S/O of "bus" thread --Do you have a fear that controls you?

[Audrey]

There was a comment on another thread that "our fears can control us."

 

That made me think. Do I have a fear that really controls me? I mean, is there something that makes me do or not do something I would otherwise probably do were it not for that fear?

 

For me, yes. I cannot go in the ocean or natural bodies of water. A pool is fine. Why? Because I am afraid of sharks. I used to surf a LOT as a teen. I loved it. Loved. It. But one day, I was paddling out to catch a wave and got knocked off my board. Stupid me thought I just fell off but couldn't imagine why. Stupid me thought I must have knocked my hip hard on the board. Stupid me kept paddling out, rode in my wave, walked onto the beach and had my friends come rushing up. I didn't know why until one told me not to look down. But of course I did and there was blood running down out of me like crazy. I passed out around then. Turns out I was hit by a shark, which the medics and life guards and doctors figured was probably a mako (considering where I was surfing and the size/pattern of the bite).

 

So, even though I LOVED surfing, I could never bring myself to go back in the water again. Ever. Just can't do it. Jokingly, I say that I have an agreement with the sharks "I don't go in their house & eat them. They don't come in my house & eat me. So far the arrangement is working out well." But really, deep down when I hear about shark attacks I feel like I am going to throw up, and mine was really very minor. Really. Still I can't get over that fear which has now pretty much robbed me of ever enjoying a surf again. I dream about catching perfect waves, though. If I think about it too much, it makes me very sad.

 

So.... do you have a fear that controls you? Do you ever think you'll get over it? How do you cope with it? Do you try to laugh it off like me, or something else?

[melissel]

Oh Audrey! I think that's a completely understandable fear, and I don't think I could ever bring myself to go in again either! I've never had a run-in with a shark, and I can't bring myself to go in more than waist-high either.

 

Right now, the fear that controls me is flying. The idea of getting on a plane makes my brain want to try to escape out my ears and run for cover. I used to fly with no concerns at all, but since having kids, I jut can't bring myself to do it. Fortunately, at the moment, we're too busy and too broke to fly anywhere, but I know sooner or later I'll have to face it (DH is really wanting to go on vacation), and I have no idea what I'll do. I have visions of falling out of the sky and trying to comfort my girls as I go down that make me want to get in bed and not get out again.

 

Everything else is pretty manageable. This one, I just can't get past.

[olan719]

Oh Audrey! I think that's a completely understandable fear, and I don't think I could ever bring myself to go in again either! I've never had a run-in with a shark, and I can't bring myself to go in more than waist-high either.

 

Right now, the fear that controls me is flying. The idea of getting on a plane makes my brain want to try to escape out my ears and run for cover. I used to fly with no concerns at all, but since having kids, I jut can't bring myself to do it. Fortunately, at the moment, we're too busy and too broke to fly anywhere, but I know sooner or later I'll have to face it (DH is really wanting to go on vacation), and I have no idea what I'll do. I have visions of falling out of the sky and trying to comfort my girls as I go down that make me want to get in bed and not get out again.

 

Everything else is pretty manageable. This one, I just can't get past.

 

Me too! But I have always had a fear of flying. The irony is my brother is a pilot! :lol:

 

I haven't flown since my honeymoon over 8 years ago. And I don't plan to go anywhere on a plane anytime soon. I will definitely need some drinks and medication to help me out if I do - I think my fear has gotten worse.

 

Other fears I have: tornadoes. This one is not as bad since I have a safe room in my house. I still get nervous though when those sirens go off. I do dream frequently about seeing tornadoes and planes crashing from the sky! :eek:

[melissel]

Me too! But I have always had a fear of flying. The irony is my brother is a pilot! :lol:

 

I haven't flown since my honeymoon over 8 years ago. And I don't plan to go anywhere on a plane anytime soon. I will definitely need some drinks and medication to help me out if I do - I think my fear has gotten worse.

 

Other fears I have: tornadoes. This one is not as bad since I have a safe room in my house. I still get nervous though when those sirens go off. I do dream frequently about seeing tornadoes and planes crashing from the sky! :eek:

 

:lol: When I read this, I thought you said you had a fear of tomatoes. I had to go back and read more carefully, since I couldn't figure why your area would have tomato sirens!

 

And I thought for sure that you'd have said snakes :D

[olan719]

 

And I thought for sure that you'd have said snakes :D

 

That too!!! :lol:

[Murphy101]

I grew up around water. Lake water mostly.

