What Are Your Phobias?

[TeraMelon]

Bad phobia of needles. Getting a flu shot every year is a Struggle. >.<

[HannibalBarca]

Deep, dark water.  Or deep water at all, like in the open ocean.  I remember driving over this one bridge in Long Beach, California as a kid, the kind without asphalt to drive over, just metal scaffolding with spaces you could see through to the water below.  I'd cower in the back seat and wait until we were over it.

I used to have a phobia of insects.  Not when I was young--I used to raise preying mantids when I was a preteen.  I didn't have any scarring incident with bugs, either...just grew to fear them for some reason.  I'm better now.

I've never understood the fear of heights.  I've climbed a few peaks, and hung my feet and legs over cliffs as I sat at their edges...it was exhilarating.  I guess that would make it a -philia, not a -phobia, for me.

[mioyumyum]

Actually, I have a fear of driving. So much so I have never had my driver's license. And I have tried many instructors, tests, and programs all of which have not helped me.

[Marumor]

Dark, murky water. I'm only uncomfortable if it just comes up to my waist or so, but the fear grows exponentially as the water gets deeper. I could probably force myself to swim in a landlocked river if I could see the shore along both sides, but the ocean is a different story. I can be on a boat in a river with no problem, but I don't know if I could be on a boat or ship far from the ocean's shore; the thought of it unsettles me greatly, especially if the shore would be out of view. Docks and piers are fine, and I enjoy crab fishing.

When I'm in the water, I don't like being unable to see what is beneath me while knowing anything down there could likely see me reasonably well. Combined with limited mobility (swimming), that's just a big nope.

I remember when I was very young, I was in the ocean with my mother and her friend. I knew before then that I didn't like being unable to see through the water, but they wanted to drift out further from shore, and I mean far. I was in one of those small, round donut-shaped floaties, and each of them was in a lounger.   thisisfine.jpg   internallyscreaming.png
At some point, I got flipped upside down and stuck like that, kicking my little peets in the air. Now, I know I didn't actually see anything under there; if I had even opened my eyes, they would be burning like crazy. I also understood that then. That didn't make it any less real to me.   iveseensomeshit.jpg   In retrospect, it's amusing since I've had strong aphantasia (but not full) for as long as I can remember.
It was fascinating and beautiful, but also grotesquely horrifying. My little babby mind was pretty good at painting horror scenes since I watched a lot of horror movies with mum.


Another one is syringes and IVs. I don't like tubes in my veins. The last time I absolutely had to have bloodwork done due to surgery, I found the most comfort in imagining a wolf was tearing my arm to shreds. It just seemed more natural. I have no issue with needles and pins, and I would gladly cut my hand open if they'd take the blood that way.

I had to get stitches in my chin once. The doctor would not lay off the damn numbing agent, even as I'm fighting off a panic attack. I could not make him understand that I had no problem with the needle he was stitching me with, but every time he stuck me with that syringe, I was biting back some wicked fight-or-flight responses. I didn't care about the pain of the stiches, and he was playing a really stupid game of the-doctor-knows-better.


I do have a fear of heights, but I'd say that one is more natural. I've been on the Stratosphere in Vegas and tried all of the rides except for the Bungie jumping, but only because that looks really painful to me. I get shaky up high, but I also really love it. I wouldn't really call it a phobia.

[Inkidu]

eremophobia: Fear of being alone, lonely, or oneself.

It's weird as I'm very introverted, but on an existential level, I'm afraid that one day I'll wake up and no will know me and that I'll just be isolated and alone forever.

[Giantmutantcrab]

Clowns.

[Chasing Dreams]

Clowns and spiders.

[LostInTheMist]

Something that always makes me nervous is driving at night. Genetics give me terrible night vision, my car from the early 90s has piddling, terrible headlights, and it can sometimes be hard to see the street divides, or even the edges of the street in the countryside, far away from any street lamps. It's definitely not a phobia, and it's a rational fear because of how bad my night vision is. But even when I know the route perfectly, if it's long enough, I still have to occasionally pull off and take some deep breaths and get myself composed again, because my heart rate will accelerate, and my breathing will follow suit.

[AmberStarfire]

I've thought claustrophobia was a phobia of mine for a while, but then I reasoned it out. If I'm on a plane, especially if I'm hemmed in by someone sitting in the aisle seat, my anxiety goes up by a lot. However, that eases if I'm alone in the toilet or something, even though it's a small confined space. I realised my problem is in fact people, and lack of freedom of movement.

I like space, and I prefer not being crowded in. I feel like I need room to breathe and be, without people impinging on my personal space. So yeah, not claustrophobia exactly.

