# Fears & Phobias - Automatic doors anyone?



## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

Does anyone have a fear of automatic doors?     Strange thread I know.... 

Or in general what are your fears/phobias/quirks? My Friend counts corners in every room he goes into... quirky much! 

For me I have to plan journeys (ie - google earth / sat nav / AA Route / check time distance) and be very very sure of where im going. I couldnt even contemplate doing a journey without getting my bearings first

And for the record Im absoluty terrified of automatic doors (any kind of door that I cant control really)


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## Sunny (10 Jun 2009)

Freak!


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## ney001 (10 Jun 2009)

He he he, you are a freak! 

I watched a programme the other night about a girl who was terrified of knees, even her own....... very funny! 

I think we all have little freakish things that we do! I cannot stand to have my legs constricted in any way i.e if himself puts his leg over my legs in the leaba  I just freeze and feel like I can't breath, cannot wear pyjama bottoms to bed no matter how cold it might be and if somebody, evening messing holds my two ankles, I am liable to kick them numerous times until they release me!.  I would be crap at bondage stuff!


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## DavyJones (10 Jun 2009)

My mate gets freaked out by toe nails. Probably didn't help when a few years ago about 20 so called friends posted him a six month supply of them


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## Darthvadar (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> For me I have to plan journeys (ie - google earth / sat nav / AA Route / check time distance) and be very very sure of where im going. I couldnt even contemplate doing a journey without getting my bearings first


 
Me too!... I've absolutely no sense of direction... I'd get lost in a lift!....

Darth...


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

Sunny said:


> Freak!





ney001 said:


> He he he, you are a freak!



Ye two are just lousy...


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## remey (10 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> He he he, you are a freak!
> 
> I watched a programme the other night about a girl who was terrified of knees, even her own....... very funny!
> 
> I think we all have little freakish things that we do! I cannot stand to have my legs constricted in any way i.e if himself puts his leg over my legs in the leaba I just freeze and feel like I can't breath, cannot wear pyjama bottoms to bed no matter how cold it might be and if somebody, evening messing holds my two ankles, I am liable to kick them numerous times until they release me!. I would be crap at bondage stuff!


 
Ney001 I could have wriiten your post!!! I freak if my legs are covered by his or if he's messing and holds my wrists or anything I lose it. Defo not up for the bondage stuff. I'd certainly be doing a lot of screaming!!!!


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## DavyJones (10 Jun 2009)

remey said:


> . Defo not up for the bondage stuff. I'd certainly be doing a lot of screaming!!!!



Promises promises


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## woodbine (10 Jun 2009)

boxes of bananas. Or bananas in bags. And boxes of tiles. 


i won't put my hand anywhere near a box of bananas. I'm afraid there's a snake in there. And i am absoultely totally and obsessively terrified by snakes. 

before anyone points it out, i am well aware that they aren't native to Ireland. that the chances of me meeting one are very slim, and that probably no-one will ever drop one on my lap as i sit in the car. But still. 

they're here.


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## ney001 (10 Jun 2009)

Tiles??


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## woodbine (10 Jun 2009)

yes, i'm afraid so. a few years ago some guys tiling a house in Co Kerry found a viper in a box of tiles. origin greece. nine inches long and you know how tightly packed the tiles are in the box. so you'd put your hand in to take one out and it would get you. 

a snake wouldn't have to bite me to kill me anyway. my heart would stop stone dead if i saw one.


edit:

http://blather.net/zeitgeist/archives/2006/08/deadly_hornnosed_viper.html


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

im not afraid of snakes or anything like that (just auto doors) but i do observe carefully when picking out fruit/veg from the boxes in tesco but thats more for insects etc. 

I can relate to most peoples fears. If you suffer with a fear then I think its quite easy to understand another persons irrational fear. Just my opinion... 

My cousins terrified of frogs. she wont walk across a bridge near a stream for fear she'll see one.


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## ney001 (10 Jun 2009)

woodbine said:


> boxes of bananas. Or bananas in bags. And boxes of tiles.




