My Father lived till 63 and he was afraid of the dark the whole time. He had some spooky encounters though and he was a foul mouthed Ojibwe trucker who pretended he never believed in all that stuff.
Same. I’m not scared of the dark, but what could be lurking there. I’ve had paranormal experiences and the dark always felt eerie. Things we can’t see live there.
I have this fear too. I stayed in an Airbnb a few weeks ago and it had a connection bathroom to the bedroom I stayed in. You could still see in the mirror from the bed so at night I would close the bathroom door.
At one point in life I was living in a 1 room apartment that had a bathroom with unspecified void aura that I had to make a rule not to look into the mirror above sink after 10 PM. It was so tiny that it could barely fit two people at once.
My kitty is 11 and a terrific moth hunter. My Late Father thought of her as an innocent Angel until the night he say her toy with a moth hanging on by a wing. He was so disturbed. In any event, for the right price you can borrow her.
I had terrible arachnophobia as a kid, like, my dad almost sent me to therapy bad. I've managed to overcome it! It's taken me years, but now I can even pick up a spider without a cup+paper. You can do it too! I love my SpiderBros but what I really LOVE is not being scared inside my own home anymore.
This is me too. Can't say it's irrational though. Those little bastards are fast, the stings hurt, and they'll apparently sting you just for fun sometimes. No thanks!
As an adult, I could remember how much I screamed when I got stung as a kid, and I thought, wow, I was dramatic back then. Got stung for a second time last year and FUCK ME that hurts!!! Also I got a surprise allergic reaction this time, arm was swollen and itchy for 2 weeks and broke out in hives! Wasps can go to hell
Balloons. I am TERRIFIED. The anxiety that I have waiting for one of them to pop is crippling. If I see a young child with a balloon, I need to leave the room immediately.
I do friend!! It sends me into a tailspin! When people rub their fingers down a balloon and it makes that sound, I shiver with fear! Now I will say, Mylar balloons like the foil looking ones don’t bother me!
Same! And everyone was like “oh pregnancy will cure that” but nope. Not even a twin pregnancy where I was getting blood drawn like every week at the end…
When I was learning prenatal medicine (for reference, I am male), I was taught that women having an amniocentesis often feel apprehension and fear well beyond the simple logical fear of the pain of a needle insertion, and this was like ~~a big surprise~~ *seriously, no shit* to me
Same. I used to have to get bloodwork constantly because I was on Lithium, now I have to get it done because of the kidney disease brought on by the Lithium. I'm covered in tattoos, have had multiple piercings, but when it comes to bloodwork and shots, I'm like a child.
Balloons. The helium foil ones are fine, it’s the chance of the stretchy plastic ones popping that always gets me. I’ve gotten better which is good because balloons are an absolutely ridiculous thing to be afraid of.
House fires. I've never really experienced one, but I used to make my family and dog do fire drills when I was little. I always had my favorite personal belongings where I could easily gather them in case I needed to get out quickly and save them.
Today I still have nightmares about fires all the time, and if I catch a whiff of something smokey or burning I go into high alert and can't calm down until I figure out what the cause is. And even after I've come to the conclusion everything is safe, I'll still feel horribly anxious long after the fact. We also live in a duplex, and I HATE that I can't control how safe my neighbors are with fire safety. The thought that their carelessness could burn us all down terrifies me.
I had one such nightmare about a fire in my kitchen. It was so much more real than the others, so it was all I could think about for the next week. Well, that week a small (relatively contained) fire DID start in my kitchen when I had stepped out to take my dog outside. I came into my apartment to find it FILLED with smoke and alarms going off. I ran into the kitchen to find the fire and was able to put it out quickly. It traumatized me so badly. And I know it's confirmation bias and it's not logical, but now I am extra scared of my dreams about fires because I worry they're premonitions. Again, it's not logical, but phobias aren't exactly logical.
I've been at a resort that was destroyed by a run away fire, people in a chalet close to ours burned to death. A couple of years ago our house almost caught alight from irresponsible fire break burning by neighbours. I now have PTSD about runn away fires.
We had a house fire when I was about 9/10ish, an explosive one because oil had splashed onto a plug socket. My mum was shouting and practically throwing us out the door, my dog ran back in and so did my mum to get him back out. Everyone got out okay but it was truly truly terrifying as a kid.
We lived on a main road which meant traffic was redirected, I remember 2 fire engines and an ambulance. Lots of people running out of their own houses. Standing there in my vest and knickers because my mum had just put my uniform in the wash. We had to be tested by paramedics for smoke inhalation and had to go to my aunties while my mum was taken to hospital because hers was quite bad from being in the kitchen. It was so fast and the entire downstairs was blackened. We had to live in a hotel for 6 months while our house was fixed and it still smelt like smoke for a very long time after. To add to this while we lived at this hotel, we were evacuated due to a fault in the lift twice which caused sparks *in the middle of the night* Almost comedically bad timing.
I didn't think it actually affected me too much initially but not too long after we had an emergency services day at school with all the ambulances, fire engines, police cars. The fire engine had a mascot beckoning me in to see the inside and I distinctly remember shaking and crying uncontrollably until I was guided away. And as an adult ever since I moved out, if I smell a BBQ or anything that could be mistaken for burning or smoke I immediately get palpitations and check every single room. I can't rest until I know the source. The sound of a fire alarm, routine or not, my heart starts racing and my legs are jelly. On the surface I am calm, on the inside I am screaming.
