What are you afraid of? Unreasonable fears

[a paper star]

I have several, I think I'm just a baby!
Vomiting
Any and all insects
Snakes/Reptiles
Sharks
Thunderstorms
Going to the Dentist and Doctor
Then I have others like I'll become a failure and end up like my parents or I'll never live my dream.

 

[Philagoofy]

KandD reminded me of another, open water with no land in sight. I couldn't watch those commericals they had years ago that showed an oil rig in the middle of the ocean, it would pan out & you'd see nothing but that little rig & water, water, water. The movie Open Water was very scary for me but still, what a good movie.

 

[Lil Lil]

Driving in the snow! I'm really nervous/terrified driving in the snow and ice!!! I keep telling DH that we need to move to a warmer state. I dread when winter comes along. Nothing like those Michigan snowstorms (ughh!).

 

[monkey68]

Driving on the lower level of a bridge. And I have a very rational logic for this.

Lets say you're driving along the lower level, when the upper level collapses. Then, all the cars from the top end up on you, and you get crushed. I would rather be at the top of the pile. Also better chance of getting rescued first if you're at the top of the pile.

Now if you're driving, and the entire bridge collapses, I feel like I'll have an extra split second if I'm on the top level to jump out of the car. And again, I won't be at the bottom of the pile, so maybe my body wouldn't be as badly decomposed when they pull it out if I can't jump out.

Now the odd part is I'm ok over bridges that are one level. Not sure why. But if it's a 2 level bridge, I absolutely cannot go on the lower level. If someone else is driving, and insists on going on the lower level, I will close my eyes and hold my breath in case we hit the water.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I am absolutely terrified of heights. almost had a panic attack in a parking garage today.

I also am afraid to drive by 18 wheeler, especially if I am in the fast lane near the concrete median thing

I am afraid to drive on bridges (heights)

I am afraid of scorpions (yes I live in AZ...)

the dark

clowns too

edited to add: flying...I have to take Xanax to get on a plane and will not fly on small planes ever, ever, ever (but fear of flying is not so irrational)

 

[nmmom95]

I thought of another one-wax museums! I don't like the eyes!

 

[MIGrandma]

Dark water....if I can't see the bottom it gives me the willies

Me too! I won't swim in a lake. It has to be a pool, so I can see bottom.

 

[rie'smom]

Bridges with overhead supports- I never had this fear until last year. I turned to check for cars when I wanted to switch lanes and when I looked straight ahead, I got dizzy. Everything felt topsy turvy for a split second but it scared me badly. However, a few weeks later, it happened again.
I am happy to say though that a couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I went to visit my niece in the hospital. The thought of crossing the bridge was so scary bridge that I looked up the ferry crossing times. I took 1/2 of a .25 Xanax before leaving home and although nervous, I crossed it.

On the way back though, the pill had worn off. I had my daughter (she's 15) keep saying, "You can do it" while I kept saying, " I can do it." It sounds stupid but it helped me to not have a panic attack and I crossed it.

Anxiety is such a PITA. Whenever I get brave and can make myself do something like crossing the bridge or flying, it helps boost my self esteem so much.

 

[Belle0101]

Most of the time I can talk myself out of being afraid but not when it comes to ventriloquist dolls. You can't even imagine what it took for me to type that.

I don't want to see them in a store, a house, a magazine ...they should be banned! I'll probably have nightmares now.

 

[monkey68]

I just thought of another one. Feet terrify me, especially nasty sick feet. Which is really bad for me now, since something like 75% of my patients have diabetes, and they all have diabetic feet, which have to be among the grossest things I have ever seen. No offense to anyone with diabetes, but the ulcers and the long, hard yellow toe nails just gross me out. I swear, you would need a chainsaw to trim those toe nails.
Even normal feet bother me, including my own, which is why I always have my toenails painted, or I wear socks. I feel like if I have my toes painted, everyone will look at the color instead of my feet. Everyone else thinks I'm crazy, they all tell me I have very nice looking feet, but all feet, including my own just scare me.

I'm not sure what I expect the feet to do, but the other day, I had a patient with particularly gross looking feet, and I could not sleep that night. I kept picturing her feet, with the super thick, long toenails coming up to my face, and I would wake up in a cold sweat. One of the reasons I want to go into pediatrics, particularly neonatology (and I don't plan on telling this to any of the residency directors), is that kids generally don't have the same sort of skanky feet that you see in the rest of medicine. Kids generally have nice, smooth, non-hairy feet, without the thick toenails or oozing ulcers. I can stomach looking at kids feet. Adult feet... not so much.

 

[AshleyW]

I just thought of another one. Feet terrify me, especially nasty sick feet. Which is really bad for me now, since something like 75% of my patients have diabetes, and they all have diabetic feet, which have to be among the grossest things I have ever seen. No offense to anyone with diabetes, but the ulcers and the long, hard yellow toe nails just gross me out. I swear, you would need a chainsaw to trim those toe nails.
Even normal feet bother me, including my own, which is why I always have my toenails painted, or I wear socks. I feel like if I have my toes painted, everyone will look at the color instead of my feet. Everyone else thinks I'm crazy, they all tell me I have very nice looking feet, but all feet, including my own just scare me.

