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I used to volunteer at the fears and phobias clinic at my school. I only worked as a clerck, and it runs all year long (except holidays). It's free to students, and it's great for helping people get over their fears. But I must admit, there are some people with some pretty strange fears:

1) This girl is convinced that everything is going to either collapse or cave in on her. She refuses to get into a pool, because she thinks it's leaking (even if it's not) and that the bottom is going to crack, and swallow her up.
She had to move out of the dorms because they were 4 stories tall, and again, she was convinced they were going to collapse. Other than that, she's mentally healthy. What sparks this kind of thinking? By her own admission, she's never had a traumatic experiece with something collapsing before...

2) Fear of driving! Well, she's afraid of a large truck hitting her car and killing her. This is a bit different, though: she saw an accident in which someone was killed. That's fairly understandable, but all-in-all, depending on your driving style, driving is fairly safe.

3) Fear of dogs. Not just rabbid dogs, all dogs. Even something as small as 5lbs. Dog's have been known to kill people, but it's not too common. This one, I suppose, isn't too strange, but I do think it's a bit irrational. This guy is a pretty big guy (6'0", 215lbs), and flees at the first sign of a dog.

4) Then there the usuals - the people who are just plain tired of being afraid of every day stuff: spiders, heights, social situations, etc. You'd actually be surprised at what their reasonings for being afraid of these things differ. Some people are afraid of spiders because of how they move, while others don't want to get bit.

I've been dying to post this for weeks, but I had to wait for permission for the individuals to talk about this with anyone other than professor Clarke. What are your thoughts and opinions on fears? What fears are justifyable, and what are just plain irrational? I've got a friend who is terrified on clowns, and I have no idea why (it all started when he saw Killer Clowns from Outer Space at a young age). There are other, stranger fears, but I did not recieve their permission to discuss them, or their fears. Perhaps I could illude to it? I suppose I could, but it wouldn't be very respectful.

I believe that most irrational fears come from some type of experience in ones earlier years of life (even if they can't recall it entirely). Something that someone will experience hits them so hard, or simply doesn't make sense to their reasoning, then becomes a fear since they cannot rationalize it themselves.

I had a fear of spiders, dogs, and tight (man-made) spaces for the longest time. I'm pretty sure the dog one comes from the violent dogs that lived next door in the second house that I lived in, and the spiders fear from a series of stories I heard at a young age from my grandpa. As for the fear of tight, man-made spaces, I've had a few occasions as a child where I would be locked in a closet, tree-house, dug hole, etc. I hated the feeling of not being able to get out, and would imagine the walls closing in on me.

These fears are now gone besides the tight spaces one which lingers a bit. The first two simply faded away over the last few years.

I'd say my fears are irrational as most dogs will not harm me, and spiders are hardly a threat. Being stuck in a tight space is frightening, but in most cases not going to harm me. I don't exactly have a near death experience to back my fears up either.

Being afraid of something is not necessarily irrational, as long as that thing is dangerous. The real question is whether the amount of fear is even vaguely proportional to the amount of danger.

A good example: I've known people who refuse to use Teflon-coated cooking pans because they've heard that tiny amounts of CFCs can be released by them. Meanwhile, they smoke cigarettes every day. This is an example of an irrational fear, not because the Teflon thing is totally unfounded (it might have a factual basis), but because they obviously have no sense of proportion about it.

Similarly, fear of heights is not irrational; it is quite true that if you fall from a high place, you're liable to be hurt or killed. But if that fear manifests itself even in situations where the risk is controlled, then you're being irrational.

Nub wrote:I believe that most irrational fears come from some type of experience in ones earlier years of life (even if they can't recall it entirely). Something that someone will experience hits them so hard, or simply doesn't make sense to their reasoning, then becomes a fear since they cannot rationalize it themselves.

I had a fear of spiders, dogs, and tight (man-made) spaces for the longest time. I'm pretty sure the dog one comes from the violent dogs that lived next door in the second house that I lived in, and the spiders fear from a series of stories I heard at a young age from my grandpa. As for the fear of tight, man-made spaces, I've had a few occasions as a child where I would be locked in a closet, tree-house, dug hole, etc. I hated the feeling of not being able to get out, and would imagine the walls closing in on me.