I am more worried about the spiders in bananas! 

http://www.badspiderbites.com/banana-spider/


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## ninsaga (10 Jun 2009)

Nothing to fear except fear itself!


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> I am more worried about the spiders in bananas!
> 
> http://www.badspiderbites.com/banana-spider/



you've really gone and done it now LOL  he'll never buy a banana after that link...


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## woodbine (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> you've really gone and done it now LOL he'll never buy a banana after that link...


 
she. 


and i'm afraid to look at that link.


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

oops sorry woodbine 

Dont bother looking at the link....


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## ney001 (10 Jun 2009)

Also, forgot, I hate belly buttons, can't touch them, including my own and specifically hate pierced belly buttons.  Not afraid of them though! 

Yeah, don't look at the spider link, I am petrified of spiders and always buy loose bananas just in case!


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## Paulone (10 Jun 2009)

Can easily understand the boxes of bananas - a long time ago when I was a poor student supermarket worker, the girl loading the fruit counter found a family of large cockroaches running down her arm as she reached up to put a bunch of bananas on a hook.

She screamed like she'd been stabbed (naturally), while the cockroaches as big as mice scuttled off in different directions. Turned out the box had a lot more in it too, and these also escaped (to more shrieking - customers this time).

We had to close off aisles in the supermarket to try and get them rounded up and the poor girl, who was now going into what looked like shock, was sent home for the rest of the day.

On another note, I hate lifts. I especially hate the lifts in Dundrum Shopping centre because its like you're falling. I really can't look out the window as it goes down.

Was also shocked to discover recently that I've lost my ability to go on fast-moving fairground rides - I can't get past the idea that the rides are are assembled meccano-style in the middle of a park, probably by the spotty young fella in the booth who takes your money, and that even though it looks safe and not too extreme from the ground, the g-forces are so great that its all bound to fall to pieces at any minute and I'm convinced we're all going to die.....

My wife helpfully thinks the lift and fairground thing are both hilarious....


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## Ash 22 (10 Jun 2009)

I hate the thought of pure wool jumpers, they give me a strange sensation in my teeth.    My son is the same.


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## Sherman (10 Jun 2009)

Ash 22 said:


> I hate the thought of pure wool jumpers, they give me a strange sensation in my teeth. My son is the same.


 
I know where you're going wrong. You're supposed to _wear_ them, not _eat _them


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## Caveat (10 Jun 2009)

Sherman said:


> I know where you're going wrong. You're supposed to _wear_ them, not _eat _them


 
 good one!

No fears as such, but things that give me shivers/set my teeth on edge:

Ths sound of knife sharpening
The feel of fingertips on brick
The smell of a dry cleaners

...all normal enough though I suppose.


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> My Friend counts corners in every room he goes into... quirky much!


 
Glad i'm not the only one that counts, although mine goes much further. I count everything, and i always try to get it to add up either 13 or 21. Have no idea why i do this, have done it ever since i was a child. 

I'l often count the walls and ceiling when i go into a room, and then go around again including the skirting boards. And then i'll count the edges on picture frames, or count the surfaces of a mantle piece. This is just in a room but i do it for everything no matter where i am.


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## csirl (10 Jun 2009)

Dont link dentists. In recent years I found out that the most common type of anesthetic they use only partially works on me - this might have something to do with it - I have this idea that dental work is somewhat painful regardless of whether or not an anesthetic is used.


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## Ash 22 (10 Jun 2009)

Sherman said:


> I know where you're going wrong. You're supposed to _wear_ them, not _eat _them


 
Why did I never think of that before and I thought twas only dogs suffered from 'hairball'!


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## Ash 22 (10 Jun 2009)

samanthajane said:


> Glad i'm not the only one that counts, although mine goes much further. I count everything, and i always try to get it to add up either 13 or 21. Have no idea why i do this, have done it ever since i was a child.
> 
> I'l often count the walls and ceiling when i go into a room, and then go around again including the skirting boards. And then i'll count the edges on picture frames, or count the surfaces of a mantle piece. This is just in a room but i do it for everything no matter where i am.


