Ever suffer irrational fears? (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

I mean, completely irrational? Years ago, I was involved in a bit of an incident.. which did lead to a lot of medical complications in the long/short term, and the last year has been not so hot that way..

At the same time, amongst all of it, no matter how many tests we run or suggestions doctors have, you start thinking completely irrational fears (like you demand to be tested for the same thing you were just tested for a few months ago?) I know, strange.

In the end, it always comes back to the same reasoning, but still.. you keep pushing to redo tests, even though they (medically) don't make sense but you don't like doctors who answer "hmm.. I don't know.."

 

[Lynda-Marie]

In my case, irrational fears include a [just this side of mortal terror of] spiders, heights and enclosed places (claustrophobia).

 

[Glenn Overholt]

If the doctors tell you that they don't know, shouldn't you find one that does?

Glenn

 

[Chris]

Yeah, for me, sometimes tricky; unfortunately, thanks to all the complications of the past, everyone wants to expect every wild possibility, then test me for all of those, they turn up negative "oh, I don't know".. bah. Been a year and a half now... MRIs, catscan, six rounds of blood work, etc. *shrug* been tested for 3rd world diseases *laugh*

 

[Andrew Grall]

Ever suffer irrational fears? No, of course not...

Why, did somebody tell you something about me?

 

[Moe Maishlish]

I once dated a girl who had a completely irrational fear of bridges. Whenever we'd cross a bridge (in the car), she'd tense up, hold her breath, and become completely paranoid that she was going to fly off the side. Of course, that kind of reaction made ME worry when she was driving, 'cause at any point I was expecting her nerves to go and for us to actually fly off the side of the bridge.

I suppose you could say I have an irrational fear of people who have irrational fears.

Moe.

 

[Kevin M]

Damn, Andrew beat me to it!

I was going to say No...why? Have you heard something? OH GOD...OH GOD!!.


As far as a fear of heights being "irrational", depending on the height & where you are in relation to that height I would say that it is a fairly rational survival instinct.

 

[Leila Dougan]

Chris, in your case, I wouldn't really call that irrational. I mean, it is rational that you want someone to find out what's wrong with you, even if that means requesting to be retested for certain things (like, what if the first result was wrong?). I would say, if anything, what you have is a healthy case of frustration and are willing to go through repeated tests in the off chance something whent wrong the first time.

For me, my irrational fear is a flushing toilet. I have no problem with the toilet in and of itself, I just get irrationally fearful when I have to flush it. At home, in my very spacious bathroom, I've only recently been able to be in the bathroom while it's flushing. In public restrooms with itty-bitty stalls, I put my pants back on and get ready all before I flush. Then I stand there, with my hand on the door handle (already unlocked), hit the handle, then bolt outta there! There's no way I could stand in the stall while the toilet is flushing and not be petrified.

 

[Kevin M]

Leila, I am not trying to ridicule you in the least but....that's odd. What is it that you are afraid of, alligators?

 

[LanieParker]

I suffered from panic attacks for many years. Most of them were based on irrational fears...

I am terrified of clowns. I freeze up when I see one, wether it's on tv or in real life. I literally cannot move or function. I avoid places where clowns are (circuses, carnivals, certain parties). If I see one on tv I have to quickly change the channel... it's odd and I am not sure where it stems from, maybe a childhood thing.

I also have this fear of choking. I cannot eat unless there is water or some sort of liquid near by. I'll panic and not be able to swallow and then I start to choke. It's odd, but I carry water with me where ever I go.

 

[JonZ]

"Been a year and a half now... MRIs, catscan, six rounds of blood work, etc. *shrug* been tested for 3rd world diseases"

Well diagnosing can be a complicated thing. It took 6 years to find out I have Gout. First they thought it was just a bad sprain, until it kept happening twice a year. Then they thought I had lyme disease, then they thought it was hypoglycemia,then they didnt know and so on.

They didnt realize it was gout until they had looked in my knee during a operation.

Unfortunately thats sometimes the way it goes.

