Do any of you have any extreme phobias?

[Booboo27]

Do any of you have any bad phobias, and if so what coping mechanisms do you have?
I have the most ridiculous phobia of spiders ever. As soon as I see one in my home I instantly run in the opposite direction and will be drenched in sweat with a pounding heart. It's completely irrational and I know they are a lot more scared of me as I am of them, but it's like I've trained my brain to react the way I do and I don't know how to control it. I've even had full blown panic attacks when I've seen a big one and there's no one around to get rid of it for me. I have a spider catcher thing but I'm always too terrified to get close enough to it.
I'm starting to think I need to go on a CBT course or maybe get hypnotised so I can remain calmer when I see one.
Any advice?

[chocshockerl]

Oh I do sympathise. My phobia is snakes and even saying that word makes me go clammy. I'm ridiculously scared of them. I would love to know a treatment that could help me. Sorry no advice but much sympathy

[onthettcbus]

I have a massive phobia of hospitals, I'm not sure why as I've never had a particularly awful experience, luckily I've never had to stay in one since I was about four years old so I can't really explain why. I start to panic and freeze whenever I enter one, it helps me to look at a map of the hospital and plan out my route before I go so that there is less chance of me getting lost as it would send me into a complete tizz! Even thinking about having to visit one gives me major anxiety, I really wish that I could get over it.

[ajandjjmum]

Snakes is mine too choc. It's a real shame as DH and I are coming to the stage where we can plan some fantastic trips, and my first thought is 'am I going to see a snake in Vietnam/Bangkok/St Lucia?' etc.

And it's a phobia. People saying they're more scared of me that I am of them doesn't help - and is totally untrue!

[chocshockerl]

ajand I completely agree with you. Most my life revolves around my phobia. I am ashamed to admit I've never left the uk because of this . Even a little plastic one in a toy shop and I have to get out of there. Gosh I sound pathetic!

[Booboo27]

My spider phobia is awful because i have no control over it. At any moment a huge house spider could run past my feet and it makes me worried to be in my own home alone. It must sound so pathetic to anyone who isn't bothered by spiders. I wish there was a magic cure so I could just chill out a bit haha

[thrivesophie]

I used something called The Thrive Programme to get over my phobia. Nothing else worked like it. This is after having my phobia for as long as can remember up until my early 20s.

//www.thrivewithsophie.com

[Ankleswingers]

Severe Emetephobia.

Debilitating and terrifying. Controls my life on a daily basis.

to all suffering from phobias.

[Ilovepsychology]

Dogs. Totally terrified of dogs. Avoid leaving the house alone in case I see someone with a dog or even worse a dog alone. I have to teach therapies for phobias as part of my job and the students are always keen to help me get over this, but the thought of tackling the phobia is overwhelming. It has an effect on my day to day.

[grounddown]

The dentists
I have explored this a bit and I think it's actually because I'm a bit of a control freak. I need to have a filling and have an appointment booked next week and have been prescribed diazepam for the first time. If they would let me do the injection myself I would be happy, the fact that I can't and am not in control of what's happening makes me incredibly anxious and the last 2 attempts to do this filling have resulted in me walking out in tears. I really don't want to go, I'm a grown adult with 2 children but I cannot even think about it without feeling sick. It's not the pain I'm scared of, it's the whole being pinned down with hands in my mouth unable to move.

[Hobbitch]

Snake phobia here too. If I see one on tv or even a pic I scream and hide, I can't make myself look. I even struggle with drawings in kids' books. Sometimes it's so bad I torture myself with thoughts of my neighbours keeping them as pets! I have been unfortunate enough to see a couple close up in my youth (I was already phobic). So traumatic.

[WanderingTrolley1]

Flying and wasps.

[WowserBowser]

I used to have a really bad spider phobia. Like if there was one in my room and my Dad didn't get it, I'd sleep downstairs for weeks. They made me want to cry as i knew what an impact they had on my life.

What has helped is having a cat! She always gets them. Which i know is cruel.

[coragreta]

I had a phobia of dogs too. I got it because of my mum. I managed to get over it when I had my own dcs because I didn't want them to have it too. Still hard at times but I am so much better than I ever was.