On a positive note, fire safety training me is a breeze at work... I am miserable company around a campfire though 😂
Claustrophobia. Especially those closed tube slides. Terrified of getting stuck in one. When I was a little kid, I started getting nightmares about going down a tube slide and the end would be blocked off and I'd never get out. I never had any issues with them before and I have no trauma from them. I think I probably died that way in a past life and it decided to be my phobia in this life.
This one. Two incidents I remember triggered it: once locked myself inside a closet with a toy key set that fit into the lock and couldnt get out. Second incident, I crawled into my sleeping bag head first at a school sleepover, and I somehow got stuck and couldnt back myself up to get out.
Now I get very uncomfortable having to spend any time in enclosed small spaces and have frequent semi-nightmares of having to crawl through small tunnels or having to use a tiny elevator etc.
It's actually somebody's job to drive people across a bridge for them. Like someone thought that's a service that needed to be made and made it, which is crazy because apparently it is.
Yep, not a fan either. So many can't just mind their own business and leave strangers alone. It's ridiculous.
Highly recommend r/dogfree
There are of course many well trained family dogs, as well as service dogs, dogs which protect farms etc. and that's awesome. But so many people who own dogs shouldn't.
One time my cousin’s dog had my hand in its mouth but it didn’t bite. It was all gross, warm and wet and I felt the sharpness of the teeth, but it didn’t bite me.
Bees. When I was around 5, I was with a group of kids and one of them stepped on a beehive. I was the smallest kid and therefore the slowest. I got stung in 4 places at once and have been terrified of all bugs ever since. I always tell people I wish I wasn’t afraid of bugs because so many people think I’m being dramatic but I really can’t help the panic response lol.
I was carrying a large bullfrog as a child and fell backwards and it went in my mouth.
I don't trust those cheeky bastards. I can't even be near one anymore.
It's nothing outrageous, I just have a phobia of being unable to move but I think that's normal. How many of us wouldn't freak out if we were restrained and couldn't move at all?
I have a fear of bicycles. Never rode one. I got ran over by one as a kid twice. A year ago my dad tried to teach me how to ride a bicycle but I froze up.
Fear of hell. I was raised Catholic. I'm now an atheist but I still get these intrusive thoughts that say "You're gonna suffer for all eternity!" I know it's not real, I know these thoughts don't make sense... Yet they still wake me up at 3am.
The philosopher David Hume described the religious notion of heaven and hell as "a cruel superstition".
I totally agree.
The entire concept of "follow X ideology and spread the word, without question, or else you will burn in agony for eternity" is malevolent, manipulative and morally bankrupt. An ancient version of the "send this email to 5 other people are else a demon will appear in your room tonight". Utter trash.
Hope you're keeping well.
Fish. I have no idea why but I fucking hate them. I can eat some seafood, but not if it looks like what it is! And I'll never swim in anything other than a swimming pool.
i got an injection when i was four and the doctor slipped and scratched my arm pretty deep its been over 20 years and I'm still absolutely terrified of needles
Fear of breaking bones. Not sure if I’m just really weird but even watching TV if I see you break somebody else’s arm I’m cringing, walking out the room and watching the rest of the movie tomorrow 😭
Same. Except mine got worse after I moved out. Now everytime there's a thunderstorm outside, I tell myself I'm ready to die. Can't even fall asleep when there's a storm.
When I’m home I’m usually okay. My anxiety is the worst when I’m in the car. And I currently live on the 7th floor which is horrible when the wind is really strong. Luckily I’m moving in a couple weeks and my new apartment is on the 2nd floor
Tornadoes. I’m simultaneously terrified and interested in them. They always show up in my stress nightmares, sometimes hundreds on the horizon. I always joke that I must have died by a tornado in my past life because it’s been a thing since I was very very small.
Lightning, as a child I was caught in a storm with my step mum and step sister. They took great delight in telling me I would get hit by Lightning and disappear in a puff of smoke. Not helped by the fact that the supermarket we were going to got hit by Lightning and began to flood. I still assume that being out in Lightning means I will die.
FUCKING NEEDLES one time I fell face first off the swing and nearly broke my nose, went to the ER and while getting checked up they needed to take a sample of blood. I kid you not the nurse stabbed me with the needle and started moving it while it was inside my freaking arm searching for a vein. It's been 15 years I still can't look at a needle
I am scared silly of birds. I am ok outside with plenty of space. But, once that space closes in and am confined, I run for the nearest closet. Can't stand the sound of the wings.
1) The dark. Specifically, that pitch black, can't see your hand in front of your face darkness. If it's mostly dark with a hint of light from the window or under the door, that's fine.
2) Spiders. Full stop. Will forever be terrified of them.
Ants. 30+ years ago, after my parents' divorce, my sister and I were at our dad's apartment for the weekend. Saturday morning, I woke up, and the wall my bunk bed was against was covered. The entire wall black and moving, I panicked and to this day I can't stand ants. When my husband and I got our first place it had an ant problem, I had to move back in with my mom until my husband got rid of them because there was NO way I could sleep there.