 
Do you always feel you have to do it? If you do sounds like you suffer from ocd.


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## Caveat (10 Jun 2009)

Err..don't mean to be insensitive, but this counting corners thing - surely you can save yourself the bother in that unless circumstances are very unusual, you can be pretty much be guaranteed that there will be four of them?!


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

Ash 22 said:


> Do you always feel you have to do it? If you do sounds like you suffer from ocd.


 

It's not the need to do it, i just do it, i cant stop it. Sometimes i dont even know that i'm doing it. I know that sounds weird. 

when i first met my bf he noticed i often just stared at things or he could see me looking around an object. He often mentioned what are you looking at. It was only a few years back i told him what i actually do, many times it has shouted my name and i've said to him "what" and he said you were doing it again. I didn't even realise. This isn't all of the time, when i do notice that i'm doing it i will stop myself cause i think it's a bit weird myself. 

It's hard to explaine what i do, it was only cause i could point out to him what i was counting that he got it. When i tried to descibe it to him he didn't have a clue. 

A door for example.... [broken link removed]

Not including the frame ( just yet ) you have 3 vertical sections and 4 horizontals sections.  Then you have the 6 square/rectangle sections. So that adds up to 13. Thats a very basic way that i do it. 

As long as i can get it add up to either 13 or 21 in the beginning then the counting is endless. I would then start counting the sections of the squares. You have the flat surface which is 1 and then the edges around that is 4 then the flat around that is 4 and then the edges again ect ect and i just keep going till it's all done. Then i'd include the frame d it just keeps going and going. Doesn't matter what the item is i'll count it. 

Yeah i know i'm a freak.

Was watching a programm last night about ocd and cleaning, wish i had that instead.


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

Mr Caveat your wrong. if u look at the side of the chimney breast up as far as the ceiling - thoses corners count too... also the window corners at the ceiling count.. I think. my hallway has 7 corners (just counted them). Im thinking for some people maybe the top and bottom corners count. Am I wrong Samanthajane?


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

Caveat said:


> Err..don't mean to be insensitive, but this counting corners thing - surely you can save yourself the bother in that unless circumstances are very unusual, you can be pretty much be guaranteed that there will be four of them?!


 
oh how wrong you are........if you take incount the fire place there are lots more corners/flat walls than 4. Also around the french doors as well there is always a corner......well there is on mine anyway.


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> Mr Caveat your wrong. if u look at the side of the chimney breast up as far as the ceiling - thoses corners count too... also the window corners at the ceiling count.. I think. my hallway has 7 corners (just counted them). Im thinking for some people maybe the top and bottom corners count. Am I wrong Samanthajane?


 
well i didn't wanna seem more of a freak than i already do...but yeah they do count, and windows as well.


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## Caveat (10 Jun 2009)

OK then. A fairly wide definition of 'corner' then. 

My living room probably has dozens based on that.

In fact, I think I'll count them tonight.

Now look what you've started!


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

and count the corners at the bottom of the doors too Caveat. DO IT RIGHT NOW YA? *tuts*  

And Samanthajane there was me thinking my fear is weird eh? Automatic doors - i wouldnt go behind an automatic door if u paid me. Im afraid they wont open. Mr SS thinks I need to learn the workings of them to understand how they work! If the sensor doesnt trigger them to open 'apparently' you can manually slide them open. Can anyone clarify this. My local shop has automatic doors so i drive 6 miles instead to the next shop. Honest!


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

Samanthajane do u suffer from any form of anxiety disorder? 

(Question is purely out of curiousity)


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> Samanthajane do u suffer from any form of anxiety disorder?
> 
> (Question is purely out of curiousity)


 
No nothing at all. 

I would like to find out why i do this. 

I dont think it is OCD like in switching a light on and off a certain amount of times, cause your fully aware that you have to do that like before you go to bed, you have to do it a certain number of times or something bad will happen. 

Its not like that with me at all, i dont think i have to count that object, most the time i dont even know i'm doing it untill i do realise...if that makes sense.