 

swimming near the docks.

 

ewwwwwww.

 

but as a kid I never gave a thought to where the toilet on a boat flushed :ack2: or turtles that looked so neat to catch floating on logs nearby....

 

but I tell you the thought of letting my kids swim in the lake makes me a bit sick to my stomach.

 

my thing is spiders

i kind of loose my mind over anything bigger than a pencil eraser

 

I have many "funny" tales of my temporary insane moments

 

such as sitting on the bathroom counter after a shower to get up closer to the mirror to put on makeup (kwim?) and one of those big daddy long leg sized ones, but much bulkier and hairer (at least in my mind anyways) crawled up the wall next to my hand. I honestly do not remember ripping the towel bar out of the wall and repeatedly screaming my head off and beating that spider to death and in the process smashing the drywall and mirror. When my dad finally broke the bathroom door down all that was left was a naked me standing on the bathroom toilet holding a towel bar and drywall dust everywhere.

 

yes, indeed my dh keeps our house fairly well exterminiated. It's way cheaper than remodeling.

 

you know the section of the 1984 book where the guy just knows it's rats in teh box and he says "NO make her do it"? That's my dh with wasps/bees. Which is really horrible because *I* am the one allergic to the stings!! But we have an agreement that we love each other enough to understand and have no hard feelings about it.:D

[olan719]

 

I have many "funny" tales of my temporary insane moments

 

such as sitting on the bathroom counter after a shower to get up closer to the mirror to put on makeup (kwim?) and one of those big daddy long leg sized ones, but much bulkier and hairer (at least in my mind anyways) crawled up the wall next to my hand. I honestly do not remember ripping the towel bar out of the wall and repeatedly screaming my head off and beating that spider to death and in the process smashing the drywall and mirror. When my dad finally broke the bathroom door down all that was left was a naked me standing on the bathroom toilet holding a towel bar and drywall dust everywhere.

 

yes, indeed my dh keeps our house fairly well exterminiated. It's way cheaper than remodeling.

 

 

 

I am CRYING I am laughing so hard at this image!! :lol:

[Kelli in TN]

1) Snakes.

 

I literally cannot garden or tend my flowerbeds because I am terrified of snakes.

 

2) Tornadoes.

 

This is a fairly recent one, but I live in a community that has been slammed a couple of times with F4 and F5 tornadoes and we have no tornado shelter. So when a tornado comes we hunker down in our hallway and we do not assume that it will skip us yet again.

 

3) I40

 

I am paralyzed with fear by the way the large trucks travel on this highway. I will go hours out of my way to avoid I40.

 

 

4) Flying.

 

I just don't do that. At all.

[secular_mom]

I had a very close encounter with a cottonmouth snake in my garage. It touched my flip-flop shod foot, and freaked and hissed at me. It slithered underneath the mini-fridge, thank goodness it did not bite me.

There is a lake in our subdivision, and people fish there. There are ducks and crane looking birds (not sure what they are, cranes or erns?) and the kids love to go walk around the lake. I can NOT stand letting them close to that lake now, for fear of a venomous snake slithering out of the water/weeds and biting one of them.

The bus stop is next to the lake, and as I sit on the curb waiting for the bus to come I make sure I keep my feet folded up underneath me so they don't rest in front of the storm drain. I freak if the kids want to go over and watch the ducks while waiting for the bus. If it weren't for my encounter, I wouldn't think about the possibility so much, and I'd probably take DS fishing there.

 

So, it's really not a major fear (though I do have anxiety attacks sometimes when I step into the garage and the light is dim), and it doesn't control a major part of my life, it definitely has an affect on my activities.

[Jenny in Atl]

Dentist, doctors, and all that they entail... :tongue_smilie:

[Mabelen]

with a dead rat in my yard while my dh was away on a business trip. It involved a lot of deep breathing and pre-planning and it still took me a few attempts before I plucked up the courage to scoop up the thing and dispose of it! I am still afraid of live ones and I have plenty of other animal fears: spiders, snakes, bees, wasps, etc.

[elegantlion]

Spiders paralyze me. I'm getting better, but yuck! Snakes ironically don't bother me all.

 

Heights. I've lived here for over 3 years and there are two extremely high bridges in our town (shipping lanes). I have driven over them once, that was because I had to follow dh, it was when we moved here. I drive miles out of my way to avoid them. My goal is to conquer that before we move. I have no problem going over them with dh driving, but I literally shake at the thought of driving over them.