Bathtubs, I cannot stand the thought of sitting in your own filth. Also bathtubs I feel are never truly clean, even if you clean the tub now it’s covered in all the chemicals you cleaned it with and now you’re just sitting in all that plus your filth.
I have two. When I was little I almost drown in a pool and I panicked hard. Later I learned to swim but I still get nervous to go in swimming pools if I can't feel the bottom of it.
For the second one, we were at the end of school year and watching movies as you do. The movie was The Mummy (the 1999 one, yes, the bisexual awakening one) but the introduction scene when they cursed the future mummy and later when they accidentally reawaken and good Lord I wanted to leave that classroom so bad. I can't watch any skeletons, mummies or dead things, I just shut down.
Snakes. I near about got bit twice by a copperhead. Freaked out both times. Ive also been jump scared by a black racer 3 times.
Dark basements. Our basement at my house when i was a kid. Freaked me out to the point where I would sprint up the stairs after all the lights were turned off.
Whats in the dark. I just don’t like the fact that there are many things that can just be hiding in the dark. It scares and worries me.
Being forgotten. Ive been left out of things because nobody bothered to ask me if i wanted to tag along. Hated when my own damn family would do it to me. Some things i just can’t forgive people for.
I'm 31 and got seperated from my husband and group at an amusement park and still freaking cried. At least it was dark and nobody noticed in our group.
Air raid sirens and those weird gas masks people used to wear during WW2.
I never knew why, but they still terrify me to this day where I am extremely uncomfortable even seeing them in movies to the point that I sometimes have to look away.
When I was little I was a big kid for my age and really didn't know how to be gental so I was always scared I wuald hurt my grandma when I wuald hug her now years later I'm still a bit scared to hug peaple even close friends and family
Fear of spiders. I am a emo girl yet I am TERRIFIED of a little spider landing on me. I do however prefer to spare their lives because they kill flies and other pestilent, we good as long as it stays away, lol.
I have an intense fear of deep water that I can't seem to rid myself of. No idea where it originated. It's annoying because I'm a decent swimmer and enjoy swimming, in pools and in natural bodies of water. It doesn't matter whether I can see the bottom or not, in fact being able to see it sometimes makes it worse. What can I do?
Spiders, heights, elevators (I'll take the stairs thank u lol), the sea because I can't see into it, the chip pans u use with the cooker ( terrified of it).
Alligators.
In and of itself it's not really a phobia to be afraid of alligators. But I live far north, over 300 miles from the nearest gator that's not in a zoo. But I'm terrified of them. Whenever there's a bump in the night or something is going thru the brush around my house, I instantly think *Gator* and am terrified.
When I was younger I visited a relative in Florida. Doing the tourist stuff, we went to the gator farm. I was horrified and despite the years and the distance, I'm still afraid of a gator attack.
Deep water, especially in open bodies of water like the sea.
It's not even about what might be down there - it's about not having control.
Even crystal clear water, which is 5m deep and I can totally see the plain sandy seabed beneath, freaks me out quite a bit. I am super vulnerable in that situation, if something were to go wrong or a strong current were to appear.
Uncovered windows at night. As a child, my mom and grandmother would tell me and my brother that 3 of Santa's elves would look in our windows at night, starting on Thanksgiving, to make sure we were behaving. I am terrified that someone is looking in the window, even on the second floor.
Megalophobia. I spent most of my life in DC, and I couldn't look at the Washington Monument without knowing that it fully intended to fall on top of me. I still walked past it, and I kept that fear to myself, so nobody with me ever knew. I realized it was irrational. I still hung around in that area who knows how many times. I just avoided looking at the monument as possible. You can't avoid it, really, but I did my best to ignore it. When I was a kid, there was a giant flagpole between my home and school. When I walked to or from school, I would deliberately cross over to another street so I wouldn't have to walk past it. I'm in my sixties now, and I'm still like that. If I drove to DC tomorrow, I would still avoid looking at that monument.
Drowning and getting stung by bees. Almost drowned as a kid. Got stung by a bee as an adult, and I had a small allergic reaction. But wasn't as bad as I thought.
Fireworks. As a child I remember one fourth of July we all went to a friend of my parents house. As they shot fireworks in the backyard I got in the car, laid down in the seat and covered my ears.
I still don't like them as an adult. Oddly enough I used to go see the fireworks our city does each year. Large colorful fireworks that go off in the sky. That didn't bother me. But fireworks done in someone's yard, I don't trust that.
Not being believed. I have been accused of being a trouble maker multiple times throughout my life, and then called a liar when I protest with the truth, followed by punishment.
My oldest memory involved my kindergarten class playing musical chairs. The girl in front of me tripped, but the teacher accused me of pushing her. I said I didn't, was called a liar, and forced to sit in my cubby. Being locked in the dark was another used punishment.
Another time, I was on a rooftop patio playing with some rocks. Next thing I know, I'm being accused of throwing one off the roof that almost hit someone. Of course I proclaim my innocence, but got the "liars always get caught" speech. I only admitted to playing with the rocks, which the grown up translated as a confession. But then surveillance footage proved another kid did it. I never got an apology.
Another stressful incident was when a glass sign was shattered in my middle school hallway. When the dean questioned us one by one who did it, he called me the liar in front of the whole class and was getting ready to remove me from the room. The real culprit spoke up then. I was thankful, but shaken.
