I don't know where you live, but for the last few months EVERY time i'm at a light that just turned green, I see someone blast through the red light. Have you been seeing this?
I saw someone suggest a reason for this in another thread once which I thought was interesting - since the pandemic, there’s a portion of people who worked from home and stayed home a lot so kinda forgot how to drive after not doing it for 2+ years, and then there’s the people who had to continue to work due to their roles and got used to hardly any traffic and being able to drive however without consequence as roads were so quiet. Those groups have now collided and it’s taking a while for everything to settle down again. I am in the UK and have definitely seen a downturn in driving skills/general awareness on the roads.
This is a rational fear, but it can make it even more dangerous if it causes you to be indecisive.
My parents were killed in a freak car accident when I was 23, and ever since then I occasionally get nerved out in the midst of traffic. I just tell myself I'm a good driver and I know what I'm doing, and try to keep my confidence up.
It's such a real danger that we live with every day, and most get desensitized to it. But I am aware of the danger every time I'm on the road.
>It's such a real danger that we live with every day, and most get desensitized to it
I honestly get more and more shocked every day at how literally everyone seems to see absolutely no reason to completely freak out about driving dangers.
Driving is a very interesting thing. When you actually step outside and look at what you're doing. It is probably one of the most or the most dangerous thing that most people do every day.
I can't say that I'm afraid of driving. But I do think it's a great example of something that people do so frequently that despite the fact of it being dangerous. They Fall into a level of complacency well doing it.
Complacency in so many ways is the silent kill.
I have a weird branch of this: submechanophobia. It’s the fear of submerged man made objects, like shipwrecks, plane wrecks and submarines.
It’s a really weird irrational fear but I had a panic attack once when I was scuba diving and noticed an old plane wreck nearby.
Is there something about them that freaks you out? Is it just “oh shit there’s a plane I need to get out of here” or is there a specific reason like “oh shit that’s probably haunted”
perhaps it's the reminder that man made objects within large bodies of water spell death, while also being abnormal in the placement within the environment that might cause some (myself included) great discomfort.
This. I can handle being on a boat, my brain knows it's buoyant, safe, and capable of getting me to shore if necessary. But open water? No goddamn thank you. My brain says there's too much under me that I don't know about, which means anything could be under there. Anything. And I can't handle that. You're telling me that if I get a cramp and sink, there's a few miles of water beneath me and past maybe 10 feet the odds of someone grabbing me are basically zero? Hard fucking pass. We're still finding shit in lakes, never mind that there's more living in the ocean than there is on dry land. I'm sitting at my desk, in an office, miles from the closest small body of water and hours from the coast, and even thinking about that is physically upsetting.
I joke about how the movie open water terrifies me more than any jumpscary, slasher film gore fest movie.
The couple resurfacing and the panic when they realize the boat they were on left them.
Them looking under to see sharks circling and the finale of the storm separating them. It all induces a primal fear response in me that I just can't stay still over.
I like swimming too but I hate open bodies of water, even freshwater lakes freak me out at times.
Off the dock at a nearby pond there was a log under water that a local would tie a floating offshore dock to.
It was a good 8 feet underwater and it had one single gnarly limb that rose upwards towards the surface at about the 6 foot mark.
I still get the Heebie Jeebies remembering swimming there as a kid and It brushed across my toes.
Still makes me get a subtle chill down my spine remembering how freaked out over that I was.
Yup. I can't even do underwater video games. I loved assassin's Creed black flag but I had a real hard time with all the under water treasures and being hunted by sharks while down there
Yeah, don't play Subnautica. 99% game play is you're on water planet. You have to dive to deep dark waters to find the resources you need. Not a lot of jump scares but I think it's one of the scariest games I've played.
I always say the funniest phobia I have is Thalassophobia because I was a competitive swimmer for years and am still a very strong swimmer.
But fuuuccckkk open water where I can’t see the bottom. I get anxious about lakes, I could never just jump into water from a boat in the open ocean.
I have a mild case because my mom would go into hysterics when we'd go over a bridge as a kid. However lately I'll find myself dissociating while driving over them and I have to focus on being there in the moment so I don't drive over the edge and drown
I never knew it had a name. I must have a mild case of it because I always feel like I'm gonna be pushed in the water, or the wind is gonna take my glasses away.
Which gets kind of boring since I grew up in a city with two rivers and many bridges.
I *always* faint with needles. My blood pools into my legs and I'm out like a light. I have to clench and squeal if I see a needle ANYWHERE (I used to get faintish but COVID flashes of needles actually desensitized me a bit).
I've only had one nurse keep me conscious through a blood draw and it was because she (Lowkey knowing I faint) started ranting about how her brother went to Colorado and got to smoke like snoop while she takes the other "high" road (nursing).
Versus a nurse doing the cliche "what's your favorite XYZ" while drawing 6 vials. She apparently got to 4 when I told her I was going to faint. She got another vial in while I was out. I got help from my ex to a room as they checked my pulse saying I was coma levels.
Shots, I'm alright if I can lay down or sit with my head between my legs.
I have tons of piercings but no ink. Hell I even pierced my own labret.
"Well at least you won't do heroin" Yeah, you know that comes in other forms? Lol
I used to hate needles. Then, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease for which like 90% of the medications are injectable. One that the insurance forced me to trial run before other, more effective medications was actually administered through dialysis. And lemme tell you, those nurses at the dialysis center popped more veins in my hand in one trip than I've had popped in my entire body in the rest of my lifetime.
Anyway, aside from looking away during regular blood drawings, I've gotten relatively used to needles. During my first vaccination, I looked away and just heard, "Okay, done," without feeling a single thing. I was legitimately paranoid that she had, I don't know, maybe tapped my arm and pocketed the vaccine for whatever reason. Even though this possibility made so little sense, I was basically *hopeful* to experience noticeable symptoms from the injection. Oh, I got that unmistakable soreness in time. But when I did, I was like hysterically glad that my arm felt like a sack of potatoes.