 

My real paralyzing fear is the inability to take real risks. I have some things I'd like to do, maybe it's a fear of rejection, maybe its the fear of judgment, or maybe its the fear of doing it wrong. I'm great at talking about them but when I have to reach out to others to help make it happen I suck. There have been times it feels like a real glass ceiling and I've confined myself to a box.

[jujsky]

Bees. I'm not allergic to them, but I'm scared to death of them. I read a quote once that said, "I hate bees. They're like flying death monkeys." That pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject. I have been known to run away from them screaming my fool head off all around a parking lot.

[Tree House Academy]

Almost seems a funny question to me....since I suffer from OCD that manifests as hypochondria. The fear of certain diseases, death, and dying can, at times, take over my life. I have not always been this way...it has increasingly worsened over the last 6 years to the point of being debilitating - even disabling at times. I wouldn't wish the kind of fears I have (usually irrational) on anyone. And the thing that my fears keep me from doing is living and loving life, enjoying my children and my husband - you know, the big stuff. :(

[Heather in Neverland]

Bees. I'm not allergic to them, but I'm scared to death of them. I read a quote once that said, "I hate bees. They're like flying death monkeys." That pretty much sums up my feelings on the subject. I have been known to run away from them screaming my fool head off all around a parking lot.

 

:iagree: Except I would add hornets, wasps and any other vicious stinging insect. I am terrified of them.

[jujsky]

:iagree: Except I would add hornets, wasps and any other vicious stinging insect. I am terrified of them.

 

Oh, yeah! The hornets, wasps, yellow jackets -- all those fall under the category of "bees" as far as I'm concerned. If it flies and can sting me, it's a bee!

 

It's truly sad when your 5 and 6 year old children have to explain to you that if you don't bother the bees, they will leave you alone ;)

[LauraGB]

Pharmaceuticals. I absolutely cannot take a prescription drug. I had an allergic reaction years ago to a sulfa drug for a UTI, and I have never ever been able to get another rx past my lips. Or the lips of my children for that matter. Once, I did give dd a rx for strep, but that is all. And I watched her like a hawk, asking every 10 minutes if she felt okay.

 

Its gotten worse over the years, to the point of not being able to take many otc drugs, either. I can still take a Tylenol if I don't turn the bottle so I can see the WARNING highlighted in yellow and red on the label, but if I accidentally see it, forget it.

 

It sucks. Thankfully, nothing terribly tragic has happened to any of us to warrant the absolute *need* to take much medicine, but if it did, I really don't think I would be able to deal with it.

[Tree House Academy]

Pharmaceuticals. I absolutely cannot take a prescription drug. I had an allergic reaction years ago to a sulfa drug for a UTI, and I have never ever been able to get another rx past my lips. Or the lips of my children for that matter. Once, I did give dd a rx for strep, but that is all. And I watched her like a hawk, asking every 10 minutes if she felt okay.

 

Its gotten worse over the years, to the point of not being able to take many otc drugs, either. I can still take a Tylenol if I don't turn the bottle so I can see the WARNING highlighted in yellow and red on the label, but if I accidentally see it, forget it.

 

It sucks. Thankfully, nothing terribly tragic has happened to any of us to warrant the absolute *need* to take much medicine, but if it did, I really don't think I would be able to deal with it.

 

Reading about Steven Johnson's did it for me. With me, it is always one step further - meds don't worry me, rashes don't worry me, something that can eat off my skin and kill me (or my kids) does!

[LauraGB]

Reading about Steven Johnson's did it for me. With me, it is always one step further - meds don't worry me, rashes don't worry me, something that can eat off my skin and kill me (or my kids) does!

 

Yikes! I had to look that one up - didn't know about that.

 

From sjsupport.org: "Almost any DRUG can cause SJS/TEN, including over the counter drugs. SJS & TEN do not discriminate against anyone! Everyone should be aware of allergic drug reactions."

 

Geeze.

 

I'm going to be a beast when I'm old and actually need to medicated.

[Tree House Academy]

Yikes! I had to look that one up - didn't know about that.

 

From sjsupport.org: "Almost any DRUG can cause SJS/TEN, including over the counter drugs. SJS & TEN do not discriminate against anyone! Everyone should be aware of allergic drug reactions."

 

Geeze.