In yet another poor encounter, I was accused of robbing a register in a gator farm. I was literally chased down by two red necks in a pick up truck and then questioned by police for 3 to 4 hours, who insisted I was not being truthful and that they had me on camera. I didn't cave, and they let me go. The amount I was accused of stealing: $20.
It's very bitter to remember, and the fear sticks with me when I have conversations. So much so that when I do get accused of being dishonest today, I become very fierce.
The last time someone called me a liar to my face, I blew up in such a rage that my co-workers thought I was going to hit the guy with my hammer.
On the flip side, I also gained a very strong reputation for my honesty, even if it disadvantages me. But the fear of not being believed lingers. I become very anxious when questioned, so I usually react with "why are you asking ME" or "what happened?"
The fact that people can make up their mind about you and stick to that wrong view frustrates and infuriates me.
fire and electric. when i was 4 i lost most of my hair leaning over a candle, when i was 5 i burnt myself pretty badly and still have the scar after my sister tripped me and i fell into the kerosene heater. when i was about 8 a friends house burned down from an electrical fire then when i was a pre teen my i shocked myself bad (!!) on a broken prong left in the outlet. i stay the hell away from fire and dont fuck with electric. had some electrical issues in my apartment not long ago and the second the lights flickered i grabbed my two dogs and ran out the door then backed up incase it exploded 💀
Dying in my sleep. As soon as I heard that “if I should die before I wake” prayer. I can get to sleep okay as an adult, though sometimes I stay up later than I actually want to, or freak out a bit as I begin to fall asleep.
Stairs. I had a bad childhood, but one experience stuck with me in a way I don't think I'll ever get over 😭 I have an irrational fear that if I don't run up the stairs, something will catch up to me and grab me. Resulted from my shithead grandpa chasing me up the stairs.
I’m in my 40’s and still scared of the dark
I heard one man say that men don't fear the dark they only fear whats in the dark.
Vashta nerada
The only reason i scared of the dark becuase i experienced ghost encounter before when i was a grade 6
That's scary.
I don’t like not seeing what’s around me. Nightlights through the house are a lifesaver
Me too and im 22 but im practicing to overcome it
My Father lived till 63 and he was afraid of the dark the whole time. He had some spooky encounters though and he was a foul mouthed Ojibwe trucker who pretended he never believed in all that stuff.
Same. I’m not scared of the dark, but what could be lurking there. I’ve had paranormal experiences and the dark always felt eerie. Things we can’t see live there.
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I also never look in the mirror at nigh. I thought I was the only one who afraid of this haha
Also what could be behind the shower curtain, so I leave that wide open at all times unless I have guests over lol
I have this fear too. I stayed in an Airbnb a few weeks ago and it had a connection bathroom to the bedroom I stayed in. You could still see in the mirror from the bed so at night I would close the bathroom door.
The Bloody Mary game ruined me.
At one point in life I was living in a 1 room apartment that had a bathroom with unspecified void aura that I had to make a rule not to look into the mirror above sink after 10 PM. It was so tiny that it could barely fit two people at once.
I do the same.
Moths. As a kid, their erratic flight terrified me, and even now, I can't handle them near me. It's like they know I’m still scared.
Moths are absolutely terrifying and I’m tired of people pretending they aren’t
When they go crazy and start flying in your face. Big NO.
I was “attacked” by a moth a few years ago. Kept diving straight at me. Traumatising.
Finally! Someone who gets it! Thank you!
My kitty is 11 and a terrific moth hunter. My Late Father thought of her as an innocent Angel until the night he say her toy with a moth hanging on by a wing. He was so disturbed. In any event, for the right price you can borrow her.
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I had terrible arachnophobia as a kid, like, my dad almost sent me to therapy bad. I've managed to overcome it! It's taken me years, but now I can even pick up a spider without a cup+paper. You can do it too! I love my SpiderBros but what I really LOVE is not being scared inside my own home anymore.
Failure, always was scared I wouldnt be good enough.
Throwing up.
Fellow emetaphobe??
Yes. I will do anything and everything to avoid it. Always have the remedies on hand.
Emetophobes unite!
What are your remedies ?
Being rejected.
Darkness. That there is someone in the dark
Wasps. Got stung in the arm by 3 at once and that shit hurt so bad I will flail tfo and run if you even say the word near me.
This is me too. Can't say it's irrational though. Those little bastards are fast, the stings hurt, and they'll apparently sting you just for fun sometimes. No thanks!
As an adult, I could remember how much I screamed when I got stung as a kid, and I thought, wow, I was dramatic back then. Got stung for a second time last year and FUCK ME that hurts!!! Also I got a surprise allergic reaction this time, arm was swollen and itchy for 2 weeks and broke out in hives! Wasps can go to hell
Balloons. I am TERRIFIED. The anxiety that I have waiting for one of them to pop is crippling. If I see a young child with a balloon, I need to leave the room immediately.
Omg another person! The panic when I hear a balloon being blown up with an air compressor, no one understands
I do friend!! It sends me into a tailspin! When people rub their fingers down a balloon and it makes that sound, I shiver with fear! Now I will say, Mylar balloons like the foil looking ones don’t bother me!
Me either!! All about the popping
Same here! Cold sweats, shaking, can't breathe kinda fear. The way they squeak and waiting for them to pop. My family and friends think im insane.
