Wednesday

My fears and phobias


A long time ago now, Amber wrote a post of her fears and it inspired me. I'm an anxious, fearful person by nature so I have a lot of phobias and even more fears. Let's start with the worst and count down to the less fearful.

Edward Scissorhands
I know this is strange. I have no end of people telling me this is odd. Although I'm not entirely sure why it's so bizarre for people. Let me put it this way: A creepy pale man, who lives all alone in an even creepier, abandoned mansion, stabs a man and pushes him out of the window to his death. Oh, and did I mention he has scissors for hands? How is that not scary?

This is a frustrating one for me because I know, had I not been mentally scarred at a young age, I would have loved the film. However, I watched it when I was very young and we had a tomato plant outside our patio door. I would have been no older than 7, since we had moved out of that house by my 8th birthday. It was a windy night, the curtains were drawn and, as we watched the film, there was a steady tap-tap-tapping at the patio door. Of course, it was the tomato plant blowing against the window in the wind but I was convinced it was Edward Scissorhands tapping on the window. 20 years later, I still scream aloud when suddenly confronted with a photo of him. I can't deal with disembodied hands, like those ring holders you can buy. Last year, I managed to get over my fear of the soundtrack and can now listen to it without coming out in a cold sweat but the film? Nope.


Flying
More reasonable, yes? I took loads of flights as a kid. I loved flying. And then, aged 16, boom! Out of nowhere, I was on a plane and suddenly thought "This is it. I'm going to die". Since that moment, every time I've got onto a plane, I've looked down the aisle and realised that this is the place I will die. Of course it hasn't happened yet, but I'm still convinced it will one day.

Rich falling asleep before me
I have no idea. Funnily enough, this started after a plane journey. I'd got home from America, I was horrendously jetlagged and my body system was messed up for days. I started panicking when Rich fell asleep and it's stayed that way for the 3 years since. When we're in bed and I hear his breathing start to develop that "sleep sound", I freak out. Funnily enough, if we sleep in separate beds, in the same room, it doesn't bother me, but I'm not sure I want to sleep in different beds our whole lives. Sometimes it's ok but there are also some occasions when it gets really bad. I've tried Googling this but all I can find is a fear of oneself falling asleep. Am I really the only one with this problem?

Using the phone
I can't do it. I simply cannot use the phone. The people I can comfortably talk to on the phone, with no issues whatsoever, are Rich, my two brothers, and my mum. Although I can talk to my closest friends for the sort of "Where are you?" "I'll be there in 5 minutes" type conversations, I never call them up for a chat, and you better believe I never, ever call the bank, council or any other grown up establishment. I can go in and talk to them in person but use the phone? Nope.

Small talk
Ok, I know I just said I can talk to people in person but that was stretching the truth a little. If there's a purpose, say I need to transfer some money, or I need to post a parcel, I'm fine. Small talk, however, is not my thing. There's nothing I hate more than getting in the back of a taxi for the driver to say "So, where have you been today?" In fact, I tend to tip drivers more if they are friendly but quiet! Those people at the bus stop who decide to start talking about the weather? Terrifying. Shop assistants who come over and tell me all about their latest products? Understandably their job, but still scary. Don't be surprised if you ever talk to me and find I'm incomprehensible. 

These aren't my only fears. I'm also terrified of stag beetles and may bugs, the dark, the quiet, cloudy seawater, water on the end of my nose... Yep, I'm scared of everything!

27 comments :

  1. I too watched Edward Scissorhands when I was far too young really. I didn't find him scary but I just found the film impossibly sad. I'm really affected by music and found the soundtrack really haunting which left me very unsettled. I think I woke up crying every night for 2 weeks following the film!

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    1. It's definitely an emotional film and that soundtrack, while beautiful, is haunting.

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  2. I love Edward Scissorhands! But can get why anyone wouldn't...I also love flying (the take off and landing are amazing), but my Mum needs a stiff drink before she'll even set foot on a plane!

    My 'weird' fears are clowns (no explanation needed, I feel), jelly (the way it wobbles makes me sick), and how big cows' eyes are. THEY ARE SCARY. I think we all have our so-called (by others) irrational fears!

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    1. I'm glad you can understand it! Clowns are definitely scary and I can understand the wobbly jelly thing but cows' eyes? (Nice use of the apostrophe, by the way!)

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  3. Urgh, I'm exactly the same with phones. I can't even use mywork phone. Only people I'm comfortable ringing are my mum and my sister. Other fears include daddy long legs, the dark, moths, mirrors, the list goes on! Lisa x (@cthulhuwakes)

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    1. Mirrors freak me out too! Especially at night. There's no way I could sleep with a mirror facing my bed! Same goes for windows at night.

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  4. I can't do phones either. I'm slowly getting a bit better, but I rarely answer the phone to anyone but my mum and if I end up having to do a grown up hone call (or something goes wrong) I have to disappear for a bit to sort my breathing and try not to burst into tears. This seems to annoy people greatly.