 

I'm going to be a beast when I'm old and actually need to medicated.

 

Open mouth, insert foot :blush: sorry to mention that. I figured you knew. Yes, OTCs can cause it (some more than others). I was scared to give my kids motrin for a LONG time...but then my little one had a 104 fever and I decided to be a big girl and give him the med to make him comfortable and to let God do the "not letting him get SJS" thing. ;)

[Crissy]

my thing is spiders

i kind of loose my mind over anything bigger than a pencil eraser

 

 

My great fear is spiders as well.

It is ridiculous and irrational, but it still controls me.

 

My favorite brother-in-law is turning 50 in January. He has invited a number of us to his week-long celebration in Mexico but I just cannot go.

Not to Mexico for his birthday or to Hawaii for a vacation. I will never, ever go to Austrailia or New Zealand.

My heart starts racing and I feel sick when I think too long about spending time in a place with large spiders.

 

My husband will be photographing a couple of soccer matches in South America next year. When he told me about it I had to say, "You know I cannot go with you."

I will have to spend my whole life in the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

I sometimes read or hear about the things people do to deal with their fears, but most often it involves direct confrontation. As much as I would love to get past this, I cannot even IMAGINE intentionally getting close to a spider in hopes that I'll 'get over it'. Oh, my god. I think I would die on the spot.

Edited October 25, 2009 by Crissy
Too sick from the images in my head that I forgot to answer Audrey's questions.

[LauraGB]

My great fear is spiders as well.

It is ridiculous and irrational, but it still controls me.

 

My favorite brother-in-law is turning 50 in January. He has invited a number of us to his week-long celebration in Mexico but I just cannot go.

Not to Mexico for his birthday or to Hawaii for a vacation. I will never, ever go to Austrailia or New Zealand.

My heart starts racing and I feel sick when I think too long about spending time in a place with large spiders.

 

My husband will be photographing a couple of soccer matches in South America next year. When he told me about it I had to say, "You know I cannot go with you."

 

If you stay at a resort, you won't need to worry - they spray enough pesticides at those places that they have to pump in bird sounds through a sound system in the trees so it seems like there is anything alive at all.

 

Or at least they did when we were there (both in Hawaii and Mexico).

[joannqn]

I am CRYING I am laughing so hard at this image!! :lol:

 

:iagree: My reaction to spiders doesn't seem so bad anymore.

 

 

 

My big story is about bees. We were at my husband's then boss's house for a company bbq when the boss was telling this story about how his daughter had stepped on a hornets nest and got swarmed. He told about running to her, grabbing her, and running back into the house carrying her while swatting hornets. They both got stung several times. I replied that I would have left my daughter outside with the hornets. He told me my mothering instinct would kick in and I'd save her. Well, at some later date (I don't remember how long later), my daughter and I were outside in our backyard. Half the yard was clover and the other half grass. There were always lots of bees on the clover half. That day ONE measely little honey bee flew too close to me. I stood and ran screaming into the house...leaving my then one year old daughter outside with the bees. Ooops! Fortunately, it wasn't a swarming issue...just a single bee flying too close. She wasn't hurt or stung in anyway. She did go through a period of being terrified of any small flying insect though.

 

Oh, and I also have a fear of natural bodies of water. It isn't necessarily that I worry about sharks...it's the fact that there are living things in the water. That includes the plant life. It freaks me out. I used to swim with the surfers way out past the breaking waves. Not any more.

[Crissy]

:That day ONE measely little honey bee flew too close to me. I stood and ran screaming into the house...leaving my then one year old daughter outside with the bees. Ooops!

 

I did something similar when my older son was a baby.

I was holding him when someone told me there was a spider on his sock.

I dropped him and ran away. :glare:

[Jenny in Atl]

My great fear is spiders as well.

It is ridiculous and irrational, but it still controls me.

 

My favorite brother-in-law is turning 50 in January. He has invited a number of us to his week-long celebration in Mexico but I just cannot go.

Not to Mexico for his birthday or to Hawaii for a vacation. I will never, ever go to Austrailia or New Zealand.

My heart starts racing and I feel sick when I think too long about spending time in a place with large spiders.

 

My husband will be photographing a couple of soccer matches in South America next year. When he told me about it I had to say, "You know I cannot go with you."