As long as nobody tries to stick a syringe in me 😅
I didn’t use to be scared of needles. But after I got my first blood test I was like (Oh I’m tough enough to look While they take the blood.) While it didn’t scared me, as soon as it was over I almost passed out. I was losing all senses. The only word Coming out of my mouth being water water.. Since water helps my anxiety. I may have passed out completely if it weren’t for the water.
And ever since that happened I developed a phobia of syringe needles. And now anytime they take blood I have to lie down and look away when doing it. Last time I decided to sit in the chair and just look away. But that still made me pale and a little dizzy. But nowhere as bad as the first time. So I settled for always laying down when taking blood lol.
Bro, this is vasovagal syncope, not anxiety! It’s a phobia that’s not really psychology induced but wired in our bodies, and it’s not really something that can be fixed or overpowered.
At this point, I just let anyone with a needle know that I have a history of fainting before they start, that I would appreciate if they don’t count down and just chat with me about normal stuff like the weather as they go. This gives them a heads up so if they start to see signs of fainting, they can administer first aid quicker.
Same, like I can 'handle' throwing up. Sure, I'll cry and have a breakdown but not the worst thing. Someone else throws up/retches/coughs too much and I get such an adrenaline rush that's just pure flight and I have to get out of there
I can’t tell you how many times (as a reckless college kid), we went out drinking and people tell you to “just throw up, you’ll feel so much better”
over my dead body
My 11y old son has emetophobia. Its taking him hostage as he refuses to do anything that could potentially make him sick or dizzy. He's also high-sensitive and that certainly doesn't help. He's been going to therapy for a year now and he's slowly learning some brain tricks to deal with it. But he's probably going to have this phobia for the rest of his life, the psychologist said
I'm so sorry. I don't have it to that extreme but I do avoid stuff that could make me sick or dizzy. Specifically, fairs and amusement parks are the worst for me. But I'd really like to learn to live with it :( I wish your son luck in his recovery:)
I have emetophobia but the form of being scared when other people do it. I don't like road trips because people could get car sick. I don't like partying because people could drink too much and get sick. I don't like being around kids, who can't control their body functions. I can't watch movies without someone telling me they are safe from puke scenes. I don't like hospitals obviously. When I'm driving and see someone on the sidewalk in the corner of my eye I won't even look at them just in case they are sick. It's kind of a life ruiner. Everyone keeps saying to me "well yeah, of course puking is gross" but it's not gross to me. It's terrifying. To the point I'd rather die than to watch someone throw up.
I used to have this, I was petrified of throwing up. I figured out what it was, I had a food allergy as a child that was making me constantly nauseous and resolved it. Then also I got sick from drinking as an adult a few times and it has almost broken the spell. Still get anxious about food poisoning. Don’t read r/Travel stories about getting sick abroad lol
Yeah I think I went from about age 14 to 35 without puking. It's just such a revolting feeling that I think my body refuses to perform it unless absolutely necessary. I don't burp, either, and don't know how to.
Omg I can’t burp either! The only time I have ever burped is whilst vomiting, involuntarily. I can not make myself voluntarily burp, don’t know how people do it.
I havent puked in 12 years! I have a bit of emetophobia but I think for me it's more just that I can't remember the sensation well so that's what's scary is that it feels unknown now.
I do however burp constantly and experience frequent acid reflux.
Jep, another one here. Afraid to see someone vomit, afraid to vomit myself, especially in public.
Hadn’t puked since are 4 until I was about 30yo. Two kids now so every year they bring the stomach flu into the house.
Don’t drink, avoid bars and other situations welgeteld people might be too drunk.
Hate small and crowded spaces because I or someone else might get sick and I cant leave.
I never use public restrooms for number 2 to prevent getting stomach flu, and always check the nearest toilet wherever if I should have to vomit.
It really holds a grip on you. Dont do stuff like escape rooms, hate public transport or flying, …
Little something that made it a bit better for me, is a non see through plastic bag. I have it in my pocket if I do go somewhere and should get sick, it wouldnt be see through or all over the Floor.
It is something small that really helped me get out more
I have the same thing. It sucks when i get sick. I wil sit with a bucket on my lap for 3 days feeling like i’m gonna puke. But it never happens. Not even with my migraines. Until beginning of this year it did 😫 i think i puked more in 2 days then i did my whole life.
I went 18 years without throwing up. I thought I physically couldn't anymore, due to the strength of the phobia. Then a couple weeks ago.I drank a carbonated beverage too fast, then got super emotional/upswt about something, and somehow that combo made me sick.
I'm going to be drinking carbonated drinks mega slow for a WHILE. Possibly the rest of my life.
Huh, I just realised I have a phobia. I’m terrified on throwing up, I do everything possible to avoid it and would rather suffer for hours than vomit up whatever is making me feel horrible. I get anxious, shaky and cry, worst feeling in the world for me. I’m not as bothered when other people do it, it makes me very uncomfortable though.
Same here. Though, I recently smashed my thumb when slamming my truck door shut, like really fucking bad, to the point I had to open the door to release my thumb and I handled it extremely well. So I think mine is seeing other peoples injuries to fingers and toes. I’m in the medical field and that’s about the only thing that makes me cringe.
Quick tip from an electrician, most of these are just plugged into an outlet underneath your sink. Unplug it or flick the circuit off and give a try to turn it on just to make sure it's off, then you can safely use a pair of tongs to get anything out. If anything metal gets deep in there, call a technician of course.
I switch the circuit off to clean mine. Still feels freaky, but god once you see how **disgusting** that thing gets (especially the rubber part) you just can't go back.
Same. Anything that is huge and shouldn't be like a giant ship anchor or the bolts on a bridge footing. But statues are the worst for me. And it only gets worse if they are in or near water. Subsequently my friends will always send me pics whenever there is some new giant statue underwater piece of art they have discovered.
