Serious phobia?

[Rarar]

I was wondering if anyone else has a serious phobia/s. I am terrified of the dark, elevators and gas masks. I have a panic attack if I see a gas mask, do not enter a room without a light source and almost ALWAYS use the stairs.
And this isn't a phobia, but I'm unable to form an opinion on things and cling to people's words too easily.

Do you have a serious phobia/s? Does it prevent you from doing anything?

[Aldrick]

Yes, I've had a serious phobia since I was a little kid. I don't even know what it's called; it's the opposite of claustrophobia. Someone who is claustrophobic is afraid of small spaces that are confined, but I'm the reverse. I'm terrified of large places that are enclosed, but only if they are empty or if there is a large open space in them.

Think places like gymnasiums. However, if you take the same room and fill it with people and tables and stuff - I'm fine. It's just when it's completely open and empty but also enclosed. So, it doesn't affect me in large buildings and the like. It also doesn't affect me in large fields, even if the field is completely surrounded by trees because the sky is "open".

However, at large supercenters like Wal-Mart near the check out area there is a large space between the shelves and the check out area. I don't have a panic attack when I'm there, though I do start to feel very light headed. I have to keep my mind very focused and control my breathing, or at least be holding onto something (like a shopping cart), or I start to get dizzy.

It feels like the air starts to thin out - like you're climbing to a higher and higher elevation - and it gets harder and harder to breathe. I then start to hyperventilate and go into full panic attack mode. It feels like my body wants to expand to fill the empty space, and my mind is trying to mentally fill it or something and it leads me to become really lightheaded and dizzy.

Near the walls of a gym I can control myself - similar to being in the supercenter near the checkout area. I'm fine because I can touch the wall. As I move away from the wall, though, and toward the center - that's when the problem starts.

Suffice it to say, gym class growing up wasn't fun at all. For the most part, unless it was an outside activity, I didn't participate at all. I did, however, have a few gym teachers over the years who tried to "help" me. For example, in first grade my gym teacher got me to participate with the other kids. I was actually having fun, because everyone was holding hands. So long as I could touch something I was fine.

However, when the class was over, she told me to go pick up her grade book for her. We were all sitting crosslegged at the center of the gym side by side. As she told me to get her grade book, she told all the other kids to RUN back to class - and she ran away too. They all left me in the center of the gym - alone.

Needless to say I freaked out big time. Full blown panic attack. I was paralyzed with terror. I spent some time mostly laying flat against the floor freaking out, slowly trying to crawl away (on my stomach) from the center. I was completely unable to stand, or even move up to my hands and knees. Thankfully, one of my friends came back for me. I was able to take his hand, get off the floor, and get out of there.

I've hated that bitch ever since that day.

I also sometimes have a reoccurring nightmare about the center of a gym turning into a vacuum cleaner or something, and sucking me toward it. I hold onto the bleachers as I feel it literally sucking everything in the room toward the center as if it were a black hole or something.

Yeah, it's bad.

[Hiems]

I fear thunder (astraphobia) and loud sounds. As a kid, I would hide in closets (no pun intended), just to avoid the thunderous sounds. What's ironic is that I lived in an apartment in New York where the roads were always noisy, so one would expect I'd acclimate to the sounds. My heart pounds hard and I feel afraid when the sounds arise unexpectedly...

To cope with the sounds, I grab my MP3 and put it on max volume. Listening to music helps, as the thunderstorm fades. My fear is usually worse when I don't anticipate the storm, so I do check the weather frequently. Thunderstorms are approaching where I live this week, so I ought to charge my MP3 to zone out...

[farah]

I have social phobia. I hate making phone calls(making reservations ect..) I never go out to parties/dinners with my mom's friends. I don't like talking to staff in stores & sometimes I avoid going in if I'm in an uncomfortable mood. If I'm forced into a social situation I begin to get nervous & act weird. Let's not get started on school.