I'm not sure what I expect the feet to do, but the other day, I had a patient with particularly gross looking feet, and I could not sleep that night. I kept picturing her feet, with the super thick, long toenails coming up to my face, and I would wake up in a cold sweat. One of the reasons I want to go into pediatrics, particularly neonatology (and I don't plan on telling this to any of the residency directors), is that kids generally don't have the same sort of skanky feet that you see in the rest of medicine. Kids generally have nice, smooth, non-hairy feet, without the thick toenails or oozing ulcers. I can stomach looking at kids feet. Adult feet... not so much.

Feet is a big one for me, too. My friend tried to convince me to get a pedicure with her this weekend. No. Way.

we have those too! in my mom's house, they would come up the drain in the bathtub to get into the warm house. i was DEFINITELY not amused.

.. another fear for me is stuff coming up through the shower drain.

I'm a huge baby though, my list of fears is quite long:

the dark
elevators
spinning (I get really bad motion sickness)
walking on grates in the sidewalk
snakes, spiders, bugs, all forms of rodents, alligators, lizards..
clowns
escalators
my appendix bursting
heights
falling down stairs
choking on food
open water - I can't swim or go any deeper than my knees unless it's a pool. Even wading around in lake water to my ankles creeps me out.

I'm a big scaredy cat..

 

[LaurenLC]

I'm terrified of bears, which is completely irrational as I live in Chicago (in the city) and there aren't a lot of bears roaming around. I’ve also never had a bad “bear experience.”
I'm also terrified of lizards. This fear is also irrational as I know they can't hurt me, but I do know where it comes from..... When I was about 4 I was swinging on our swing set and a lizard jumped in my hair... It took what felt like FOREVER to get it out... To this day, if I see a lizard of any kind, I get as far away as possible.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm terrified of bears, which is completely irrational as I live in Chicago (in the city) and there aren't a lot of bears roaming around. I’ve also never had a bad “bear experience.”
I'm also terrified of lizards. This fear is also irrational as I know they can't hurt me, but I do know where it comes from..... When I was about 4 I was swinging on our swing set and a lizard jumped in my hair... It took what felt like FOREVER to get it out... To this day, if I see a lizard of any kind, I get as far away as possible.

Football season must be rough for you.

DH is afraid of clowns and the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz.

I'm afraid of the wicked witch from Snow White.

 

[Sparx]

i'm also afraid of my Achilles tendon being hurt (pet cemetary anyone?)

 

[WDWBarb]

i'm also afraid of my Achilles tendon being hurt (pet cemetary anyone?)

OH, how I remember that!!

I'm afraid of foam. Not Styrofoam, but the kind of foam that you find inside cushions or the type of foam that is on the hanger that comes from the dry cleaner. It's not that I am actually AFRAID of it, but I absolutely cannot stand to touch it or look at it. But I don't think it's going to attack me or anything.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Anesthesia!!! Even light conscious sedation.

I have no idea why I have such a horror of it either. No one in my family has bad stories to tell....completely irrational....and really quite inconvenient too!!

I don't know what I will do if I have to have surgery some day.

I spiked a fever just before my gallbladder surgery and I know it was because I was having such anxiety about being put under. It was a horrible fear that I never want to live through again.

I am also afraid of: People choking on food. Especially my children choking on food. They can stay home alone for short periods of time, but they aren't allowed to eat anything except for soft foods (pudding, Jello, yogurt).

 

[fraggle551]

Ants. The little suckers creep me out beyond belief. When its that time of year that ants start appearing in houses - forget it. I get the vaccumm out and suck up everything in site. No other bugs freak me out, just ants.

 

[BeachGirlFLA]

You guys don't know how happy I am to heare that I'm not the only one scared of lizards.

 

[sms]

I'm a scaredy cat too.
heights
elevators
whenever I go anywhere, I make sure I know where the closest EXIT is.
FROGS

I have a friend that freaks out over cotton balls! The worst thing is, she works in a Dr.'s office

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Anesthesia!!! Even light conscious sedation.

I have no idea why I have such a horror of it either. No one in my family has bad stories to tell....completely irrational....and really quite inconvenient too!!

I don't know what I will do if I have to have surgery some day.

I actually requested a local for my wisdom teeth and was awake the whole time. When I had knee surgery last summer I practically begged for a local, but my roommate didn't have the time to wait for it to wear off. Part of it was I was convinced I was having blood sugar problems (but had been completely blown off by a doctor who told me I was an idiot). I was scared something would happen. After the surgery it's better now because I've been through it.

-Elevators: I watched "Ghost Dad" as a kid. I used to never take them at all, now I can if I need to but don't prefer it.

-Thunderstorms. I used to be terrified of them as a kid, now I can handle them if I am not outside.

-Tornado siren. I have been in a tornado and seen far too many disaster movies where they always go off right before the disaster hits.

-Airplanes. Terrified of flying in them, and get nervous when they fly overhead. (Combo of going to a funeral for two people killed on TWA Flight 800 and September 11.) A stealth bomber flew over Worlds of Fun (we're by Whiteman AFB) this weekend and I about had a heart attack.

-Swimming with something under me. I couldn't go too far out in Castaway Cay because of the "wreck" under the water on the adult beach.