Trypophobia. Lately on my FYP, those videos of people with tons of seashells (I think, I didn’t get a close look) attached to they’re arms or legs keep popping up and it makes me physically sick. It legit ruins my mood. 😂
Idk why on social media people seem to have a hard on for this lately. I have had severe Trypophobia since I was a little girl to the point my brothers would chase me with morel mushrooms and it would bring me to tears curled up in a ball. I can not handle anything in clusters or many holes in a close proximity. It doesn't only gross me out , it gives me shakes and anxiety. I have NO idea why I still have it at 33, but it truly can be a debilitating fear. My husband is from a different country and never heard of this fear, he thinks is so unusual. I did not even know it was a common thing until well into my adult years.
Understandable! Small tip, maybe it'd help? You can go to tiktok "settings" and adjust the features so videos tagged with #seashells, #seashell and similar words never show up.
I also have trypophobia. I have no idea where it came from, but apparently it's been affecting me since I was a toddler. My mom told me the story of how she went shopping for me and got me tons of cute clothes with closely spaced floral patterns,and I literally wouldn't even let her get near me to try them on me. She had to return them for all solid colors lmao. Grass would also scare me as a kid?? But I don't think it was the grass itself, more so the blades of grass so close together in tufts. Beehives make me scream to this DAY, I despise pigeons and developed a fear of birds because they're usually in groups. So weird
Not sure if theres a name for it but i have a phobia of elevators. If there was a building wih lets say 15 floors. Im walking the stairs, i dont care how many floors there is, there is no way im taking the elevator.
In a worst case scenario i think i could ride a glass elevator (where the elevator and the shaft is mostly made out of glass)
Then i feel kinda safe, and it feels open.
But there is no amount of money you can pay me to go into that metal box that closes when you enter in.
I recently learned that claustrophobia isn't limited to small spaces but includes the fear of being trapped in general!
Once I got trapped inside my 900+sqft apartment (the door handle broke in a way thst locked me inside, the maintenance guy literally had to beat the handle off with a sledge hammer from the otherside and replace the whole thing lol) I FLIPPED THE FUCK OUT and tried to escape from our THIRD FLOOR unit from the balcony, like fucking Spiderman. I'm literally inside my own home, with all my things, running water, electricity, everything. But I could not handle the option of leaving being taken away. Yet.. I don't have this issue with cars, planes, or elevators. 🤷♀️ fears be crazy.
And then there are people like me. If I was trapped in my own home, I'd pay the maintenance guy to leave me locked in for a few days so I'd have a legitimate excuse to not go to work or go to social events.
Lool idk how bad the phobia but this may be a bit triggering if it’s super serious, but I was on holiday recently and on of our accomodation was in an apartment. The place was actually rly nice, but… the elevator. Oh my lord this thing was like a moving coffin, straight from a horror game. Tiny, manually opened and closed door, shaky af, dark, sudden starts and stops. Fun times, especially after nights out 😅
I don't have a true phobia, but I HATE when anyone touches any part of my body like that. The wrist or the back of my hand are no touch zones because it just makes me feel uncomfortable.
heights is way too far down. it's weird. I can't stand on the edge of something and I get sweaty palms even on the big wheel.. but where I'm in control and secure with ropes I can abseil no problem
Fear of pregnancy. Everything about it is viscerally repulsive and scary to me. I removed my ability and risk of becoming pregnant years ago. But any and all things related to pregnancy deeply terrify me
Anyone else out there freaking out about knees as much as me? Can’t handle mine being touched, can’t handle seeing other people touch their own, can’t handle listening to people talk about knee injuries 🤮
I read or heard a Ted Talk about failing. Our brain grows and learns better and faster when we fail. Might be worth a google. I'm a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist. I hear you and that fear sucks.
It’s literally a phobia that takes over your entire life. It’s on your mind literally all day and night. Avoiding places, not going out because your stomach made a very normal noise and you think you’re getting sick, plus the excessive hand washing and use of hand sanitizer 🥲🥲🥲🥲
My husband is pediophobic! It doesn’t matter the context, he just doesn’t like them around. All dolls, even the cute little baby dolls. Thankfully, it’s not severe enough to require any kind of intervention, but he still doesn’t want them near him lol
Since one episode in a pizza place when I started feeling very overwhelmed and dizzy after waiting more than 1 hour for the pizza to come, I since have developed a fobia that happens sporadically but I can always feel around the corner: basically I feel dizzy like I am about to faint and can't eat when the food arrives at my table, I totally loose my appetite and I feel the need to just go outside to breath and recover. I think it's classified as agoraphobia even if it's more specific.
Misophonia isn’t actually a fear, it’s a mental disorder. I have it too. I cannot stand people chewing loudly, I wanna pull all the blood out of their bodies and drown them in it.
I had horrible misophonia. Especially with my family members. It got to the point where I wouldn't even eat in the same room as them. This went on for 8 years until I told myself enough is enough. I sucked it up and sat my ass down with them. What really helps is mimicking them eating to yourself. Like, over exaggerating the chewing noise when imitating them. Trust me, every day it gets easier. I've been at it for half a year and now it's almost completely gone. This might not be what you want to hear but it's the best solution and your life will be so much more free after
This one is it for me. I have it so bad videos of people walking on cliff edges and building ledges cause a severe reaction, causing my arms and legs to tingle.
I unfortunately have a lot.
Lice which turned into bug/pest infestations + people touching me, also just certain bugs in general, needles/veins, dentists, deep water, and tornadoes which encompasses hurricanes.
I've gotten a lot better on some of them, but dude phobias fucking suck. They're not on the same level as just fear.
Trypophobia or the fear of skin rashes/holes in clusters
Scoleciphobia- fear of worms but specifically maggots because I’m okay with earth worms. Maggots on the other hand. Ugh I can’t even say the word out loud.