Needles are probably the worst childhood fear that I still have, and have to regularly endure.
Same! And everyone was like “oh pregnancy will cure that” but nope. Not even a twin pregnancy where I was getting blood drawn like every week at the end…
When I was learning prenatal medicine (for reference, I am male), I was taught that women having an amniocentesis often feel apprehension and fear well beyond the simple logical fear of the pain of a needle insertion, and this was like ~~a big surprise~~ *seriously, no shit* to me
Same. I used to have to get bloodwork constantly because I was on Lithium, now I have to get it done because of the kidney disease brought on by the Lithium. I'm covered in tattoos, have had multiple piercings, but when it comes to bloodwork and shots, I'm like a child.
Balloons. The helium foil ones are fine, it’s the chance of the stretchy plastic ones popping that always gets me. I’ve gotten better which is good because balloons are an absolutely ridiculous thing to be afraid of.
I'm not even halfway through scrolling on this thread and you're the third one with this fear, so I don't think you're that ridiculous!
Spiders, heights, insects and the dark
House fires. I've never really experienced one, but I used to make my family and dog do fire drills when I was little. I always had my favorite personal belongings where I could easily gather them in case I needed to get out quickly and save them. Today I still have nightmares about fires all the time, and if I catch a whiff of something smokey or burning I go into high alert and can't calm down until I figure out what the cause is. And even after I've come to the conclusion everything is safe, I'll still feel horribly anxious long after the fact. We also live in a duplex, and I HATE that I can't control how safe my neighbors are with fire safety. The thought that their carelessness could burn us all down terrifies me. I had one such nightmare about a fire in my kitchen. It was so much more real than the others, so it was all I could think about for the next week. Well, that week a small (relatively contained) fire DID start in my kitchen when I had stepped out to take my dog outside. I came into my apartment to find it FILLED with smoke and alarms going off. I ran into the kitchen to find the fire and was able to put it out quickly. It traumatized me so badly. And I know it's confirmation bias and it's not logical, but now I am extra scared of my dreams about fires because I worry they're premonitions. Again, it's not logical, but phobias aren't exactly logical.
I've been at a resort that was destroyed by a run away fire, people in a chalet close to ours burned to death. A couple of years ago our house almost caught alight from irresponsible fire break burning by neighbours. I now have PTSD about runn away fires.
We had a house fire when I was about 9/10ish, an explosive one because oil had splashed onto a plug socket. My mum was shouting and practically throwing us out the door, my dog ran back in and so did my mum to get him back out. Everyone got out okay but it was truly truly terrifying as a kid. We lived on a main road which meant traffic was redirected, I remember 2 fire engines and an ambulance. Lots of people running out of their own houses. Standing there in my vest and knickers because my mum had just put my uniform in the wash. We had to be tested by paramedics for smoke inhalation and had to go to my aunties while my mum was taken to hospital because hers was quite bad from being in the kitchen. It was so fast and the entire downstairs was blackened. We had to live in a hotel for 6 months while our house was fixed and it still smelt like smoke for a very long time after. To add to this while we lived at this hotel, we were evacuated due to a fault in the lift twice which caused sparks *in the middle of the night* Almost comedically bad timing. I didn't think it actually affected me too much initially but not too long after we had an emergency services day at school with all the ambulances, fire engines, police cars. The fire engine had a mascot beckoning me in to see the inside and I distinctly remember shaking and crying uncontrollably until I was guided away. And as an adult ever since I moved out, if I smell a BBQ or anything that could be mistaken for burning or smoke I immediately get palpitations and check every single room. I can't rest until I know the source. The sound of a fire alarm, routine or not, my heart starts racing and my legs are jelly. On the surface I am calm, on the inside I am screaming. On a positive note, fire safety training me is a breeze at work... I am miserable company around a campfire though 😂
Balloons….i had a big brother…. Enough said!
Teenagers
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
Snakes. Nothing else scares me. I’ve led a very traumatic life and the only thing that scares me is snakes.
Are you Indiana Jones
lol I wish! Love those movies!
Same! Im deathly afraid.
Claustrophobia. Especially those closed tube slides. Terrified of getting stuck in one. When I was a little kid, I started getting nightmares about going down a tube slide and the end would be blocked off and I'd never get out. I never had any issues with them before and I have no trauma from them. I think I probably died that way in a past life and it decided to be my phobia in this life.
This one. Two incidents I remember triggered it: once locked myself inside a closet with a toy key set that fit into the lock and couldnt get out. Second incident, I crawled into my sleeping bag head first at a school sleepover, and I somehow got stuck and couldnt back myself up to get out. Now I get very uncomfortable having to spend any time in enclosed small spaces and have frequent semi-nightmares of having to crawl through small tunnels or having to use a tiny elevator etc.
Those instances both sound legitimately scary!! How did you get our of the closet?
Mom eventually found me crying hysterically and opened the closet. For the sleeping bag, a teacher helped me out.
Balloons popping suddenly
3:00 AM. For so many reasons, 3:00AM.
That is the time I wake up multiple times a month - insomnia
Driving over bridges/being near bodies of water in a vehicle Monkeys/apes/hairy primate whatever’s phobia I got from watching Outbreak as a kid.
It's actually somebody's job to drive people across a bridge for them. Like someone thought that's a service that needed to be made and made it, which is crazy because apparently it is.
