Crippling phobias

[Zarys]

I suposse that watch his own stumps can be tiring and unsettling if you're not born with.
But I'm not really sure about a true long-term phobia or in the case of those who are born that way. (or or having been amputated when they are young)

[Munchenhausen]

Well from what I remember of the course, a phobia is defined as an Irrational Fear. Not to be confused with being scared of something, to be phobic of something is an extreme circumstance.

I guess there's nothing more irrational to be scared of than your own body... or is it simply TOO irrational?

[Oscar Wildecat]

I guess there's nothing more irrational to be scared of than your own body... or is it simply TOO irrational?

Body Integrity Identity Disorder?

[Broomhead]

I have one, but it is a technicality.

The fear of betrayal: Most of my life has been marred by friendships that end in betrayal or a particularly nasty spat that leaves shrapnel. While technically not a phobia nor crippling it affects how I think and interact in such a way that I think it does limit me socially. Which may be part of why I like the internet so much; it's hard to betray or feel betrayed by someone over the internet, especially if they can't have anything to tell others. A phobia does not necessarily mean fear, it can also mean hate. When I feel I have been betrayed, I am impossible to be around or calm. I become ruthless and cold, trying to eliminate the person socially and emotionally from my environment (Heck I even broke some and rebuilt them with key stones after they betrayed me so I could destroy them if I ever needed). Luckily this also translates to a bit of a white knight feature, so I get crusade-y when I see something wrong. Saved more than one person's life because of that. I almost got into a fight once because someone was damaging school property, but an interloper arrived at the write time for him to walk away. I honestly don't know what would've happened if he hadn't; I would've won for sure, but I may not have been able to stop myself once he was on his back. This is made even worse by my stress-induced migraines.

I also get freaked out by bees when they're around, but I can deal with them if I need to. I wear long pants and sleeves outside during spring and such so they can't sting me, and actively try to remove them from my housing areas. (Room, Garden, etc.) Which is kinda sad, since I am not actually allergic to them, it feels like a shot when one of them stings me. (I'm going to get corrected on this, I just know it) The reason most people get all swelly and itchy when stung by a bee is because they have a minor allergy or reaction to it, and I simply don't. I've met people with a similar reaction to poison oak oil.

[metalangel]

The fear of betrayal: Most of my life has been marred by friendships that end in betrayal or a particularly nasty spat that leaves shrapnel. While technically not a phobia nor crippling it affects how I think and interact in such a way that I think it does limit me socially. Which may be part of why I like the internet so much; it's hard to betray or feel betrayed by someone over the internet, especially if they can't have anything to tell others. A phobia does not necessarily mean fear, it can also mean hate. When I feel I have been betrayed, I am impossible to be around or calm. I become ruthless and cold, trying to eliminate the person socially and emotionally from my environment (Heck I even broke some and rebuilt them with key stones after they betrayed me so I could destroy them if I ever needed). Luckily this also translates to a bit of a white knight feature, so I get crusade-y when I see something wrong. Saved more than one person's life because of that. I almost got into a fight once because someone was damaging school property, but an interloper arrived at the write time for him to walk away. I honestly don't know what would've happened if he hadn't; I would've won for sure, but I may not have been able to stop myself once he was on his back. This is made even worse by my stress-induced migraines.

I can relate. Halfway through the middle of grade 9, someone who'd been my best friend since fourth also started hanging around someone we'd had in class back in first or second grade. Alone, they were fine with me, but together they fed off each other and bullied and hassled me. It all culminated in one incident where they basically said I couldn't take the hint, I said I could, got up and walked away.

My ex-friend tried on a few occasions to reconcile (by asking other people to tell me to come talk to them) but I was still so hurt that I refused. I never wanted to see, hear or talk to them again - not easy but I had the rest of high school basically acting like they weren't there when they were nearby or in the same room as me.

When my (now) best friend met me, she worried about how to bring me out of my shell. She succeeded and became the first person IRL that I told about the above. I still can't help but worry that the same thing will happen again because my life sucks, but we've been through a lot together and she's fought my corner and I hers for serious stuff several times and when we're together, we're inseparable. I've come to completely trust her and vice versa so I hope given we're both adults stupid petty BS isn't on the cards any more.

I've been betrayed by others since the first incident, including by girlfriends, and something I've noticed is that often they don't realize what they've done or how upsetting it is. When an ex messed me around I did the same 'blanking' approach until I was able to forgive her.

[Potato]

Due to a series of sitcom-level-horrendous life experiences (Sitcoms love the "person gets a friend and/or date because the friend/date just lost a bet or took a dare" plot...It seems implausible in reality until you meet humanity's dregs.), I am immediately locked into a state of low-level paranoia during any significant social interaction. It's not particularly crippling but it does make everyone very very suspicious...