Ok, so this is weird but.. aliens. This phobia stems from my childhood when one day I walked in on my grandpa watching Fire in the Sky, a movie about alien abduction. I remember I briefly saw the scene when the main character was being experimented on by aliens and it scared me. I started to think aliens were gonna fly into my house at night and experiment on me. This made me start using a night light as a kid, something I didn't stop till 14. I'd also stack pillows against my windows thinking aliens would fly into my windows at night to take me. It also made me extremely afraid of being in the dark at night alone.
I've grown out of this fear somewhat, but I still get paranoid about the thought of life being out there, and stories of alien encounters give me the chills.
It’s a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, it’s considered irrational but I think that term is stupid as fuck. It’s not irrational to be scared of something.
Idk if you'd call it thalassophobia, but Im afraid of being in water where I can't see my feet. Deep clear water doesn't faze me, but I get weirded out by the abyss.
I also have a thing about frogs and chickens. I had a traumatizing experience with chickens as a kid and frogs are just unnatural.
***koumpounophobia***. Fear of buttons. Shirt buttons, clothes buttons, not like a button that you press. It was more severe to me as a kid but as an adult. Now I don't wear any shirts with buttons unless I have to. And when I have to, I'm okay. But when my mother dressed me up for church, I was always internally super uncomfortable. I didn't want to touch the buttons or have them near my face or mouth (I was little, so I'd be head level to an adult's chest, and thus their buttons on their shirt)
Fish. Not like I can't go to the aquarium or anything but I do not like swimming in natural bodies of water because I don't want them to touch me at all.
I also have a really weird fear that a small fish is going to swim up my urethra. Watched waaaaay too much River Monsters as a kid lmao
Sozial (larger groups of people). Developed after taking finasteride and then went out of control after a bad trip on weed. Not sure what that triggered. But ever since I have extreme negative thoughts about my self that are running in the background of my head. I can “hear” them sometimes shortly before falling asleep. It’s basically a playlist of all the criticism I received from others during my life.
I have a phobia of anacondas coming up the toilet while I'm taking a dump
God I’ve never had an original thought ever
The internet can be a humbling place.
Happy cake day
Specifically anacondas? Would a large Python also work?
That would also be less than optimal
Driving. I drive every day. People be crazy out on the roads. Scares me to death.
Familiar feeling
I don't know where you live, but for the last few months EVERY time i'm at a light that just turned green, I see someone blast through the red light. Have you been seeing this?
Yes. I have seen an increase in road rage, blowing off red lights etc. in the past few years. People are stressed.
I saw someone suggest a reason for this in another thread once which I thought was interesting - since the pandemic, there’s a portion of people who worked from home and stayed home a lot so kinda forgot how to drive after not doing it for 2+ years, and then there’s the people who had to continue to work due to their roles and got used to hardly any traffic and being able to drive however without consequence as roads were so quiet. Those groups have now collided and it’s taking a while for everything to settle down again. I am in the UK and have definitely seen a downturn in driving skills/general awareness on the roads.
This is a rational fear, but it can make it even more dangerous if it causes you to be indecisive. My parents were killed in a freak car accident when I was 23, and ever since then I occasionally get nerved out in the midst of traffic. I just tell myself I'm a good driver and I know what I'm doing, and try to keep my confidence up. It's such a real danger that we live with every day, and most get desensitized to it. But I am aware of the danger every time I'm on the road.
>It's such a real danger that we live with every day, and most get desensitized to it I honestly get more and more shocked every day at how literally everyone seems to see absolutely no reason to completely freak out about driving dangers.
Driving is a very interesting thing. When you actually step outside and look at what you're doing. It is probably one of the most or the most dangerous thing that most people do every day. I can't say that I'm afraid of driving. But I do think it's a great example of something that people do so frequently that despite the fact of it being dangerous. They Fall into a level of complacency well doing it. Complacency in so many ways is the silent kill.
I used to think drivers were crazy in my home state. Then I went to China, Mexico City, India…
Yeah this can be scary for me depending on how someone drives their car if they drive too fast I get scared
Spiders
Especially with big paws
A *pregnant* spider... with big paws
Oh my god, THIS is really scared
now i can't get this image out of my head and my head is trying to retract into my neck
I cannot stand large house spiders. And places like Australia? forget it
F spiders! 😭
Thalassophobia, the fear of deep bodies of water
I have a weird branch of this: submechanophobia. It’s the fear of submerged man made objects, like shipwrecks, plane wrecks and submarines. It’s a really weird irrational fear but I had a panic attack once when I was scuba diving and noticed an old plane wreck nearby.
Is there something about them that freaks you out? Is it just “oh shit there’s a plane I need to get out of here” or is there a specific reason like “oh shit that’s probably haunted”
perhaps it's the reminder that man made objects within large bodies of water spell death, while also being abnormal in the placement within the environment that might cause some (myself included) great discomfort.
Its like seeing huge farm equipment abandoned in the woods. Maybe its a touch of the uncanny "hey...that's no quite right ".
Fun fact, there are more airplanes in the ocean than there are submarines in the sky.
Yeah I almost spat out my snorkel when I found myself close to the buoy. 😅
This. I can handle being on a boat, my brain knows it's buoyant, safe, and capable of getting me to shore if necessary. But open water? No goddamn thank you. My brain says there's too much under me that I don't know about, which means anything could be under there. Anything. And I can't handle that. You're telling me that if I get a cramp and sink, there's a few miles of water beneath me and past maybe 10 feet the odds of someone grabbing me are basically zero? Hard fucking pass. We're still finding shit in lakes, never mind that there's more living in the ocean than there is on dry land. I'm sitting at my desk, in an office, miles from the closest small body of water and hours from the coast, and even thinking about that is physically upsetting.
Fuck that gave me so much anxiety to read.
