What is your Phobia?

[LordKAT]

Escalators, I'm not scared of them, I just can't get on one. I panic soon as I touch one. Oi. It wasn't always this way so I have always wondered what changed. I think it gets worse as time passes, not better. Sorry Cindy, but I wish I knew how to get past it as it would save me quite the embarrassment at times.

[Shang]

Wow whole lot of phobias here. Maybe you guys should try to get help or something (don't psychologists help people get over phobias, or at least make them more capable of carrying on in life?)

I've been afraid of dogs since before I can remember, don't know why I just had a dog phobia. I would run into the middle of a busy street to get away from a chihuahua. I think I've gotten myself over it for the most part now.

The next time I see my psychologist I was going to ask what she thought and then if she had any ideas to help get over them.

[mr_marc]

I will remember those XD sheep lol

Their creepy! They just stare and it freaks me out lol, and im not even gonna get started on clowns .... *wince*

[meh]

Heights. Even watching a movie with someone up high, my hands start to sweat.

Puking in public. I will not eat before I leave the house just to make sure I don't accidentally puke in public. I've never had this happen to me though, except when I was in kindergarten, so I don't know why I have this phobia.

E.T.  yea.... the friendly alien. He freaks me the hell out. omg. ugh.

[K8]

I used to have a phobia about heights.. But I cured it by walking across an old trestle bridge - it's supposedly the longest wooden trestle in the southern hemisphere. There was nothing between the sleepers except air.. I've not had an issue with heights since..

I used to be afraid of heights.  Then I was an electronics technician and sometimes had to work on the antennas on the mast of a ship.  One time I had to go up for an hour while we were underway in Alaskan waters, with the ship taking 10-15 degree rolls.  After that experience, heights don't bother me at all.

I hate flying, but I don't think that it's a phobia as much as I hate the whole rigamarole of going through the airports and then being trapped in a small space with a bunch of other people and with no control of my destiny.

Large men scare me sometimes.  I've been beaten, and a large man oozing testosterone who stands too close with his belly out and talks in a loud, deep voice gives me the heebie-jeebies.

- Kate

[Fencesitter]

I got rid of one of my strongest phobias during childhood, thanks to a MAD pocket book about pets with a chapter about a case of elk phobia. It was not serious, but taught the principles of phobia therapy. So I learned to expose myself more and more until the phobia went away. Thank you, MAD. And guess what it was?

Phobia of disflated balloons. I mean, when they had been inflated, and lost their air, and become creepy in the sense that they contract themselves when you touch them. During my childhood, I had long periods where i was even afraid of entering a room with such a baloon in it. I could cure it thanks to this MAD book strategy.

During my childhood, I also had a phobia of what was mirrored in my chocolate drink in the morning. There was this lamp and I saw its reflection in double and both became one over and over again, opticfally, as the mirror effect was special. I became afraid of my breakfast drink. This has faded away though.

Otherwise, spiders or snakes, cover me in them and I'll stay cool and break the Guinness world record.

[Radar]

Don't feel bad Marc, my sister is terrified- and I mean terrified- of clowns. She always has been and I don't know why. She's in her mid-20s and still cries when she sees a clown IRL. Then I make fun of her. I'm a bad brother.

I have a crippling fear, though very uncommon- scoleciphobia. But just one group- fly larva. My fear is so bad I can't even say or hear their name. I call them "m"s, fly larva or baby flies. When I see them I become paralyzed in fear and almost catatonic. I swear someday they'll give me a heart attack and kill me. My family has tried and tried and we can't figure out where this came from. It's ridiculous.

[Nero]

Alektorophobia (fear of chickens).

[mini nero rant] It wouldn't seem like a big deal, since I'm not around farms. But these frightening creatures leave their mark everywhere it seems. Their byproducts are in every kitchen, every restaurant, everywhere. I get nauseous at the smell of people having breakfast or the shells in the trash from someone baking. Why are people so dependent on this creature for virtually every aspect of food service? Are there any countries free of it? Where can I hide?[/end mini nero rant]

On a lighter note, I am also terrified of telephones. I can't even bear to order a pizza. I think it's dysphoria related.

