What do you fear most?
 

Yes, we're all laid back. Nothing phases us. But there's something that gnaws at you once in a blue.

'Fess up: What do you fear?

. I have an admittedly irrational fear of palmetto bugs (large roaches).

. I fear setbacks for the female gender during our kids' lifetime.

. I fear being forced and locked into a dark basement. (I don't obsess about this daily, but I have occasional nightmares about this. Must've been a scary movie.)

I reserve the right to add more fears.

Anything dead in person. If I see a dead squirrel, I cross the road and walk around it on the other side. I once looked down and saw a dead chick that fell from the nest. Couldn't have been more than a day old. I darted back in fear with some subsequent shakes. Not sure what facilitates this fear. I'm fine with roadkill (when I'm in the car) and I'm fine with gore and dead people/animals on TV. I even asked my dad to flush my dead pet fish down the toilet because I couldn't touch it.

I'm not comfortable in the dark, but the fear has subsided as I got older.

I fear loneliness.

I have an insane fear of snakes.

I love the ocean and sharks...but it scares me to death to be in open/dark water where I can't see what's underneath me! I went swimming with a 30 ft whale shark this summer. I jumped into the deep ocean and immedietly started panicking as this large shark was swimming literally 2 ft beneath me....all I did was scream through my snorkel as this big as whale shark swam beneath me...i still have nightmares about it...i just see all his polk-a-dots swimming under my feet!

log trucks and bridges and god help me if Im on a bridge with a log truck

I have nightmares about log trucks, both full and empty

the movie final destination 2 was torture for me, I had no clue when I sat down to watch it that the "accident" was a log truck lol

/reminds self to never kidnap jewels for a bondage session in my basement :lol:

i guess i just fear being alone :(

I fear medium to large sized spiders, and flying bugs in general (craneflies really skitch me out).

I fear open doors that lead into dark spaces at night. This stems from childhood, and it has never really gone away. All closet doors must be closed before I go to sleep. If I'm alone at night in a house, all of the doors leading into unoccupied/dark rooms must be shut at all times, or my mind goes wild about who/what could be lurking in there.

I also fear mirrors in the bathroom at night. And not being able to see behind the shower curtain. Yes, my parents did not censor any horror films from me as a very young child, can you tell? They rented all kinds of crap and brought it home for me to see. Not good for a 5 year old kid.

I fear the Down's syndrome test when I am pregnant. I fear childbirth. I fear that our children will be disabled, and that we won't be able to handle it. I fear that I will resent my children and wish that I had never become a parent. I fear that I will regret NOT having kids, if we don't give it a try. Obviously, I'm nowhere near being able to decide if we should have kids.

That's all for now. :D

I have an extreme almost debilitating fear of cliffs and cliff like structures (cremnophobia). I have no fear of being high, I just don't want to be next to the edge, and the edge doesn't even have to be that tall...I'm talking, second floor of the mall. I went to a water park on Sunday and almost had a panic attack walking up the stairs for the slides...I had to hug the inside support pillar.

Bridges, but it's a fear I'm working on.

When I drive through Portland, OR I will deliberately take the Fremont Bridge:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1102/...244d01.jpg?v=0

instead of taking the Markham Bridge:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/168/4...ccb22e6ca4.jpg

even though it means detouring off of I-5 on to I-405. Why? Because I also fear being caught on a bridge during an earthquake. The Fremont is constructed to give and sway during an earthquake, and the Markham is not. The Markham will most likely buckle and crumble. Plus, the view from the Fremont is prettier, and the Markham is almost always clogged with traffic. I would rather be stuck on the Fremont than the Markham, if I have to be stuck at all. I've been stuck on the lower deck of the Fremont often enough now that I'm less frightened of bridges than I once was. The ultimate test was a few years ago when I went to San Francisco on spring break and walked to the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. Scary, but also really cool, and the view is certainly unique.

Same. I won't sleep until event the faintest crack is gone.

Heights and snakes will pretty much just render me into a useless quivering mass. That's about it.

Heights? :orly:

Didn't you hang by a hand and a foot from 2 stories firing a machine gun?

I have various types of fears/phobias. Some lay dormant for a long time, some occur more frequently.

I am afraid of getting on escalators (thanks to Madison Square Garden), elevator doors closing on me, and flying - so basically I prefer to drive and take the stairs.

I am afraid of going on things that are really fast AND go upside down - so no roller coasters for me.

I am afraid of confrontation and therefore, avoid it at all costs (I am currently working on this one, it effects many aspects of my life).

I fear losing my children and I fear not being there for my children as they grow up - these cause many other fears, like getting into a car accident and things that will cause me to lose my children or not be there for them.

I was afraid to travel into the city or up to Rochester to meet some TFPers. I am not really sure the reason behind this fear, but I conquered it!! (Maybe this one should be put to a test again...)

