My biggest fears include:

1. Panic attacks. You know that feeling when you're going down the stairs and...YOU MISS A STEP. Well, imagine that feeling not going away--in fact, your chest feels tight, your heart flutters and races, your limbs become cold and stiff, your
brain flies off the handle with its pace of thinking, and suddenly you can't breathe. Not fun.

2. Elevators. Once in college I went to use the elevator from the top (5th) floor. Upon the door opening I noticed one of the lights in the ceiling had popped out and was hanging by a wire. I didn't think anything of it, just figured it got jolted. Well, it probably DID get jolted, because that's exactly what happened to me when I told the elevator to go down--for a moment it did nothing after the doors closed, before suddenly dropping several terrifying feet and coming to a stiff enough stop to make my knees buckle. The doors reopened, exposing nothing but concrete wall. A few eternities later the elevator slowly climbed back up, door open the whole time, to the 5th floor. I flew out of that thing. Now I almost exclusively use the stairs. I have calves of steel.

3. Claustrophobia. Another reason why I hate elevators. Even more, though, is the feeling of being trapped, of something pressing down and constricting my chest. It's a wonder how I still enjoy rollercoasters with those asphyxiating shoulder restraints.

4. Lightning. Another fear I can't seem to get over. My time working in a garden center didn't help with this, considering I had to wait for my managers to close the place down before I could go inside, tornadic storm conditions or not. More often than not, I would find myself out there in the middle of a downpour or hail, strobe-light lightning all around, with nothing but a jungle of metal and a thin plastic roof protecting me from the elements.

5. Planes. Yes I know planes are one of the safest ways to get around. You still won't get me in one...sober at least.

Glitter.

(January 8, 2019 at 11:36 pm)SteelCurtain Wrote: Glitter.

How dare you.

(January 7, 2019 at 3:56 pm)tackattack Wrote: Is there like a threshold for phobia vs fear?

Absolutely. Phobias are debilitating. I know a guy who can't even look at heights without his legs trembling.

(January 8, 2019 at 11:31 pm)Nakara Wrote: Panic attacks. You know that feeling when you're going down the stairs and...YOU MISS A STEP. Well, imagine that feeling not going away--in fact, your chest feels tight, your heart flutters and races, your limbs become cold and stiff, your
brain flies off the handle with its pace of thinking, and suddenly you can't breathe. Not fun.

My panic attacks are different from that. Waves of sweaty heat, shaking uncontrollably, feeling like I'm losing control, etc. Yeah, I forgot to include that phobia. That's a big one.

(January 8, 2019 at 11:57 pm)Shell B Wrote:

(January 8, 2019 at 11:31 pm)Nakara Wrote: Panic attacks. You know that feeling when you're going down the stairs and...YOU MISS A STEP. Well, imagine that feeling not going away--in fact, your chest feels tight, your heart flutters and races, your limbs become cold and stiff, your
brain flies off the handle with its pace of thinking, and suddenly you can't breathe. Not fun.

My panic attacks are different from that. Waves of sweaty heat, shaking uncontrollably, feeling like I'm losing control, etc. Yeah, I forgot to include that phobia. That's a big one.

I sometimes shake too, especially in my legs. Not every time though, it's weird.

Worst part about them is you KNOW you're fine, but your brain's gone and convinced itself you're dying.

Don't I know it. Fucking stupid is what they are. I get so much treatment, and still they persist. I manage, though. Hope you're managing too.

(January 8, 2019 at 11:55 pm)Shell B Wrote:

(January 7, 2019 at 3:56 pm)tackattack Wrote: Is there like a threshold for phobia vs fear?

Absolutely. Phobias are debilitating. I know a guy who can't even look at heights without his legs trembling.

And the threshold is different for everybody, and often different for every instance. I fight the gibbering ape that climbs into my head when I see an MRI machine. Sometimes I do better than others.

Every moment is different with anxiety. One day, you’re tackling your phobia like a champ. They next day you absolutely cannot confront it.