Would you call someone childish for having an insect phobia ?

[hiddenhillz]

I reallly hate all insects so much. I can't even get on board with butterflies or ladybirds. When one of the things comes my way or when I see a spider I freak out a bit. I've trained myself not to run away in public because it's embarrassing. A huge spider was crawling in the car today and I pointed at it and said OMG spider and kind of froze. My mum said I was so childish. I really want to do some kind of therapy as I don't want my children ( they're babies ) to also develop a fear.

Is insect phobia different to other phobias, in the sense that it's OK to call someone childish ? My mum panics in enclosed spaces. So I said to her that I never call her childish for panicking in those situations. Yet, I always get a hard time about it when I freak out at insects.

No, I wouldn't and would think less of anyone who did. I have a couple of really debilitating phobias and anyone who wants to ridicule me for it can get in the bin. It's horrible enough without people with an empathy bypass making it even more humiliating. Your mother needs to have a word with herself.

No, never. I have a terrible moth/butterfly phobia so I sympathise with anyone with any type of phobia. My mum has a phobia of birds, so she understands.

All phobias are irrational, but I wouldn't say you were childish. I have a fear of anything with wings. Moths, butterflies, ladybirds, aeroplanes, birds, pigeons are my worst. I wouldn't appreciate someone calling me childish for it.

After the fucking ginormous spider I saw last week, no. The fear is real

No, I have an insect phobia too. Phobias aren't reasonable, that's the whole point.

If your fear of insects might hinder your driving, were you to have an insect in the car, then you really need some help.

My mum has such a go at me about it every time actually. She says ' you are such and such years old ', it's pathetic. Quite upsetting really. But I do need to sort it out.

that's not to do with your phobia its to do with your horrible mother

Your mother is X years old and has managed to avoid developing any empathy, imagination or good manners. I'd be pointing that out to her the next time she does her little schtick about your phobia.

It can be debilitating having a phobia. You can't help the response, im terrified of snakes. To the point even cartoon ones make me wretch, there are no snake toys in the house and I won't go near the reptile houses in zoos... saw one unexpectedly at an event with the dc and puked. My dc find it hilarious but everyone else is very understanding.

You can get therapy if it's affecting your life and it can be really effective. A friend of my DDs was terrified of dogs then did some aversion therapy and is a massive dog lover now. It's amazing to have seen them go from shaking, crying and genuinely terrified because a dog was within 50ft of them to now happily walking dogs, petting and playing with them.

Hypnotherapy works very well for phobias OP. I woulcaall someone childish for having a phobia but I might think that thier reaction was childish. Still probably wouldn't say it to them.

Not at all childish! I have a friend who is afraid of pigeons. We could be walking down the road together and I'd suddenly wonder where she'd gone because she'd seen a pigeon a hundred yards away on the other side of the road and she'd be trying to make herself invisible. It's unkind for anyone to poke fun at another person for having a phobia. I would say there is a difference between hating insects and being afraid of them, though. It's possible to get treatment if you feel it's affecting your daily life. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is said to work well.

The main issue is your DM not your phobia

Of course not, lots of people have phobias and no one should be called childish for them.

Although I do find all the spider threads on MN irritating amd all the exhorting each other to burn the house doen or nuke them from orbit because it’sbtye only way to be sure 🙄

It’s not childish, no. But I can see why it might be a bit… grating? for others if you freak out every time you see an insect or a spider. How badly do you react to them?

It’s also very much the case that some phobias are viewed are far more acceptable than others. Being afraid of spiders is fairly common and ‘normal’ (so I’m quite surprised by your mum) but I’m not sure you’d be getting quite the same reaction if you had a phobia of sandwiches or wellington boots 😉

I think so many people do respond childishly to insects, that it doesn’t help people who are genuinely phobic.
My friend has a banana phobia - couldn’t enter a meeting room once where someone hadn’t tied up there lunch! Like that, I have every sympathy for a real phobia.
But “OMG - spiders!” over dramatic types? Nah.
I do think it’s childish to have a phobia and not so what you can to address it though.
My friend can now enter a room with a banana in, after therapy. Can’t touch one though!

It’s mean to call names

it can be hard if you find someone’s phobia ridiculous…mine is sharks and I’m never going to meet one, but I Don’t have an insect phobia

perhaps because we don’t have killer insects it seems a bit OTT?

my children don’t have this phobia or any other so I cant
offer strategies but if it’s to not impacting too much and you can go through day to day life you will be okay

It depends on how you react, what you expect others to do vs what you'd do if you were alone and what you've done to conquer your fear.

Running around screaming demanding others stop what they're doing to get rid of them isn't fair, especially if you'd just move to a different room if you were alone.

I have a huge phobia of daddy long legs btw

No, not at all. Phobias are not rational.
I have been called childish for mine (needles). People that are not phobic of something have no idea how hard it can be.

Exactly this, real phobias, not childish

MN hysterical “ooooh spiders are so scary burn down your house!!” nonsense, neither original nor funny and honestly pretty pathetic

Not sure what your mum would make of me then- I also used to have a phobia of insects which I didn't want to pass on to my children so I did the very childish thing of giving any spiders in the house a name . Weve had a lizzy, a Bert, Enid, Sophie, Graham and currently have Amy living in the bathroom! Its worked though. Unless one was crawling on me they really don't bother me being in the house anymore

No, not childish at all. DH has a crippling fear of spiders. We had one crawl across the livingroom floor the other day, you would have thought he was a stereotypical 50s housewife with how he jumped up on the sofa feet up and all. I cup and papered it into the garden, as I do with all of them.

I am at the grand age of 28 still terrified of the dark. Utterly irrational as I know I am perfectly safe in my house, but I can't deal with it.

It takes a lot from us both to not let ds know, as we don't want him to pick up and develop the phobias. So far so good, but he is still only little and they notice everything.

It is something I'd associated with younger children. I wouldn't really expected an adult to be seriously scared of insects.