The Irrational Fears Thread

[heybrad]

Something I just mentioned in another thread inspired me to create this one. I admittedly have some strange irrational fears. Some examples:

1. I have a way over the top fear/reaction to spiders/bees/wasps. I've never been stung so I have this thought that must mean I'd have a way worse reaction this much later in life which I'm sure isn't true. Still, I'm the crazy guy jumping around when there's bees, spiders or really most insects.

2. This one's really out there. You know the Pillsbury roll containers? The ones that you knock against the counter and they explode open. I always have this pause when opening them thinking one of these times the metal ending is going to come loose and slit my jugular. I know... it's irrational.

I know I have others. Just curious what irrational fears others around here may have.

[JPhillips]

Cracking my neck will one day sever my spine.

[tarcone]

Snakes. I get nervous when I go into or near where snakes could be.

I went to a creek to get some granite rocks to build a flower bed. Went with in laws. BIL brought a gun for snakes.
I found a great square one. Lifted it and a snake was under it. I high stepped about 100 feet in 3 seconds. Much to the amusement of my in laws.

Hate snakes.

[digamma]

Snakes and airline turbulence are my two biggest fears.

[revrew]

I had Child Protective Services launch an investigation into my family 15 years ago. It was an ugly, ugly witch hunt. Since then, I've had to deal with them once because of a nosy neighbor making up crap and again when my son broke his leg.

But since then, I just break out in cold sweats when I think about them showing up on the front porch. I get stupid, scared almost whenever the doorbell rings. I'm a very protective, even over-protective daddy, and I am not rational about my fear/loathing of CPS.

[AlexB]

Hornets, wasps & bees (in that order) are mine too - never been stung either so may be part of it.

I'm generally OK with bees now - took me a while but worked out that unless I piss off the queen (small q ) it's in their best interest not to sting me (I may also be overestimating their sense of logic!)

I hate it when I'm in the office and a wasp or hornet gets in - have to pretend to be indifferent when inside I'm freaking out!

[Dutch]

Bugs and snakes don't bother me, but bugs and snakes that seemingly appear out of nowhere can get me pretty much everytime.

Dark water freaks me out. Lake water...ocean water...pretty much anything that can have random sea creatures or lake monsters.

[Izulde]

Snakes.

[BYU 14]

Scorpions, and I live in the friggin Desert!

[EagleFan]

Wasps, yellow jackets, hornets, bees in general. I try to keep it together as a good example for my kids but inside I am screaming and running away.

Snakes don't bother me as much, but not fond of handling them if I have to. Only time they scared me was when I accidentally stepped on one in bare feet. I was a kid and was coming back from swimming. It curled across my foot and slithered away. That one startled me.

Spiders get me if they are big, and I am not expecting them. We get brown recluse, wolf and black widows around here so I try to look before I reach into the wood pile (and always have gloves on when I do).

Storms get me a little stressed since that moving and going through the derecho (sp?) just a few weeks after moving in. We have plenty of large trees around here and had several come down in that storm, don't want to go through that again.

[lungs]

Bees. Never was allergic as a kid but reacted starting in my 20s. Not a big fan.

Ever since my house burned down the smell of smoke and the sound of smoke detectors are very unnerving. Naturally after this all happened my dad went out and replaced the smoke detectors in his house and I was sitting there while he tested them. After testing two I had to get up and leave even though I knew he was just testing them.

[MrBug708]

Sandpaper. I hate the texture and feel of it.

[CU Tiger]

FLYING.
I have over 3 million flyer miles.
I still HATE to fly. Get nervous everytime I step on a plane. Like shaking, sweating, mental strength not to turn and run nervous. Once Im seated, even before take off I am totally cool.

[Draft Dodger]

convertibles. I am certain I will flip over in one and be crushed

[Subby]

Chewing aluminum foil.

[jeff061]

Sharks will eat me immediately if I go in the ocean.

Also almost any severe weather with maybe the exception of Blizzards. Thunderstorms, heavy winds, god forbid I'm somewhere with Tornado warnings in effect. All trigger some heavy anxiety.

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by revrew

I had Child Protective Services launch an investigation into my family 15 years ago. It was an ugly, ugly witch hunt. Since then, I've had to deal with them once because of a nosy neighbor making up crap and again when my son broke his leg.

