Phobias...

restlesspanther1 said:well... I mean, personally, I can't even look at a picture of a snake in a magazine without tossing it away immediately (I couldn't even hold back during my high school biology class)
not even a cartoon snake 😱

and if I actually saw one in person, I think I'd just drop dead on the spot

See, that’s where we cross into irrational territory, because you're saying you're afraid of the mere image itself! I wasn't trying to deny that snake phobias exist, but there's a big difference between having a natural, instinctual reaction to seeing a snake—which makes sense since they can actually be dangerous—and what you're describing, where the fear extends to pictures and drawings... once it reaches that level, it's definitely a phobia...😉
I was really just using the whole snake thing as an example to illustrate the distinction between a basic fear and a full-blown phobia....

restlesspanther1 said:yeah... but personally, I can't even look at a picture of a snake in a newspaper without tossing it immediately (I couldn't even hold it together during biology class)
not even a cartoon snake 😱

if I saw one in person, I think I'd just drop dead on the spot

What a coincidence, because I once totally lost it during biology over a photo of a massive tarantula. 😲 Then in chemistry, there was this huge spider crawling up the wall, and seeing it gave me a full-blown panic attack. 😢 My professor actually had to ask me to leave the room. And of course, you had that one girl in class making snarky comments like, "Ugh, could you not be so dramatic?" 🙄 😢

Funny enough, I actually had a moment just like that back in biology class when a picture of a massive tarantula popped up on the screen. Then, during chemistry, there was this huge spider crawling up the wall—the second I saw it, I went into a full-blown panic attack. My professor actually had to ask me to leave the room just to calm down. And then you have that one girl in the class who decides to make a snarky comment like, "Ugh, she really didn't need to have a meltdown like that, seriously..."

People who don't get it... yeah, they probably think it looks stupid

I can manage it better these days... though it really depends on how realistic the image looks 😬
I don't scream quite as much anymore... not that much 😬

But if it happens two days in a row? I'll completely lose my mind 😱

I even remember hearing a snake hiss on the TV once—without even looking at the screen—and it was absolutely terrifying 😱

Thankfully, nothing like that has happened to me in real life yet 🙂

restlesspanther1 said:if I ever saw her in person, I honestly think she would just drop dead on the spot

Now, I’ve always had a soft spot for animals—I even have a photo of myself with a snake draped around my neck😛
but when it comes to phobias, mine are more along the lines of those irrational, nonsensical fears. I suppose I have a certain aversion to specific objects, particularly if they look antique; I really can't bring myself to touch them😵
I get a bit uneasy with heights too, though perhaps not enough to stop me from riding a freefall tower or a spinning ride at Six Flags😬
those seem like pretty solid therapy for anyone dealing with severe phobias😬

if they're older, I just don't like messing with them

In what sense...? Like, are you implying they're dirty or what?

To be honest, I can't even give a rational explanation for why I'm so terrified of photos. 😬

restlesspanther1 said:In what sense... are you saying they're dirty, or why?

I suppose I am not entirely certain myself, particularly if they possess some sort of deep history or if they happen to be from somewhere else in the world.
For instance, if a friend were to bring me a traditional mask all the way from Indonesia, I might feel somewhat uneasy about touching it; I would pick it up, of course, but there would be this lingering sense of discomfort. I guess it is a complicated feeling, and I am not quite sure how to articulate it.😬

Alright folks, does anyone else here actually get scared of the dark? (Because I definitely do)
I honestly can't sleep unless there's at least a little bit of light in the room—like, maybe some moonlight filtering through the blinds so I can still see the outlines of my furniture. It doesn't matter how much I squint; if it's pitch black, I just get this wave of paranoia the second I open my eyes. It’s totally irrational, I know. Of course, that rule goes out the window if I come home after a few too many drinks and just crash... then I don't care at all about the lights.😁

Over the last few years, I’ve developed this totally panicky, uncontrollable fear of lightning. 😱
I can't quite put my finger on why. I grew up in the Midwest where massive summer storms are basically part of life. It’s not actually the thunder that gets to me—it’s the flash and the sudden burst of light from the strike itself... I start shaking and just can't act normal. I have to squeeze my eyes shut and take these really deep breaths... You can probably imagine how much everyone mocks me for it... It hits me wherever I am during a storm, even if I'm safely indoors. It’s honestly such a huge burden on my life... 😢
How do I make this stop? I’m constantly hunting for some logical, scientific explanation that will convince my brain that lightning isn't going to strike me directly. Does anyone out there have any smart advice?

Linda Chase81, look, no one is going to be able to help you if you stay stuck in this mindset, no matter how brilliant they are. If this stuff is seriously messing with your day-to-day life (which, honestly, it shouldn't—lightning isn't exactly hitting your house every five minutes, right?) and if you’re actually spiraling into panic attacks (though, based on how you've been describing things, I'm not totally convinced that's happening), then just go talk to a therapist. They'll probably hook you up with some kind of coping mechanism or therapy. 😉

Linda Chase81 said:Over the last few years, I’ve developed this panicky, totally uncontrollable fear of lightning. 😱
I honestly can't explain it; growing up in the Midwest, those massive summer storms were just part of life. It isn't even the sound of the thunder that gets to me—it's the flash and the sudden burst of light. I start shaking uncontrollably and lose my ability to act normal. I have to squeeze my eyes shut and try to breathe deeply just to function. You can probably imagine how much people mock me for it... it hits me wherever I am during a storm, even if I'm safely indoors. It’s seriously messing with my life. 😢
How do I make this stop? I’m constantly hunting for some logical, scientific explanation that will convince my brain that a bolt isn't going to strike me directly. Does anyone here actually have a smart answer?

Hmm... I don't want to make things worse for you, but science does confirm that lightning can strike whenever and wherever it feels like. Just think back to those news reports where someone was hit while lying in bed in their own room.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because I deal with this exact same fear, and whenever I find myself outside during a thunderstorm, I instinctively start standing on one leg.😁I have no idea if that actually helps in a real emergency, but when I went to the Smithsonian (which I did 😁 specifically to get more info), they told me the most important thing is to ensure you aren't part of a closed circuit. They mentioned cases where people were struck but survived simply because they managed to "ground" themselves properly. Honestly, even hearing that doesn't provide much comfort to me.🤔

So, I was leaning way out the window of my 14th-floor apartment this morning just watching the cars in the parking lot and some birds hanging out 😁

it’s not even that I’m scared of heights or anything... I guess I'm just totally terrified of ladders 😬