[Peanuts]

Not serious, but I thought sharing would be fun. I have a mild case of trypophobia, which is a fear of holes. More specifically, for me, it is clusters of holes. When I see them, I cannot help but stare and get creeped out or feel slightly nauseous. I'm not even kidding when I say that I get shivers looking at them. It disgusts me and I have no idea why.

For example, I hate looking at the pores in my skin or the holes in a loaf of bread. Once, I even saw odd cracks and openings on a blacktop that were similar and I couldn't help but be fascinated and disgusted.

[Zontar]

I have severe health anxiety. Everything that happens to me is automatically judged as cancer, every routine checkup carries the dark cloud of a cancer diagnosis, and I haven't gone one day since 2003 where I didn't think I was currently dying of something, or identifying a disease that would kill me in the near future. My current flavor of the month is AIDS, triggered by the (scant) beginning of my sex life.

While you may think this would lead to my overusing healthcare services, a large part of my health anxiety is also a crippling fear of medical complications from any tests or treatments as well. Often I just leave whatever is actually wrong with me go until it gets absolutely out of control, my reasoning being that there's nothing I can do to live through it anyway.

I would stop just short of saying this phobia has turned my life into absolute hell. The only relief came from being wrong on so many possible diseases which threw me into half-year long nervous breakdowns. I've long accepted there is absolutely nothing I can do about it and that eventually I'm going to die of some untreated illness that I had indeed caught but felt helpless enough not to do anything about.

I have a panic attack if I see a gas mask

The "uncanny valley" is used to describe how unnerving facial-like features are when they don't appear to be fully human. As a child, I shat bricks at things like robots from sci-fi movies and bare skeleton heads, the fear almost certainly having something to do with the uncanny valley phenomenon. The fear of gas masks almost certainly has something to do with that and you might get some assistance overcoming it by looking into the uncanny valley phenomenon.

[Rarar]

Originally Posted by Aldrick

Yes, I've had a serious phobia since I was a little kid. I don't even know what it's called; it's the opposite of claustrophobia. Someone who is claustrophobic is afraid of small spaces that are confined, but I'm the reverse. I'm terrified of large places that are enclosed, but only if they are empty or if there is a large open space in them.

I remember reading about that somewhere...it's apparently a natural phobia, as humans have a fear of open spaces as it is hard to tell where/if/by whom you will be attacked.

I have a panic attack if I see a gas mask

The "uncanny valley" is used to describe how unnerving facial-like features are when they don't appear to be fully human. As a child, I shat bricks at things like robots from sci-fi movies and bare skeleton heads, the fear almost certainly having something to do with the uncanny valley phenomenon. The fear of gas masks almost certainly has something to do with that and you might get some assistance overcoming it by looking into the uncanny valley phenomenon.

After reading up on it, I've realized that I also dislike (but am not afraid of) mannequins and robots that actually resemble humans (which do kinda scare me). For example, the picture of the robot in the Wiki article on it just...ugh...looks horrible.

[Tiny Catastrophe]

Most people laugh at me for this one but I'm absolutely terrified of vomit and vomitting. Honestly when I get nauseous I pace my backyard and chew gum (and strangely enough that does help after a while). I shake and freak out when anyone else vomits or if I even hear someone vomit. I'm also extremely paranoid about and afraid of getting sick in any way whether it's the flu or something worse. And my more normal and greatest fear is death

[Kerze]

My Serious Phobias are Clowns and Spiders. I also think I have social anxiety/social phobia but no diagnosis, so not definite.

I also have a shitload of smaller fears that may/may not be phobias.

[Aldrick]

Originally Posted by Rarar

I remember reading about that somewhere...it's apparently a natural phobia, as humans have a fear of open spaces as it is hard to tell where/if/by whom you will be attacked.

That kinda makes sense. Although why wouldn't it be triggered in an open field then? It's only really triggered when the space is large, mostly empty, and completely enclosed.

