Things you are just unable to/just cant do and others think you’re being silly

[Cattery]

For example: I just can’t be a passenger in the back of a car. I wouldn’t even contemplate it if the car had no rear doors. The claustrophobia would send me into sheer panic.

I cannot for the life of me use the self-service tills in our local Matalan. Anywhere else I'm fine, but those? Nope.

Pop it in after chewing a mouthful of food and then swallow. Apparently it's a psychological reaction to swallowing a tablet with say a glass of water, because your brain doesn't associate having something solid to go down with it. Whereas if you pop it in just as you're about to swallow some food your brain knows it's not a liquid and it makes it a lot easier to swallow them without gagging or choking. I thought it was a load of shite when the guy doing one of my training courses told us all, but started taking metformin like that because I'd often choke on those with just liquids. I am getting better at swallowing them without food now (not metformin I no longer take it) , but I can't have the tablet(s) on my tongue before taking a drink. They have to be under my tongue first and then moved on top of my tongue once I've got a mouthful of drink.

I cannot change into a swimming costume under a towel without committing indecent exposure. Someone's going to tell me to get a Dryrobe now- I suppose if I cared I would.

Someone I knew years ago had a 'swimming towel 'which had elastic put around the top of it and then you could get changed underneath ( not a dry robe or whatever it's called now, but something run up on a sowing machine from ordinary toweling )
Worked well. I know that anyone trying a traditional towel changing method , it can be so tricky to do well.

I can't wear a polo neck or high crew neck jumper, I hate anything near my neck.

I can't wear high necked things either !
Or necklaces

No. I don’t like anything high necked. Feels restrictive

Roll necks were popular when I was a child
I did try one once and hated it
Decided not to bother after that!
( ditto necklaces or any jewellery apart from a watch )

Don't write cards then, lots don't anymore anyway.

I don't either, but it's a choice. It's not that I can't!

I have a severe fear of being in a car on a dual carriageway or motorway. Doesn't matter if I'm driving ( although that has now become impossible) or a passenger - I have to try to find alternative routes. People call me pathetic which is really upsetting. I don't enjoy feeling like that. Would give anything to be relaxed about it, but it's got to the point that even someone mentioning going a certain way which needs more than one lane makes me cry

I tried to crochet for the first time yesterday, impossible and I give up.

@MaybeItsBecauseImALodoner no, don't give up. What was the problem? come over to the arts and crafts board there is a crochet chat topic and someone will be able to help you.

I can’t:

drive (tried and failed many times)
ride a bike (ditto)
swim (just hated it so didn’t try hard )

but I can:

ride a horse (competitively when younger)
fly a plane (had several hours of lessons; might try to get my licence)

I cannot explain the difference of quality in the things I can do and the things I can’t.

Don't give up. It took me ages to get the hang of crochet. I was a knitter and it all seemed a bit ... weird! But it is absolutely worth the effort. Bella Coco on YouTube is brilliant, although I learned from a book as that's what works for me. I do watch tutorials now though, to help me with tricky stuff and for free patterns. Keep trying. You won't regret it (until your house is repossessed due to your costly yarn habit😆)

Get on a rollercoaster I actually think I'd expire before I got off even the thought of it gives me anxiety. Same with anything really involving great heights

I just want to say how consoling I have found this thread. At the moment we have just completed a big move from abroad and now I'm confronted again with all of my 'failings' as a human being. I'm trying to start driving again but it causes me such anxiety and I was feeling so useless and alone. I feel like I'm so far from where I want to be. But I guess I'm definitely not alone! Thank you for sharing.

@Domesticdrama Oh absolutely not alone. As you can see there are loads of different things we all find daunting and with the best will in the world we cannot do. I’d probs turn down a million quid if it meant going anywhere trapped in the back of a two door car; simply can’t do it. Irrational? Maybe. A real fear for me? Most definitely.

Amaxophobia is the term for fear of driving or being on motorways. I'm glad it's an actual thing as I feel so pathetic when people take the mickey.

I'm the same. I've used avoidance tactics for years. Have been mocked by previous partners and massively misunderstood. It's rubbish. I think the speed element is the biggest issue for me, but also the amount of cars. I had a car accident when I was in my 20s which is really when mine properly kicked in. Now I'm 53, and more fearful of most things in general. I'm also Autistic, so the anxiety / overhelm just amplifies it all. I can't/ won't/ don't do it anymore as it made me ill.

I won't drive on motorways.. also cannot read maps or find my way around new places easily

Inside cabin on a cruise. My parents and sister tried it last year and loved it.
Even worse would be a cabin with a porthole, good grief that would send me crazy.
As I'll never be able to afford a room with balcony I'm happy to stay at home!

Eat mushy food, like rice pudding, lumpy potatoes or porridge. It makes my mouth water with pre vomit.
I actually live in fear that one day I'll be old and get put on a thickened water/pureed diet. I'd prefer to just not have the food.

I can't play ANY sport...I have no spacial awareness. I can't do exercise classes as I always go the wrong way or am doing a completely different move. I can swim and do yoga and pilates though....maybe as they aren't as hectic.

I can also drive well and parallel park so I don't know how I have the ability to do that, but I don't know my left from my right quickly enough so I assume that's why sport and dance routines are just beyond me.

I also get lost everytime I go to a new place. If I was on a two week holiday I'll not be able to find our hotel room on my own for the whole time we are there.

I've lost count how many times I've lost the car in a multistorey car park.

I went to a step class in the 90s pre children
The woman told me I was ' the least coordinated person she'd ever met '
I didn't ever go back!!

Oh my word @the80sweregreat, that’s terrible! I teach fitness classes and I see the full range, from people who are incredibly coordinated, fit and keep good time with the music all the way down to people who….well, I wonder how they manage to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom without falling over 😂 But I would never tell someone they aren’t coordinated! They usually know themselves anyway, most of them have a laugh with it. They’re still able to improve their fitness, even if their movements aren’t very coordinated!