[ExplodedCloud]

Heights. Sounds so silly but it is getting worse as I get older. My friend lives in a 3rd floor flat and I can't visit

[Itmustbemyage]

I had two massive phobia's one which I managed to get over and one which I never will.
The one I managed to get over was a phobia of dentists, I didn't go to the dentist for years I only had to see the word written down or saw something on TV (normal health stuff not the Marathon Man film) and I was in a terrible state, I couldn't even walk down certain streets that had a dentist surgery. I used to get my mum to take my oldest DS for check ups as I couldn't physically go into a dental surgery and I didn't want him to know of my fear of the dentist.
After a few years I managed to find a dentist who specialised in phobic patients and over a period of time I got to trust him, he used to have to sedate me even for a filling. Like most people I don't particularly like going to the dentist but I can. My phobia was totally irrational as I had never had a particularly bad experience at the dentist the fear had just gradually built up until it reached an extreme level.

[MissTakesOurMaid]

Needles and emetophobia. My friend has a fear of snails - sounds silly, but she finds it very debilitating.

[WaxingGibbous]

Flying, I have to be drugged up to the eyeballs to get on a plane.

Past few years doctors and hospitals. I shake really badly, feel sick and my bp goes sky high. I had to be put on a 24hr trace as they wanted to make sure it was ok when I'm home, which it was. Even thinking about it makes my heart race. I think it's stemmed from a bad pregnancy and seeing a relative dying in hospital.

[OdinsLoveChild]

Knees. I cant touch or look at them. I keep mine covered at all times and dread the summer because theres lots of them. Im getting better at coping. I used to gag/throw up if anyone stopped to talk to me and they were showing their knees.

I have learnt not to look below the waist when talking to people and it lessons the gagging.

When my children were little I had to close my eyes and hold my breath if they injured their knees and they needed first aid.

Most posters 'phobias' aren't actual phobias as their fear isnt irrational. So snakes, dogs, spiders are all rational fears rather than phobias because those things can actually harm you.

[MrsCobain]

Needles and heights. I cry, drool, pass out and am a mess when I see a needle.

Heights is more of a psychical thing. I can't let ds climb up higher than me at a playground because the world literally starts spinning. I sweat and can't breathe. It's fucking awful and it's making him afraid to climb like he should be doing. I hate myself for it but the last time I let him climb up high I started crying and threw up.

[WildImaginings]

Snakes here.

If one comes on the tv I close my eyes and cover my ears (not sure why I cover my ears ) and I can't look at a picture of one without feeling physically sick. Even typing this is making my stomach churn.

The few times I've been unfortunate to see one in person I have- been sick/fainted/screamed/ran away, or a combination of all of the above.

I can't walk my dog down a certain street near my house because there's a reptile shop, and I once saw someone coming out of the shop with a snake. If I want to get to anything at the end of that street (Chinese, Indian, corner shop) then I have to walk the long way around.

It's so bloody stupid, but the fear is debilitating.

[WildImaginings]

Also, my fear of flying has gotten much worse since an awful landing at Gatwick a couple of years ago.

I now need diazepam for the flight, and even with that I was still a bit too aware last time.

[Teddy6767]

Mine is spiders too. I instantly freak out if I see a big one and it's so debilitating! I also don't like flying as hate the fact I'm not in control and can't get off until the end destination

[flapjackfairy]

Me too Booboo. I am petrified and agree with others that it is v debilitating.
I really want to overcome it and every yr when autumn arrives i try to confront it but to no avail.
Has anyone managed to overcome this ?
I know you can go on courses at zoos to handle big spiders but personally it is not so much tarantulas etc that freak me out more the large house spiders . It is when they run and something to do with the way the legs move in sequence. I am shuddering just writing this.
Help anyone ??

[Teddy6767]

It's the house spiders that bother me too, not the big tarantulas (although if I saw one in my house I'd probably die on the spot!) I can easily look at tarantulas on tv or at the zoo, but the big fast house spiders make me have panic attacks and cause instant crippling fear.
If anyone has any tips I'd love to hear them x

[NeonGod73]

Itmustbemyage what is your other phobia?