But since then, I just break out in cold sweats when I think about them showing up on the front porch. I get stupid, scared almost whenever the doorbell rings. I'm a very protective, even over-protective daddy, and I am not rational about my fear/loathing of CPS.

That's not irrational since it happened.

[heybrad]

Originally Posted by Subby

Chewing aluminum foil.

???

This one required further explanation.

[Kodos]

Wasps, hornets, bees, stinging insects. Spiders, I can handle. They are usually on a squashable surface if it comes to that. Bees, I run away like a little girl, pushing through old women and children as I go.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by heybrad

1. I have a way over the top fear/reaction to spiders/bees/wasps. I've never been stung so I have this thought that must mean I'd have a way worse reaction this much later in life which I'm sure isn't true. Still, I'm the crazy guy jumping around when there's bees, spiders or really most insects.

This. Exactly this. I've never once been stung in my life, and yet I'm still absolutely terrified of bees/wasps. Spiders not AS much, as they don't have the unfair advantage of flight.

Pretty much...to hell with all insects.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by heybrad

???

This one required further explanation.

The thought of putting it in my mouth and chewing it terrifies me.

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

This. Exactly this. I've never once been stung in my life, and yet I'm still absolutely terrified of bees/wasps. Spiders not AS much, as they don't have the unfair advantage of flight.

Yep, that's what makes stinging bugs scarier than spiders. They are harder to crush, and are faster than you. And they can come in numbers.

[Chief Rum]

I'm irrationally afraid that the Clippers will continue to lose stupidly in key home playoff games in the second round for the rest of eternity.

Oh wait, that's rational.

[Logan]

I have a fear that every time I try to go to Youtube at work, I'll type "Youp***" instead.

Rational or irrational?

[Kodos]

Maybe you should make yourself a bookmark.

[CraigSca]

Roller coasters and any ride where I'm flung around, lose my stomach, etc. Sorry, losing control like that is just not fun for me.

[Suicane75]

I'll never go there so it's fine, but I have an honest to goodness irrational fear of Scandinavian countries. Not the countries themselves, but the location. Something about being that high up on the earth gives me chills. But it's also the central location, as I'm sure that as long as my safety concerning frozen lakes and car crashes was assuaged I could easily go to the Northern Territories, for instance. But central, northern Europe, no way man. No way.

[stevew]

I have pretty good insurance but the thought of making an awkward movement and really tweaking an Achilles or an ACL has always freaked me out.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by stevew

I have pretty good insurance but the thought of making an awkward movement and really tweaking an Achilles or an ACL has always freaked me out.

So it's you and Derrick Rose now.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

I'll never go there so it's fine, but I have an honest to goodness irrational fear of Scandinavian countries. Not the countries themselves, but the location. Something about being that high up on the earth gives me chills. But it's also the central location, as I'm sure that as long as my safety concerning frozen lakes and car crashes was assuaged I could easily go to the Northern Territories, for instance. But central, northern Europe, no way man. No way.

I took care of a Swedish family yesterday at my restaurant. Tipped me 5 bucks on 88. How do you say "Well, you kinda suck a little" in Swedish?

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

I'll never go there so it's fine, but I have an honest to goodness irrational fear of Scandinavian countries. Not the countries themselves, but the location. Something about being that high up on the earth gives me chills. But it's also the central location, as I'm sure that as long as my safety concerning frozen lakes and car crashes was assuaged I could easily go to the Northern Territories, for instance. But central, northern Europe, no way man. No way.

that is an impressively irrational fear

[Peregrine]

For me it tends to be stuff that has happened to me before. I never used to care about bee/wasp stings, and it happened fairly often as a kid. But then several years ago I got stung multiple times in a month or so period and ever since I am totally freaked out by even seeing one, like a visceral reaction.

Also around eight years ago I took the three stairs to my garage to take the trash out and wasn't paying attention and fell. No big injury but ever since then I'm super careful on stairs, always holding the rail etc. It's like I'm playing back in my mind that I will fall down them.

[cougarfreak]

Snakes. X 1000. I don't care if they're 6 inches. I'd rather deal with a lion.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I took care of a Swedish family yesterday at my restaurant. Tipped me 5 bucks on 88. How do you say "Well, you kinda suck a little" in Swedish?