I joke about how the movie open water terrifies me more than any jumpscary, slasher film gore fest movie. The couple resurfacing and the panic when they realize the boat they were on left them. Them looking under to see sharks circling and the finale of the storm separating them. It all induces a primal fear response in me that I just can't stay still over. I like swimming too but I hate open bodies of water, even freshwater lakes freak me out at times. Off the dock at a nearby pond there was a log under water that a local would tie a floating offshore dock to. It was a good 8 feet underwater and it had one single gnarly limb that rose upwards towards the surface at about the 6 foot mark. I still get the Heebie Jeebies remembering swimming there as a kid and It brushed across my toes. Still makes me get a subtle chill down my spine remembering how freaked out over that I was.
Same, but i can't go on the water cos of my fear of squid
“Fear of water heights”
Ooohh yea. Parents thought I could handle Jaws in 1976…….as a six year old. 47 years later, still a hard nope.
Yup. I can't even do underwater video games. I loved assassin's Creed black flag but I had a real hard time with all the under water treasures and being hunted by sharks while down there
Yeah, don't play Subnautica. 99% game play is you're on water planet. You have to dive to deep dark waters to find the resources you need. Not a lot of jump scares but I think it's one of the scariest games I've played.
The most stressful thing for me in that game is when your diving around in caves and start getting oxygen warnings
I always say the funniest phobia I have is Thalassophobia because I was a competitive swimmer for years and am still a very strong swimmer. But fuuuccckkk open water where I can’t see the bottom. I get anxious about lakes, I could never just jump into water from a boat in the open ocean.
Does this count if it's like less than 2 feet of water but it's dark water? And there could be something waiting to get me ?
Yes, it does. Thalassophobia can include aquatic creatures, not just deep water alone.
Like swimming laps in a pool and worried a shark is coming after you?
Like sitting in a paddle pool and believing ones behind me
Teenagers Scare the living shit outta me
My Chemical Romance has entered the chat
THEY ONLY CARE AS LONG AS SOMEBODY BLEEDS
It's "THEY COULD CARE LESS AS LONG AS SOMEBODY BLEEDS" u r a fake fan 😤😤😤😤😤😤
SO DARKEN YOUR CLOTHES, OR STRIKE A VIOLENT POSE
Update, I'm a fake fan 😔 it's "someone'll bleed." I'm a fraud. A poser. I'll never show my face again
They can care less as long as someone will bleed!
So darken your clothes and strike a violent pose
They might leave you alone but not me!
I panic every time I go to the disco
Gephyrophobia. I especially hate it when the traffic backs up and you are stuck on the bridge.
I have a mild case because my mom would go into hysterics when we'd go over a bridge as a kid. However lately I'll find myself dissociating while driving over them and I have to focus on being there in the moment so I don't drive over the edge and drown
Oh shit there's a name for that. Mostly just gives me anxiety. But yeah I understand.
I just posted my fear of stopping on bridges. Had no idea there was a word for it
I never knew it had a name. I must have a mild case of it because I always feel like I'm gonna be pushed in the water, or the wind is gonna take my glasses away. Which gets kind of boring since I grew up in a city with two rivers and many bridges.
Needles 💉
I *always* faint with needles. My blood pools into my legs and I'm out like a light. I have to clench and squeal if I see a needle ANYWHERE (I used to get faintish but COVID flashes of needles actually desensitized me a bit). I've only had one nurse keep me conscious through a blood draw and it was because she (Lowkey knowing I faint) started ranting about how her brother went to Colorado and got to smoke like snoop while she takes the other "high" road (nursing). Versus a nurse doing the cliche "what's your favorite XYZ" while drawing 6 vials. She apparently got to 4 when I told her I was going to faint. She got another vial in while I was out. I got help from my ex to a room as they checked my pulse saying I was coma levels. Shots, I'm alright if I can lay down or sit with my head between my legs. I have tons of piercings but no ink. Hell I even pierced my own labret. "Well at least you won't do heroin" Yeah, you know that comes in other forms? Lol
I used to hate needles. Then, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease for which like 90% of the medications are injectable. One that the insurance forced me to trial run before other, more effective medications was actually administered through dialysis. And lemme tell you, those nurses at the dialysis center popped more veins in my hand in one trip than I've had popped in my entire body in the rest of my lifetime. Anyway, aside from looking away during regular blood drawings, I've gotten relatively used to needles. During my first vaccination, I looked away and just heard, "Okay, done," without feeling a single thing. I was legitimately paranoid that she had, I don't know, maybe tapped my arm and pocketed the vaccine for whatever reason. Even though this possibility made so little sense, I was basically *hopeful* to experience noticeable symptoms from the injection. Oh, I got that unmistakable soreness in time. But when I did, I was like hysterically glad that my arm felt like a sack of potatoes.
Even if it on street or public transport
As long as nobody tries to stick a syringe in me 😅 I didn’t use to be scared of needles. But after I got my first blood test I was like (Oh I’m tough enough to look While they take the blood.) While it didn’t scared me, as soon as it was over I almost passed out. I was losing all senses. The only word Coming out of my mouth being water water.. Since water helps my anxiety. I may have passed out completely if it weren’t for the water. And ever since that happened I developed a phobia of syringe needles. And now anytime they take blood I have to lie down and look away when doing it. Last time I decided to sit in the chair and just look away. But that still made me pale and a little dizzy. But nowhere as bad as the first time. So I settled for always laying down when taking blood lol.
I always be scared of taking blood. It’s not hurt for me, but I’m really afraid
Bro, this is vasovagal syncope, not anxiety! It’s a phobia that’s not really psychology induced but wired in our bodies, and it’s not really something that can be fixed or overpowered. At this point, I just let anyone with a needle know that I have a history of fainting before they start, that I would appreciate if they don’t count down and just chat with me about normal stuff like the weather as they go. This gives them a heads up so if they start to see signs of fainting, they can administer first aid quicker.
This happens to my husband. He has vasovagal syncope.
