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Original poster

If you have fear of holes (trypophobia)..

129 replies

Swalewhale · 19/03/2023 21:14

...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.

OP posts:
AnuSTart · 20/03/2023 14:00

I have this and it makes me want to vomit and scratch myself all over.

I also sneeze in sunlight.

I until now thought that was all normal.

I also had Alice In Wonderland syndrome and struggle as an adult in imagining faces or people's bodies. They are always warped and strange. Disfigured almost.

I feel sad that I now know this is not normal.

Nooyoiknooyoik · 20/03/2023 14:43

Sierra26 · 20/03/2023 13:53

Two things happened in my garden recently.

I dug up the inside bit of a sunflower from a flower bed. The dark bit with all the seeds sticking out. I think a squirrel buried it. I got such a fight and couldn’t look at it, it was so so gross and triggering with all the holes and seeds 🤢

There’s something in my vegetable patch at the moment which I think/thought is a cat poo. But it has really long straight HAIRS growing from it, vertically upwards towards the sky. It makes me want to never engage with the garden again. I need to pluck up courage to get DH to investigate it.

fine with crumpets 🤷🏻‍♀️

Roast chicken when you can see the feather follicle holes on the skin 🤢🤢

Even reading about the hairs repulses me.

Nooyoiknooyoik · 20/03/2023 14:47

grapehyacinthisactuallyblue · 19/03/2023 22:08

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?

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I agree. Don’t click on a link discussing the topic if you’re then going to police what’s on it.

Sierra26 · 20/03/2023 15:45

Nooyoiknooyoik · 20/03/2023 14:43

Even reading about the hairs repulses me.

Show quote history

Sorry 😂🤢

AbsolutePixels · 20/03/2023 21:13

For me I think it's uniform holes rather than random ones.

Yes, same here. It's uniform holes that disgust me, but not it they're man-made, it's the naturally occurring ones that freak me out. It's as though my brain thinks something natural shouldn't be that uniform, and that it's extremely sinister and I should run away.

Findyourneutralspace · 20/03/2023 22:50

I can only skim this thread because reading it gives me the heeby jeebies, but seed heads are the worst, with the thought things could pop out. Also sporny videos repulse me. I can be unsettled for days after them.
Weirdly, crumpets are absolutely fine, but things in nature really give me the creeps. Strawberry skins if I look too closely. But mostly where something could ooze out.
It’s like revulsion and fear at the same time.

Findyourneutralspace · 20/03/2023 22:52

Oh, and as far as I know, I’m NT but one of my DCs has ADHD and the other ASD, so it’s possible I’m not I suppose.

99victoria · 20/03/2023 23:24

I have trypophobia - it makes me feel very nauseous and shivery. I don't have OCD or anxiety or ADHD though. No mental health issues at all

BertieBotts · 22/03/2023 08:48

YY uggggh when you cook Penne and it gets stuck at the bottom. Horrible!! I have even seen some gross pinterest things where they stack it that way on purpose for a pasta bake. WHY?

Crumpets are OK for me but I don't like the bubbles that form after my coffee maker dispenses coffee. Luckily I can make them go away by putting milk/sugar on top.

I also do not understand pimple popper videos - could not pay me to watch them.

DS2 had a load of animal stickers and there was one of a monkey with lots of babies and that triggered it for me.

Ishouldbeoutside · 22/03/2023 18:20

Does anyone have any idea what causes it?

IconicKitty · 22/03/2023 18:21

It makes me feel instantly cold and itchy.

TazzyJ · 22/10/2023 01:59

I’ve had this as long as I can remember, first memories are of my grandmother cleaning the pips from inside a melon. Seeing all the seeds causing feelings of extreme revulsion and nausea. Even while writing this my face has tensed and my stomach has turned. It’s such an intense reaction, I found it hard to grasp that everyone didn’t feel this way.

AffIt · 22/10/2023 02:14

For me, it's a combination of revulsion and a kind of destructive anger - I feel the need to smash the image or object to bits and I am oddly furious that they exist?

Agree with PPs, I think it is a kind of heightened / exaggerated evolutionary innate response rather than a phobia per se.

Oblomov23 · 22/10/2023 03:28

This thread is surprising, I didn't realise it was that common. I only read about it on mn years ago, when I then looked it up, and realised I was the opposite and really liked it.

Ishouldbeoutside · 23/10/2023 08:23

I have always had this and wondered what the cause is. I hadn’t realised before that it had a name!

Ishouldbeoutside · 23/10/2023 08:55

I wonder if this goes along with fear of heights out of curiosity? I am afraid of heights too.

MadeForThis · 24/10/2023 13:31

I have this. And a fear of heights and spiders. But holes gives me a revolted, creepy feeling. Itchy. Spiders and heights just make me freeze and panic.

Calou04 · 13/03/2024 20:44

Hi! I have trypophobia and I have adhd…I was searching the web to find out if their was a link btw the two when I read your post…

MrsHughesPinny · 13/03/2024 20:50

Revulsion and a skin-crawling feeling. As others have said, it’s something biological/primal, like there’s something lurking in the holes or that some substance is going to come out of it.

For me, it’s the pattern of holes too. Honeycomb, lotus seed heads, things like that all make me feel ill.

I also have an anxiety disorder and ADHD.

Slippersareindeedsexy · 13/03/2024 20:53

I have a mild version of this. I totally get what posters are saying.
I think that scene in flash Gordon where they are putting their hands in holes started it.
Also absolutely terrified of small spaces, to point where I could vomit.

Isitbedtimeyet3 · 13/03/2024 20:54

Mama05070704 · 19/03/2023 21:16

I have this and the only way I can explain it is that it makes me feel sick and my spine itch. I can physically feel the nerves around my spine tingling. It’s difficult to explain.

I have also suffered with intrusive thoughts and I’m awaiting assessment for ADHD. I’m not sure there is any correlation between the two.

Me too and I have adhd

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 13/03/2024 20:55

SittingNextToIt · 19/03/2023 21:24

My spouse has this and I’ve just asked him and he’s said “it’s specifically a feeling like something like maggots might come out of the holes or parasites - and it causes a feeling of being repulsed and sick, and thee images are persistent. It’s not at all like a monster coming out - it’s little worm/maggots/oozing things coming out. Just speaking to you about it now I’m feeling queasy”

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This is exactly how I feel about small clusters of holes 🤢.

Whatineed · 13/03/2024 20:56

The skin on my scalp crawls and I can scratch it until it nearly bleeds. Only holes in nature though, holes in steel are fine for example and I can get through endless crumpets with no problem. 😂

Ishouldbeoutside · 13/03/2024 20:57

Anyone got an idea of what it’s all about and what causes it? Even reading this thread is making my skin crawl. I have a really strong reaction.

GoodnightAdeline · 13/03/2024 20:58

I have this and diagnosed OCD (thankfully mostly under control). I find the holes unnerving and they make me feel a bit sicky. A bit like finding a dead rat on your doorstep, or discovering something that’s gone mouldy. Interestingly I read it’s because the holes remind us of infected flesh, and the things I mentioned just then are biohazards as well.