Phobias...

Mon O Ton said:I'm terrified of depths and can't stand standing next to those massive ships. If I somehow fell into the water between a huge vessel and the pier, I'd probably die of pure terror.
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Same here... if I ended up in the water right next to a massive ship, I'd lose it immediately.

I have a genuine fear of falling. It’s perfectly normal if I’m on the 20th floor of a skyscraper with a sturdy railing. But if I’m just a foot off the ground on a ladder without anything to hold onto? Well... 😲

www.phobialist.com

neonmarlin2 said:Megan Reed, you really made my day. It’s honestly such a refreshing feeling when you realize someone is actually listening and—more importantly—actually remembers(!) what you said. Much appreciated... 😘

-la. 😬 😳 🙂 👋

I find myself experiencing a sudden, inexplicable tightness in my throat whenever I am confronted with the sight of a mousetrap.😲

I have a bit of a phobia when it comes to stairs. It’s not all of them—thankfully, because my life would be pretty limited if it were 🙂—but sometimes it really gets to me. For instance, if there are a ton of them, or if they're those steep, winding ones without a handrail... It isn't even an issue while I'm climbing; it's the descent that triggers me. My palms get sweaty, my heart starts racing, I struggle to breathe... it's pure panic. If there's a sturdy railing, I can manage, but without one... 😬

I’ve always had this deep-seated fear of the water... and look, it’s not like I can't swim or anything. It’s just that once I hit a certain depth and I catch a glimpse of what's beneath me, a wave of pure panic hits so hard that I have to scramble back to shore immediately. The only way I can actually enjoy being out there is if I'm with a group and I don't let my mind wander too much.

I am right there with you... honestly, just thinking about it is giving me anxiety right now.

But for me, it's specifically when the ocean gets murky and I can't see the bottom. My mind starts racing, imagining something lurking down there waiting to snap at me. In a swimming pool? I'm perfectly fine.
It isn't even the thought of drowning that gets to me—it's the idea of some sea creature or shark coming out of the dark. 😬

I'm honestly low-key terrified of ladders...

Like, I can scramble all the way up to the top of a tree without breaking a sweat... but a ladder? Yeah, no thanks, absolutely not chance in hell😁

rapidtinker2 said:I actually have a phobia of stairs. It isn't all of them—thankfully, because my life would be pretty much over otherwise 🙂—but certain ones really get to me. For instance, if there are too many, or if they're spiral stairs without a handrail, things get dicey. The weird part is that I don't feel it while going up, only when I'm heading down. My palms start sweating, my heart races, I struggle to breathe... it's pure panic. If there's a sturdy railing, I can manage, but without one? It's terrifying. 😬

I deal with the same thing. It only happens when I'm walking down, specifically with certain types of stairs. It's hard to describe, but it's usually those ones where the pattern makes it impossible to tell where one step ends and the next begins. 😁

As for ladders, I barely touch them anymore. Two rungs is my absolute limit. 😁

Even boarding a boat gives me a bit of anxiety. 🙄 😁

Absolute nightmare. Moths are my literal kryptonite. I’m not even joking—I will actually die screaming if I spot one. I can't even sleep at night if I have a suspicion there’s one lurking in the room; I just lie there listening for that tiny, faint fluttering sound. If I hear it? Game over. I’m pulling the covers over my head regardless of how hot it is, just paralyzed by fear. It’s pathetic, really.

Jessica Wright said:I experience this with stairs, but only when I'm heading down. It happens on certain ones—it's hard to explain which ones, but usually where the pattern makes it tough to see where one step ends and the next begins.😁

That’s exactly how it feels for me, too. It's a relief to know I'm not alone! 😘 My biggest struggle is having to navigate those specific stairs and needing someone to help me, even if it's just holding my hand for stability. Most people just laugh, not realizing that in those moments, I'm actually living through a total nightmare.

restlesspanther1 said:I'm with you... honestly, I'm starting to panic right now.

But only if the water is murky and I can't see the bottom. I start spiraling, thinking something's going to grab me or something... even in a pool with five people in it.
The thing is, I'm not afraid of drowning. It's the seaweed and the jellyfish that get me.😬

That’s why I stick to sandy beaches. If I feel even a tiny bit of seagrass brush against my toe, I'm out. It sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud, but experiencing it? Pure nightmare.

Jessica Wright said:I get that feeling with stairs, but only when I'm heading down—specifically the ones where the pattern makes it impossible to tell where one step ends and the next begins.😁

Look, calling these "phobias" might be a stretch, but I absolutely loathe those kinds of stairs. My university has a set that leads down to the basement that’s exactly like that, and don't even get me started on spiral staircases. 😵 😬 It’s not like knowing I’ve wiped out on them more times than I can count actually helps my confidence, either. 🥳

Acrophobia!

