If you have fear of holes (trypophobia)..

[Swalewhale]

...what does it feel like?

I'm asking because DD (7) has this and I want to understand it better. She's not really articulating why she hates the look of holes.

Does it make you feel sick like, for me, someone dragging their fingernails on a carpet would?
Or does it make you anxious like before you have to have an injection or medical treatment?

If you have this fear do you also have OCD or obsessive thoughts? I'm wondering if the two go hand in hand but I hope not.

It makes the bit between my body and skin want to separate, it is a whole body physical revulsion. For me it isn't what comes out of them, but them themselves. Especially if they are somewhere unexpected.

My DD has ADHD and I see myself in her.

Yes - it's nothing like needle phobia. I have that. Needle phobia makes me feel panicky and sick. I wouldn't even say trypophobia makes me feel afraid it just makes me feel disgusted and skin crawly and I can't get it out of my head for a while.

If you imagine loads of insects all crawling over each other, it feels basically the same as looking at that.

@MadeForThis i also have that feeling that I need to look at them but know I don’t want to and then it sends shivers down my spine!

Makes me feel angry too, but followed by anxious and grossed out

I have it, its very intrusive when it comes on, the repulsion can stay with me for ages. Wierdly I'm on a waiting list for ADHD assessment and have had struggled with OCD too but not officially diagnosed.

I have a mild version of this. It's disgust, the holes are suggestive of a disease, a fungus, or something that insects have bored through. Shuddering just thinking of it, tbh.

Ps. I also suspect I may have ADHD. Interesting: never thought these quirks could be related.

I was diagnosed with ADD 17 years ago (one of the first adults to receive such a diagnosis at 42.. ) but have no fear of holes...

I have a massive bird phobia however .. especially dead ones ..beyond anything that is sensible ..

Thanks for putting that gross video photo in the thread FFS!

Makes me want to rip my eyes out my head , skin crawling awful and angry haha

Recent ADHD diagnosis. Have had tryptophobia forever. Even the thought of something like a crumpet makes me feel sick.

Right ?

I saw a brief glimpse now I’m itching all over 😂😂 fml

Yeah I appreciate the link but sorry I've reported the video post, it's really triggering for people @grapehyacinthisactuallyblue

It makes my elbows feel funny - kind of like if you had your hands up by your shoulders and were too confined to straighten them - the joint feels very tense and like it's too big for my skin. Same with my hands, they feel funny between the skin and flesh, particularly at the wrists. Like I need to stretch but can't, claustrophobic I guess?

Coincidentally I would not recommend you google this because you really can't get an explanation without the images popping up! Obviously it doesn't bother me but I feel bad for you if you have it and want to learn more without being confronted with all the images

Yes Meow!! This is exactly what I get and I think as I've said above that it's related to Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

I think that one is safe to google, I'll check.

I get it from the Sanex advert. It makes me feel itchy and repulsed.

I have this. I can’t really explain it, it’s a physical reaction that makes me shudder and feel quite ill but also terrified. I had a nightmare once related to it and I feel like that’s where jt all started. (I won’t describe it here as it would terrify others with the phobia on the thread!).

I also have exploding head syndrome…and some other weird sleep things. Is there a link there?

I’ve never been assessed for ADHD but have wondered.

Yes, Alice in Wonderland Syndrome seems safe to google. There are a couple of illustrations from the Lewis Carroll book and a BBC article with a weird perspective photo of feet, but nothing that gave me a weird feeling.

I think the link is just that all these things are neurological and there's a link with migraine and epilepsy.

DS2 sneezes in response to light which is linked to migraine and epilepsy as well. None of the rest of us do this. It was really noticeable when he was a baby, less so now he is four.

None of us have epilepsy BTW, no family history either. I have had occasional migraines but nothing serious.

By the way do not ever make a person with trypophobia watch anything to do with the Surinam Sea Toad’s reproduction. NOPE. Never ever

I also sneeze in response to light! I honestly thought everyone did that.

That is actually quite sad, tbh. Because the video was nothing to do with triggering people, but to make people understand why people react to the holes. It's an educational video full of information, but you actually made MNHQ delete the link so no one who may be interested can access that link. Why would you do that, especially as a parent who have a child who suffers from Trypophobia?