These fears are now gone besides the tight spaces one which lingers a bit. The first two simply faded away over the last few years.

I'd say my fears are irrational as most dogs will not harm me, and spiders are hardly a threat. Being stuck in a tight space is frightening, but in most cases not going to harm me. I don't exactly have a near death experience to back my fears up either.

That all sounds fairly common, and it's mostly what we heard (I'll clarify that part later, because as I mentioned before, I was just a clerck). When I was 5, I was afraid of dogs. That was because the only dog I'd ever seen was a German shepard that was a lot bigger than I was.

As for my personal fears, I'm a little afraid of tight spaces, but not much. The only time where it ever really gets to me is when it's hot, and I've got to go under the house for something (I HATE having to do that). I'm also afraid of re-breaking my hip. That was an experience that I'd like to avoid. I don't run anymore (My doctor says I've healed to the point where I could do it, but that's how I broke it in the first place), and I don't lift anything heavier than my back pack. It might be a bit irrational, but honestly, I don't care. LOL!

As for my position as a clerk: it is expected that everyone that volunteers at the clinic is persuing a career in medicine (which I am), and it gives us all some real world experience to put on a job, or graduate school application.

I have fear of heights and fear of depths. I don't think it's necessarily strange. Falling to death is one of those things that humans would tend to avoid, methinks, and nobody wants to drown. But that fear of depths has also translated into a fear of small boats - you couldn't get me out on a rowboat if you tried. Ironically enough, my uncle was a small boats expert in the navy, and my dad was a sailor too...!

My girlfriend has that generic fear of insects that seems to be shared by most of the women I've ever known. I find it a bit irrational to scream because of a waterbug.

Only real thing I've got that could even be considered remotely phobis is a fear of bees. Having nearly died from a bite when I was a kid, well, frankly they scare the piss out of me if they get anywhere near me. Basically anything that flies, buzzes and has a stinger will do it. Everything else is relatively minor, though I will admit I do have a bit of an irrational fear of phones. I just don't like answering them whenever possible, and they typically bug the hell out of me. Only reason I'll even carry one around most of the time is for work related stuff.

General Zod wrote:Only real thing I've got that could even be considered remotely phobis is a fear of bees. Having nearly died from a bite when I was a kid, well, frankly they scare the piss out of me if they get anywhere near me. Basically anything that flies, buzzes and has a stinger will do it. Everything else is relatively minor, though I will admit I do have a bit of an irrational fear of phones. I just don't like answering them whenever possible, and they typically bug the hell out of me. Only reason I'll even carry one around most of the time is for work related stuff.

I have a similar fear, although mine was caused by accidentally hiking into a nest of sand wasps, and although it wasn't fatal, it messed up that vacation, which besides me breaking an arm, was going fine.

Dalton wrote:I have fear of heights and fear of depths. I don't think it's necessarily strange. Falling to death is one of those things that humans would tend to avoid, methinks, and nobody wants to drown. But that fear of depths has also translated into a fear of small boats - you couldn't get me out on a rowboat if you tried. Ironically enough, my uncle was a small boats expert in the navy, and my dad was a sailor too...!

My girlfriend has that generic fear of insects that seems to be shared by most of the women I've ever known. I find it a bit irrational to scream because of a waterbug.

I'm not fond of deep water myself; particularly, water in which I can't see the bottom. I'd also like to avoid falling to death; although, I'm not afraid of being in a tall building. I don't like bridges, though. Since I like in California (earthquake central), I'm a bit worried about them collapsing while I'm on them. It's never enough to keep me from crossing them, though.

My girlfriend has a fear of fish. These are her exact words, "I just don't want them touching me, or eating me, or anything else. That's just gross". I never could understand it, but whatever. She also doesn't like closet doors that are open, when she is going to sleep, or porcelan (sp) dolls. Like my friend, she isn't the biggest fan of clowns.

I have an irrational fear of heights then, using Darth Wong's definition.