I am sure there are more, if I took the time to think of them. But these are what came to mind first.

Elevators.
Any kind of debilitating mental illness.
Pool drains, especially in diving pools.
Sometimes I imagine scenarios where there is something very, very wrong and everyone I speak to or try to get help from is completely indifferent to it.

I had a large hardcover book called "The Power to Heal" when I was a kid that had photographs of medical procedures, patients, etc. There was one story of a girl who had been left in a camping trailer when the propane tanks caught fire, and it left her severely burned all over her body. I was terrified of that picture and would get very frightened being anywhere near the book after dark.

Can I just give you a hug?

Also fears of mine... *shudder*


I also have a fear of not being able to see the bottom of any body of water I'm swimming in... which makes no sense at all, since I used to go skiing at Lake Cumberland all the time as a kid.

Movies about the criminally insane scare the hell out of me.


Apparently I fear ruining someone's day... almost all of my nightmares lately have been about getting overwhelmed at work and not being able to keep up with guests.

I fear not moving ahead scientifically, but taking several steps backward instead.


At right at this moment, I am petrified of what it's going to cost to fix my car. :eek:

This reminded me of Masha and Dasha! When I was a kid, my big brother used to shove the Life magazine with the cover photo of these Siamese twins, under my bedroom door to freak me out. He traumatized me for life. I still get scared and have much difficulty looking at conjoined twins.

Yeah, I forgot that my dreams usually reveal my deeper fears... my most common ones involve either 1) not being able to find my husband (abandonment/being lost), and 2) my husband doing all kinds of horrible things that hurt me (which I usually call the "evil twin" dreams).

Every time I wake up from those dreams, I have to reach over and snuggle as close to him as I can, to drive it into my conscious mind that this is the Real husband and to make the dream-remnants go away. But the fears are always there, quite deep in my subconscious, I guess.

I have a completely irrational and indefensible fear of self-cleaning bathrooms. I've never been in one before but I distinctly remember seeing a tv segment on self-cleaning bathrooms when I was pretty young. I imagined being in the bathroom when all of a sudden the lights shut off and soapy cold water starts spraying from everywhere and loud whirring machines can be heard all around me. My senses would be rendered useless as I'd feel myself engulfed by a cold and dark and boundless abyss.

I don't know if self-cleaning bathrooms actually exist but the thought still terrifies me.

...okay, so I have another fear now.

I go diving and have yet to see a whale shark! Next time I'll switch places with you.

I fear spiders - arachnaphobia. Not to the point I go screaming, but will have to kill it no matter what.

I fear heights - Love roller coasters as long as there aren't any huge drops, and can't stand the feeling of being on a rooftop near the edge. (Although I can go scuba diving off a mile deep wall and have no fear of going out beyond the dropoff.)

Heights and crowds of people.

Really the list is very long, but those two are bigguns, right behind me worrying that I'm going to screw up raising my daughter...... She thinks I'm doing a good job though, yay

Oh yeah - I have a fear or irrational thought most days that I think as I leave my house each morning to work: "Will this be the last time my family sees me because I'll get killed on the freeway or at work in some freak accident?" So... I guess I have a fear of a pre-mature death. (Except each year I get older, its getting less and less "pre"-mature) :)

It is not that I am afraid of heights. I like being on the top floors. I love roller coasters, I love mountains, and I love driving and climbing to the top. The thing is when I climb to the top of the Empire State Building, Clingman's Dome or Cape Hatteras lighthouse this past August I have this irrational fear that I might jump off.

My mom actually had a textbook full of photos of congenital deformities... there was some really freaky shit in that book. I don't think that one traumatized me quite as much as the other because I discovered it when I was older, but those remain some of the most ridiculously disturbing photos that I've ever seen.

Growing up with doctors for parents is fun.

I fear being involved in a road accident. I got this after I met with an accident 6 years ago. While riding my bike or driving car, the scene right in front of me will change in to a accident. I will live through the whole experience of meeting with an accident in a fraction of a second in my vision (imagination). Immediately I will be back to reality. No one can notice even a slight disturbance in my driving or face expression. But this happens all the time. It does not make me feel tired or upset. But just that it happens always just like an alerting mechanism to keep me on top of awareness. I got used to it now. But it keeps happening.

And very recently I had developed a very mild form of fear towards darkness. Mostly because I very keenly listened to people fear and experience on ghosts/darkness. It doesnt bother me too, but I cant ignore that it is there. But I dont retreat, I just go through the fear and clearly experience it.

The worst fear I have is to fail in life for what ever reason, and that failure leading to change all your close loved ones or family to turn against you. Unfortunately I cant discuss why and how I developed this fear... But this fear is haunting me for past few months

I completely relate to your fear of failure! I am really struggling with this too in my life, particularly recently. I am not sure if I fear loved ones would turn against me, but I think that my fear of failure makes me less of a person to the point that loved ones might not love me. I suppose that is similar...