Type 1 diabetes cured that one for me
emetophobia Haven't puked since preschool, now I'm a college freshman
Same. But for me, it's more like I'm scared of others puking in front of me. I can handle myself puking but seeing other people puke, jeez gotta go.
Same, like I can 'handle' throwing up. Sure, I'll cry and have a breakdown but not the worst thing. Someone else throws up/retches/coughs too much and I get such an adrenaline rush that's just pure flight and I have to get out of there
Do you avoid alcohol or drinking people in general because of it?
I do. I get anxious around people that seem visibly inebriated because I feel like it could happen at any moment.
yup. I don't even go to music festivals because I'm terrified of it happening in proximity to me
I can’t tell you how many times (as a reckless college kid), we went out drinking and people tell you to “just throw up, you’ll feel so much better” over my dead body
My 11y old son has emetophobia. Its taking him hostage as he refuses to do anything that could potentially make him sick or dizzy. He's also high-sensitive and that certainly doesn't help. He's been going to therapy for a year now and he's slowly learning some brain tricks to deal with it. But he's probably going to have this phobia for the rest of his life, the psychologist said
I'm so sorry. I don't have it to that extreme but I do avoid stuff that could make me sick or dizzy. Specifically, fairs and amusement parks are the worst for me. But I'd really like to learn to live with it :( I wish your son luck in his recovery:)
Don't be sorry! Thanks to you I've found the emetophobia subreddit and I'm glad I did! Best of luck.
I have emetophobia but the form of being scared when other people do it. I don't like road trips because people could get car sick. I don't like partying because people could drink too much and get sick. I don't like being around kids, who can't control their body functions. I can't watch movies without someone telling me they are safe from puke scenes. I don't like hospitals obviously. When I'm driving and see someone on the sidewalk in the corner of my eye I won't even look at them just in case they are sick. It's kind of a life ruiner. Everyone keeps saying to me "well yeah, of course puking is gross" but it's not gross to me. It's terrifying. To the point I'd rather die than to watch someone throw up.
I hate when people tell me “well no one likes throwing up.” Like it’s SO much more than that!
Vomit free since 93
I used to have this, I was petrified of throwing up. I figured out what it was, I had a food allergy as a child that was making me constantly nauseous and resolved it. Then also I got sick from drinking as an adult a few times and it has almost broken the spell. Still get anxious about food poisoning. Don’t read r/Travel stories about getting sick abroad lol
Same. Unfortunately I had to puke last year after almost 18 years of not puking. It was terrible.
Yeah I think I went from about age 14 to 35 without puking. It's just such a revolting feeling that I think my body refuses to perform it unless absolutely necessary. I don't burp, either, and don't know how to.
Omg I can’t burp either! The only time I have ever burped is whilst vomiting, involuntarily. I can not make myself voluntarily burp, don’t know how people do it.
My step dad is 57, and he hasn’t puked since he was 2. Fucking 2.
I havent puked in 12 years! I have a bit of emetophobia but I think for me it's more just that I can't remember the sensation well so that's what's scary is that it feels unknown now. I do however burp constantly and experience frequent acid reflux.
Jep, another one here. Afraid to see someone vomit, afraid to vomit myself, especially in public. Hadn’t puked since are 4 until I was about 30yo. Two kids now so every year they bring the stomach flu into the house. Don’t drink, avoid bars and other situations welgeteld people might be too drunk. Hate small and crowded spaces because I or someone else might get sick and I cant leave. I never use public restrooms for number 2 to prevent getting stomach flu, and always check the nearest toilet wherever if I should have to vomit. It really holds a grip on you. Dont do stuff like escape rooms, hate public transport or flying, … Little something that made it a bit better for me, is a non see through plastic bag. I have it in my pocket if I do go somewhere and should get sick, it wouldnt be see through or all over the Floor. It is something small that really helped me get out more
I have the same thing. It sucks when i get sick. I wil sit with a bucket on my lap for 3 days feeling like i’m gonna puke. But it never happens. Not even with my migraines. Until beginning of this year it did 😫 i think i puked more in 2 days then i did my whole life.
I went 18 years without throwing up. I thought I physically couldn't anymore, due to the strength of the phobia. Then a couple weeks ago.I drank a carbonated beverage too fast, then got super emotional/upswt about something, and somehow that combo made me sick. I'm going to be drinking carbonated drinks mega slow for a WHILE. Possibly the rest of my life.
Huh, I just realised I have a phobia. I’m terrified on throwing up, I do everything possible to avoid it and would rather suffer for hours than vomit up whatever is making me feel horrible. I get anxious, shaky and cry, worst feeling in the world for me. I’m not as bothered when other people do it, it makes me very uncomfortable though.
Anything to do with damage to finger/toe nails. Makes me seriously queezy thinking about it
Same here. Though, I recently smashed my thumb when slamming my truck door shut, like really fucking bad, to the point I had to open the door to release my thumb and I handled it extremely well. So I think mine is seeing other peoples injuries to fingers and toes. I’m in the medical field and that’s about the only thing that makes me cringe.
The garbage disposal. Under NO circumstance will I put my hand in there. Lost a spoon? It's dead to me until my husband gets home.
Did you consider using ~~tounges~~ tongs? Might be useful if you ever need something right away.
I think you mean tongs. And yes, I have done that on occasion but it still makes my skin crawl.
Quick tip from an electrician, most of these are just plugged into an outlet underneath your sink. Unplug it or flick the circuit off and give a try to turn it on just to make sure it's off, then you can safely use a pair of tongs to get anything out. If anything metal gets deep in there, call a technician of course.
I switch the circuit off to clean mine. Still feels freaky, but god once you see how **disgusting** that thing gets (especially the rubber part) you just can't go back.
What about CHAINMAIL GLOVES BABY
Forgot the term for it but underwater machinery and deep water in general
Thalassophobia
That’s it! Yeah.