I dont think it irrational to want to find out whats wrong with you if you know somethings wrong - be happy that in todays world you have benefits that will take care of the tests.

I think you need to see another doctor. Get second third and fifth opinions.

Good Luck!

 

[Kevin M]

I'm not sure if it a "fear" per-say by I am truly creeped out but digitally enhanced talking babies in TV & Film....just something about it gives me the willys.

 

[Mort Corey]

I hate driving...cars that is...but with gas prices heading for the statosphere it's actually working out quite well I can relate to going over bridges, but in Kalifornia you never know when it might be prudent to be on solid ground.

Mort

 

[Chris Stainton]

I have a completely stupid irrational fear, Snails. I have been afraid of them since I was a child. To this day I cannot pick one up and if I step on one, oh man.

Bugs, snakes, dogs, spiders...none of these bother me in the least. But man, don't pick up a snail around me.

 

[Dan D.]

I guess this isn't really a "fear", like some people might fear heights, but I get a little freaked out by high ceilings. Not your typical 10' house ceilings, but Grand Central Station or cathedral-type high ceilings. I look up and I can feel my knees get weak and I feel a little uncomfortable. Anyone else get this?

 

[Leila Dougan]

Heh, no idea. It's not alligators, though. I think part of it stemmed from a game I used to play with the kids at day care when I was little. . .we'd all gather in the bathroom and turn off the lights, then we'd chant some verses about Bloody Mary and how she drowned in a river and flushing the toilet would save her (??). Scared the living daylights out of me. LOL

I told my mom once about my fear and she admitted she had the very same fear growing up. So I'm not sure if I had the fear beforehand and that's why the Bloody Mary thing scared me so much, or if that was the origin of the fear. Who knows

 

[MarkHastings]

Mine have gotten better, but when I was younger I used to get freaked out at those types of things. For example, a staduim (indoors) was freaky - The large/open space made me feel unsafe.

There used to be this big silo at this farm/store that my family went to when I was a kid, my brother always used to go under it and look up, but I was too freaked out to do it.

It's almost like a reversed claustrophobia. It's not exactly like a fear of outdoors, but a fear of large areas/structures. Skyscrapers give me the same kind of 'dizzying' effect.

 

[David Brown Eyes]

I used to be terrified of skyscrapers. When I moved to Denver it took me a couple years to be comfortable walking around downtown. I was so used to wide open spaces and such.

I really enjoyed my weekend in Manhattan a few years ago and I now work on the 20th floor of a skyscraper so I have gotten over my "fear"

 

[Chris]

Yeah, that's what I'm hopeful for; last year, I started getting major pain in my gut, and right where you don't want it (as a guy) so they ran all the tests.. nothing. So, they thought.. hmm.. since all those came up negative, we'll do this scan and that scan for maybe a hernia. Then negative; so off to a GI; and they do another set of tests.. by that time, I've been tested for STI eight time already (those I didn't request, they just automatically did, though I joked with them "hey, if I can carry something the eight years I've been married, through two kids, let me know") more tests. Go see a urologist. Then concern it's a compressed vertebra, see a back specialist, then start having continuing other symptoms (lots of coughing, pain in my sides, etc.) so another round of test.

My wife just sometimes jokes with me that it's utterly irrational that they keep wanting to run certain tests when we keep getting negative (good for me) results.

*shrug* did another PSA test today, as well as the standard battery, which makes the third this year.. I think it reminds me of what the GI told me last "we're just guessing" BAH!

Ok, as far as totally irrational (not health related):

I have an unbelievable fear of any deep (6' or more) water. Don't swim, don't want anything to do with it, etc. Just freezes me up.. always has.

 

[Shane Roach]

So do I, but that comes from being negative buoyant. If I lie perfectly still and breathe in such a way that I'm almost hyperventilating, I can (just barely) float in water. If I attempt to move in any way other than flapping my arms like wings, I sink.

Ducks, witches, and very small rocks might float, but not me.