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## Chocks away (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> Samanthajane do u suffer from any form of anxiety disorder?
> 
> (Question is purely out of curiousity)


Don't mention medical conditions. Mods watching!


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

Actually maybe it is ocd lol

b/f just walked in and saw what i wrote and mentioned my cupboards/fridge/freezer and hangers. 

Every item in the cupboard/fridge/freezer the label has to be facing forward perfectly, and the one he hates the most is my obsession with coat hangers. Every item no matter what has to be put on the hanger that it was purchased with. If i'm not allowed to keep the hanger i dont buy it. 

He once ( without ironing, which is the biggest sin ) put clothes on to any old hanger, i freaked went to all the wardrobes and took every item off and went through them all and put them all on the correct hangers again. 

If i got a dress for my daughter that cames from dunnes age 6, then it always has to be put on a dunnes hanger that has aged 6 on it. 

Oh god there really is something wrong with me lol


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## ney001 (10 Jun 2009)

Your boyfriend should watch this

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

Chocks away said:


> Don't mention medical conditions. Mods watching!



Thanks Chocks - hence why i said just out of curiosity. Was bit concerned thread would be locked etc.



samanthajane said:


> b/f just walked in and saw what i wrote and mentioned my cupboards/fridge/freezer and hangers.



This made me laugh out loud. You've got some quirks SJ xx


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

ney001 said:


> Your boyfriend should watch this
> 
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102945/


 

Have never seen that film, maybe we will rent it this weekend. 

Whats it about anyway? Briefly.


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## shootingstar (10 Jun 2009)

a nutter of a husband with same quirks as you LOL.... you did say briefly....


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## TarfHead (10 Jun 2009)

When I bought an apartment, the previous owner had left behind loads of hangers in the wardrobe. I threw them all out - I couldn't bring myself to use them.

Can't explain it - just some weird visceral resistance to putting my clothes on them  .


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## Ash 22 (10 Jun 2009)

samanthajane it most def is ocd by what you write. I suffer from it and have to keep it under control. Like you did'nt know for ages years back what it was until I heard it discussed on radio. Its very common and strange and different people have different routines they have to go through each day.


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## samanthajane (10 Jun 2009)

shootingstar said:


> a nutter of a husband with same quirks as you LOL.... you did say briefly....


 
i must watch that, might go and get it for tonight.



TarfHead said:


> When I bought an apartment, the previous owner had left behind loads of hangers in the wardrobe. I threw them all out - I couldn't bring myself to use them.
> 
> Can't explain it - just some weird visceral resistance to putting my clothes on them  .


 
I'd never use someone else's hangers either. when the kids grow out of something, if i give it to a friend then the hanger goes with it, if not and it goes in a charity bag as much as i'd love to give them the hanger lol i dont, the hanger gets thrown away, i'd never use it for anything else, dont need to cause i have new hangers. 



Ash 22 said:


> samanthajane it most def is ocd by what you write. I suffer from it and have to keep it under control. Like you did'nt know for ages years back what it was until I heard it discussed on radio. Its very common and strange and different people have different routines they have to go through each day.


 
It must be subconiously ( cant spell it ) that i have it for the counting, since i dont set out to do it. Can it be stopped? That might be braching the rules asking that......if it is dont answer. Let me know and i'll edit the post.


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## Ash 22 (10 Jun 2009)

It can but you must do it yourself. Say to yourself I'm not going to do this today and see can you go without doing it then you'll have an idea. People that suffer bad from this are advised to go and talk to a counseller.


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## Vanilla (10 Jun 2009)

I'm a little afraid of escalators. It's not too bad, I CAN force myself to go on them after standing at the bottom for a while ( if anyone stands too close behind me they get a glare and a 'don't rush me'). But I normally try to avoid them.

I also can't bear the smell of real soap, it makes me retch.


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## Brendan Burgess (10 Jun 2009)

Folks

This thread has been reported as veering into medical discussions, so I am closing it.

Brendan


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