Fears, Phobias and a Little More Freud...

What do you fear?

What is fear?

According to my favorite site OneLook.com, it is defined as “an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight).”

After reading all the responses, it’s crystal clear that what scares the hell out of us more than anything is loss of loved ones. Not surprising. No one listed or seemed to consider their own mortality. The only one that came close was fear of drowning. I know how powerful the ocean is. I remember being in Hawaii when a wave took me in and out several times before I finally made it to shore. The water no sooner tossed me back to the sand than it just as swiftly carried me back out with a powerful grip my flailing arms and legs could not fight. Only when the ocean itself decided to calm, could I ride the wave back to the safety of the sandy beach.

Many of our fears such as fear of spiders, high places, bridges, mice, etc., fall under the phobia category as well.

So what’s a phobia? Once again, from OneLook.com - “an anxiety disorder characterized by extreme and irrational fear of simple things or social situations.”

(I’d hardly classify a silverfish as “simple thing” but I digress!)

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”

(I’m betting he never got trapped in an elevator with a spider the size of his shoe!)

My neighbor once got trapped in an elevator when going to see her doctor. She had also taken her water pill. Yes, there is a specific phobia for that too. It’s called “urophobia!” Hey, I don’t make this stuff up!

Me, I’m a “germophobe!” Ask anyone. If you’re sick, you better stay clear of me. I carry a bottle of antibacterial spritz in my purse. I have a bottle of Purell on my desk.
I wipe of the shopping cart and usually have a barrier between my hand and any door handle.

One of my co-workers hates driving when it’s icy outside. Since the real fear here is that driving on ice could result in a dangerous situation, it would likely falls under “fear of having an accident” or dystychiphobia.

My friend CC was afraid, while riding a rollercoaster, that the contents of her stomach might reveal itself. Can you guess that phobia? Aeronausiphobia!

Another friend nearly sold their home due to the “infestation of mice” (I think there were 2 in the entire house)! She’s a “murophobe!’ (Murophobia – fear of mice and rats).

For a couple of us, anxiety seemed to peek whenever we discovered a police vehicle behind us! Even if you are going the speed limit, traveling with children, wearing your seat belt, and doing absolutely nothing but acting like a conscientious driver, seeing the police car in your rear view mirror induced a little panic. Could it be fear of authority figures? Or are we so jaded that all we can think is that this officer needs to meet his ticket quota?

Some other wild fears included being buried alive, getting locked in a trunk and annual reviews at work. I happen to love annual reviews – my boss usually dreads mine more than I do! Maybe I’m just getting better and wearing them down!

Now this is one I hadn’t thought of in many, many moons. Do you remember the “trust game?” It’s where you fall backwards and pray to God the person will catch you. I am definitely a person who has “trust issues” so I can absolutely relate to this one.

Big thanks to all my friends for their contributions to this blog.

Here are a few additional phobias that were either mentioned or just plain interesting!

Arachnophobia – Fear of spiders
Aeroacrophobia - Fear of open high places
Agoraphobia - Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place. Fear of crowds.
Cleisiophobia - Fear of being locked in an enclosed place
Dentophobia - Fear of dentist
Elurophobia - Fear of cats
Entomophobia - Fear of insects
Gephydrophobia - Fear of crossing bridges
Glossophobia - Fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak
Hemophobia - Fear of blood
Katagelophobia - Fear of ridicule
Nyctophobia - Fear of the dark or of the night.
Ochlophobia - Fear of crowds or mobs.
Ornithophobia - Fear of birds
Paraskavedekatriaphobia - Fear of Friday the 13th
Pentheraphobia - Fear of mother-in-law

And finally, according to Psychoanalyst Freud, phobias are a defense against anxiety produced by repressed impulses. Anxiety is moved to an object or situation and then becomes the phobic stimulus. In order to not deal with the repressed conflict, the person tries to avoid the object or situation. (Source: http://web4health.info/en/answers/anx-phobias-general.htm)

Here’s hoping we all conquer at least one of our fears!