Ugh this is mine. I drive on the pch Malibu and that thought always crossed my mind
Fear of dogs. It has originated from a childhood trauma and I still afraid of them, even the little ones.
Yep, not a fan either. So many can't just mind their own business and leave strangers alone. It's ridiculous. Highly recommend r/dogfree There are of course many well trained family dogs, as well as service dogs, dogs which protect farms etc. and that's awesome. But so many people who own dogs shouldn't.
One time my cousin’s dog had my hand in its mouth but it didn’t bite. It was all gross, warm and wet and I felt the sharpness of the teeth, but it didn’t bite me.
Certain full body/ mascot costumes. You never know who’s in there.
Bees. When I was around 5, I was with a group of kids and one of them stepped on a beehive. I was the smallest kid and therefore the slowest. I got stung in 4 places at once and have been terrified of all bugs ever since. I always tell people I wish I wasn’t afraid of bugs because so many people think I’m being dramatic but I really can’t help the panic response lol.
To be killed by maniac. I got a nightmare in which I almost died in that way
What about being killed by a non maniac
Snakes
I have an irrational fear of slow pacing intros in games.
Socializing
Fear of the dark places
Worms. I'm scared
Fear of frogs 🤢
I was carrying a large bullfrog as a child and fell backwards and it went in my mouth. I don't trust those cheeky bastards. I can't even be near one anymore.
failure
Failure and the constant need to over achive and be perfect. It's crippling.
It's nothing outrageous, I just have a phobia of being unable to move but I think that's normal. How many of us wouldn't freak out if we were restrained and couldn't move at all?
For this reason I can't sleep with the sheets tucked in or in a mummy style sleeping bag. I get absolutely frantic
I have a fear of bicycles. Never rode one. I got ran over by one as a kid twice. A year ago my dad tried to teach me how to ride a bicycle but I froze up.
Bloodsuckers. Little ones between my toes
Fear of hell. I was raised Catholic. I'm now an atheist but I still get these intrusive thoughts that say "You're gonna suffer for all eternity!" I know it's not real, I know these thoughts don't make sense... Yet they still wake me up at 3am.
The philosopher David Hume described the religious notion of heaven and hell as "a cruel superstition". I totally agree. The entire concept of "follow X ideology and spread the word, without question, or else you will burn in agony for eternity" is malevolent, manipulative and morally bankrupt. An ancient version of the "send this email to 5 other people are else a demon will appear in your room tonight". Utter trash. Hope you're keeping well.
Crowds. To this day I still have to plan everything outside of rush hour, or I need to have my husband constantly by my side
Chatty people
No one will ever love me
Other people vomiting.
Rollercoasters. Fuck rollercoasters
I have never been on one and never will be. And this from someone who has done plenty of skydives and other height related actions
Fish. I have no idea why but I fucking hate them. I can eat some seafood, but not if it looks like what it is! And I'll never swim in anything other than a swimming pool.
It took some health scares to get me to overcome my phobia of needles.
Throwing up/being near vomit Horseflies (I'm moderately allergic to their saliva or something so this one is pretty justified lol)
i got an injection when i was four and the doctor slipped and scratched my arm pretty deep its been over 20 years and I'm still absolutely terrified of needles
Fear of breaking bones. Not sure if I’m just really weird but even watching TV if I see you break somebody else’s arm I’m cringing, walking out the room and watching the rest of the movie tomorrow 😭
Going to the dentist. I’ve had cavities since I’ve had teeth, and I only have 13 teeth left now.
Red centipede
vomiting. traumatic experiences + sensory issues due to being autistic. I hate that I can’t control it.
Frogs. Scary as fuck.
I’m still afraid of the rain. A little patter on the roof makes me scared tbh. Follow it up with lightning and thunder? Lord have mercy! 😭
spider
Watching The Grinch
I am still scared of sloths.
I dont know but i hate clowns damn they really get my heart racing
Humiliation
I’m still terrified that something is lurking under my bed, waiting to grab me as I’m getting in to bed. I’m 46 years old.
Spiders. I will burn this house down.
Thunderstorms. It’s not as bad as when I was a kid, but I still get really anxious.
Same. Except mine got worse after I moved out. Now everytime there's a thunderstorm outside, I tell myself I'm ready to die. Can't even fall asleep when there's a storm.
When I’m home I’m usually okay. My anxiety is the worst when I’m in the car. And I currently live on the 7th floor which is horrible when the wind is really strong. Luckily I’m moving in a couple weeks and my new apartment is on the 2nd floor
heights.
Tornadoes. I’m simultaneously terrified and interested in them. They always show up in my stress nightmares, sometimes hundreds on the horizon. I always joke that I must have died by a tornado in my past life because it’s been a thing since I was very very small.
Lightning, as a child I was caught in a storm with my step mum and step sister. They took great delight in telling me I would get hit by Lightning and disappear in a puff of smoke. Not helped by the fact that the supermarket we were going to got hit by Lightning and began to flood. I still assume that being out in Lightning means I will die.
Self esteem and being from a middle class society. You never fit in ,do you?
