I'm going to go out on a limb and say that a fear of needles is not an irrational fear. To put it bluntly, when someone sticks a needle into you, they are stabbing you. Sure it's a different level of stabbing than say, getting stabbed to death with a butcher's knife, but it is still essentially stabbing. Do you like being stabbed? No. Do you want to be stabbed? No. A fear of needles goes hand and hand with our desire as humans to not be stabbed.
Do you want to be stabbed? No. A fear of needles goes hand and hand with our desire as humans to not be stabbed.
But rational knowledge of the benefits of such a "stabbing" supersedes these concerns/fears. You mustn't ignore degree and scale. It is thus irrational to fear needles in these contexts, especially if said fear disrupts one's ability to receive necessary treatment.
I'd say that the fear of needles is perfectly rational, just that acting on it and avoiding treatment is not. Even at small scales (shots, pinpricks, splinters), I would assume that most people are at least a little averse to being stabbed. "Enjoys being stabbed" just isn't a very good survival trait.
There's nothing rational about a fear of INJECTION needles. If you want to fear anything related to an injection needle, fear the liquid they pump into you. Besides, needle pricks are entirely unlike stabbings.
I suppose I still have a bit of an irrational fear of thunder (and lightning, since the two are linked). Doesn't bug me as much as when I was a kid, but I still get a creepy feeling whenever I hear a thunderclap.
I also have a fear of tornadoes, which may or may not be irrational. While tornadoes are legitimately dangerous, I live in an area where they are quite rare. This also ties into my fear of thunder since most tornadoes are created during thunderstorms.
I have a fear of being in a small boat on a large body of open water. Also of somehow falling and something impaling my stomach. I have had 2 major surgeries on my abdomen and have had over 10 feet of intestine removed. So I really can't have much more removed and it scares me to even think about it.
I'm fearful of drowning, choking, heights, flying, cockroaches, of having cancer and not knowing. I guess some are irrational like flying, witch I can only assume comes from being afraid of heights, since I love things that go fast in different levels (bikes, roller-blades, skateboards, wake-boards, snowboards, cars, speed boats, etc...).
I'm fearful of drowning, choking, heights, flying, cockroaches, of having cancer and not knowing. I guess some are irrational like flying, witchwhich I can only assume comes from being afraid of heights, since I love things that go fast in different levels (bikes, roller-blades, skateboards, wake-boards, snowboards, cars, speed boats, etc...).
Some are indeed irrational, those are the only ones we want in this thread.
I have a phobia of taxidermy animals. It's frustrating that it keeps me from being able to go to most museums. My friend sent me this link to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and I couldn't even bring myself to do the virtual tour. One friend said she saw my face quickly go first pale, then red when I walked into a room with a deer head i didn't know was there. I had to quickly leave the room and calm down. I wonder if I can cure myself through immersion therapy...but just the thought of trying that gives me nightmares.
if I'm near an edge, even one with a railing, I'm afraid that I might suddenly jump.
I second this.
I also have this. It's very Sarte. Also, when Phil does crazy parkour shit, my gut sometimes wrenches.
I have an irrational fear of throwing up. Upset stomach can be enough to trigger a panic attack. And annoyingly, it's cyclical: if I wake out of sleep in a panic attack, I will quickly conclude I am about to throw up, which really doesn't help. And I'm pretty sure the thing I'm most concerned about, in those moments, is not making a mess...
Can't think of any other IFs. That photo of lotus root just made me hungry.
Horses. Actually, big animals in general. But especially horses.
Horses are both majestic and terrifying. Like, "Hi, don't mind me, I'ma just kick your fucking head in because you touched me in a way I didn't like."
I feel like the fear of large animals is probably a healthy survival instinct. Like, you should probably be a little bit afraid of a rampaging bull elephant, y'know?
Most large sea creatures are like that for me. I wicked want to swim somewhere in the neighborhood of a blue whale, because it would be amazing and terrifying at the same time.
Horses. Actually, big animals in general. But especially horses.
This is valid if you don't know how to be around a large animal, however I've stitched up the back of a stallion's leg under local anaesthetic while he was just standing up, if he kicked me in the head my head would have been caved in.
When we were learning how to handle horses one of the stupid girls ignored everything that was said and got horses that were used for training students (i.e. incredibly calm) to get frantic and trample her, she had to go to hospital in an ambulance while we got to ultrasound the follicles on a mare's ovary through her large intestinal wall.