[metalangel]

Due to a series of sitcom-level-horrendous life experiences (Sitcoms love the "person gets a friend and/or date because the friend/date just lost a bet or took a dare" plot...It seems implausible in reality until you meet humanity's dregs.), I am immediately locked into a state of low-level paranoia during any significant social interaction. It's not particularly crippling but it does make everyone very very suspicious...

Meet my friend AvPD. Does any of it speak to you?

[Potato]

Due to a series of sitcom-level-horrendous life experiences (Sitcoms love the "person gets a friend and/or date because the friend/date just lost a bet or took a dare" plot...It seems implausible in reality until you meet humanity's dregs.), I am immediately locked into a state of low-level paranoia during any significant social interaction. It's not particularly crippling but it does make everyone very very suspicious...

Meet my friend AvPD. Does any of it speak to you?

Met him already. Bits and pieces. Not the avoidant part though. I don't make any particular effort to avoid interaction, I'm just suspicious and paranoid during it.

[metalangel]

I tick most of those boxes along with quite a few for DPD. It kinda sucks but that's life, I guess.

[LordMarluxia]

Spiders.
Now, I've gotten older and bit more understanding of myself and spiders in general but I remember a single episode that resulted in physical harm.

I was 13 and someone thought it would be funny to pick up a spider and put it inside the arachnophobic kid's shirt. As soon as felt something inside my shirt and I understood from the laughter that it was a spider I ran into the nearest wall, back first. Repeat. Repeat again. I did it until I fainted (the teacher was busy tending to a kid who got hurt). Some bruises covered my back afterwards.

It took me a while to rationalize my fear of spiders.

[SpunkySix]

Spiders.
Now, I've gotten older and bit more understanding of myself and spiders in general but I remember a single episode that resulted in physical harm.

I was 13 and someone thought it would be funny to pick up a spider and put it inside the arachnophobic kid's shirt. As soon as felt something inside my shirt and I understood from the laughter that it was a spider I ran into the nearest wall, back first. Repeat. Repeat again. I did it until I fainted (the teacher was busy tending to a kid who got hurt). Some bruises covered my back afterwards.

It took me a while to rationalize my fear of spiders.

I wonder if having a spider crawl on her would freak Lilly out more or less than the average sighted person.

[Potato]

...There was probably a faster and less painful way to murder that spider. Just sayin'.

[LordMarluxia]

...There was probably a faster and less painful way to murder that spider. Just sayin'.

I know I know... but... I was scared shitless and started crying like a little girl. Slamming myself against a wall wasn't intended...
I freaked out.

[Broomhead]

Potato: Personally I think that would've been my reaction too. Most likely out of muscle memory from when people would latch onto my back. That and also I'm a bit cold about that sorta thing, I even have a pair of Response Gear boots that I count the snail deaths on. I'm also a tad freaked out about spiders, mostly from my mom, but I mostly just put em outside because I hate flys more.

Spunky (edited): If I was blind (which I'm not) I would totally freak out more. Also, you can't really see spiders on your back, so it's probably the same as sighted people (except a wall may be a tad harder to find.)

[Forever_ambivalent]

Well I have photophobia which is a clinical condition which makes me get migraines or strong headaches if too much light enters my eyes. Basically I cannot go outside without sunglasses which is embarrassing as hell. It's treatable but if I get a migraine then I could just get it back pretty easily and I have to start the whole process of having to expose myself slowly to light over a course of 2-3 years so that my eyes can handle light better.
Clinical phobia's are goddamn infuriating. At least with psychological phobia's you don't receive so much physical pain.

I'm scared of insects (arachnophobia). I can handle them being in my room but I can't get myself to touch them or kill them. It's not really much of a phobia. I used to have extreme cases of paranoia and fear of practically everybody (because of the possibility that they could just turn around and kill me or my family) but I managed to get it under control when I was very young. I just think that if I die then I die and there was nothing I can do about it. Now people consider me to be sociable person.
Paranoia is really infuriating. At least I have managed to get over it and destroy it. Some people seem to be unable to beat their paranoia. I hope the best for them and that they will overcome their paranoia as soon as possible.

Also the dark is scary as hell. I can't stand it for one minute. Even when there is some light from the moon it just seems to slowly fade away into the darkness until it is absolutely dark. It's not as bad as it used to be (I can sleep in the dark. I don't need a bed light anymore) but it's still incredibly unpleasant for me. I still don't understand why light seems to slowly fade away into the darkness when I am in a largely dark environment even though in reality it isn't.