Fears and Phobias (Part 3)

Tituscrow · #1 08-29-2011, 10:50 AM

Did a search and found similarly titled threads from '04 and '07, but rather than bump them, thought I'd try kicking out a new one, for those of us that weren't around then

. Feel free to either move on or contribute!

Anyway, my bestest buddy, who I've known for 35 years, recently revealed a side to him I found hilarious.

I was helping him shift some junk out of his garage and things were going nicely - music on in the background, plenty of tea and smokes - when he suddenly acted like he'd been shot and fell about the place, squealing and in obvious panic. I thought he'd perhaps injured himself on something sharp or dropped something heavy. He was out of there in a flash and when he'd got his breath back and calmed down - with me still none the wiser as to the cause of his distress - he took a few deep breaths and looked me straight in the eye and said....." Did you see the size of that effin moth?"

Half an hour later, when he'd recovered and made me stomp around the garage to scare off any more that may have been lurking, and after I'd finally stopped laughing, he told me he'd always had this fear of moths...."it's the way their damn wings flap". Cue more unsympathetic laughing.

Anyway, just thought I'd ask the TBOT's whether they felt any kinship with this?

Me? Can't be doing with earwigs or jellyfish.

MJ5150 · #2 08-29-2011, 11:32 AM

I still have a fear of heights, but I am slowly working on overcoming that.

-Mike

R. Laevinus · #3 08-29-2011, 11:37 AM

I wouldn't call it a fear or a phobia, but I have to admit that I find spiders and worms distasteful. I can handle touching them, but I don't like to. Spiders I'm slightly better with; I sort of see arachnids as being a bit too aloof and standoffish. I mean, just about every other creature on the green earth has 2 legs, 4 legs, 6 legs or no legs; seriously, what is it about 'em that makes 'em think they need 8?

As for worms - I guess it has to do with the fact that they have not only no recognizable face, but also no limbs. I'm fine with snakes, and I don't mind critters like leeches or mealworms. But worms I don't dig; maggots neither.

Funky Ghost · #4 08-29-2011, 11:44 AM

I have a real problem with heights, but it's situational.

I love thrill rides and roller coasters including the tall ones ( especially, even ). I love to fly. My problem is mostly to do with vertigo when I'm up high and near a ledge ( even in a 3rd story hotel window .. I just get an unreasoning fear and feel like I'm gonna fall ) I nearly panic if I'm in that situation and someone else goes near the edge.

Fretless1! · #5 08-29-2011, 12:21 PM

Heights. Oddly, though, several years ago I worked in a warehouse where I drove a cherry picker. Took a while but I got used to being 35' in the air and walking off on to pallets.

Can't do it now, though. Been away too long.

ShredderMaximus · #6 08-29-2011, 01:15 PM

The thought of anything serious happen to either my fingers or teeth. I've had somewhat reoccurring nightmares about my teeth crumbling out of my mouth and just spitting out the bloody shards till I wake up.... Jeeze gettin queasy at the thought.

And when growing up around old carpenters and whatnot and seeing how many of them were missing parts/whole fingers would always hang in the back of my mind while I was going through a sheet of 4x8 plywood with my guard pinned and I'd hit a knot in the wood = insta-pucker.

Funky Ghost · #7 08-29-2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fretless1!

Heights. Oddly, though, several years ago I worked in a warehouse where I drove a cherry picker. Took a while but I got used to being 35' in the air and walking off on to pallets.

Can't do it now, though. Been away too long.

Well, you're strapped in to a 5 point harness with a dead fall strap too

I have 4 of those in my warehouse. That helps some. They sway far too much for my liking however. . .

Unrepresented · #8 08-29-2011, 01:23 PM

Being sent back in time and having to demonstrate a working understanding of modern technology to prove that I'm not a witch.

Funky Ghost · #9 08-29-2011, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShredderMaximus

The thought of anything serious happen to either my fingers or teeth. I've had somewhat reoccurring nightmares about my teeth crumbling out of my mouth and just spitting out the bloody shards till I wake up.... Jeeze gettin queasy at the thought.

And when growing up around old carpenters and whatnot and seeing how many of them were missing parts/whole fingers would always hang in the back of my mind while I was going through a sheet of 4x8 plywood with my guard pinned and I'd hit a knot in the wood = insta-pucker.

I had such vivid mental images of these when I read what you posted !

RosieB · #10 08-29-2011, 02:25 PM

Legless lizards. Not the real lizards that don't have legs but are still lizards, but the other ones. We don't say the word. They are referred to as "unmentionables," or "legless lizards" if more explanation is needed. It stems from an early childhood experience where I came upon them unexpectedly in the backyard while playing and realized they were everywhere and I was surrounded. Lots of screaming. And it happened repeatedly over the course of a week or so. Every once in a while I come upon an avatar here unexpectedly and my iPod goes flying. You think I'd be over it by now.

Heights get worse and worse too the older I get.

Fassa Albrecht · #11 08-29-2011, 02:28 PM

I'm scared of these things:

Seriously, I can't stand owls. Just being in the same room/enclosure as one makes me feel sick.

jaywa · #12 08-29-2011, 02:31 PM

I hate heights. Clowns and mimes creep me out. And I'm mildly claustrophobic. That's about it.

Oddly enough, living things on land (spiders, rats, snakes etc.) don't bother me that much but I don't do very much swimming in lakes cause you just never know what might be waiting down there anymore.

Unrepresented · #13 08-29-2011, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

I don't do very much swimming in lakes cause you just never know what might be waiting down there anymore.

Ah, thanks for reminding me that I do also share a fear of mosasaurs with my girlfriend. And to a lesser degree, after reading the Zombie Survival Guide, submerged zombies.

Fassa Albrecht · #14 08-29-2011, 02:38 PM

Heights is another one of my personal hates, although it's only when it's a height where there is no railing/protection to stop me from falling. I used to walk around the tops of castles and also along the coastline here without problem, because there's railings, but whenever I'm on a cliff or something I simply freeze.

Funky Ghost · #15 08-29-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

I'm scared of these things:

Seriously, I can't stand owls. Just being in the same room/enclosure as one makes me feel sick.

Owls are my absolute favorite bird and Fassa, this is one of the best pics of one I have seen. I've saved it, so thanks for that!

Strohsx · #16 08-29-2011, 02:52 PM

Minorities

I'm your average sucker with soul crushing anxiety issues so.... everything.

Fassa Albrecht · #17 08-29-2011, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Funky Ghost

Owls are my absolute favorite bird and Fassa, this is one of the best pics of one I have seen. I've saved it, so thanks for that!

Now keep the horrible creepy birds away from me!

Kwesi · #18 08-29-2011, 03:00 PM

Spiders, heights, and dirty things.

Sketchy · #19 08-29-2011, 03:01 PM

For me, I hate being on boats going into the sea (other than across the channel, and even that is uneasy).

Reason: I can't stop entertaining the thought that a giant squid is going to come up and eat it.

Tituscrow · #20 08-29-2011, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sketchy

For me, I hate being on boats going into the sea (other than across the channel, and even that is uneasy).

Reason: I can't stop entertaining the thought that a giant squid is going to come up and eat it.

Hilarious

I'm not a sea creature fan either. Even a tickle from seaweed in knee high water has me in goosebumps.