I realized I had it while I was hiking up Mount Rainier... specifically when I reached the edge of that observation deck where the paragliders launch. My heart just dropped... wow.
I’ve never felt anything quite like that before. It was intense. 😲
Basically, if there's a sturdy railing or some kind of barrier in place, I'm fine.

😁

I honestly thought I was immune to phobias, but reading through this thread makes me realize I’ve been living in denial... 😬
Here’s my list:
When I’m swimming, I have this absolute need to see the bottom. If I can't make out the floor, pure panic sets in. It wasn't always like this, but a few years ago I witnessed a rescue operation for a drowning victim, and ever since... it's one thing to read about those situations, but seeing it happen in person is an entirely different beast...

Snakes... 😱 To be honest, I’m terrified of anything reptilian or amphibian. I can handle looking at them behind glass at a local pet shop, but out in the wild? Fear just paralyzes me to the point where I can't even move. I once spent what felt like five minutes—though it felt like an eternity—standing frozen right in front of a snake. I didn't start sprinting like a lunatic until it finally decided to slither off on its own...

As for heights, I'm perfectly fine as long as there's a sturdy railing.

Susan Booth42 said:night moths...

Is that right?
I can’t quite pinpoint when things started going south, but it’s intense—always right on the edge of some kind of disaster.
One time, one flew right into my face mid-shift... I mean, forget professionalism, I just bailed before they could even shoo it away.
Then I spent the rest of the day twitching because every little shift in the shadows was sending me into a total panic.
And god, they are hideous. Just plain ugly.
At this rate, it’s turning into this frantic, mindless waving of arms at regular butterflies too.

Initially, people thought I was being ridiculous, but then they realized I wasn't kidding around—you can probably tell by the way I look, the heavy smoking, the wide eyes... honestly, there's no way I'm staying functional while some specimen is hovering nearby. So now they actually keep them away from me.
But then everyone else loses their minds and it turns into a complete circus.

Robin Diaz4 said:Snakes... 😱 honestly, I’m terrified of just about any reptile or anything that slithers; I can handle looking at them behind glass at a local pet store, but out in the wild, the fear just completely paralyzes me—I once stood frozen in front of a snake for what felt like five minutes, though it felt like an absolute eternity... I didn't even start sprinting away like a madwoman until the snake finally decided to move on elsewhere...

As for heights, my only real issue is if there isn't a sturdy railing to hold onto.

The thing about phobias is that they are inherently IRRATIONAL fears, and that's really what sets them apart from "normal" fears... It's perfectly natural to feel afraid of things that actually pose a threat to us, things where there's a genuine danger present... like a snake or falling from a ledge... But phobias are classified as disorders specifically because they're irrational and aren't triggered by any actual, real-world peril. Not every single fear qualifies as a phobia...

Susan Booth42 said:Moths are an absolute nightmare. Seriously, I would probably die screaming if I spotted one. I can’t even sleep at night if I have a suspicion there’s one lurking in my room; I find myself just lying there, straining to hear that faint, rhythmic fluttering of wings. If I hear it, I’m burying myself under the covers regardless of how sweltering it is in the room. It's pure, unadulterated terror.

This takes me back to my old college roommate... 😍 she once refused to even step foot in the bathroom—and she actually had to go, too—because she was convinced a moth was waiting for her inside. She wouldn't budge until I finally got back to the apartment and chased the little intruder away.

silverfalcon7 said:Phobias are, by definition, IRRATIONAL fears...

Exactly. I was actually just about to suggest that what we're discussing might not even qualify as a phobia, but rather just a perfectly reasonable fear of snakes. A true phobia? That’s more like my friend, who—and I am being entirely literal here—actually passes out cold if she even catches a glimpse of a snake in a newspaper photo...

Phobias are IRRATIONAL fears, and that’s the fundamental distinction between them and "normal" fear... It isn't some inherent sickness; it is perfectly natural to feel afraid when faced with an actual threat—something like a snake or falling from a skyscraper... But phobias? Those are clinical issues precisely because they are irrational and triggered by zero real-world danger. Not every single fear qualifies as a phobia...

That’s true... but take me, for instance. I can't even look at a photo of a snake in a magazine without tossing it away immediately (I couldn't even hold it together during biology class once)
Not even a cartoon snake, 😱

If I actually saw one in person, I honestly think I’d drop dead on the spot.