As far as road accidents, I also have that fear, although sometimes I think it would be fine if I were in a crash, and I think about wanting to crash... It's morbid. I don't really do anything harmful though, I'm the most cautious driver I know.

anti_fisstick, you wrote it so well I could clearly understand you version of fear of failure. mine is slightly different. For example one is very strong, makes decisions very independent of course with good intent, little rude (birth nature) etc etc etc and all this takes family on very positive growth. Everyone gets used to the way you are. Everything seems fine. But when you fail what ever reason.... difficult to disclose... Now you are no longer strong, no longer wise, no longer credible and your own people, who followed you, were with you, gets frustrated with you and goes to the point where they misbehave with you! Now you cant blame them. well you werent bad either.... This fear grips me so bad! This makes me very indifferent and not react for many situations. And when you react, you think 100 times whether you hurt or bother people to turn them in to your dormant enemies. I know it is too much exaggeration but I have strong reasons why I feel this way.

You will be fine and will do good. Have some bear hugs

Good memory. :thumbsup:

Yes. Yes, I did.

Fears can be overcome. Even if they are still there.

Two come to mind that have been lifelong : driving freeways and eating fish with bones.

Interestingly, when I saw the tpopbastard I did drive freeways and eat fish with not a care in the world. I dont know what to make of it, but I hope to remain on this path of fast cars and buttery trout.

You know... I can't think of anything.

My parents were nowhere near doctors, but for whatever reason... my parents had one of those books, too. It was called "Medical Curiosities," I think, and it FREAKED ME OUT. But of course, I would always steal looks at it when they were out of the house, or show it to my friends when my parents weren't around... it was fascinating in some freaky way, I guess.

Heights.

Powerlessness. (Ecspecially not being present to protect people I care about - esp. my fiance)

Spiders... so I murder them whenever I see them.

Insects. (See Spiders)

Things with teeth longer than 1 inch. (Or sharper than my wit... *bu dum - ch*

Things that are way to lithe and fast and small - mainly because I don't know what the hell they are.

Ninjas.

Ebola
Getting old and incapacitated mentally / phsyically
Riding as a passenger with anyone

This, only with me instead of Worf.

i've found myself having to deal with most of the things i've been afraid of--you know, stuffed head first right into situations that gave me no option.

i still dislike heights when there's no barrier between me and the edge--if there's a railing or something, they don't bother me, but a straight drop with nothing to impede--well i don't know, getting sucked by gravity off the edge? i remember being on the roof of a building in philly watching fireworks and having a terrible time of it because i'd start to feel a bit panicky when other people would go to the edge of the building--4 stories up. not that far. strangely, cliffs bother me not at all--i think it's the irregular walls, something in my head tells me i could grab onto or bounce dramatically off one.

spending the rest of my life by myself creeps me out.

I encountered another thing I fear on the way home today. I get very panicky when driving between a huge truck and those concrete barriers on the side of the highways. My knuckles turn white when I am in that situation. I feel like if that truck just moves slightly into my lane, I am going to be squished for sure. Not that this ever happened to me...

- Heights - cliffs, glass elevators, Ferris Wheels, ladders above the 2nd step, anything above the 3rd or 4th floor (unless there are no windows), the window seat in airplanes. The only odd thing is I love rollercoasters, but I have to close my eyes until the first big hill is over with.
- Any insect that bites or stings (spiders, bees/wasps/hornets, centipedes, ticks)
- Dogs, although I've learned to control this fear and can calmly be around most dogs
- Being alone in the dark while camping, which can be problematic when one needs to pee
- Failure

There are many for me
Being lost tops the list
bridges
loosing teeth
dying

Public speaking, although I'm getting better at it.

I have an intense fear of heights. I'm not sure if it's something you are born with (is natural) or if I developed over the course of my life.

I have a fear of public speaking. Stage fright. It wasn't always this way as I used to be quite the performer and often spoke in front of large groups of people. But as it stands now, I am absolutely terrified of public speaking.

I have a fear of not being the best I can be, that I somehow, quit trying and settle for being adequate.

I have a fear that I cannot save the world.

I no longer fear failure because I have hit rock bottom in my life before and survived it. If anything I have learned, the fear of failure is married to the fear of success.

I have confronted my fears head on since.

To fight the fear of heights I have gone rock climbing, bungee jumping, skywalking, zip-lining, and have skydiving up next. I am still afraid of heights but feel more exhilarated for having tried. Despite the continued fear, at least I have taken control of it.

