Fears

[Katie M]

This might seem like an odd topic, but I'm curious.

I was just introduced to a game called Siren Head, which is about a Slender Man-like creature with (obviously) sirens for a head. It can produce siren noises, as well as emergency alerts, before it strikes.

I have had a fear of sirens and emergency alerts since I was little. When an EBS test would suddenly pop up, it was enough to send me behind the couch. I continue to have nightmares about emergency alerts. I know it's irrational, but it's too deeply ingrained at this point.

Obviously, I will not be playing this game.

I also have a spider phobia that developed around the same time, but somehow it seems less irrational than this.

What about you guys? I'd especially be interested to know whether anyone shares this fear with me.

 

[bbdoll22]

I have currently lived within a block of a volunteer firehouse. So every time there is a fire call they sound the air siren. I’ve recently gotten used to it unless I’m sleeping and it gives me fear. I’ve always hated sirens. When I was little I’d hide under the table, couch or bed according to my mom. She said I was paralyzed with fear and in my moms opinion I was reincarnated from the time of the US/ Japan war because I would always scream the Japs are coming.

 

[Mia6]

WARNING THIS POST CONTAINS SPIDER TALK

I also have a spider phobia that developed around the same time, but somehow it seems less irrational than this.

I don't like the sound of sirens but since I live close to an ER I've gotten used to them, though last week
the tornado siren went off and it goes on for ten minutes until the mechanical voice comes on telling us
to seek shelter. That frightened me so I came downstairs, made a cup of tea and knrw if need be I'd go the
downstairs bathroom because I don't have a basement

Spiders are a different story. I've never liked them but I was bitten by one about 5 years ago.,
It itched like crazy, this happened at night. The next morning it began itching again and I scratched
it then took off my jacket. There was about a 3 inch red band around the area and I saw 2 small red
marks. I squeezed them and yellow venom came out. I was bitten on my deck. I looked at the table
where I had been sitting when I got bit and saw a big. dead brown spider. It took about a month to
heal and the area was scarred for a long time from me scratching it. I now spray my deck whenever
I go out there in warm weather I can't even look at a pic of one..

 

[NY cat man]

When I was a kid, in the days before EBS - it was called CONELRAD back then- and before ICBMs, you would see clusters of sirens on power poles out in the country to warn of air raids, and when they sounded, you were supposed to take cover. Yeah, it was that long ago. Anyway, over time you got used to them
I don't really fear things like spiders, although I am wary of them, along with ticks, and animals like skunks or bats- rabies carriers, both of them.

 

[Jem]

I don't have a fear of sirens per se. I do get a little fearful when I hear the fire truck sirens go off when I'm at work or not home though. But that's because my biggest fear is a house fire, when I'm not home. A little counter intuitive to WANT to be home if a fire breaks out, but I would want to be able to a least try to save my pets...can't do that if I'm not there.
Other than that, I'm not fearful of anything really, just "common-sensically cautious" (if that's even a real term). I may get fearful in certain situations, when fear is the rational response.
For example, heights. I'm not scared of "heights", but I am fearful of the possibility of falling, if I think I'm secure, it doesn't matter how far up I am, but if I don't have a harness, railing or something to hold, then I get that woozie feeling. And I really hate ladders...they never feel secure.
As for bugs and animals, it's a healthy respect more than fear.

 

[Jemima Lucca]

I’m afraid of the incongruentcy (sp?) of people. Example: the man giving the tour of willie wonka and the chocolate factory (original one). Things that I cannot figure out or doesn’t make sense...very scary for me. Also spiders and flesh flies

 

[Elphaba09]

While I actually love spiders (especially my Oona!), I have a lot of fears. Some are life long, some go with my C-PTSD. (I have a 1" scar on my right shoulder from a brown recluse. Treatment was 1,000,000 times worse than the bite, which I do not remember feeling. I still love spiders, though!)

I have mentioned it before, but I have a type of cibophobia, the fear of food. Specifically, I am afraid of most fruits. Most citrus is fine, although I am allergic to some of them. The rest fall in a hierarchy of disgust ranging from, I do not want that thing to be eaten around me or touch me to if a picture of one touches me or I smell it, I start crying and vomiting. If an actual one touches me, which has happened four times that I can recall, it can send me into fits for hours of a constant cycle of scrubbing with soap and pouring alcohol or other sanitizers on the spot and surrounding areas, all while sobbing and vomiting. I cannot say or type the word (we call them yickies in our house), but they start with "a," are often red, and are somewhat round. My neighbor's dropped off a bag of oranges and the yickies as a kind gesture, but then she remembered that I was afraid of one of them. She came back over to get them before I went out for the mail. Thankfully, she asked if I was okay with the oranges. The answer is no. They might have been in a bag inside of another bag, but I know they were close to the other things. I had my husband scrub the spot that they touched on the porch and I have been avoiding it for days. I cannot even buy lettuce at our local store and have to drive 20 minutes to the next town because, seven months or so ago, my store moved the lettuce next to the yickies. Disgusting.

I am then afraid of mice, rats, most masks (especially white or clear whole-face ones), silence, crowds, wide spaces, small spaces, complete darkness, high wind, being alone, taking a shower when everyone is gone or asleep, leaving my house, high places, escalators, having anything covering my nose and mouth (even pulling the blanket up to eye level), and maggots.

On top of that, I have odd things that make me sick or make me feel anxious, even if I am not afraid of them. Specifically, Pink Floyd (except "Learning the Fly," I have no idea why it does not make me sick), certain types of animation (such as the new Mickey Mouse cartoons, Spirited Away, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox) and floating mouths (like Rocky Horror). I am making my self feel nauseated, so I will stop!

I feel sorry for my family! Haha!

 

[Mia6]

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS A SPIDER INCIDENT

Yesterday I opened-the front door to get my mail, the box is attached to the house, and I saw
a black spider, one of those very quickly moving ones, crawling down the outside door. I kicked
him, he fell trying to escape but I was able to kill him with my shoe. I then sprayed the area inside
and out with Bug Killer. It's not a very strong one but it's better than nothing. I was proud of myself
for not running. I did what had to be done.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

64 years old and I'm still terrified of the dark

 

[scarlettleia]

I get sweaty palms when I hear ship sirens specifically. I was in the navy for 6 years and saw one too many floods, and now hearing them on videos or anything makes me panicky.

Also got your standard irrational fear of being locked in somewhere. People always assume it's claustrophobia so don't care to be careful about it, but it's any locked space (Cleithrophobia)! Doesn't matter how big or small it is. Also covers caves and anywhere that my head will just go "the entrance is going to collapse and you'll be stuck inside"