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    1. Oh I'm the same! I can't have anybody else within hearing distance when I'm making "real" calls and I have to psyche myself up before I do it. I also need to have a pen and some paper because I need to doodle while I talk. It's strange!

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  5. Small talk freaks me out SO much - I just honestly can't manage it to save my life, which makes meeting new people kind of terrifying. I have no idea what to say to people, so I always end up being super awkward and telling people WAY more than they want to know.

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    1. Haha I'm the opposite. I'll just sit there and look at my hands until they say something.

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  6. Woodlice... woodlice creep me out. Anything that resembles a woodlice too.... centipedes, millipedes and armadillos. That weird folding body thing. ergh.

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    1. What about hedgehogs? They curl up in a ball. Kind of similar?

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  7. Oh my gosh small talk...not the biggest fan, I'm kind of obligated to because I'm a barista (small talk is a must-do while making someone's drink!!!) So any big plans for the weekend? How's the day going for you so far? Is this your usual? Ugh I get the same answers from EVERYBODY!!!

    PS: A phobia I have? ICE SKATING. Doesn't matter if it's indoors or outdoors, insta-panic attack if I see the skates!
    ~ Samantha
    samsamcherie.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh no! Working in an environment where I have to make small talk is my idea of a nightmare job! Oh I love ice skating but I can understanding the fear of the skates.

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  8. I can relate to the phone and small talk. If I don't know the number I won't pick up and wait for them to leave a message, I can't help it. And I'm crap at small talk

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    1. Yep, there's no way I'm picking up if I don't know the number!

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  9. I have the same with flying! Just randomly happened one day, I'm getting better now but I still hate it deep down! xx

    Jasmin Charlotte | Palette Giveaway

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    1. I definitely felt a lot better last time I took a flight but I'm still not a fan!

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  10. I haaaaate wasps! If I see one, I literally run and hide in the bathroom if I'm at home or refuse to go outside if it's flying outside the car nearby. :s x

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    1. They used to scare me but working in a school means you VERY quickly get used to herding wasps out of a classroom while kids run around screaming "A WASP! A WASP!"

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  11. I watched The Ring when I was 11, could not be in the same room with a turned off tv for at least 6 years! And there was no way I could SLEEP with a turned off TV, every single plug had to be taken out. I honestly thought I was going to die a week after watching it - so I totally understand your Edward Scissorhand fear!

    I'm unbelievably terrified of wasps now, I can't be in the same room.

    Don't worry about people finding you 'weird', the human mind is a tricky thing! :) I think all of these fears have good justifications anyway! My old fear of baked beans didn't have any justification haha!

    xx

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    1. Why would you do it? Why? I STILL haven't watched The Ring because I know it would terrify me!

      Yeah, baked beans definitely has no justification but I did just hear about someone else who has the same phobia!

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  12. I'm not sure about it being a phobia of mine as such, but I sort of understand the sleeping one. I cannot get to sleep at night if there is someone else in the room! I go to bed at least 30 minutes before my boyfriend so I can be asleep when he joins me and it really bothers me otherwise! And don't get me started on sharing hotel rooms with friends/family!
    Jen x

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    1. That's exactly what it's like with me! I'm ok with other people- It's just Rich. He has to leave me to sleep and come to bed once I'm asleep.

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  13. I'm with you on the phone one! I have a phobia of answering the phone and it also usually takes me a long time to work up the courage to make calls. I know what it stems from, as a child I had a problem that I couldn't hear properly on the phone when I answered it. My ears were tested but my hearing was fine. Because I couldn't hear on the phone I used to panic and this grew into a fear of answering the phone in the first place. Now if I can get away with my boyfriend makes any calls for me if he can. For my work some of my agencies contact me by email or text but some call me or need me to call them so if I want a role I do sometimes have to just go for it and use the phone. I've since worked out what the issue is, it's not that I can't hear on the phone it's that my brain has trouble processing the electronic sound so I know what the words are. I also have a problem with song lyrics, I often just can't make them out at all. Again it's being able to make out words from electronically produced sound. I'm guessing it may be some form of dyslexia, but I haven't actually had it checked out x

    Becky @ The Little Blog of Beauty

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    1. Oh that's interesting. It's great that you managed to get to the bottom of it and I hope you're finding ways to deal with it.

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  14. I wrote about phobias on my blog a while ago and how I hate when people say they have a phobia but haven't actually and don't understand how they can affect your life. I have a real phobia of spiders, no one really likes them but they cause me to have panic attacks and cry and need to be sick. Even seeing pictures of them or when people start talking about them I can't even listen and I have nightmares. Urgh can't do it! It's just always there, not like normal fear.

    You are not alone with being scared of people falling asleep before you! I have that fear and it used to be a serious fear when I was very young. For years when I was a kid I'd be terrified if I wasn't asleep by the time my parents went to sleep, it affected me so bad I would never stay at a friends house 'cos everyone would be asleep before me and I'd cry and have to go home! Used to be a right pain for my parents! Luckily it's not that bad anymore, but somestimes comess back! I feels ya girl!! xo

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