To fight the fear of public speaking, I auditioned and won the honor to be the student speaker at my college graduation. I was terrified. I made sure to face my fear head on under tremendous pressure. Most of my friends and family were in attendance as well as professors and distinguished guests. In front of hundreds of people I delivered my speech. And failed. I nearly fainted. According to witnesses, my voice went from the usual smooth baritone to high pitched squeaking in 5 seconds flat. I was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. But in spite of my God awful delivery, my words must have made some impact as I finished to thunderous applause. Many of the distinguished guests asked for copies of my speech as well. Apparently I never said the word "um", or "you know", or "uh". Maybe in some way it was a success. But for now, I have to keep on trying. Next on the list: entering a karaoke contest.

I suppose fear is what reminds me I am human, that personal improvement, overcoming challenges is never ending.

I don't know if I will ever conquer these fears, but I no longer fear the fearing.

And that, can be considered a success.

Spiders. I've forced myself to handle them, but the fear keeps coming back.

Losing the ability to control myself, especially through mental illness.

Being subjected to the whims/control of others.

driving unknown freeways sometimes causes me to panic, but you know what really scares me? Really, do you know?! Its that feeling that I sometimes get out of nowhere, often on a summer night outside but ocasioanally inside too. Its usually when Im alone, but occasionally with others (especially around a campfire). It seems to be spontaneous and happens after ive been in that place for a while. Ive also felt it walking down a darkened street. It doesnt happen usually on a snowy night and I attribute that to more light.

I usually look to see who is there even though I know there is no one. Its unnerving, and deep.

Im sure its chemical, but it still can chill me. Maybe Im just afraid of the dark.

Hm, one of my fears is getting in some freak accident that leaves me laying on a bed half dead due to how much it messed me up. I rather be put out of my misery than live like that.

Falling off a ladder.
Stepping on a bee or wasp.

Done that. The worst part isn't the pain, it's feeling the bee squirm around under your foot.

Failing my wife and child, being less in their eys, losing their respect.

This has never been a particular fear for me, just an uncomfortable feeling, that is until this past monday when it almost happened to me. The concrete barrier I was next to on my left doesn't have more than a three foot shoulder. I was also going around a curve at 70 mph when the semi in the right lane moved about 2 feet into my lane. I drive an '88 lincoln town car and was about a car length back from his front end, not exactly hard to see. I was forced almost into the barrier before he moved back into his lane.:eek:

I don't know if the idiot was changing lanes and saw me in time or was just drifting but I saw my life flash before my eyes and was so shocked I didn't even think to lay on the horn. Asshole. I'll stick to the right lane from now on driving that stretch everyday.

As for my fears, like many of you I am freaked out by spiders and being in deep water but not debilitatingly so.

My worst two fears are death, either my own or my husband, father or sister (I worry constantly) and heights. My fear of heights is so visceral that I can get that "dropping" butterfly feeling in my stomach just seeing a person on tv on a precipice. The famous photo of the steelworkers walking the I-beams while erecting the Empire State Building makes my knees feel like jelly.

We were watching "Man Vs. Wild" the other day and I could barely watch Bear Grillis scaling the hills while traversing the Badlands. *cringe* That man is just plain crazy. I have many nightmares where I'm in some precarious position and I am losing my grip and am going to fall (I usually jerk myself out of sleep before I do). One recurring one is weird, I'm driving on a wooded road going uphill and it gets steeper and steeper until I'm almost completely vertical and eventually the car peels backward off of the road and falls (jerk awake again). Yeah, can you tell I really hate heights.;)

I fear heights but not in a debilitating way. I have difficulty with ladders or with steep stairs and narrow steps, those awful stairs in old houses built for people with miniature feet and some stadium stairways.

I can't say I do real well with snakes but it isn't so horrible.

I do have one phobia however of water after nearly drowning. I can swim alright, float lazily on a river but the fear I feel when faced with sudden submersion is terrifying. Don't toss me into the deep end or off a dock or I will drag you in with nearly drowning you in the process.

Ever since I had an accident I have been scared of driving on the freeway, and also fearful of getting lost. I haven't driven the freeway since, and am nearly petrified driving somewhere I don't know well.

I would have preferred to have scuba gear on! But, I was snorkeling, choking on the sea water, and watching it just go right underneath me. I would have loved to had gear on so that i could swim underwater with it/beside it and etc more easily. It was just too much to jump in the water and immediately find myself on top of that damn thing! WHOA!

I suddenly realize that I am naked. I am so scared whehter people will see me. I wonder where my dress has gone. I woke up to realize that I am dreaming. But when I experience that fear is so real. This dream has occured several times from childhood to even now sometimes.

Well, if I was in the middle of the ocean, alone, without a boat, I'd lose my shit.

Politicians make me very uneasy, almost fearful, because they make me feel like I'm not in control whatsoever.

Loneliness and time scare me every-so-often, but then they go right back to not being factors. Those depend more on my mood at the time, I suppose.