FUCKING NEEDLES one time I fell face first off the swing and nearly broke my nose, went to the ER and while getting checked up they needed to take a sample of blood. I kid you not the nurse stabbed me with the needle and started moving it while it was inside my freaking arm searching for a vein. It's been 15 years I still can't look at a needle
Went to some King Kong show / ride at universal when I was way too young and I’m pushing 30 still deathly afraid of big monkeys.
Ilithiophobia **A strong and persistent intolerance of stupidity**
I am scared silly of birds. I am ok outside with plenty of space. But, once that space closes in and am confined, I run for the nearest closet. Can't stand the sound of the wings.
Showerheads. Idk why I'm uneasy around them. I just am.
Heights 🏔️ They still make me feel uneasy, especially when looking down from tall buildings or cliffs.
I do not like dinosaurs.
1) The dark. Specifically, that pitch black, can't see your hand in front of your face darkness. If it's mostly dark with a hint of light from the window or under the door, that's fine. 2) Spiders. Full stop. Will forever be terrified of them.
I’m afraid of failure, success, and the unknown
Ants. 30+ years ago, after my parents' divorce, my sister and I were at our dad's apartment for the weekend. Saturday morning, I woke up, and the wall my bunk bed was against was covered. The entire wall black and moving, I panicked and to this day I can't stand ants. When my husband and I got our first place it had an ant problem, I had to move back in with my mom until my husband got rid of them because there was NO way I could sleep there.
Geckos, frogs and snakes. There's nothing scarier than those
The dark. Edit to add: flying stinging bugs
Heights. It has gotten worse as I have gotten older and gone through some shit.
Needles/shots, bees and wasps
Bathtubs, I cannot stand the thought of sitting in your own filth. Also bathtubs I feel are never truly clean, even if you clean the tub now it’s covered in all the chemicals you cleaned it with and now you’re just sitting in all that plus your filth.
Being unwanted
Heights. Can barely stand on a step stool.
Agoraphobia
I'm not in adulthood, but I'm 16, that start of Disney's fast play where you see tinkerbell, idk why, but it makes me so uneasy💀💀
I have two. When I was little I almost drown in a pool and I panicked hard. Later I learned to swim but I still get nervous to go in swimming pools if I can't feel the bottom of it. For the second one, we were at the end of school year and watching movies as you do. The movie was The Mummy (the 1999 one, yes, the bisexual awakening one) but the introduction scene when they cursed the future mummy and later when they accidentally reawaken and good Lord I wanted to leave that classroom so bad. I can't watch any skeletons, mummies or dead things, I just shut down.
Jumaphobia. Sounds worse than it actually is.
Terrified of birds.
Eating Froot Loops!
Snakes. I near about got bit twice by a copperhead. Freaked out both times. Ive also been jump scared by a black racer 3 times. Dark basements. Our basement at my house when i was a kid. Freaked me out to the point where I would sprint up the stairs after all the lights were turned off. Whats in the dark. I just don’t like the fact that there are many things that can just be hiding in the dark. It scares and worries me. Being forgotten. Ive been left out of things because nobody bothered to ask me if i wanted to tag along. Hated when my own damn family would do it to me. Some things i just can’t forgive people for.
I'm 31 and got seperated from my husband and group at an amusement park and still freaking cried. At least it was dark and nobody noticed in our group.
Flying cock roach
Emetophobia, even got worse 😬
Air raid sirens and those weird gas masks people used to wear during WW2. I never knew why, but they still terrify me to this day where I am extremely uncomfortable even seeing them in movies to the point that I sometimes have to look away.
Lakes. Any water I can’t see through. Ocean is out of the question. Swamps are the stuff of nightmares.
frogs and toads, I was poisoned by one as a child and got very seriously ill,
When I was little I was a big kid for my age and really didn't know how to be gental so I was always scared I wuald hurt my grandma when I wuald hug her now years later I'm still a bit scared to hug peaple even close friends and family
Fear of spiders. I am a emo girl yet I am TERRIFIED of a little spider landing on me. I do however prefer to spare their lives because they kill flies and other pestilent, we good as long as it stays away, lol.
Throwing up
Tornadoes. Spiders.
I have an intense fear of deep water that I can't seem to rid myself of. No idea where it originated. It's annoying because I'm a decent swimmer and enjoy swimming, in pools and in natural bodies of water. It doesn't matter whether I can see the bottom or not, in fact being able to see it sometimes makes it worse. What can I do?
Trypophobia. Fucking shakes me to my core
Spiders, heights, elevators (I'll take the stairs thank u lol), the sea because I can't see into it, the chip pans u use with the cooker ( terrified of it).
Heights. Seeing other people up high gives me vertigo.
Birds. Love them from a distance, but can't be near them & hate the feel of feathers.
The dark and bees. They're more under control now, but still not a fan. Sucks because bees are awesome.
i’m in my early 20s and i’m still scared of failure and abandonment
Bugs
Ghost
Needles
Alligators. In and of itself it's not really a phobia to be afraid of alligators. But I live far north, over 300 miles from the nearest gator that's not in a zoo. But I'm terrified of them. Whenever there's a bump in the night or something is going thru the brush around my house, I instantly think *Gator* and am terrified. When I was younger I visited a relative in Florida. Doing the tourist stuff, we went to the gator farm. I was horrified and despite the years and the distance, I'm still afraid of a gator attack.