[AweSAM!]

I have mycophobia, the fear of fungus; oddly enough, I can eat mushrooms, but for some reason I won't go near a wild mushroom growing on the ground. Go figure...

[Hermione01]

Fear of rabbits, especially white ones with pink eyes. They're evil. 

[harlee]

Im starting to get over this one, but I used to be really scared of blowing up balloons  I think it was the fact that they had the potential to pop in your face and make a loud BANG. But then again, I love fireworks, and they are 10x louder 

[Steph]

Mine is open closet doors.  Every night before I go to bed I go around and close all the closet doors.  My bf kids me saying that one day he's going to get up in the night and open them all.  Sneaky devil.

Steph

[Dana Lane]

My biggest phobia is public speaking. I had to overcome this back in March (just two weeks after going full time) to go in front of the University Council at the University of Pennsylvania (ALL THE BIG WHIGS WERE THERE and the room had about a hundred people in it) to lobby for inclusion of trans-related medical care in our insurance policy. I thought I was going to pass out. I introduced myself and told them I had a fear of public speaking then gave my speech (on the verge of tears). After it was over the entire room applauded (which NEVER happens at this council). I don't think that will make future public speaking easier but for that speech it was important (not just for me but for all trans at Penn and future ones) that I did this.

[sneakersjay]

On a lighter note, I am also terrified of telephones. I can't even bear to order a pizza. I think it's dysphoria related.

I hate telephones, too.  Talking on them makes my head hurt.


Jay

[sneakersjay]

Mine is open closet doors.  Every night before I go to bed I go around and close all the closet doors.  My bf kids me saying that one day he's going to get up in the night and open them all.  Sneaky devil.

Steph

Have you seen Monsters, Inc?   I love that movie.


Jay

[JesseA]

there's this bizarre fear I have that when it's dark outside someone is watching me through the window.....it's rather creepy

[Shang]

Mine is open closet doors.  Every night before I go to bed I go around and close all the closet doors.  My bf kids me saying that one day he's going to get up in the night and open them all.  Sneaky devil.

Steph

I still have a bit of that fear--I make sure all the doors are closed in my apartment before bed, especially the closet doors.  It doesn't help that after watching "The Grudge" my sister went into my closet and slowly opened the door after I turned my lights off and was settling down into bed....or when my dad decided to put a remote-controlled truck in the closet and revved it so it sounded like growling just as I was reading the beginning of "Cujo"....and other such stories.

[Nemo]

As a child I used to be terrified of bursting balloons. I hated the shock and the loud noise (I have very good hearing XP)

Due most likely to dysphoria now that I think about it; later on it was social situations. Not a phobia so much, I was just very socially awkward. I still am to a point, but I'm working on it.

Similar to above - relationships. As in, intimate relationships. Even now, although I find men attractive, the thought of being with one just freaks me out. Too many bad memories, I guess.

The one that remains? WASPS. But I'm also too soft to kill them, so whenever one approaches I settle for either freezing or backing away as quickly as I dare to x_x

[fries]

I have social phobias (talking on the telephone and begin in a crowd of pepole shouting bad memories) I'm abit better with those situations now. Kinda gotten over it but I feel it abit deep down.

I have social phobias too, mostly things like talking on the phone, parties, etc.

I'm also pretty scared of heights.

Sometimes I get stupid random fears that terrify me for a while until I get over it. For example, around last Christmas I was convinced someone would break into my house. I was having trouble sleeping because every little noise woke me up. Didn't help that I have cats and they make a lot of noise in the night. But now, I'm not scared at all about it.

[Raven]

Ok I admitt I used to be scared to death of clowns > >   But somehow I got over the fear, now I just find them creepy and will not go near them if I can help it. Last time I went near a bunch of clowns was three years ago at the haunted trail, I was fine just creeped out and kept walking til they were no where near me. And I use to be scared of needles, got over that when I got my lip pierced lolz wait I'm still a little scared of needle but when it comes to getting tattoos and peircings it don't bother me and I have no idea why heh.