I fear strokes. Imagine having a perfectly working intellect and being unable to move...unable to communicate. I have a friend...she was 33 when a blood vessel in her brain burst right after her daughter was born. The bleeding completely destroyed her motor control part of her brain. Her thinking ability and memory are intact and she just lies in bed with eye movement as her only way to communicate. This went on for about two years. That was six years ago. Today, she has given up on communicating, failing to respond to any questions from family or medical staff. It appears that she is just waiting for death. That's what I fear most...having a perfectly sound intellect and being trapped inside a non-functioning body, unable to communicate and unable to end my own suffering. Scary stuff for me!
I fear losing my memory and intellect. I saw my grandma go downhill with Alzheimer’s until she didn't know anyone was or where she was. That is my fear. Ending my days in a nursing home wondering why my family never visits, not remembering that they just did. Horrible.
I have a phobia of silence. Really. I can't get anything done if it's silent. I just sit there beginning to get more and more agitated. Last time it happened I was found smacking my hand against the floor to make some noise.
What NaCl and Mina said would definetely be my biggest fears. Seriously, if I would be put in the position that NaCl's friend was, I hope for someone to just kill me to get it over with.
We took care of my mother in law for several years after her massive stroke that she had and all she could do was speak and kick with her right leg. She was a hand full but we had some good times too. I can't say that we would not do it all over again because we learned a lot about ourselves as we took care of her. I did it because I promised her that I would she was my friend and I made a promise and with the help of the family we all pitched in as we were able and made it work. It was hard but worth it in the long run.
I have to second (or is it third?) NaCl's and Carmina's fears; I'd be absolutely terrified of a stroke, which I have thankfully never had or have had to see anyone go through. If I was in your friend's postion, Mr Salty, I would have wanted to be taken off of life support a long time ago, but I suppose it all boils down to your beliefs and preferences. That's horrible. My great-aunt has Alzheimer's Disease currently, and she's at that stage where she thinks that her late husband is going to come walking through those doors any minute now, any minute now. It's absolutely horrifying, and she has no idea who I am, who her sister (my grandmother) is... She has to have her pills set with an automatic timer (so that she doesnt forget to take them --or forget that she took them already and end up taking too many), but she doesnt remember what the timer is for anymore, so someone has to be with her all of the time now. I dont know if those are irrational, though; they're pretty rational to me. But then again, I suppose any irrational fear has rational roots that just happened to be taken to an unhealthy level (like my fear of the ocean, for example. In my mind? Totally rational).
I am EXACTLY the same way. Silence makes me feel like I'm all alone. When I /am/ all alone I always have to have the TV on. And it has to be on a show and not music because the people apparently make me feel like I'm with company LOL. I'm so strange.
I LOVE silence (if it means no people, no tv, no music, no electrial buzz) I couldnt stand complete silce (like being deaf, if thats what you mean) But if all i can hear is the trees in the breeze, all the birds, water running, then thats my ultimae
Yes, those fears (stroke, alzheimers) seem pretty rational, but I like that we're all sharing. It's like a slumber party or something, lol. I took care of a lady with advanced Alzheimer's for a few hours every morning. She had a 30 second short term memory span. "Did I take my pills?" "yes." "Did I eat today?" "yes." "Did I take my pills?" "yes ma'am." "Did I eat today?" "You sure did." I have an irrational fear of making someone unhappy or unloved--so needless to say I was always very sweet and never took advantage by entertaining myself with the possibilities... Like I'm sure some here are thinking right now.
LOL isn't it? My television is /literally/ never... EVER off. Ever. For a second, at all. Unless I'm not at home. Haha. And even then sometimes. I get weirded out if I'm in my room and it isn't on.
Kinda the same for me. It's not so much that I fear silence, as much as I just really don't like it. I just can't seem to ignore the fact that there isn't any background noise going on, so I usually either leave the tv on, or just keep playing a video on youtube over and over just for the noise. Also, the person that said wide open spaces, I can relate. It's not so much that I fear them, I just prefer smaller spaces. And to add to this, I don't like the dark. Oddly I do really like dimmed light but hate it if it gets completely dark. I just get nervous when I can't see what's around me, even though I know nothing's there.
Perhaps it's similar to the silence thing. I have a horrible fear of loneliness / rejection. To me, they are the same. I like being alone; I'd probably go insane if I didnt have my time to recharge. I enjoy being by myself if it's my choosing. But I fear that all my holing up and keeping away from others will one day lead to me wanting to be around others, all the time, and no one wanting to be around me. That, to me, is the difference between loneliness and rejection, and it's even worse than my fear of the ocean (which is pretty awful). I also fear, this sort of goes along with the strokes and diseases mentioned, but I fear that I will not be able to take care of myself one day because I wasnt good enough to myself in my younger days (IE right now). I fear one day that I'll have adult onset diabetes or get a heart attack from not feeding and exercising my body properly; I fear I'll get gingavitis because I didnt take care of my teeth enough. I fear that I'll suffer some sort of disease or condition or illness because I didnt treat myself with enough respect. Hopefully I counteract this fear by eating (mostly) only healthy things at regular intervals and exercising on a frequent and regular basis, as well as carrying my super-toothpaste and brush with me at all times. Among other things.
I'm fine when I'm shaving my whiskers with a regular razor, but when I go to the barber and she shaves that little bit of hair at the back of my neck with a straight razor I get major chills. I'm terrified of straight razors. Brrr...
I have a fear of spiders, but the most irrational fear I have is of being watched, or followed. Seriously, when I'm alone in the flat and my boyfriend is out, I constantly think there's someone behind me, or I see things out the corner of my eyes. Also, when I'm walking in the dark on my own I constantly look over my shoulder lol paranoid much?
there are two main things that i am afraid of: bridges and water. i always hold my breath when i go over a bridge, something that i've done since i was little. i guess it's just the fact that your life can be in the hands of a politician that refuses to repair damaged bridges *shrug* i'm not one of those people that is deathly afraid of water. i simply can't swim. once again, scary thinking that your life could be in the hands of your mother who didn't trust the cleansliness of public pools
Talking to an authority figure. When I was a kid it was teachers and principals. As an adult it is bosses. I am always terrified when I have to ask my boss something or when I am called into the office for any reason. I am always convinced I am either already in trouble or going to get in trouble, even if that is totally not the case.
I have an irrational fear of snapping turtles. When they show them on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet I have to look away. We had them in Florida, but you had to go to the swamps to find them, so it's not like you were going to run into one in your house. I freak out at the knowledge that they can take a clean chunk out of you without any effort at all.
I had an irrational fear of buttons when I was a kid. Don't ask me why, i don't get it either... Guess that's why they call it irrational.
Seconded! I break out in a cold sweat every time. And it's visible, which is even more embarassing and reason to freak out. It's totally rational, because I can remember the exact moment I began to fear speaking with authority figures, and it's been that way ever since. It's just irrational how much it matters to me, I think.
Mole crickets. If you have never seen one - be thankful. They are icky - almost see through crickets with a hump back and massive legs. I'm gagging as I write. I also get creeped out by dark hair [as in dark hair that is on a bathroom floor - having freed itself from it's human. Actually, it is hair in general - like in brushes - in bathtub drains. Financial limitations keep me from getting therapy for the hair issue. My kid told me recently that she is afraid to blow hair (like a pubic hair) off of a public restroom seat - because she thinks when she enhales - she will suck in the hair. This is a sixteen year old I'm speaking of - and I've told her that was ridiculous - but the hair thing all together is ridiculous.
Huh? Like, people with dark hair? And I definitely just Googled 'Mole cricket.' God, I hope we dont have those where I live.