Although, I do have some other traits that are seemingly unrelated. They are typically linked with my social anxiety, and I discussed them with my therapist recently. They are little tips and tricks I picked up to make me more comfortable in public places; things I had to learn growing up due to really bad bullying. For example, in a public restaurant I like to sit in a position where I can keep as many people as possible in my field of vision. This way I can see if any of them are approaching me, and I can determine their intention before they arrive. If I don't sit in such a position, then I'm constantly distracted by my surroundings, my mind is trying to keep tabs on everyone around me. It's just easier and less distracting when they're in my field of vision.

Another is that I am extremely friendly to strangers, I always make a point to smile. Part of it is being friendly, but I'm also scanning for potential hostility. People who smile back are never hostile.

I'm very good at reading faces and the emotions of others. From that I'm able to get an idea of their intentions toward me and those around them.

[Bobbgooduk]

I think fear of open spaces is called agoraphobia - not sure of the spelling.

I had a nasty incident at the dentists' as a young child - I was held down by two nurses and gassed with a rubber mask.

Since then, even the merest whiff of rubber makes me feel sick to the pit of my stomach - hot-water bottles, plimsolls, tyres, condoms, pencil erasers - you name it, if it's made of rubber, my stomach churns!

It's a good thing there are now synthetic latexes to replace natural rubber - and I don't get my nose anywhere near a condom

I'm not sure if it's a phobia, though - I just feel sick rather than frightened.

[The Doctor]

Originally Posted by Peanuts

Not serious, but I thought sharing would be fun. I have a mild case of trypophobia, which is a fear of holes. More specifically, for me, it is clusters of holes. When I see them, I cannot help but stare and get creeped out or feel slightly nauseous. I'm not even kidding when I say that I get shivers looking at them. It disgusts me and I have no idea why.

For example, I hate looking at the pores in my skin or the holes in a loaf of bread. Once, I even saw odd cracks and openings on a blacktop that were similar and I couldn't help but be fascinated and disgusted.

This x10000 especially with pores. I actually vomit when I see pores on skin. It's disgusting!

Also, I have a fear of tube slides. Between the ages of 5-11, I had the same nightmare every night that I was trapped in an endless tube slide.

[boilingintexas]

I have only one real phobia, needles. I can not stand needles and will do anything and everything to avoid them. I also have a large amount of discomfort when it comes to heights, but I'm working through that.
On a side note, I do get this spontaneous moment of fear when I think that if I get out of my car, I'll fall up into the sky. I only have that happen once every month or two, and I usually get a good laugh out of how ridiculous the thought is afterword.

[BudderMC]

Originally Posted by Bobbgooduk

I think fear of open spaces is called agoraphobia - not sure of the spelling.

Yessir.

Originally Posted by boilingintexas

I have only one real phobia, needles. I can not stand needles and will do anything and everything to avoid them. I also have a large amount of discomfort when it comes to heights, but I'm working through that.

These are my two big ones too. I haven't had a needle since I was about 13, which I'm sure isn't good. I deliberately avoid the flu shot since the last time I was convinced to get it (against my will) I ended up getting the flu. It's just bad. I think I'd be a little better with them now that I'm older, but I'm still not voluntarily going to get any shots anytime soon.

Heights really get me... but it's only certain types I find. I think it's more the fear of falling and dying for me. I can look over the edges of railings relatively fine if there's water below (for some reason that means I won't die), but if it's ground then I'm absolutely terrified. If I do manage to look over, then usually my body is still a good distance away from the railing even though my head is craning over. Flying in airplanes don't scare me, though I'm sure helicopters/hot air balloons would.

Umm... I have a fear of underwater levels in video games, to the point that I usually have to get someone else to play it for me. Someone come up with a name for that one for me. :P

[Rarar]

Also, I don't know if this is a phobia persay, but I'm scared of being forgotte. Especially when I die. I'm not scared of death; I'm scared that when I die, the world wonn't know my name - I'll be just another dead body. That thought makes me terrified.

