What's your most irrational fear?

[WomenHour]

I would say having nightmares after on crimewatch they said "don't have nightmare"

@purrswhileheeats

I have a fear of something flying off the back of a truck, Final Destination style. It actually happened here this week, a poor guy lost his life in a freak accident

A ladder came off the top of a van that was in front of me a few years ago on the M5, it hit my bonnet and made a nasty hole and flew over the top of my car into the motorway. God knows what havoc it caused behind me. Since this I'm terrified of being behind any car or van which has stuff attached and have to drive a good bit behind it.

Oh and I'm also absolutely terrified of party poppers and corks being taken out of wine bottles. I don't know if it's the loud noise or the worry of something popping in my face but I've never been able to do either of these and I have to go into at least the next room if I know someone will be doing one.

Earwigs. Pincery little bastards.

Spiders. Anything with wings. Insects in general. But they are all fairly common.

Bridges. Not always but occasionally I have panic attacks if I have to cross a bridge. I used to have to cross one to get to work and I spent hours worrying about what would happen if it collapsed when I was on it. And would I be safer in a car. Or on the bus. Or walking over it

Spiders.
Clowns.
Being buried alive.
Veins! Can't stand looking at them.

Choking, especially when I’m home alone and there is no one to give me the Heimlich manoeuvre, I’ve actually watched you tube videos on what to do if I’m alone.

Looking at the inside of people's mouths whilst they're talking. Birds getting trapped in the house. People who say 'gotten' and 'can I get'.

"People who say 'gotten' and 'can I get'."

🙄

Touching dead animals. Not insects but things like mice or birds. It’s a problem as one of our cats is a hunter. I have to psyche myself for ages up to remove the dead offerings that keep appearing on our kitchen floor and I just couldn’t even touch a larger animal like a rat, even through multiple layers of kitchen roll.
And I have a terror of public speaking. It may stem from when my boss asked me to attend a work function on behalf of the company. Having been assured I just needed to turn up I was asked to address a room full of strangers. It was at Cambridge Uni and it didn’t go well.

Sharks in the swimming pool. They live under the grills in the bottom.

That a bee will fly into my mouth and sting me directly in the throat and my throat will swell up and I'll die

Same as Beesbeesbees except im frightened it will happen to someone else and it will fall to me to perform an emergency tracheotomy with a pen knife and a biro.
Only I mess it up/can't go through with it and I have to live forever with the guilt of being unable to stab someone in the throat when required.

Any winged insect flying near my head. Even flies cause a visceral reaction. I get massive goosebumps and the hair in my neck stands up. They gross me out.

I’m also irrationally afraid of wasps. I’ve injured myself trying to get away from them. Why do they follow us? Do they know we’re terrified and enjoy tormenting us? Evil feckers.

Seagulls !

Dog poo. I'm terrified of it.

Weird thing is, own two dogs and I work as a dog walker!!!

I have no problem picking up after them but live in mortal terror of stepping in dog poo, on the streets etc.

I also live in fear of catching the common cold. Whilst it is a minor affliction, it always makes me feel utterly rotten...

Sinkholes.

@purrswhileheeats - I wonder if we live close to each other as this happened to someone in my nearest big town this week. Total freak accident, the passenger was fine. I hate following or passing trucks with loads on the back and this incident this week cemented that fear for me!

I’m also afraid of the sea, of swimming out of my depth, or being caught in a riptide or similar. Which, as I live on the coast, is a bit of a pain really

When I was a child I used to be scared of having the water in the bath above my belly button as I thought it was a hole to your stomach that would fill up and kill you.

I now have a fear of reading in front of people which isn't great working in a school. I don't mind in front of kids but adults I just clam up and can't do it. It's the reason I can't get a promotion.

Another fear I have which I guess isn't irrational is dying suddenly. My dad dropped dead in front of me when I was 18 and I've been terrified that it could happen to me at any moment. To the point the fear affects my life as I can get really panicky when the thought comes into my head.

Driving over bridges, especially if they have sweeping curves. My blood pressure plummets and I feel like passing out. Horrible.

Talking

I also fear sudden death.

I'm sorry that you endured that heartbreaking trauma