Random Phobias
By ladybugmagic
@ladybugmagic (3978)
United States
November 11, 2010 11:24pm CST
What strange things are you afraid of?
Mine are:
1) snails - they are gooey. And I am horrified of them. But they are very cute. But super scary.
2) four way stop signs. I am fairly certain that only one in every two people knows how the right of way works.
3) Stopping at a red light that positions you under an overpass. I breathe a huge sigh of relief when we get out from there.
2 people like this
8 responses
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
12 Nov 10
You can be afraid by a lot of things without having a phobia about it.
Once you have a phobia, you become like a lunatic and go into panic mode.
I am scare of snakes, but since I live in the bush, I simply take my chance and hope for the best.
I don't have a fear of height as long as I feel safe. I don't feel safe on a ladder, and above 10 feet I start getting very unconfortable.
But I have agoraphobia, and that's freaking scary. lol
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
13 Nov 10
It is my understanding that agoraphobia affects people in different ways.
And it is a lunatic fear, because it is the fear of fear.
I get a panic attack before leaving home because I fear I will get one when I get there.
For me it is about public places because I fear I will embarrass myself in public if I have a panic attack. And there is nothing I can do to talk myself out of it. I just have to push myself out the door and surmount my fear.
That's why... after dealing with agoraphobia everyday for the past 30 years, I don't get scare easily. lol
The grand canyon skywalk looks daunting.
I don't know how I would feel about that. Like I was saying, it is not usually a problem if I feel safe.
I don't like going up hill and down hill in rough terrain with a 4x4. I always think that the car will tip over. lol
1 person likes this
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
Agoraphobia sounds awful.
I had a panic attack before, and it was horrifying. I was convinced I was dying. Well, actually, I thought I was stroking. My hands and face went numb, which only caused me to go deeper into panic.
My heartbeat rose, my teeth started chattering, and my bf thought I was seizing, but it was my first ever panic attack.
I had two since then, but can recognize the precursors to them now.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
Is agoraphobia a fear of big or public areas?
I always wanted to take someone afraid of heights to the glass plank overlook at the grand canyon.
http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/
I would probably be gripping on for dear life and have to go with a parachute for extra measure.
I remembered a couple other phobias of mine.
Driving near or being boxed in by 18 wheelers.
And driving downhill, but especially at one grade in particular. That fear is a realized fear, because I had my brakes on my old car go out once, when I got pushed into an exit only lane and it was a round about. And, that grade poses a great concern to me because a friend of mine had a petit-mal seizure there.
@GardenGerty (160663)
• United States
12 Nov 10
Well, I do not like stop signs or lights that cause me to stop too near to train tracks. I have a great resistance to being out of control, so I do not like roller coasters, and most other wild rides. They are the ultimate in being out of control. That is what I am afraid of at this time. Many of my other fears have actually come true, and I have had to face them, and I have found that they were not as fearful as I had believed.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
Once, I went with my an old family friend, and went on every scary upside down topsy turvy ride. Only because that friend brought that daring side out in me.
I went on a scary ride recently with another friend, and you could feel the wind going against your skin as you flipped all around. And when I got off, I was still floating.
Then a few days later, I went on my boyfriend's brother's motorcycle. It was as scary as that floating ride.
I can not handle scary rides - I typically get motion sickness, so . . .
I can hear you on the train track one. That is a horrifying premise.
Which of your fears have come true that you had to face?
1 person likes this
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
17 Nov 10
Wow - I am sorry you have gone through all that, and am happy you made it through it!
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
12 Nov 10
Mine would be
1.Praying mantis. I don't know why but they creep me out BIG TIME. My son caught a large one one time and brought it in the house...lets just say it did not end well.
2.Big bridges. I don't like being that far off the ground. Or long bridges across water. I makes me nerous to be on the middle of the bridge and not be able to see land in front or behind me. Just out there surrounded by water. It is freaky.
3. Tourists that drive. Yep I live in a tourist trap. They make me nervous. You never know what they are going to do. Stop all of a sudden to let everyone out of the car to take pictures (leaving the car sitting in the road), all of a sudden deciding they need to take a left hand turn and they are in the far right lane, so they cut off everyone in the other lanes to make the turn. Taking the wrong exits so they BACK DOWN the exit ramp to get back on the highway. They think turn signals are optional so you never know what they are going to do. Sudden stops to see an aligator sunning itself on the side of the road. I tend if give people with out of state tags tons of driving room. What is it about going on vacation that makes some people completely forget how to drive?