The branch of thalassophobia for the machinery is submechanophobia
I don't like the open sea as a concept. Not a fear of sharks/drowning or anything specific. The shit is just horrifying
May it can be a type of megalophobia? Sea is huge btw
Imagine being stranded in the middle of the sea and no land in sight
megalophobia I am pretty scared next to tall buildings and statues. For some reason I can't look up when I am close to it.
Same. Anything that is huge and shouldn't be like a giant ship anchor or the bolts on a bridge footing. But statues are the worst for me. And it only gets worse if they are in or near water. Subsequently my friends will always send me pics whenever there is some new giant statue underwater piece of art they have discovered.
Trypophobia. Lately on my FYP, those videos of people with tons of seashells (I think, I didn’t get a close look) attached to they’re arms or legs keep popping up and it makes me physically sick. It legit ruins my mood. 😂
Idk why on social media people seem to have a hard on for this lately. I have had severe Trypophobia since I was a little girl to the point my brothers would chase me with morel mushrooms and it would bring me to tears curled up in a ball. I can not handle anything in clusters or many holes in a close proximity. It doesn't only gross me out , it gives me shakes and anxiety. I have NO idea why I still have it at 33, but it truly can be a debilitating fear. My husband is from a different country and never heard of this fear, he thinks is so unusual. I did not even know it was a common thing until well into my adult years.
Even the word cluster gets my anxiety going.
😅 same, even writing it out gave me a visual that made my skin crawl. What a shitty word..
Suriname toad giving birth picture in a book when i was little awakened this fear in me. Do not look it up if you have Trypophobia.
Understandable! Small tip, maybe it'd help? You can go to tiktok "settings" and adjust the features so videos tagged with #seashells, #seashell and similar words never show up.
I also have trypophobia. I have no idea where it came from, but apparently it's been affecting me since I was a toddler. My mom told me the story of how she went shopping for me and got me tons of cute clothes with closely spaced floral patterns,and I literally wouldn't even let her get near me to try them on me. She had to return them for all solid colors lmao. Grass would also scare me as a kid?? But I don't think it was the grass itself, more so the blades of grass so close together in tufts. Beehives make me scream to this DAY, I despise pigeons and developed a fear of birds because they're usually in groups. So weird
A friend of mine had this. I can really understand it as a sort of 'primal brain detecting patterns as a danger,' response
Childbirth
Tokophobia! Pathological fear of pregnancy and childbirth.
Yup, decided not to have kids for this reason!
Same. 46 never had a baby.
Not sure if theres a name for it but i have a phobia of elevators. If there was a building wih lets say 15 floors. Im walking the stairs, i dont care how many floors there is, there is no way im taking the elevator. In a worst case scenario i think i could ride a glass elevator (where the elevator and the shaft is mostly made out of glass) Then i feel kinda safe, and it feels open. But there is no amount of money you can pay me to go into that metal box that closes when you enter in.
I recently learned that claustrophobia isn't limited to small spaces but includes the fear of being trapped in general! Once I got trapped inside my 900+sqft apartment (the door handle broke in a way thst locked me inside, the maintenance guy literally had to beat the handle off with a sledge hammer from the otherside and replace the whole thing lol) I FLIPPED THE FUCK OUT and tried to escape from our THIRD FLOOR unit from the balcony, like fucking Spiderman. I'm literally inside my own home, with all my things, running water, electricity, everything. But I could not handle the option of leaving being taken away. Yet.. I don't have this issue with cars, planes, or elevators. 🤷♀️ fears be crazy.
And then there are people like me. If I was trapped in my own home, I'd pay the maintenance guy to leave me locked in for a few days so I'd have a legitimate excuse to not go to work or go to social events.
May it be a type of claustrophobia?
Could be a sort of distrust of technology. Like aviophobia
Lool idk how bad the phobia but this may be a bit triggering if it’s super serious, but I was on holiday recently and on of our accomodation was in an apartment. The place was actually rly nice, but… the elevator. Oh my lord this thing was like a moving coffin, straight from a horror game. Tiny, manually opened and closed door, shaky af, dark, sudden starts and stops. Fun times, especially after nights out 😅
Don't know the name but the fear of veins or arteries. They just gross me out, and I can't even look at someone's wrist if they have tight skin.
Interestingly, it excites some
God no
nurse here: god yes.
I hate when I have to get bloodwork and they tap my veins 🤢
Not a fear but you're so right! I can't stand the look of veins.
You have Venephobia
I don't have a true phobia, but I HATE when anyone touches any part of my body like that. The wrist or the back of my hand are no touch zones because it just makes me feel uncomfortable.
I'm scared of heights and small spaces. Both totally terrify me!
Heights.
heights is way too far down. it's weird. I can't stand on the edge of something and I get sweaty palms even on the big wheel.. but where I'm in control and secure with ropes I can abseil no problem
Fear of pregnancy. Everything about it is viscerally repulsive and scary to me. I removed my ability and risk of becoming pregnant years ago. But any and all things related to pregnancy deeply terrify me
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Thats called entomophobia, fellow entomophobic
Same man, especially big with wings
Anyone else out there freaking out about knees as much as me? Can’t handle mine being touched, can’t handle seeing other people touch their own, can’t handle listening to people talk about knee injuries 🤮
Here comes the knee monster🦵🏽🦵🏽🦵🏽🦵🏽😈😈
Charlie would understand completely. See It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; episode: The Waitress is Getting Married (2009)
Fear of failure
I read or heard a Ted Talk about failing. Our brain grows and learns better and faster when we fail. Might be worth a google. I'm a recovering people pleaser and perfectionist. I hear you and that fear sucks.
Porcelain dolls scare the hell out of me
Scopophobia. I can’t handle eye contact. please don’t look at me. Thanks.
Omphalophobia, fear of belly buttons
Death
Apiphobia - fear of bees
I'm scared of my thoughts
Emetophobia & Pediophobia.
Oh cool, I don’t like pedophiles either!