I will have to spend my whole life in the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

I sometimes read or hear about the things people do to deal with their fears, but most often it involves direct confrontation. As much as I would love to get past this, I cannot even IMAGINE intentionally getting close to a spider in hopes that I'll 'get over it'. Oh, my god. I think I would die on the spot.

 

Take me with you! I will kill or at least shoo them away, so you need never set eyes upon them. :)

[Daisy]

I wonder if this is a fear or just a strong dislike. I'm not really afraid of something happening. Rather I dread it with everything in me. It does impact my behavior though.

 

Crowds.

 

I hate crowds.

 

Maybe it is a little bit of fear. I feel trapped.

 

I just cannot stand it.

 

BUT if my hubby is with me and I stayed glued to his side, I'm okay. I still hate it but I don't get that trapped feeling.

[Peela]

I try not to let my fears overpower me, and I deliberately will try and make sure I do something to overcome them...but of course there are still some. I have a fear of being out in the wide ocean on a boat. I am ok anywhere I can see the shore, or feel I could swim to shore. But out in the ocean, I feel too reliant on a boat. I like to be more reliant on my own skills, IYKWIM. I also have a terrible fear of scary rides at shows. Even large ferris wheels have me sitting on the floor of the carriage concentrating on my breathing and not looking over the edge. Again, its because I am not in control of my own safety- I am dependent on a machine, and they are fallible. The same with lifts. I once watched a horror movie as a child where the lift cable snapped, and I have never liked lifts since.

 

However....only last week I was out on the ocean in a boat, whale watching, and it was so worth it. On the way out there I just sat and breathed, as the swell was quite big.I wondered why no one else seemed at all concerned. But seeing a mother humpback and her calf swim around us for half an hour was worth it.

I also catch lifts regularly. Havent been on a ferris wheel for a while.

 

Dh has a fear of sharks, because two of his uncles were eaten by them when he was a kid. But he still dives and snorkels. Ds13 has picked up a fear of sharks too. But, when it comes to the crunch, he will still jump back in the water.

[Daisy]

But, when it comes to the crunch, he will still jump back in the water.

 

Crunch? Ouch. :lol::lol:

[Peela]

 

I hate crowds.

 

Maybe it is a little bit of fear. I feel trapped.

 

I just cannot stand it.

 

BUT if my hubby is with me and I stayed glued to his side, I'm okay. I still hate it but I don't get that trapped feeling.

 

Many people seem scared of crowds, I have heard.

I love crowds, because in a big crowd, I am completely anonomous. I am nobody. I love it. It's smaller groups, where I am noticed, that freak me out more. Not that I avoid them too much, but thats where my fear comes up.

[Crissy]

Take me with you! I will kill or at least shoo them away, so you need never set eyes upon them. :)

 

How 'bout if you just go in my place? :D

[Jenny in Atl]

How 'bout if you just go in my place? :D

 

It's a deal!

[swimmermom3]

 

My real paralyzing fear is the inability to take real risks. I have some things I'd like to do, maybe it's a fear of rejection, maybe its the fear of judgment, or maybe its the fear of doing it wrong. I'm great at talking about them but when I have to reach out to others to help make it happen I suck. There have been times it feels like a real glass ceiling and I've confined myself to a box.

 

Sitting here quietly, thinking hard on this one. It makes my palms sweat and my heart race. This fear vies with not doing all that I want to do with my kids before they leave. Okay. I also really don't like dark, dirty pools that weren't closed for the winter. Never know what could be floating in one...

[Mom-ninja.]

I will never have a "Welcome" sign or doormat. That's just inviting vampires in your house.

[Kelli in TN]

I wonder if this is a fear or just a strong dislike. I'm not really afraid of something happening. Rather I dread it with everything in me. It does impact my behavior though.

 

Crowds.

 

I hate crowds.

 

Maybe it is a little bit of fear. I feel trapped.

 

I just cannot stand it.

 

BUT if my hubby is with me and I stayed glued to his side, I'm okay. I still hate it but I don't get that trapped feeling.

 

 

Actually, I have a big problem with crowds as well. So I get that. I have major personal space issues. I don't know if it is a fear, but I do get anxious when people are in my personal space.

[Mabeline]

My great fear is spiders as well.

It is ridiculous and irrational, but it still controls me.

 

My favorite brother-in-law is turning 50 in January. He has invited a number of us to his week-long celebration in Mexico but I just cannot go.

Not to Mexico for his birthday or to Hawaii for a vacation. I will never, ever go to Austrailia or New Zealand.