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
I think praying mantises (manti?) are rumoured to be lucky. I also think the female eats her partner shortly after mating, which would scare me, too.
I am with you on big bridges. I have a weird thought sometimes - I think if I were to be near a monumental bridge, something would beckon me to do somethig dangerous.
I need land at all times. Large bodies of water frighten me, which makes me believe that I may have drowned in a past life. And in this life, I am with my boyfriend. I have strange beliefs on reincarnation. I believe you stick with similar motifs and people as you trangress.
Did you ever see the version of National Lampoons where they go to Europe, and they get stuck trying to make a turn off a roundabout? That is the first thing I envisioned when you mentioned tourists driving.
@mercedlegurpa (955)
• Philippines
12 Nov 10
Hello, you know I'm very afraid of cockroaches; when they hoover around I scream to the top level. Aside from cockroaches, I'm always afraid of going out of the street at night. And I'm afraid to ride on a roller coaster. Thanks for heeding my request.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
Cockroaches are definitely scary on the outside. I think they are supposed to be lovable creatures though. I think cockroaches have outlived every species on earth, so there is something spectacular about them.
I am also kind of afraid of ants. The blood ants.
Did you know the body weight of humans matches the body weight of ants on our planet?
I am afraid to go out at night sometimes, like, I will be chill walking up my apartment aisle, but, if I see a strange light in the sky, I think it may be an alien trying to abduct me.
@bsquared717 (4)
• United States
13 Nov 10
OK so this will without a doubt be bizarre but I am actually scared of down escalators. When I was younger I fell down a couple stairs of one and have been scared ever since. I go on them but I always hesitate. I will wait about 5-6 seconds then grab onto the side and hold on very tightly. People think it is a fear of heights but I have nothing wrong with heights I just do not like those escalators.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
If they don't have the yellow safety divider, I can't see where they separate, and sometimes I misstep and I do fall.
I wait for a while, and usher people through until I go.
@rovered777 (649)
• United States
13 Nov 10
Well the things that I'm afraid of are really strange. As I'm really scared of breaking the law. Secondly I'm scared of doing very bad on my school tests. If it wasn't for bugs, I would not be afraid of them all the time at home or outdoors. Bugs seem to infest many places, and I try to get away as soon as possible. I find these critters really disgusting. I've seen many graphical photographs on bugs, and the thought of one landing on me freaks me out. To work and try to avoid these phobias, I should learn, clean and avoid disobeying the law.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
You just reminded me of another phobia I have. I have a huge fear of parasites.
I think bugs may be smarter than we give them credit for. They have built in safety devices, and have communal behaviours in some colonies and species. But, I understand the fear.
I wish the law was very clear. Traffic laws are, but some things are illegal and no one would even know. And not many people go look things up on law books, past or present.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
12 Nov 10
SPIDERS and SNAKES!!! So, I live in rural Florida where we have a fair amount of both. 
I hate driving in the rain, on ice or in snow because I always feel like I'm sliding. There are some bridges I'm not too wild about either.
I hate driving in the rain, on ice or in snow because I always feel like I'm sliding. There are some bridges I'm not too wild about either.@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
I had the hydroplane happen once. And I truly did not know what to do. Turn into it? Brakes? Accelerate? Aaaaaahhhh.
Another phobia - big one for me.
Driving on bridges, and large bodies of water. I flew over the great lakes, and that was it for me. Imagine a twelve-hour flight across an ocean.
I lived in Jersey as a kid, and we once found a monster snake, huge, and fat, in our sliding glass door. Out here, we have like tiny four foot snakes, but rattlers are a problem.
And I fear the brown recluse. Only because I really would not know how to recognize it.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
12 Nov 10
I know that there is going to be someone that laughs at me when I tell you what the one thing is that I am scared of in this world. I am afraid of uncovered windows when it is raining outside. I think that there are people outside in the rain that peep in at people. I know that it is an absolutely crazy phobia, but there has never been any way that I've been able to get past this. So go ahead and laugh at me please.
@ladybugmagic (3978)
• United States
13 Nov 10
I did chuckle a little, but not too much. I leave my windows open whenever it rains because I love the sound of the water, and the scent.
I sometimes fear the idea of looking out of the window, only to see someone staring right back at you.
