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Original poster

Unusual fears and phobias?

93 replies

Aclh13 · 29/05/2020 23:46

I was interested to see people's unusual fears or phobias and how crazy they can get, I have a serious phobia of other people's Germs, ie no sharing of utensils of any kind, if someone offers me a bite of their food I gag, can't sit on old furniture of any kind it's creeps me out, I absolutely can't sleep in hotels unless the beds look virtually new ect. A family member has an irrational fear of wooden lollipop sticks, they cry when they are even near them!

OP posts:

Thepigeonsarecoming · 30/05/2020 03:57

@mrstaytodarling that one is well known, it’s called ranidaphobia

Tashtegotoo · 30/05/2020 04:40

My adult son is unnerved by taps. He finds it very difficult to clean them. I have never really got to the bottom of it. Mostly because I always forget it's an issue and then when he reminds me I find it has to be sympathetic and want to laugh. (I don't laugh).
He cares about his personal hygiene and is always clean.

queenofmycastlex · 30/05/2020 05:18

Public toilets. Not all of them but ones I haven’t been to before or the ones where the cubicle doors don’t have a gap at the top or bottom. Don’t get me started on aeroplane toilets or ones that have automatic flushes/lights I will literally dehydrate myself so I don’t have to go to the toilet on a plane or somewhere I don’t know.

No idea where it’s stemmed from!

ThePurpleMoose · 30/05/2020 05:25

I used to fear buttons as a child - refused to wear anything with them on and didn't like my mum wearing them either.

Coldhandscoldheart · 30/05/2020 05:31

I wouldn’t quite say it’s a phobia, but I really hate chewing. It’s got better as I get older but was suddenly reminded by a thread which mentions it a lot. I practically swallow food whole. I can chew chewing gum, but can’t eat really chewy food (whelks made me throw up).

squeekums · 30/05/2020 05:35

Needles, syringes. Even ones with no needle. Comes from a dodge Dr treating me as a kid. Then teamed with parents who thought I was just overreacting and being difficult, I cant even so much as look at a picture of a syringe without feeling faint or like running to hide.
There was a trend at last year's royal show with choc sauce in a syringe to squirt in your donut. Was horrifying walking round with people and syringes everywhere. I felt sick

Feet, hideous looking things. It's why I love shoes, they hide feet

goldie04 · 30/05/2020 05:36

Wet hair that isn't attached to the body ie in the bath/shower. My stomach turns every time I have to get hair out the plug hole, I have to wear gloves and try not to look at it. Also gave DH a haircut a few days ago and it made me feel sick brushing wet hair off his neck.
And spiders. Of course. I quickly scan the floor of every room as I walk in.

Hawse · 30/05/2020 05:42

Rubber snakes (like the ones kids play with). When I was young, my sister would scare me with them, and now it's so bad that I either cry (super attractive in yours 30s / or have a bit of a mental internal panic-shutdown). I usually cannot go into toy stores or down toy aisles in supermarkets without my husband checking first to see if they are there. Real snakes I don't like (who does!), but I can tolerate seeing them on tv and such - rubber, no thanks...

NotTheOnlyPomInTheVillage · 30/05/2020 05:50

I am also phobic about ketchup. I’m terrified of getting it on my skin.

Spongeface · 30/05/2020 05:51

@pieceofpurplesky I am the same! Hair over my ears at night to keep the earwigs out !

fairydustandpixies · 30/05/2020 05:55

@spongeface haha, me too! I have to have my hair or the duvet over my ears because of ear wigs!

letsgomaths · 30/05/2020 06:47

As a child, I didn't like seeing people in masks and face coverings, or even swimming hats which hid their hair, because I couldn't recognise them. I used to get uneasy when somebody else was blindfolded, especially if they then had their hands outstretched. (Although funnily enough, I loved being blindfolded myself; games such as pin the tail or blind man's buff were fine when it was my turn!) I would have freaked out seeing people in masks like they are now.

I didn't like wearing closed-toe sandals, especially with buckles which I couldn't undo, because I couldn't see my toes. I remember freaking out when my mum tried to buckle some red leather ones on to my bare feet.

Amicompletelyinsane · 30/05/2020 06:54

Elastic bands. Makes me shudder thinking about them. I swear my postman had a laugh leaving them on my doorstep.

IHateCoronavirus · 30/05/2020 07:10

I love the duck/goose watching you phobia

HumphreyCobblers · 30/05/2020 07:20

I have a phobia of the dark. Specifically when it is so dark I can’t orientate myself. I think it is more like claustrophobia really, if I wake into a pitch black room I completely freak out. Even the tiniest bit of light, like a glow stick or something, is enough to completely relax me. I hate camping because of this, and when I stay over at other people’s houses in the country I take a plug in night light.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 30/05/2020 07:27

Ghosts. But only in books/films/TV. I'm fine with the idea of real ghosts... But don't like being told about them.

Bloodybridget · 30/05/2020 07:31

@goldie04 I wouldn't call it a phobia in my case, it's not as extreme as that, but I hate seeing long loose hairs, especially in sinks, and my DP always cleans out the shower drain, because the soggy clumps, yuck! Short dry hair doesn't bother me.
Also, pips of citrus fruits - I feel a slight revulsion at lemons that have a lot of pips. But I can deal with them.

lemmathelemmin · 30/05/2020 07:33

Are these unusual?

When out and about and I'm walking down the road with traffic coming towards me, I think everyone is watching me, especially when the traffic comes to a stand still.

I sometimes think a lion will escape from the zoo and roam the streets to kill everyone (me included).

I can be home alone at night. I think someone will break in and kill me and DD.

I've got loads me. Will post later.

WiryTail · 30/05/2020 07:35

Nodding donkeys, weirs and dark water.

poorbuthappy · 30/05/2020 07:37

As a PP mentioned no one can touch the front part of my neck. Round the back is fine. But the front - I will freak out.
Also don't point a knife at me...you know when people are talking and gesticulating using their knife? Makes me shudder and run away.

Geometricdreams · 30/05/2020 07:41

I have emetaphobia and megalophobia but those are fairly common. I'm also physically repulsed by bonbons (the sweets.) Even seeing them makes me feel tense and sweaty.

Anotherlovelybitofsquirrel · 30/05/2020 07:47

which is a fear of images or objects where holes are really close together,

Me too! Anything with little holes. Ugh

For me it's people on stilts, worse if it's a clown on stilts.

Not a phobia but I cry if I look at monkeys, the cute little ones, big ones, any type. No idea why. I instantly well up and feel emotional. Bloody hell i am welling up just writing this because I imagined a monkey

Oh and earwigs too

PaperMonster · 30/05/2020 07:54

Terrified of lifts.

IntoTheUnknown89 · 30/05/2020 08:09

Thanks for the duck photo

@PaperMonster If I can't take the stairs I have to wait for another adult to get in the lift with me

Zoflorabore · 30/05/2020 08:09

Interesting thread. I notice someone mentioned holes, lots of people are the same. I was on Twitter recently and there was a tweet about this. To my surprise, I seem to have the opposite problem, I love them. My kids are horrified, I’ve no idea why I like them and it seems I’m very much in the minority.

My own fears and phobias are spiders, moths, butterflies and mushy peas

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