My heart starts racing and I feel sick when I think too long about spending time in a place with large spiders.

 

My husband will be photographing a couple of soccer matches in South America next year. When he told me about it I had to say, "You know I cannot go with you."

I will have to spend my whole life in the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

I sometimes read or hear about the things people do to deal with their fears, but most often it involves direct confrontation. As much as I would love to get past this, I cannot even IMAGINE intentionally getting close to a spider in hopes that I'll 'get over it'. Oh, my god. I think I would die on the spot.

But here in the NW the spiders are bigger than in So. CA. I grew up there and when we moved here to the PNW I was surprised at the size of the spiders and ants. There are "garden spiders" outside our front door that I swear are the size of small tarantulas.

[newlifemom]

My great fear is spiders as well.

It is ridiculous and irrational, but it still controls me.

 

I will have to spend my whole life in the Pacific Northwest.

 

 

I sometimes read or hear about the things people do to deal with their fears, but most often it involves direct confrontation. As much as I would love to get past this, I cannot even IMAGINE intentionally getting close to a spider in hopes that I'll 'get over it'. Oh, my god. I think I would die on the spot.

 

First of all Crissy, I have to say that the PNW has its share of large spiders! :eek:

 

I can hardly go out in my yard b/c of them. Particularly in the late summer/early fall. Yikes! We had one outside my kitchen window that dh basically flamed to death. [He didn't want to get that close to it either.]

 

As for Hawaii, I would agree with the pp who said about the hotels being ok. I wouldn't go to a sugar cane farm or anywhere totally rural. FTR, the only tarantulas in Hawaii belong to people as pets. Thus the idea of one crawling on you like it did to Peter in the Brady Bunch is pretty unlikely. I know, I looked it up before I went. ;)

 

Now my sister went on a painting retreat in Mexico that was a touch more rural and spent the night with a wolf spider on her ceiling. She didn't sleep much. I would have left the house. I don't care how much it cost. :tongue_smilie:

[Pretty in Pink]

Not that I've ever been itching to do this, but I cannot, will not drink in front of my children. Ever. I am afraid of turning into an alcoholic like one of my parents.

[Kelli in TN]

Not that I've ever been itching to do this, but I cannot, will not drink in front of my children. Ever. I am afraid of turning into an alcoholic like one of my parents.

 

Really?

 

We openly drink in front of our children and we talk to them about moderation, alcohol, drunkenness. I guess we kind of figure the more open dialogue and modeling of appropriate alcohol use will be more effective than treating it as something evil.

[swimmermom3]

Really?

 

We openly drink in front of our children and we talk to them about moderation, alcohol, drunkenness. I guess we kind of figure the more open dialogue and modeling of appropriate alcohol use will be more effective than treating it as something evil.

 

I think Elizabeth was just stating her fear, not making a judgment call on drinking or not drinking in front of one's kids. For her, the act is one to be afraid of. Fears are personal. What I am afraid of, you may not be. However, if I knew someone was going to question my fears, I probably wouldn't share them here.

Edited October 25, 2009 by swimmermom3
misrepresentation

[Caitilin]

Really deep water is mine; looking at pictures of the sunken Titanic has a sick-making fascination for me. I don't like deep water because I can't see what might be down there. I am not especially afraid of what IS down there; it's the not KNOWING what's there that gets me.:tongue_smilie:

[Murphy101]

I will never have a "Welcome" sign or doormat. That's just inviting vampires in your house.

 

I think Elizabeth was just stating her fear, not making a judgment call on drinking or not drinking in front of one's kids. For her, the act is one to be afraid of. Fears are personal. What I am afraid of, you may not be. However, if I knew someone was going to question my fears, I probably wouldn't share them here.

 

Yes please don't make it a debate issue. It's not.

 

 

Honestly I totally understood her (said with glass of wine in other hand).

I can't think of much worse of a nightmare than becomming my mother.

[Crissy]

There are "garden spiders" outside our front door that I swear are the size of small tarantulas.

What?!

:crying:

My husband 'relocates' those who build webs near the house so I don't freak out on the way to the car (I don't do much gardening). I haven't seen any that big.

Except maybe the wolf spiders that were unfortunate enough to come into the house. Still, I know they're not as big as the hairy monsters in other places.

 

Now my sister went on a painting retreat in Mexico that was a touch more rural and spent the night with a wolf spider on her ceiling. She didn't sleep much. I would have left the house. I don't care how much it cost. :tongue_smilie:

 

Ugh!

