This sounds stupid but does anyone else have a fear of toilets?!!

[baileyk]

We're due to go on holiday to Canada shortly and i am terrified - about the toilets!! I feel so stupid and haven't even mentioned this to my husband.
I've heard they have the automated flush loos in a lot of places and the thought of a loo flushing while i'm sitting on it really scares me. Its so stupid i know nothing can happen but it still doesn't help this fear i have. Does anyone else out there share this or am i the only freak?!?!!

You are not the only 'freak' as you put it!

The treatment of fear of toilets/ usually public ones is quite common in the therapy world.

I know of many people who don't like using public toilets and some with full blown phobias.

It sounds as though it's the automated flush you have a problem with; I think the best thing would be to find out as much as you can about how they work and try and find some here that you can try out to help yourself become accustomed before you go out. Gradual exposure is the way the therapy would work and you can help yourself without paying a therapist.

I don't know if this helps, but as I understand it, the sensor registers that there is a person there (sitting in front of the sensor, on the loo), and then when it recognises that you have moved more than x metres away, it will flush. I was very startled the first time I came across a loo like this, but it truly didn't ever flush whilst I was on it.

hth

I hate public loos too..they give me the shivers... have some strange stuff I do whilst in there like hovering and washing my hands and using a towel to open the door when I leave..lol..and when you truly comprehend the fact that when they flush with the lid open they are spraying the contents of the bowl into the air I try not to think about it I just hit and run!goodluck hun..

Thanks for your replies, its a great help. Will try to prepare myself before i go! Its not only the auto flush loos, i've had a fear of all toilets overflowing / water rising or getting blocked so the thought of that happening while i'm sitting on it is truly terrifying! Not sure when the fear started but its been there for a long long while.
Will try the gradual exposure and see how it goes, its about time i sorted out such a stupid phobia!! Thanks again

Yes, I have a toilet phobia. Mine stems from being stuck/locked in a public loo when I was 5. It was one of those metal ones with the screw on wooden seat. Really horrible.

I'm funny about all toilets actually, apart from my own. A 'new' toilet is a real challenge. I have to fight the panic.

The water rising thing is a big thing for me. You don;t see them much over here, but they have them on the continent and in some UK hospitals, but the worst ones for me are the ones where the water is naturally very high in the shallow bowl. I can feel myself getting panicky thinking about it

I can't sit on a loo without checking nothing is going to pop out of it, I can remeber something in the news as a child about either crocodiles or snakes bing in the sewers and coming out of loos. All very freudian.

Public loos also gives me the shivers but thatis because I know what goes on in many of our public loos, especially on the seafront as my ex father in law was a regular visitor.

I ma getting better though. It used to be that I couldn't use a strange loo without someone putting their foot under the door for me. In fact, poor DH had to come in many a ladies loo with me when I was pg as it seemed to make my phobia worse

NDB, glad to hear someone else has the same phobia. I cannot sit on a toilet with high level water, recently stayed at a b&b with 1 like that, gave myself real bad stomach aches as had to hold myself until we went out somewhere so could use a 'normal' loo!! Managed to hover over by the end of our stay as i was busting, but was shacking and panicky as you descibed. Really don't want to pass fear onto DS so need to get over it before he realises!

What about it scares you? Is it the water?

Its hard to explain as not entirely sure myself, i don't have a fear of water and i know theres no monsters there! Its just the thought of the water rising although i know it won't hurt me if it did but just the thought terrifies me. Guess that doesn't make much sense!

It makes sense. You know not all toilets are automatic

I also have a fear of Victorian toilets, which have a high level cistern. I am unable to sit on the seat such a Lavatory, unless inebriated, which suppresses my phobia.