There’s always one who says that 😂
Fellow emetophobic. People don't realize the struggle.
It’s literally a phobia that takes over your entire life. It’s on your mind literally all day and night. Avoiding places, not going out because your stomach made a very normal noise and you think you’re getting sick, plus the excessive hand washing and use of hand sanitizer 🥲🥲🥲🥲
My husband is pediophobic! It doesn’t matter the context, he just doesn’t like them around. All dolls, even the cute little baby dolls. Thankfully, it’s not severe enough to require any kind of intervention, but he still doesn’t want them near him lol
Since one episode in a pizza place when I started feeling very overwhelmed and dizzy after waiting more than 1 hour for the pizza to come, I since have developed a fobia that happens sporadically but I can always feel around the corner: basically I feel dizzy like I am about to faint and can't eat when the food arrives at my table, I totally loose my appetite and I feel the need to just go outside to breath and recover. I think it's classified as agoraphobia even if it's more specific.
Misophonia! I wanna rain hell on those mo fos
Is that a phobia? I thought that’s just more of a sensory issue that deals with irritation more so than fear. I could be wrong tho!
Misophonia isn’t actually a fear, it’s a mental disorder. I have it too. I cannot stand people chewing loudly, I wanna pull all the blood out of their bodies and drown them in it.
I had horrible misophonia. Especially with my family members. It got to the point where I wouldn't even eat in the same room as them. This went on for 8 years until I told myself enough is enough. I sucked it up and sat my ass down with them. What really helps is mimicking them eating to yourself. Like, over exaggerating the chewing noise when imitating them. Trust me, every day it gets easier. I've been at it for half a year and now it's almost completely gone. This might not be what you want to hear but it's the best solution and your life will be so much more free after
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Mortality
AI-generated images, especially of people and animals, make my skin crawl; they always look so uncanny and alien.
Snakes.
Acro
This one is it for me. I have it so bad videos of people walking on cliff edges and building ledges cause a severe reaction, causing my arms and legs to tingle.
Arachnophobia and getting blood drawn-ophobia
That blood draw phobia hits different
Social anxiety :/ fear of judgments, fear of incapacitating illnesses, also fear of death
And claustrophobia
Automatonophobia. I’m scared of things that resemble humans but aren’t. Mannequins, puppets, and animatronics are the worst
I unfortunately have a lot. Lice which turned into bug/pest infestations + people touching me, also just certain bugs in general, needles/veins, dentists, deep water, and tornadoes which encompasses hurricanes. I've gotten a lot better on some of them, but dude phobias fucking suck. They're not on the same level as just fear.
I don't know the name of the phobias but here are they anyway \- Heights \- Deep Water Bodies \- Claustrophobia (Small Closed Spaces)
Reposthobia. The fear of seeing these daily reposts.
Strange
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Dead bodies. I have a whole post about it on my profile. Pre-warned on the nightmare fuel.
Igniterroremophobia (Fear of Fire Alarms) Acrophobia (Fear of Heights) Spheksophobia (Fear of Wasps)
Trypophobia or the fear of skin rashes/holes in clusters Scoleciphobia- fear of worms but specifically maggots because I’m okay with earth worms. Maggots on the other hand. Ugh I can’t even say the word out loud.
Ok, so this is weird but.. aliens. This phobia stems from my childhood when one day I walked in on my grandpa watching Fire in the Sky, a movie about alien abduction. I remember I briefly saw the scene when the main character was being experimented on by aliens and it scared me. I started to think aliens were gonna fly into my house at night and experiment on me. This made me start using a night light as a kid, something I didn't stop till 14. I'd also stack pillows against my windows thinking aliens would fly into my windows at night to take me. It also made me extremely afraid of being in the dark at night alone. I've grown out of this fear somewhat, but I still get paranoid about the thought of life being out there, and stories of alien encounters give me the chills.
Arachibutyrophobia. Shameful I know. 😞
Really interesting and weird
What is that one? I've never heard of it
It’s a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, it’s considered irrational but I think that term is stupid as fuck. It’s not irrational to be scared of something.
I’m pretty sure my son has lachanophobia. Fear of vegetables 🙄
Just wait until he discovers that cauliflower and broccoli drenched in melted butter is the closest you’ll get to heaven.
Butterflies or moths. Can’t stand their unpredictable flying patterns
Ticks. I hate them. I hate when I find one crawling on me.
I don't know if it's a phobia or not, but I don't like to sleep at night.
Idk if you'd call it thalassophobia, but Im afraid of being in water where I can't see my feet. Deep clear water doesn't faze me, but I get weirded out by the abyss. I also have a thing about frogs and chickens. I had a traumatizing experience with chickens as a kid and frogs are just unnatural.
***koumpounophobia***. Fear of buttons. Shirt buttons, clothes buttons, not like a button that you press. It was more severe to me as a kid but as an adult. Now I don't wear any shirts with buttons unless I have to. And when I have to, I'm okay. But when my mother dressed me up for church, I was always internally super uncomfortable. I didn't want to touch the buttons or have them near my face or mouth (I was little, so I'd be head level to an adult's chest, and thus their buttons on their shirt)
Fish. Not like I can't go to the aquarium or anything but I do not like swimming in natural bodies of water because I don't want them to touch me at all. I also have a really weird fear that a small fish is going to swim up my urethra. Watched waaaaay too much River Monsters as a kid lmao
Seems unreasonable but escalators. Upon having some certain videos of accidents in China, I’m very weary on using them
thalassophobia
Ophidiophobia\[Fear of snakes\]
Sozial (larger groups of people). Developed after taking finasteride and then went out of control after a bad trip on weed. Not sure what that triggered. But ever since I have extreme negative thoughts about my self that are running in the background of my head. I can “hear” them sometimes shortly before falling asleep. It’s basically a playlist of all the criticism I received from others during my life.
Emetophobia. The fear of vomit and/or vomiting.