Also working with elephants is fun but totally different in that they know exactly what the fuck they can do and don't really act like domestic herbivores. If you don't give them their 100kg banana treat after an inspection they'll remember next time you visit.
100% primates are the fucking scariest thing I had to examine.
I guess not really a fear but I've always had a weird reaction to holding super smooth objects. My palms start sweating profusely. It's not really a fear it's just a weird psychological reaction. A whole watermelon is a good example. Holding one just makes my body freak out.
I am irrationally uncomfortable in the dark when it's very quiet. Like walking downstairs in the dark or taking out the trash at night. While at the same time, I can't go to sleep if there's any light in my room.
"How do you sleep?" you might ask, and the answer is... With a fan turned on low. It masks all the natural sounds of a house etc. so I don't get startled awake.
Occasionally I'm startled awake and can't calm myself down and that's it for sleep.
Oh, and when I was young (5-10) I was afraid of the Animal Muppet in my grandparent's house. Later on I learned that my mom had accidentally scared me really badly with it when I was 2 or 3 and that was probably the cause.
She learned that waking your child up doing an impression can end poorly.
Horses. Actually, big animals in general. But especially horses.
Horses are both majestic and terrifying. Like, "Hi, don't mind me, I'ma just kick your fucking head in because you touched me in a way I didn't like."
I feel like the fear of large animals is probably a healthy survival instinct. Like, you should probably be a little bit afraid of a rampaging bull elephant, y'know?
Most large sea creatures are like that for me. I wicked want to swim somewhere in the neighborhood of a blue whale, because it would be amazing and terrifying at the same time.
THANK YOU! Everyone else I know thinks I'm crazy for being afraid of horses! They're all "you just don't like them or something". I do like them! I think they are beautiful, awesome creatures, BUT THEY COULD KILL ME IN A MULTITUDE OF WAYS TRIVIALLY AND NOT EVEN ON PURPOSE. If I was riding a horse and it got spooked for any reason, I could die and that would be that. Motorcycles and ATV's don't get spooked.
Horses. Actually, big animals in general. But especially horses.
This is valid if you don't know how to be around a large animal, however I've stitched up the back of a stallion's leg under local anaesthetic while he was just standing up, if he kicked me in the head my head would have been caved in.
You're absolutely right. I have no idea how to be around big animals other than just try to be calm. Thing is, being around machines that big doesn't bother me one bit. Animals, though? They have a volition all their own. They will move around and do stuff and, really, only they know why. I could be nice as could be: Brush 'em, pet 'em, give 'em a carrot. All good, right? Then, OH SHIT SOMEONE HONKED THEIR HORN REALLY LOUD IN THE PARKING LOT TIME TO KICK THE CLOSEST THING. And then I'm dead.
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I also have a fear of tornadoes, which may or may not be irrational. While tornadoes are legitimately dangerous, I live in an area where they are quite rare. This also ties into my fear of thunder since most tornadoes are created during thunderstorms.
You can mail me my badge.
I also have this. It's very Sarte. Also, when Phil does crazy parkour shit, my gut sometimes wrenches.
I have an irrational fear of throwing up. Upset stomach can be enough to trigger a panic attack. And annoyingly, it's cyclical: if I wake out of sleep in a panic attack, I will quickly conclude I am about to throw up, which really doesn't help. And I'm pretty sure the thing I'm most concerned about, in those moments, is not making a mess...
Can't think of any other IFs. That photo of lotus root just made me hungry.
I feel like the fear of large animals is probably a healthy survival instinct. Like, you should probably be a little bit afraid of a rampaging bull elephant, y'know?
Most large sea creatures are like that for me. I wicked want to swim somewhere in the neighborhood of a blue whale, because it would be amazing and terrifying at the same time.
When we were learning how to handle horses one of the stupid girls ignored everything that was said and got horses that were used for training students (i.e. incredibly calm) to get frantic and trample her, she had to go to hospital in an ambulance while we got to ultrasound the follicles on a mare's ovary through her large intestinal wall.
Also working with elephants is fun but totally different in that they know exactly what the fuck they can do and don't really act like domestic herbivores. If you don't give them their 100kg banana treat after an inspection they'll remember next time you visit.
100% primates are the fucking scariest thing I had to examine.
"How do you sleep?" you might ask, and the answer is... With a fan turned on low. It masks all the natural sounds of a house etc. so I don't get startled awake.
Occasionally I'm startled awake and can't calm myself down and that's it for sleep.
She learned that waking your child up doing an impression can end poorly.