruise though :) We have Disney vouchers worth a couple thousand dollars and my husband wants to fly to Florida to go to Disneyworld. We live in CA. When I picture myself with my kids on the plane, my heart races and I feel sick to my stomach. Maybe I need medication, ha ha.

I will rip my clothes off in front of a whole stadium of people over a spider, lol - Jen

[ In Reply To ..]
I hate, hate, hate spiders! I am terrified. I just shivered even thinking of them.

Just snakes - LoveToPaint

[ In Reply To ..]
Horrible phobia...even typing the word makes me shiver! Ugh!

Sharks and killer bees. - Rocky Raccoon

[ In Reply To ..]
Granted, I've never SEEN a shark or a killer bee, but I've seen 'em in the movies! (LOL)

After I saw "Jaws", I not only didn't go in the water at the beach anymore, but for a few months didn't want to look at the ocean or even pictures of it. That faded, but I still have a very strong dislike for bees.

That's interesting about the bird-phobia! My mother saw "The Birds" on TV a long time ago, and has been afraid of birds ever since.

My phobia is prescription drugs...sm - Lou

[ In Reply To ..]
and all the ads on tv for them and all the side effects and all the weird people who do the commercials with their sickly sweet voices telling you how bad they are for you but be sure to ask your doctor if you can still take them. HOLY C--P!!!!

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