I was on top of a high rise apartment building and was terrified that for some reason I would go over the edge, it was so high up.

Oddly enough I love roller coasters and don't mind flying. I uess I don't like heights in a non controlled environment.

I also seem to have an "irrational" fear of dogs as described in the OP. No matter what size the animal is, I can't help but be afraid of it. If the animal is friendly (but not too friendly), I can usually get used to it after a while. It was only this year that I leared where my fear of dogs came from. Apparently, when I was about one year old, my grandmother essentially forced me to spend an lot of time with several dogs which were much larger than me. From what I understand, I was a wreck for several days afterwards, and I still can't help but run away from a dog if it approaches me.

Nub wrote:I believe that most irrational fears come from some type of experience in ones earlier years of life (even if they can't recall it entirely). Something that someone will experience hits them so hard, or simply doesn't make sense to their reasoning, then becomes a fear since they cannot rationalize it themselves.

I had a fear of spiders, dogs, and tight (man-made) spaces for the longest time. I'm pretty sure the dog one comes from the violent dogs that lived next door in the second house that I lived in, and the spiders fear from a series of stories I heard at a young age from my grandpa. As for the fear of tight, man-made spaces, I've had a few occasions as a child where I would be locked in a closet, tree-house, dug hole, etc. I hated the feeling of not being able to get out, and would imagine the walls closing in on me.

These fears are now gone besides the tight spaces one which lingers a bit. The first two simply faded away over the last few years.

I'd say my fears are irrational as most dogs will not harm me, and spiders are hardly a threat. Being stuck in a tight space is frightening, but in most cases not going to harm me. I don't exactly have a near death experience to back my fears up either.

You forgot to mention your lava showers.

Brother-Captain Gaius wrote:You forgot to mention your lava showers.

Haha, you're right. I completely forgot about the lava showers.

I've at occasion had the strange fear that lava would come out of the shower head. This didn't stop me from showering, but it did make me feel uncomfortable. I'd say this is the most irrational fear I've ever had. I have no explenation for it either.

Ladders. Every time I have to climb a ladder I get sweaty hands, and on bad days I'll get the shakes. It's weird since I have no problem standing on the edge of a sloped roof while cleaning out the eavestroughs, climbing up trees to pick fruit, riding my bike off small cliffs, and jumping up & down on the glass floor of the CN Tower while laughing. But as soon as I put my feet on a ladder I'm scared shitless for some reason. I've never fallen off one or even come close, but for some reason they scare me to death.

ants.
I know this is irrational, but I always get a feeling that I'm gonna be lying around in the grass, when I'll feel somthing... I'll look to my arm, and see hundreds of ants biting... I look around, and there are millions of them... I try to get them off, but they swarm and I get eaten alive.
*shiver*

Let's see, I used to have two phobias

Stinging insects
And Needles, well to be more precise, injections.

Yeah, those two are kinda interconnected. Can't think of any originating reason for them though.

Anyway, Nowadays I'm down to about 0.5 irrational fears.
Which means:
Needles: Don't like 'em but I can tolerate them. Same as anyone I guess.
Stinging insects these days is downgraded to more of an aggravated threat response. Still a little irrational if I'm being completely honest, but not beyond the bounds of my being able to control it.

Needles: Absolutely hate them
My big one is rejection, for some reason. I can't stand it. It's not quite parylizing, but it is a strong fear.

Most other things I'm not that bad with.

I, too, have a fear of being injected. I'm afraid that what ever is in the shot is going to go into a vien, and it'll stop my heart. I'm afraid of a lot more than I thought! I never would have realized it if I hadn't have started this thread, LOL!

It's a bit strange: so many rational people on this board have irrational fears.

Heights don't agree with me at all. When I went to the top of the Empire State Building in NYC, I couldn't stand at the edge of the observation floor for more than a few seconds. It was perfectly protected - I couldn't have fallen off if I had tried, but it still absolutely freaked me the fuck out.

