What are you afraid of?

[bacon06]

Talking on the phone. I can't do the constant conversation thing. Also, talking in front of a group of people more than 5 or 6. Even if it's my close friends. I have trouble being the center of attention.

[trwi7]

Talking on the phone. I can't do the constant conversation thing. Also, talking in front of a group of people more than 5 or 6. Even if it's my close friends. I have trouble being the center of attention.

 

Did you have to take a speech class in high school? Add public speaking to my list, I completely forgot about that. A speech class was required for my high school and I hated every second of it. Luckily I had it early in the morning so nobody paid much attention since we started at like 7:30 and everybody was tired.http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/laugh.gif

[Glennron]

Bees, and I really don't even know why. I realize most of the time they won't sting unless you "provoke them". I've also only been stung twice and haven't been in at least 10 years. But for whatever reason I always freak out if one is buzzing around me...

[pitchleague]

Aquaphobia. I can't swim and I just have general fear of drowning. Heck, I can barely stand getting water on my face in the shower.

 

Ironically, I love water parks.

[bacon06]

Talking on the phone. I can't do the constant conversation thing. Also, talking in front of a group of people more than 5 or 6. Even if it's my close friends. I have trouble being the center of attention.

Did you have to take a speech class in high school? Add public speaking to my list, I completely forgot about that. A speech class was required for my high school and I hated every second of it. Luckily I had it early in the morning so nobody paid much attention since we started at like 7:30 and everybody was tired.http://static.yuku.com//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/laugh.gif

Ironically, I don't mind giving speeches. Sitting in my desk before I need to get up is a little nerve racking, but once I get up there I kinda remind myself that the only person really paying attention is the teacher and I feel alright. I even played a part in a skit for a homecoming thing and acted in front a gym full of the community and have played a solo for jazz band in a concert and wasn't too nervous about those things. Something about having such a large crowd in front of me and it feels impersonal and anonymous rather than in an isolated classroom or social gathering.

 

[brewswinga2]

Carnies. Smell like cabbage, small hands.

[bball123h2]

Heights/flying. On my trip to Vegas this spring, I was not very festive, spending most of the entire flight gripping the armrests and blasting my ipod.

So you headed straight for the Stratosphere and boarded the "Insanity" ride?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/gypcasino/Insanity3.jpg

Good lord that looks crazy!

No, but the missus did want to go up the tower, so we did. I was very fortunate the rides were down that day due to the wind.

 

[JumpinMacFlash]

Snakes, and only snakes. I can't think of anything else I'm afraid of at the moment, but snakes just scare the hell out of me.

[Baldkin]

To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld, "More Americans are afraid of public speaking than death. That means at a funeral, most people would rather be in the coffin than giving the eulogy."

 

Although, personally, I'm only afraid of snakes. And... that's because of one thing (when I was about 6 and watched this...)

 

http://www.verumserum.com/media/2006/12/indiana-jones.jpg

[bbrauch2000]

I usually take a ribbing for this but i'm horrified of horses. I've never been near one and never would.

[Samurai Bucky]

I'm claustrophobic. The idea of being stuck in a closed in area without being to move scares the poop out of me. I think it might be more of my arms not being able to move. Give me my elbow room, and I'm good go to.

 

I'm also afraid of heights. When I was younger, I would go with my Dad to the state wrestling tournament in Madison at the Fieldhouse (he was a head wrestling coach). I would be in the upper deck looking at the rafters and say, "What would happen if you got stuck up there." It didn't help when I was working as a carpenter and had to carry roof truss walking on a 2x6 on a two-story hotel.

[Fatter than Joey]

I am weird in this regard....

 

Heights do not bother me, but I am deathly afraid of ledges, regardless of the height. I have been in hot air balloons, no problems, high buildings, no problem, -- but a diving board freaks me out. I stupidly went on my roof last year, and got stuck at the edge, and could not move, even though the ladder was right were I was. I actually kicked the ladder over, and called my neighbor on my cell and told him I "accidentally" knocked the ladder over and hurt my knee, and asked him to help me down.

 

My inlaws+holidays+alcohol is a perfect storm of terror as well, -- but I don't think anyone would fault me for this one.

[jason21nl]

clowns, snakes, spiders, ladders, bats, flying..can't stand any of those

[DatHoser]

Snakes, although ironically Raiders is my favorite movie. Also bees, wasps, hornets to a slightly lesser extent.

 

Everything bacon said in the post a few above this one.

 

I actually like heights. For one year in college I was the ONLY one who would go on the cherry-picker to get helium balloons down from dances or parties. If I was out of town for the weekend, they would stay up till I got back.

[PlayerHader]

Count me in as a bee guy. I can't stand them flying around me and end up swatting and running and jiving like a crazy crack head when they are around me.

 

I also get uncomfortable right before I have to give a speech or a presentation. Once I get up there I'm fine, as long as I am fully prepared. It's also weird that I was in musical productions all four years of HS and had prominent roles. I was more timid in rehearsals than I was when we actually took stage.

[sgtcluels]

Tornadoes. I freak out in a Tornado warning even if it's in the next county over.

 

And Spiders... mainly the hairy ones. Yuck.

[bretsky07]

I think all of my fears have been covered. I'm extremely shy and public speaking is definitely worse than death to me. I found out I was allergic to bees in 6th grade, so that's alwasy been a real fear (though I've been better about it in recent years.

 

One of my phobias came to light today. I have a big fear of people getting upset with me (yeah, I probably have issues with an overbearing father).

 

That one sounds about right for me too. I think it was growing up with a pair of fairly overbearing parents who screamed and fought with each other all the time. They were better during my early teen years, but their divorce when I was 15 was still probably the best thing they could have done for everybody involved. They're both a lot happier now, but probably too late, as that fear is way too ingrained in me by now.

[JoeH33]

I'm afraid of heights and falling, insects like spiders/beetles/centipedes, and dying in some cruel sadistic way. People getting angry at me really bothers me as well, but I dunno if I'd call it a phobia.

[hawing]

If I didn't mention bees/stinging insects before, yeah, they scare me too. My primary fear related to them is not finding out I'm deathly allergic until I'm stung and it's too late.

 

Also, I am uncomfortable in elevators. I don't think it's claustrophobia; more a worry about either getting stuck or a cable breaking and the car plummeting down. That my workplace has some very old-school elevators doesn't help. One of my recurring dreams is getting in an elevator and having it get stuck, turn sideways, or otherwise not get me where I want to go.

 

And my all-time most common recurring scary dream is being caught somewhere unsafe with a tornado (or tornadoes) on the way. The sirens or other warnings sound, I turn to see - oh no! - the funnel or funnels, and I wake up.

I'm surprised I didn't think of that one when I first posted in this thread. I know I'm not the only one on this forum who's bothered by severe storms/tornadoes.

[sheetswannabe]

Turnbow coming in on a tie game. *shivers*