I can hardly sleep when we've found one in the house. Even after someone has killed it. I cannot imagine staying in the same room with one. :001_huh:

[melissel]

What?!

:crying:

My husband 'relocates' those who build webs near the house so I don't freak out on the way to the car (I don't do much gardening). I haven't seen any that big.

Except maybe the wolf spiders that were unfortunate enough to come into the house. Still, I know they're not as big as the hairy monsters in other places.

 

 

 

Ugh!

I can hardly sleep when we've found one in the house. Even after someone has killed it. I cannot imagine staying in the same room with one. :001_huh:

 

Why oh WHY did I have to Google "wolf spider" after reading this??? :scared:

[emeraldjoy]

Being seriously emotionally hurt by the ones I love.

And heights. I am afraid I will jump.

[Mabeline]

Dentist, doctors, and all that they entail... :tongue_smilie:

Yup! My greatest fear is going to the dentist. I shake and get all clamy when I go to the dentist. I have to deep breath and unclench my hands when I sit in the chair. I love my dentist, he is the nicest guy. If he wasn't so nice I don't think I would go to another one. A few years ago we moved away from here and I didn't see a dentist the whole three years we were gone. My excuse is that I was tortured by dentists as a kid.

[asta]

Yikes! I had to look that one up - didn't know about that.

 

From sjsupport.org: "Almost any DRUG can cause SJS/TEN, including over the counter drugs. SJS & TEN do not discriminate against anyone! Everyone should be aware of allergic drug reactions."

 

I was really afraid of SJS until I had it. Eh. I even had it for a looonnnnggg time before anyone figured out what it was. I'm still here, and back on one of the drugs that caused it w/ no problems. At least I don't have the fear any longer!

 

My fears? Water depths (yes, depths, as in, seeing the drain at the bottom of a 12 foot deep swimming pool) - even though I'm a great swimmer. Probably due to having drowned and been resuscitated as a child...

 

And cockroaches. There are NO paper bags, boxes, or any other extraneous "roach food" products in my house. I've lived though one infestation of those vile, prehistoric creatures and never intend to again. Shiver.

 

 

a

[swimmermom3]

I can't think of much worse of a nightmare than becomming my mother.

 

 

oh my...that is so much worse than dark, dirty pools:svengo:

[Lovedtodeath]

I sometimes read or hear about the things people do to deal with their fears, but most often it involves direct confrontation. As much as I would love to get past this, I cannot even IMAGINE intentionally getting close to a spider in hopes that I'll 'get over it'. Oh, my god. I think I would die on the spot.

http://www.tapping.com has beginner's info on the Emotional Freedom Technique. You start slow by only stating or imagining the fear while tapping. Then if it only lessoned a little you say "Even though I still have some of this fear", and do the tapping again. Once you get to the point where imagining it causes no fear, then you can add details to your imaginative story... the spider is moving, jumping, on a web, in Australia, moving towards you... whatever makes the fear resurface, then you do more tapping. Once nothing you imagine causes fear then you move on to watching the spider on video or being in the same room with the spider.

 

I have got to tell you, this really works. I am too embarrassed to tell you the fear that I used it on.

[Lovedtodeath]

I am afraid of becoming my mother. It was paralyzing me and keeping us all living in CHAOS. Really. I had professional therapy for it.

 

I am also kept awake at night due to memories of a spinal tap that I had as a newborn. I am scared to death of anything touching my spine, and of anyone harming my baby, or my babies being in the hospital.

 

And heights. I am afraid I will jump.

Oh, I do this... if there is danger to be had, I always imagine plunging myself into it. Oh I hate it! Edited October 25, 2009 by Lovedtodeath

[elegantlion]

Why oh WHY did I have to Google "wolf spider" after reading this??? :scared:

 

My parent's basement has wolf spiders. Did I mention we lived down there for a few months between moves. I quit sleeping in bed after we discovered one on the bed after I had gotten up to use the restroom. I screamed so loudly I woke up my mother and she had to come rescue me. :001_huh: Dh had already left for work.

 

When we visit I no longer go into that room.

 

Do you ever watch Ghost Hunters? One of their investigators has that real fear of spiders and a few weeks ago he left a room because of it, I would do the same thing. I thought it was funny he's not afraid of ghosts but recoils from spiders. :lol: