# Any unusual phobias?



## STEINER (1 Jan 2012)

I know someone who has a bad spider phobia, but that would be common enough I suppose.

used work with a girl who was terrified of dwarves, her face went white at the mere mention of the word dwarf, I was talking one day at work about a stag party  where groom was handcuffed to a dwarf for 2 days/nights and thats how I found out about her phobia.  apart from not looking at willie wonka or actors playing elves etc she would run away terrified if she encountered a dwarf person in reality, dunno if she actually met one.

wife worked with a guy who had a meringue phobia, if meringue was ever served at a work do/office party he'd be out the door!


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## Purple (2 Jan 2012)

STEINER said:


> used work with a girl who was terrified of dwarves, her face went white at the mere mention of the word dwarf, I was talking one day at work about a stag party  where groom was handcuffed to a dwarf for 2 days/nights and thats how I found out about her phobia.  apart from not looking at willie wonka or actors playing elves etc she would run away terrified if she encountered a dwarf person in reality, dunno if she actually met one.



She never went on the beer with the England Rugby team so.


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## michaelm (2 Jan 2012)

I have acute aibohphobia - a fear of palindromes.  My girlfriend has acute angina, but that's more information than you need .


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## becky (2 Jan 2012)

Frogs and french pedicures both give me the shivers.

I also have a fear of being knocked out after being told a story about a woman who gave birth and never woke up to see her babies.  In hindsight I now know it's not true but the fear is still there.  So much so I avoid going to the doctor - last time was in 2009 for a smear.


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## Purple (3 Jan 2012)

I've been a luposlipaphobia sufferer for years.


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## The_Banker (3 Jan 2012)

I wouldnt be overly gone on spiders so if there was one in the room I wouldnt be able to relax until I squashed him. 
I think it goes back to my childhood and seeing an old Tarzan movie (the ones with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan) where a giant spider is going after Boy (remember him) who is trapped in his web. I had nightmares for weeks after. If I saw it now it would probably ease my fear as it would probably look like a really poor production to my adult self.
I tried looking for it a few years back but couldnt find it anywhere.

A girl in our office has a fear of balloons. Not sure what could have brought that about.


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## flossie (3 Jan 2012)

I have a fear of needing a tracheotomy. I don't know if i could bring myself to consent to one. Imagine my 'delight' when i had to visit 2 clients in 2 weeks who manufacture parts for these, and for respirators. I had to sit down and went all clammy at some of the promotional ads on the walls  Feeling shaky even typing this and almost gagging....


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## One (17 Jan 2012)

I have a fear of snakes. I can not watch the TV when there is a snake on it, or I have to get up and check is there one behind the chair I am sitting on, or maybe one under the table. I hate turning a page in a book and seeing a picture of one, I get an awful hop. I can't go into a pet store if they sell them.


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## Purple (17 Jan 2012)

One said:


> I have a fear of snakes. I can not watch the TV when there is a snake on it, or I have to get up and check is there one behind the chair I am sitting on, or maybe one under the table. I hate turning a page in a book and seeing a picture of one, I get an awful hop. I can't go into a pet store if they sell them.



I don't mind snakes; I've held them and eaten them (not at the same time).


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## PaddyW (17 Jan 2012)

I've held a snake, felt like a leather hand bag to me. What do they taste like, Purple?


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## Purple (17 Jan 2012)

PaddyW said:


> I've held a snake, felt like a leather hand bag to me. What do they taste like, Purple?



A bit like chicken in texture. Not much taste. It was Rattlesnake.


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## liaconn (17 Jan 2012)

I used to work with a girl who was terrified of feathers.


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## Purple (17 Jan 2012)

liaconn said:


> I used to work with a girl who was terrified of feathers.



Imagine a fear of snakes and feathers; a feathered boa would be an utter nightmare!


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## ice (17 Jan 2012)

One said:


> I have a fear of snakes. I can not watch the TV when there is a snake on it, or I have to get up and check is there one behind the chair I am sitting on, or maybe one under the table. I hate turning a page in a book and seeing a picture of one, I get an awful hop. I can't go into a pet store if they sell them.



Indiana is that you?


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## fobs (17 Jan 2012)

Spiders would be mine. Anything bigger than a money spider freaks me out.


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## beffers (18 Jan 2012)

Getting cancer. 

When I was 12, my nana was moved to a hospice, as it was clear to everyone that the end was rapidly approaching. I was confused as to the diff between a hospice and a regular hospital. My mother gave me a book to read that was written by an American teen before she died of cancer. She thought it would help me understand what was going on. 

When she was 16, the girl in the book found a weird black mole on her big toe. It turned out to be cancerous. She lost her toe, then her foot, then her leg. Then the cancer spread to her bones. Her parents were loaded (they funded her writing the book) and she got the best medical care that money could buy. But by age 18, she was in a Hospice waiting to die. 

She wrote a book (about the Hospice mainly) that was supposed to be uplifting and educational. It freaked me the eff out. The fact that she was so young and that something so random as a mole on her big toe wound up killing her, despite the wealth of her parents, made a lasting impression on me. Now, I can't watch any TV show or movie or read any news article about cancer. I am not a hypocondriac, far from it, but everytime I get a head ache, the thought crosses my mind that it is a brain tumour. 

Thankfully, from that day to this, cancer had not impacted me or any member of my family. But I live in fear of the day that it does.


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## Firefly (18 Jan 2012)

beffers said:


> Getting cancer.
> 
> When I was 12, my nana was moved to a hospice, as it was clear to everyone that the end was rapidly approaching. I was confused as to the diff between a hospice and a regular hospital. My mother gave me a book to read that was written by an American teen before she died of cancer. She thought it would help me understand what was going on.
> 
> ...


 
It's true what they say..Health is Wealth (although a lot of people (particularly those of lesser means) confuse these are being mutually exclusive).

I was at hospital before Xmas visiting a family member with cancer and there was a girl in her late 20s early 30s in the room with cancer. The giveaway for me was that she was using an iPad. It sort of puts things into perspective alright doesn't it?

There are lots of things I don't like but I'm not sure I have any phobias...perhaps processed/frozen food from Iceland


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## IsleOfMan (18 Jan 2012)

I don't like to see people shearing sheep. I have to turn away.


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## Purple (18 Jan 2012)

IsleOfMan said:


> I don't like to see people *shearing* sheep. I have to turn away.


I had to read that twice..


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## micmclo (19 Jan 2012)

Knives.
Well not day to day of course but violence with knives

I've watched my share of violent films and nothing bothers me realy. Shoot someone in the head, no problem. He was snitching to the Feds and he deserved it 
Machine gun down thirty soldiers, send in the mortars and watch arms and legs getting blown off, this film looks decent 

But knives, I just shudder when I see an actor pull out a knife in the film.
I was flinching when Johnny Deep was using his razor in Sweeney Todd and instinctively putting my hand around my throat.


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## MANTO (19 Jan 2012)

My Brother-in-law has one of the strangest phobias I have heard. 

He is terrified of people with Down Syndrom. He hates telling anybody because he feels so bad about it, but he just cant help it.


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## Vanilla (19 Jan 2012)

micmclo said:


> i_nstinctively _putting my hand around my throat.


AHA! You probably had your throat slit in a previous life. 


Maybe you were a pig?


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## Smashbox (2 Feb 2012)

Clowns. My friends think its hilarious. But I can't go to a circus in case I have to look at one. Pictures of them too. Just there at Christmas there was a clowns face on the slide at the Galway Christmas Market and it nearly made me throw up. Dirty things!


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## BillK (2 Feb 2012)

Smashbox, have you ever read "It" by Stephen King? 

Would reading about clowns also cause you a problem?


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## Smashbox (2 Feb 2012)

I have both read it and seen the film. The first time I read it I was about 14, an avid reader and a big King fan. It did disturb me, but being a horror fan I still enjoyed it. I could always tell myself that Pennywise was just a character that King made up, not a real life clown.


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