Give them a break, they don't usually tip in Europe so I think they went the extra effort to remember.

[Edward64]

Good to read that I'm not alone. I'm nervous around snakes and wasps/hornets ... but since they can hurt, don't necessarily think they are irrational.

I think my true irrational fear is I am nervous around balloons, always thinking they will pop.

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Give them a break, they don't usually tip in Europe so I think they went the extra effort to remember.

Correct, the "thanks" is government mandated in Sweden.

[heybrad]

When I drive over tall bridges I have an irrational fear that I'm going to find a way to just drive off the side. I think it's because I get a bit of a vertigo feeling if I look over the side.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Give them a break, they don't usually tip in Europe so I think they went the extra effort to remember.

Ever been a waiter?

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I think my true irrational fear is I am nervous around balloons, always thinking they will pop.

I don't like balloons at all, but I wouldn't say I am afraid of them. The noise that happens when someone rubs them has the effect to make every hair on my body stand up, give me goosebumps, and make a pain shoot down my spine. I have no idea why. I don't go out of my way to avoid them but I loathe them to my core. I don't mind them popping...quite the opposite; I would love to pop every single balloon I come across.

[B & B]

Rational or Irrational?

[Schmidty]

Suffocation and any water that I can't see under.

[stevew]

The fear of getting Gone Girl'd.

(just watched the movie)

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by heybrad

When I drive over tall bridges I have an irrational fear that I'm going to find a way to just drive off the side. I think it's because I get a bit of a vertigo feeling if I look over the side.

I have a shade of the bridge thing, and it's pretty close to this. It's not that I actually think that the bridge is going to collapse (though I do have those thoughts, I guess), it's more that it just seems to be too easy for a driver, like me, to turn the wheel abruptly (or something) and plunge.

I believe there's a complicated French term for the feeling, I don't know of an English counterpart. Camus talked about it, and I think nailed it...paraphrased as "it's not fear of falling, it's fear of jumping."

[Julio Riddols]

I have a severe case of omphalophobia. That one scene from 'The Cell' almost made me throw up when I first saw it. People who know what omphalophobia is will know exactly which scene I speak of.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

I have a shade of the bridge thing, and it's pretty close to this. It's not that I actually think that the bridge is going to collapse (though I do have those thoughts, I guess), it's more that it just seems to be too easy for a driver, like me, to turn the wheel abruptly (or something) and plunge.

I believe there's a complicated French term for the feeling, I don't know of an English counterpart. Camus talked about it, and I think nailed it...paraphrased as "it's not fear of falling, it's fear of jumping."

+2

This was worse when I was a kid and wasn't actually in control of the car, but it's still there a little now.

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I have a severe case of omphalophobia

Had to google it, I've never heard of that before.

[PilotMan]

Scorpions and heights, but I don't consider either of those irrational, lol.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I have a severe case of omphalophobia. That one scene from 'The Cell' almost made me throw up when I first saw it. People who know what omphalophobia is will know exactly which scene I speak of.

So I have to ask, do either "innies" or "outies" provoke more fear than the other? Also are you afraid to look at yourself in the mirror? Or is it just other people that brings fear.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Radii

Had to google it, I've never heard of that before.

Inspired me to look up the official word

Globophobia - fear of balloons phobia. Now I know.

[Julio Riddols]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

So I have to ask, do either "innies" or "outies" provoke more fear than the other? Also are you afraid to look at yourself in the mirror? Or is it just other people that brings fear.

I couldn't date a girl with an outie. Innies are generally fine. I can look at them, but once they begin getting manipulated in some way, I'm out. Belly button rings have always been a sticking point. People intentionally playing with their belly buttons in front of me makes me queasy. Its friggin' weird, and I don't really know how to explain why I have such an odd affliction. When my ex and I had our kid, I was surprisingly able to deal with the umbilical cord being partially attached for a while. I was expecting to nearly vomit every time I looked at it, heh.

It feels awkward as hell telling women prior to sexual contact that they must stay away from my belly button at all costs. It takes me completely out of my element... But it is a good measuring stick when it comes to seeing how empathetic they are capable of being.