Never liked heights as a kid. Got over it when I was a Volunteer Firefighter. Quit doing that thirty some years ago and that phobia came back with a vengeance. Can’t even go on the roof of our ranch house today.

Another fear, wells and cisterns. Not drilled wells but hand dug ones. That probably comes from a few houses I grew up in and around. Once when house shopping we found one in a Detroit suburb. House dated from the post Civil War era. In a corner of the basement was a covered up well according to the agent. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

As a kid I was terrified of needles, as in getting medical injections or having blood taken. Not sure what started that, but it stayed with me for a long time.

What got me over it was as an adult, when I went to a MD to get a tetanus booster shot. I grew roses and needed to keep my tetanus vaccination up to date. The doctor knew I worked with roses and asked me if I was also freaked out when I got pricked by rose thorns, or when I got a splinter when working with wood.

Those didn't bother me in the slightest. As soon as I told him that, I realized the shot thing was all in my mind, and at that point the phobia went away and never came back.

Lightning.
We would lose on average 6 head of cattle on pasture in the mountains every year. These were usually separate incidents, not group hits.

The storms rolled in every afternoon and I got real damn good at reading the clouds. Got caught out a few times and had some near misses.

Had a storm come in one afternoon during a pistol class and was surprised how casual the 20 other guys were about it. I was shitting little green apples.

Heights.

I was driving us up Mt Blue Sky/Mt Evans last week, and I was really affected by the sheer drops and no guardrails on the US’s highest paved roadway. That was my third time up there, and I don’t remember my phobia being that bad.

Watching the movie ’Fall’ at the theater was very difficult, but I made it through.

I don't have any phobias.

How bad does it have to be to rise to a phobia? In my mind, it has to be pretty bad. I mean, I don't love small enclosed spaces, but I can ride elevators. I think of phobias as so bad that you break out in full-on panic, sweats, etc.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
I can’t do public speaking. One time at a district work meeting (around 500 people), I had to stand up and tell my life story. I found myself hiding in the bathroom and when the coast was clear, sneaking out to my car and driving home. Put a microphone in my hand in front of more than 5 people and my throat closes up. Even if I wanted to say something, no words come out.

I’ve played guitar in front of about 2000 people and that doesn’t bother me. I’ve even “sang” some of our songs to a crowd. Makes no sense why I’ve never been able to get over simply speaking in public.

Yeah,the first time I had to give an oral book report was in the 10th grade and it was a pathetic, cringeworthy performance. My heart was pounding so hard I didn't have enough breath to get the words out. The sadistic teacher just sat there instead of asking me to sit down. To this day it remains the most humiliating experience I've ever had.

Phobophobia.

For sure I have a phobia of heights. My mother does too, and I presume I learned it from her when I was young and/or it is genetic.

I don't have any suggestions for your vomit phobia.

My acrophobia has gotten a bit worse with age. When I was in my 20's I took up rock climbing to defeat the phobia, and it was helpful. Each season the first few climbs were tough but then I acclimated somewhat to it. Desensitization does help.

But walking along a shear drop was nearly impossible when hiking. Or driving along a cliff. I do better with those now than I did before, probably from doing it a lot.

But ski chair lifts can really get to me. Before age 30 it was never a problem. After that it would make me nervous. From about age 55 it has been a problem.

Meds pretty much cure the panic.

I am considering hypnotherapy. It is supposed to be very effective for some people. I also get quite nervous when performing music in public, which the hypnotherapy might help.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I don't have any phobias.

How bad does it have to be to rise to a phobia? In my mind, it has to be pretty bad. I mean, I don't love small enclosed spaces, but I can ride elevators. I think of phobias as so bad that you break out in full-on panic, sweats, etc.

That’s where I get start sweating, heart racing, chest gets heavy, head hurts, mouth dry, can’t sit or lay still.
I also worry about throwing up frequently. Just thinking about it does not send me into panic mode but if I wake up at night especially, nauseous, or the stomach just not feeling well.
Freaks me out pretty good.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Phobophobia.

Quicksand..

Black, I don’t mean to be flippant, but I’d like to suggest that you seriously check your diet, and possibly get yourself and your boys checked by a gastroenterologist. I’ve thrown up maybe a couple of times in my life when I was much younger and drank too much. I have two sons and I can only remember one of them throwing up once. I’ve been married 41 years and don’t recall ever seeing my wife throw up. Maybe I’m unusually blessed in this regard, but from your description it sounds like throwing up is a fairly regular occurrence in your family.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
I'm no Sigmund Frood, but neither of these fears strike me as being even unreasonable, let alone irrational.

quote:

Originally posted by gjgalligan:
If you had one of those fears or a similar one you wouldn't think they were unreasonable or irrational.