[blue bunny sparkle]

I've thought claustrophobia was a phobia of mine for a while, but then I reasoned it out. If I'm on a plane, especially if I'm hemmed in by someone sitting in the aisle seat, my anxiety goes up by a lot. However, that eases if I'm alone in the toilet or something, even though it's a small confined space. I realised my problem is in fact people, and lack of freedom of movement.

I like space, and I prefer not being crowded in. I feel like I need room to breathe and be, without people impinging on my personal space. So yeah, not claustrophobia exactly.

Cleithrophobia is the fear of being trapped. I have this one. Its confused with claustrophobia a lot. But its different from the fear of enclosed spaces. Maybe this is similar to what you have?

[AmberStarfire]

Cleithrophobia is the fear of being trapped. I have this one. Its confused with claustrophobia a lot. But its different from the fear of enclosed spaces. Maybe this is similar to what you have?

Thanks blue bunny sparkle. :) I hadn't heard of that one, so I'll read up on it.

[Edit] I just read up on it some there and yeah I think that's it exactly. Thanks for helping me put a name to it.

I read some threads on Reddit and other places, and I noticed one woman saying how she disliked work because she'd feel trapped there for 8 hours at a time. I think that's part of the reason I ended up self-employed too. I hated feeling stuck there. It got worse after my dad died. It doesn't really bother me when I go out most places, but I stopped tabletop gaming in part because I found it hard to be social for so long at a stretch. I reach a point and then I want to go.

[Hemingway]

Trypophobia. I had to google it to figure out the name, and now I feel awful. Why google insists on including images related to the phobias you google is sort of beyond me. ;D

I also have a horrible fear of deep, dark water. I say 'sort of' because it doesn't really bother me in real life - within reason. I don't like being in the middle of a dark forest lake, but I can manage. I think I'd struggle if I were lost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. In video games, though? It just kills me. I tried playing Subnautica once, and . . . it's basically the sum of all my phobias in one neat bundle.

[AmberStarfire]

That's one of my favourite games, actually (Subnautica). I had the opposite reaction and think I would be very happy living on that planet if it wasn't for certain things like the scary cannon, alien contagion, or the fact I'd be away from people I care about (with no internet).

[Hemingway]

I legitimately can't play it. ;D I was fine in the shallows, but venturing into deeper waters, hearing the Reaper Leviathans . . . somewhere. I enjoy horror games in general, but Subnautica is uncomfortable to me in an un-fun way. It goes in other games, too. It used to be a lot worse, though. I remember when I was a teenager, I couldn't swim in shallow ponds in Morrowind. I also remember getting trapped in a nightmare in Oblivion, having to swim through a dark, twisting tunnel with no idea what was down there. I basically held my breath the entire time. Yikes...

If I were caught on the Subnautica planet in real life, I would live and die in the shallows.

[AmberStarfire]

The shallows are a good spot on live on account of the sea monsters in other places, true.

I think my cleithrophobic self would prefer the wide open spaces of ocean and islands than being stuck on the ship (before or after it ended up burning). I really like science fiction but I'd probably suck at experiencing it firsthand.

[AlekDelaunay]

Nyctophobia & claustrophobia, both somewhat mild. They still occur but for the most part I've gotten used to them & can keep myself calm. I still can't stand having a weighted blanket on me though. After a minute or two it freaks me right out.

[Calie]

Irrational as it may be, mine is clowns. I have never spooked by a clown or have any real reason to fear them.... but I am all fight and no flight when I see one.


Makes haunted houses interesting.

[Daena]

Arachnophobia -- I can't deal with them.


It is kill first - ask later. I have been known to empty a clip of a handgun into where the spider might have been, or throwing a metal baseball across the room and breaking the drywall, to using the entire can of raid on the spider. The list goes on, I've pulled over and ran from my car when one was inside.

I can't even deal with a spider in my roleplay, mention a spider and don't ever expect a reply from me.

Now I feel like I need to scrub with bleach.

[KeirenReine]

Gosh dang eight legged heathens. I sprayed one earlier with bug spray as it was next to my bed D: Don't like nopnopnop
Also needles, every time I have some sort of reaction to them, ie passing out or getting dizzy.

[Timeless]

I'm definitely scared of heights, first most. Mazeophobia, especially when I'm driving to new places I haven't been to. And, trypophobia - fuck those images, I swear.

[Avis habilis]

Tooth injury. Nothing makes me squirm & cringe like the notion of breaking a tooth.

[Scarlettskull]

Agoraphobia- I get really sick when I have to leave my house for any reason

Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders

Acrophobia- Fear of heights

[Twisted Crow]

Alligators and crocodiles.

[KatieBower]

trypophobia

This.

Don't know if I'd go so far as to call them phobias but heights, rats, injections, flat-bar bikes (it's weird, though it's only riding one I can't deal with) dead stuff, blood...

[Foxydemon911]

Sadly my is balloons