[justinf]

I have an extreme fear of dark water. I've never heard anyone who has the same, so I've always thought it's weird.
If I can't really see clearly through the water, and I don't know with absolute certainty that there's nothing (like fish) in there, I can't look at it. It terrifies me. It doesn't matter how deep the water is or whatever, I just can't look at it. The absolute worst is when I know there's a big fish or something swimming in there, and I can see part of it, but not everything. I know how silly it sounds, and I've tried to force myself to look at it, but I just panic.
The worst are scenes on tv of the ocean. Like, if there's a documentary about killer whales, and they show scenes of the water, and I accidentally look at it, I completely panic.
Like when I watched Free Willy.. in the beginning and end of the movie you have these scenes where the camera is pointed at the ocean, and you see orcas swimming/jumping, fun stuff like that. First time I watched it, I saw a little white spot coming from under water, and I realized what was happening; a killer whale was nearing the surface, and I FREAKED OUT! I jumped up, goosebumps all over my body, and didn't dare to watch until I was sure the water was gone. Same thing with documentaries about whales, sharks, that kind of thing.. I just can't watch them
(I don't care about underwater views at all)

See how much I wrote right now.. that's how hard I find it to explain this fear.. also because it just doesn't seem to exist. Anyone here?

So yeah... dark water -- especially with partly visible creature under it -- phobia. *shivers*

[Austin]

Social and health phobia from what people have said here. And that's probably not all.

[paperyostrich]

I'm probably the worlds biggest Arachnophobic. Even the smallest spiders will make me scream and run away. If there was a spider in one of the rooms in my house, even when it's gone I still won't go in there for days, why once I found a spider in my bathroom 2 years ago and I still panic about it when I go near the sink (Where it was) Even thinking about spiders scares me and it causes me to think about them and I start to think they are everywhere, like if I'm in the shower I think they are going to come out of the plughole, or there hiding ontop of the shower head and are going to crawl on me. I even worry about them being there at bedtime.

My second fear is of level crossings,(don't know if there is a name for that though), I will not go across one, no matter what! Luckly there is only one in my entire city, but I panic even going near it as I get worried that a train is going to appear out of nowhere and kill me, or that the boards for walking on will collapse, or I'll get electrocuted by the third rail (Ironiclly the rail line is not electrified, but I still worry about it)

[Rosina]

Originally Posted by Peanuts

Not serious, but I thought sharing would be fun. I have a mild case of trypophobia, which is a fear of holes. More specifically, for me, it is clusters of holes. When I see them, I cannot help but stare and get creeped out or feel slightly nauseous. I'm not even kidding when I say that I get shivers looking at them. It disgusts me and I have no idea why.

For example, I hate looking at the pores in my skin or the holes in a loaf of bread. Once, I even saw odd cracks and openings on a blacktop that were similar and I couldn't help but be fascinated and disgusted.

I have this and it wasn't until recently that I found out its unofficial name and that other people have it. Up to that point I just though something was pretty wrong in my head.

I've heard people who also suffer with trypophobia get a feeling of itchy skin if they see holes that trigger the phobia. I don't get that, I get that disgusted but transfixed thing going on. My biggest ones that set me off are lotus-seed pods and honeycomb. Can't. Stand. Them. Other ones that will erk me to a lesser extent are sea-sponges and bath sponges; bubbly chocolate, cheese graters, swiss cheese are fine for me.

[Zontar]

Originally Posted by Rosina

I have this and it wasn't until recently that I found out its unofficial name and that other people have it. Up to that point I just though something was pretty wrong in my head.

I've heard people who also suffer with trypophobia get a feeling of itchy skin if they see holes that trigger the phobia. I don't get that, I get that disgusted but transfixed thing going on. My biggest ones that set me off are lotus-seed pods and honeycomb. Can't. Stand. Them. Other ones that will erk me to a lesser extent are sea-sponges and bath sponges; bubbly chocolate, cheese graters, swiss cheese are fine for me.

I have this to some extent. What grosses me out about clusters of holes is the thought that small insects or organisms are crawling in them, creating the holes or otherwise living in them. In my specific case, it would be more of an otherwise normal aversion to parasites.

There are countless photoshops on the internet of lotus seed pods embedded in people's skin that just downright make my skin crawl looking at them. It creates the appearance of a horrifying parasite completely disfiguring its host.