What is your irrational fear?

Darzog · Post by **Darzog** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 4:26 pm

If I had a spider phobia that would definitely trigger it.

And if you had something similar but as a snake I wouldn't be able to sleep near it either.

Attached is a picture similar to what my neighbors have and if it's on the ground I can't walk within about 10 feet of it. And once I see it, I have to watch it intently if it is in my line of sight. I can't walk past it without turning around and keeping my eye on it until I go around a corner.

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:00 pm

C Elegans wrote:Here is a photo of the plush spider in question. It's about 25 cm across, the body is maybe 8-9 cm. I think it is so cute. What do you think, would this trigger your phobia?

It would have done when I was little but my phobia is no where near as bad anymore - in fact I happily sleep in my flat and its full of real spiders

Its really only spiders that look a certain way that bother me lol

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:14 pm

@CE,
I think the spider is great!

Though, admittedly, I don't have a spider phobia. I always wanted a pet tarantula when I was a kid, but my parents just weren't supportive *sniff*

A number of years ago my SO and I were in Mexico, and coming back from a meal one night, we saw a tarantula squatted just outside of our door. Much to my SO's horror (I was pregnant at the time) I knelt relatively near so I could take a look at it....beautiful animals IMO.

Sorry, I know this thread was about fears and not spider appreciation

More on topic, I tend to be afraid of some illnesses, stuff like meningitis, for example, but I don't know if you could really call that irrational, since the consequences of contracting such a disease can be so severe.... Equally, I'm nervous about eating fish when out, but that is because I have an anaphylactic reaction to several species.

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 6:21 pm

C Elegans wrote:A question to all spider phobics: A friend of mine with spider phobia recently stayed in our flat. He was sleeping in our computer room but - his phobia is so strong so I had to remove my toy spider which is hanging from a lamp in the ceiling! He said he could never sleep in the same room as this spider!

Here is a photo of the plush spider in question. It's about 25 cm across, the body is maybe 8-9 cm. I think it is so cute. What do you think, would this trigger your phobia?

I probably wouldn't want it hanging over my head if that's where it was located (not a fun way to wake up at night, looking up to see that) but otherwise I'd be fine with it. I would probably be more afraid of the fact that you find such a thing "cute" as opposed to "tacky".

Dottie · Post by **Dottie** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:01 pm

TonyMontana1638 wrote:I would probably be more afraid of the fact that you find such a thing "cute" as opposed to "tacky".

Cute and tacky are surprisingly often one and the same.

Darzog · Post by **Darzog** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:41 am

dragon wench wrote:... stuff like meningitis, for example, but I don't know if you could really call that irrational ...

Well, you could say that my fear is not irrational because snakes can be dangerous. I'm not talking about people being aware that something is dangerous.... not wanting to stick your finger in a cobra's mouth is rational but isn't a fear.

I'm talking about things that are out of line.... like being afraid of styrofoam

D ) or how dibilitating my fear of snakes is. Not wanting to contract meningitis isn't a fear; not allowing strangers to get within 10 feet of you for fear of contracting it would be irrational though.