He's saying he agrees that they're reasonable and rational.

Got it now that I reread his comment.
My mistake.

Trypophobia. I can't even search it to verify the spelling, the pictures it pulls up make my skin crawl. The last time we had a thread about this and I posted about it, it was guys posting pictures of fucked up shit for several pages because it was hilarious to them to set it off, so I won't be checking back on this thread. Obviously, I haven't overcome it, and I don't really see a need to.

I’ve got a ugly feeling that I’m going to have to submit to an MRI for my shoulder. I’ll know more next month. They are going to have two options, open MRI or meds to sedate me. Last time I had one for the other shoulder was in 2014 and it was damn disconcerting to me then and I was ten years younger then.

quote:

Originally posted by P220 Smudge:
Trypophobia. I can't even search it to verify the spelling, the pictures it pulls up make my skin crawl. The last time we had a thread about this and I posted about it, it was guys posting pictures of fucked up shit for several pages because it was hilarious to them to set it off, so I won't be checking back on this thread. Obviously, I haven't overcome it, and I don't really see a need to.

Had to Google it to be sure. Not always, but some instances really mess with my head.

Hell, since no one has mentioned it, Ill say it.
SPIDERS !! Those demons from hell with all the eyes and legs.
I have story after atory of run ins with Satans warriors. Ill give a couple: my father asked me to crawl under the back deck of our house so he could run an extension cord to the outlet. ie:feeding the cord thru the freshly drilled hole thru the deck “sure Dad”. I belly crawled my way to the foundation of the house, rolled onto my back and began to feed the cord to hole when I notice a number of fat grody spiders had already set up camp under Dads newly constructed deck. I gave a little scream amd jammed the plug up and crawled out at such pace I tore my forearms and knees up scrambling to get out from under it. I was panting so heavily, was light headed and went down to my knees on the verge of passing out. It was horrible to get that far under (10ft or so) before I found out what I had gotten myself into.
Lastly I was the only one home, and was hanging out by our in-ground pool out back. I had noticed that my BBQ utensil towel was pretty nasty looking so I strolled over and pulled it off the fence to dispose of it in the trash in the garage container. As I was walking on the deck I felt something on the back of my hand. I glanced down and covering my hand was a huge Wolf Spider. I screamed and threw the towel and ran around on my deck like a 5 yr old girl. I ripped my swim shorts off and was running up and down the deck wiping and slapping my body as I couldnt find it. I ran inside the bathroom, standing in from of the mirror, searching myself and splashing water all over me trying to wipe it off if indeed it was. Well I was hyperventilating and could not find it. We have woods directly behind our house and frequently find them around the deck or even in the pool.
They get to be 5 1/2” and are quite aggressive!
I hate them !!
I figured my wife would find me on the floor in the fetal position sucking on my thumb, but I regained my composure by the time my family returned. Wuite the experience !
Enough of this, I need a Bourbon!!!

It's weird,
I can be in small spaces .
Until
I start thinking about it.

When think about it , I get antsy.

Its important for me to have the door open in the tiny doctors exam room.

Just thinking about it now gets me semi anxious.


Thanks a lot

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

clinical psychologists treat phobias on a daily basis. They are quite common. Freud was fearful of riding on trains and also had agoraphobia.

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
Black, I don’t mean to be flippant, but I’d like to suggest that you seriously check your diet, and possibly get yourself and your boys checked by a gastroenterologist. I’ve thrown up maybe a couple of times in my life when I was much younger and drank too much. I have two sons and I can only remember one of them throwing up once. I’ve been married 41 years and don’t recall ever seeing my wife throw up. Maybe I’m unusually blessed in this regard, but from your description it sounds like throwing up is a fairly regular occurrence in your family.

It’s really not all that frequent of a thing hence the reason I consider it a phobia. It’s a pretty irrational issue since it’s few and far between.
However the GI thing there done that. 2 boys with Celiac and one had a massive polyp obstructing his colon when he was 3.

You were lucky with your boys.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

Freud was fearful of riding on trains and also had agoraphobia.

Oh Doctor Freud, Oh Doctor Freud
How we wish you had been differently employed
For this set of circumstances
Surely enhances the finances
Of the followers of Doctor Sigmund Freud