Irrational Fears

Sarah Chase · Post by **Sarah Chase** » 17 years ago

So I've been terrified my entire life of lizards, geckos, chameleons, skinks, iguanas, etc. I was just reminded how awful they are - I was outside picking up poop and all of a sudden I noticed a little lizard on my arm and I shrieked and flung the rake away from me and shook my arm off and I think it disappeared but I wasn't sure so I went to the mirror and checked my shirt, pants, legs, arms, face, and hair for it. It's gone. But oh God that was scary. In 6th grade a boy chased me with a lizard. I hated him for a week, too. Our old cat used to kill them and leave them around the house and one time I sat at the dining room table and my foot touched something dry and rubbbery and omg it was a huge dead lizard ...I ran to the bathroom to wash my foot. And also one time my mom found a dead baby gecko IN MY HAIR. Oh God oh God oh God. I get the willies just thinking about it.

Anyone else have stories of irrational fears and phobias?

Mandy Saunders · Post by **Mandy Saunders** » 17 years ago

That would have scared the beegees out of me but really...they're harmless.

Snakes are much worse.

Ali Weasley · Post by **Ali Weasley** » 17 years ago

Spiders. I mean, yea, they're scary to a lot of people... but if one touches me or looks at me I will LOSE it and start to cry and literally lose my marbles.

They terrify me.

Ara Davies · Post by **Ara Davies** » 17 years ago

Ever since the big quake in San Francisco in 1989, I've been terrified of overpasses and parking garages. I was not even IN California anymore by that time. Instead I made the mistake of watching tv for days, waiting for people to be pulled out of the collapsed double highway. Ever since then I freak out if I get stopped under an overpass. I'm a little better now, which is good since I have to park in a parking garage every day, but still.

I took a psychology class in college. Our teacher enjoyed telling stories, and one of the stories she told us was about a boy who had been trapped under the roadway in that earthquake. Apparently his mother had thrown herself on him to save him, and had been killed. After several days, rescuers finally managed to pull the boy out, but they had to CUT HIS MOTHER IN HALF to get him out from under her.

I just stared at my teacher, horrified. Later, I let her know about my fear stemming from that event, and that she had just made it worse. She laughed.

IsaP · Post by **IsaP** » 17 years ago

Big, fat, freaking palmetto bugs! Spiders ain't got NOTHING on those babies! Not even ordinary roaches have anything on these. They're huge and black and aren't afraid of no silly humans. They fly AT YOUR FACE!

I'm famous in my family for carrying a japanese practice sword called a shinai (I'm a fencer... I play with swords...) around the house in Hilton Head and screaming triumphantly as I smash the bastards. Happily, my cats take care of them in my house for me. Gotta love a cat. They like to kill the evil, black, flying things.

Mallory Claire · Post by **Mallory Claire** » 17 years ago

My fear is irrational because I'm not likely to ever encounter one, but I find great white sharks absolutely terrifying. I suppose any large marine carnivore would give me a heart attack, but something about those evil black eyes and the gray-on-white and that horrible set of jaws just creeps me out. When I was younger, my family would go on fun tropical vacations and take us snorkeling, and I would end up freaking out and getting in the boat/back on shore early. Just the sight of a boat wreck or huge fish would make my adrenaline rush and I can't enjoy being in the ocean at all. Our species is several links down the food chain in that particular realm of the earth.

Haha god it sounds so silly now that I'm older. :rolleyes:

Ara Davies · Post by **Ara Davies** » 17 years ago

IsaP wrote: Big, fat, freaking palmetto bugs! Spiders ain't got NOTHING on those babies! Not even ordinary roaches have anything on these. They're huge and black and aren't afraid of no silly humans. They fly AT YOUR FACE!

Hey Isa, a friend of mine was in her garage a few weeks ago, smoking a cigarette, when she heard a weird noise and a great big roach FLEW INTO HER EAR. It fluttered around between her ear and her long hair for a moment while she screamed before it finally flew away.

She still makes me go into that garage with her when she goes to smoke. It's the worst thing ever. Plus she found seven snakes in the garage last summer. I think going into that garage every week is the bravest thing I've ever done.

S.C. Burns · Post by **S.C. Burns** » 17 years ago

Awwww...I like little lizards. They're so fragile!

Um, lets see. I guess I have an irrational fear of ending up living in a trailer and working at a diner. I know, I know, seems funny...but I truly worry about not being a success at what I want to do... :unsure:

Post by **The Steward** » 17 years ago

My irrational fears now are mostly that someone is standing outside my window (I constantly think this, which is why I always have the hall light on, my fan going, and a DVD or music playing because I don't want to hear anything outside) and spiders (ask Dave if you don't think I freak out) but when I was little I had way more fun irrational fears.

I used to sob and wail hysterically if I:

1. saw Donald Duck
2. touched carpeting
3. heard a siren from a fire truck
4. Saw/heard the garage door moving

I was cool.

Steph Lonhro · Post by **Steph Lonhro** » 17 years ago

yeah I agree with the great white shark fear I have nightmares of them

Daryl Dennis · Post by **Daryl Dennis** » 17 years ago

Chupacabras

However, if I was a goat, then the fear would be totally rational.

-Daryl

S.C. Burns · Post by **S.C. Burns** » 17 years ago

The Steward wrote:
I used to sob and wail hysterically if I:

1. saw Donald Duck

Well, that makes sense. He never wore pants!

Mallory Claire · Post by **Mallory Claire** » 17 years ago

Em, you were a strange child. Haha

It's okay though, I used to get my head stuck in things like stair rail thingies and the backs of chairs all the time when I was little, and that's pretty dorky.

But I feel ya on the someone-standing-outside-the-window fear. One time I was home alone and nervous, and went to lock to sliding glass door. As I was reaching for the lock, I glanced at my reflection reaching for the handle and I freaked out because I thought it was someone outside, also reaching for the handle. I was badly startled. Hahaha.

Ara Davies · Post by **Ara Davies** » 17 years ago

The Steward wrote: My irrational fears now are mostly that someone is standing outside my window

Darn, I guess Steph and I need to do a better job of hiding.

Nikki Everdeen · Post by **Nikki Everdeen** » 17 years ago

Haven't read this thread completely as I'm in a hurry, but rodents, monkeys (of all the primate groups), heights, falls (hence my fear of roller coasters)...I'm pretty much a big scaredy cat.