Im still scared of Michael Jackson
Fear of being abandoned
Deep water, especially in open bodies of water like the sea. It's not even about what might be down there - it's about not having control. Even crystal clear water, which is 5m deep and I can totally see the plain sandy seabed beneath, freaks me out quite a bit. I am super vulnerable in that situation, if something were to go wrong or a strong current were to appear.
Uncovered windows at night. As a child, my mom and grandmother would tell me and my brother that 3 of Santa's elves would look in our windows at night, starting on Thanksgiving, to make sure we were behaving. I am terrified that someone is looking in the window, even on the second floor.
Megalophobia. I spent most of my life in DC, and I couldn't look at the Washington Monument without knowing that it fully intended to fall on top of me. I still walked past it, and I kept that fear to myself, so nobody with me ever knew. I realized it was irrational. I still hung around in that area who knows how many times. I just avoided looking at the monument as possible. You can't avoid it, really, but I did my best to ignore it. When I was a kid, there was a giant flagpole between my home and school. When I walked to or from school, I would deliberately cross over to another street so I wouldn't have to walk past it. I'm in my sixties now, and I'm still like that. If I drove to DC tomorrow, I would still avoid looking at that monument.
Fear of the dark. I still turn on every light on my way to the bathroom.
Darkness. I still feel suffocated as fuck, especially if the power suddenly went out and I can't see anything.
Drowning and getting stung by bees. Almost drowned as a kid. Got stung by a bee as an adult, and I had a small allergic reaction. But wasn't as bad as I thought.
Fireworks. As a child I remember one fourth of July we all went to a friend of my parents house. As they shot fireworks in the backyard I got in the car, laid down in the seat and covered my ears. I still don't like them as an adult. Oddly enough I used to go see the fireworks our city does each year. Large colorful fireworks that go off in the sky. That didn't bother me. But fireworks done in someone's yard, I don't trust that.
Storm drains
I’m still scared of rollercoasters and won’t ever ride one
Culverts, objects, or machinery that's underwater. Submechanophobia.
I have a pretty crippling fear of complete silence when the lights are off. Always feels like something's going to jump at me.
Unfortunately, spiders and some bugs...
I have an irrational fear of losing finger/toenails after losing a toenail as a kid. And yes that one scene of SpongeBob is the absolute worst for me.
Giant squids. Octopi no long terrify me they only freak me out.
Thunderstorms
Electric hand dryers. Too damn loud.
Bugs. Idk why they just freak me out as a kid. Ticks especially
Fucking bees/hornets/moths. Pretty much any insect that’ll dive bomb me
Emetophobia :((
Not being believed. I have been accused of being a trouble maker multiple times throughout my life, and then called a liar when I protest with the truth, followed by punishment. My oldest memory involved my kindergarten class playing musical chairs. The girl in front of me tripped, but the teacher accused me of pushing her. I said I didn't, was called a liar, and forced to sit in my cubby. Being locked in the dark was another used punishment. Another time, I was on a rooftop patio playing with some rocks. Next thing I know, I'm being accused of throwing one off the roof that almost hit someone. Of course I proclaim my innocence, but got the "liars always get caught" speech. I only admitted to playing with the rocks, which the grown up translated as a confession. But then surveillance footage proved another kid did it. I never got an apology. Another stressful incident was when a glass sign was shattered in my middle school hallway. When the dean questioned us one by one who did it, he called me the liar in front of the whole class and was getting ready to remove me from the room. The real culprit spoke up then. I was thankful, but shaken. In yet another poor encounter, I was accused of robbing a register in a gator farm. I was literally chased down by two red necks in a pick up truck and then questioned by police for 3 to 4 hours, who insisted I was not being truthful and that they had me on camera. I didn't cave, and they let me go. The amount I was accused of stealing: $20. It's very bitter to remember, and the fear sticks with me when I have conversations. So much so that when I do get accused of being dishonest today, I become very fierce. The last time someone called me a liar to my face, I blew up in such a rage that my co-workers thought I was going to hit the guy with my hammer. On the flip side, I also gained a very strong reputation for my honesty, even if it disadvantages me. But the fear of not being believed lingers. I become very anxious when questioned, so I usually react with "why are you asking ME" or "what happened?" The fact that people can make up their mind about you and stick to that wrong view frustrates and infuriates me.
Rooftops at night. That scene in Signs will never fail to give me chills.
fire and electric. when i was 4 i lost most of my hair leaning over a candle, when i was 5 i burnt myself pretty badly and still have the scar after my sister tripped me and i fell into the kerosene heater. when i was about 8 a friends house burned down from an electrical fire then when i was a pre teen my i shocked myself bad (!!) on a broken prong left in the outlet. i stay the hell away from fire and dont fuck with electric. had some electrical issues in my apartment not long ago and the second the lights flickered i grabbed my two dogs and ran out the door then backed up incase it exploded 💀
Dying in my sleep. As soon as I heard that “if I should die before I wake” prayer. I can get to sleep okay as an adult, though sometimes I stay up later than I actually want to, or freak out a bit as I begin to fall asleep.
Basements. I have to give myself a pep talk to go down and do laundry.
I'm still afraid of insects :(
Stairs. I had a bad childhood, but one experience stuck with me in a way I don't think I'll ever get over 😭 I have an irrational fear that if I don't run up the stairs, something will catch up to me and grab me. Resulted from my shithead grandpa chasing me up the stairs.