I really just can't stand bugs being on me or in my living space. It kinda merges with a fear of spiders that I suspect is either genetic or simply passed by example from my mother, but it's not a crippling fear. I just can't make myself ignore them, and have a distinct urge to kill them. It's really specifically spiders, because even harvestmen don't have the same effect on me.

Alan Bolte wrote:I really just can't stand bugs being on me or in my living space. It kinda merges with a fear of spiders that I suspect is either genetic or simply passed by example from my mother, but it's not a crippling fear. I just can't make myself ignore them, and have a distinct urge to kill them. It's really specifically spiders, because even harvestmen don't have the same effect on me.

Perhaps at one point in human evolution, spiders were much bigger and much deadlier than they are now. I'm not an insect history expert, but seeing as how such a large portion of the population is afraid of spiders, it makes sense.

Count Dooku wrote:

Alan Bolte wrote:I really just can't stand bugs being on me or in my living space. It kinda merges with a fear of spiders that I suspect is either genetic or simply passed by example from my mother, but it's not a crippling fear. I just can't make myself ignore them, and have a distinct urge to kill them. It's really specifically spiders, because even harvestmen don't have the same effect on me.

Perhaps at one point in human evolution, spiders were much bigger and much deadlier than they are now. I'm not an insect history expert, but seeing as how such a large portion of the population is afraid of spiders, it makes sense.

Being an arachnophobe myself, I study them with a lay intensity.

Apparently the Goliath Bird Eater of Amazonia is the largest true spider to have ever lived, at least the largest that there's concrete evidence for; the supposed "megarachnae servinei" fossil discovered some years ago in Argentina is actually an aquatic crustacean.

Size, however, does not equal lethality. There could easily have been some exceedingly poisonous pre-historic spiders that our ancestors were vulnerable to.

Speaking of weird fears, how's this:

I'm creeped out, and I mean creeped out to where I can barely sit still, by dead trees standing in water.
Don't ask me why, but if I'm in a boat and it gets close to stand of dead trees in a lake, my heart rate skyrockets and I have to literally fight a panicky urge to escape the boat somehow.

There is a place that is...terrifying to Us.

Frank Hipper wrote:Speaking of weird fears, how's this: <snip>

That's a pretty bizarre fear. I think you win.

Frank Hipper wrote:Speaking of weird fears, how's this:

I'm creeped out, and I mean creeped out to where I can barely sit still, by dead trees standing in water.
Don't ask me why, but if I'm in a boat and it gets close to stand of dead trees in a lake, my heart rate skyrockets and I have to literally fight a panicky urge to escape the boat somehow.

When it comes to submerged objects, I'm often afraid of accidentally falling out of the boat. I remember having nightmares about falling into crocodile/etc infested waters. Also sometimes i get creeped out by the possibility of stepping on dangerous sea creatures at the beach. Stupid Australian wildlife.

Actually now that i think about it, i'm also afraid of accidentally tripping (or being pushed by someone who's tripped) into the path of a bus or train. I tend to stand far enough back that i can stumble if i need to. Most people seem unfazed by the idea of a hundred tons of metal careening towards them while they mill around on just two legs.

I have always had a fear of the ocean. Not necessarily of deep water. I can swim well, and I know I would have no difficulty floating on the surface waiting for help. Cold water and difficult weather (high waves) would negate that advantage, never the less, I love water in controlled conditions like lakes. The ocean is just so huge and uncontrollable.

Then add sharks and jelly fish into the equation. Then swimming in the ocean seems suicidal.

I had anticipated and watched every episode of "shark week" on the discovery channel until early 2ks' since they began (summer of '93 I think). I still watch a few episodes every year, but there is never anything new they have discovered. Sharks are still largely not understood and still as deadly.

I know that I have a better chance of being struck by lightning, which I still fear. I prefer being struck by lightning than being unable to get away and have my limbs sliced off by a shark.
The ocean itself is just gross and a death trap as far as I am concerned.

Hmm... well I sometimes gets scared that I have a deadly disease and will die shortly, or horribly. I guess that's a bit irrational. Then again, you never know

Actually, it's not that bad, it was worse when I was a kid. And I've kind of realised that I'm going to have to die someday anyway so worrying about won't help much...