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Yes, I have herpetophobia.
I’m not sure how I acquired it from but things that make me jump out of my skin are: geckos, rats and frogs.
The fact that I would scream and run out of the room when I saw a gecko or climb on to chairs if there was a rat around gave my brothers plenty of entertainment when I was growing up.
It’s difficult to explain this fear to someone who doesn’t feel that way. The sight of a gecko (even while I’m looking at appropriate pictures for a post!) is enough to make me feel repulsed. Like most phobias it is irrational and makes me feel silly. However, it’s not something that totally paralyzes me.
I’ve survived situations where I’ve had flying frogs in my room, geckos crawling around the bed and rats nibbling at my toes.
One would imagine that these episodes would help me to overcome my fear. But no – the fear continues.
Do you have any phobias that you find difficult to explain?
May you be inspired – every day!
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About Corinne Rodrigues
I write because I hope that my words will bring pleasure, inspire or make you question something, just as the words of so many writers do to me. I don't profess to have any answers, I just share from my own experiences and often bring you my own struggles with thoughts, ideas and situations. Today I seek to live life of that is simple, authentic and holistic. I write at Everyday Gyaan and share a blog called From 7Eight with my husband, José and our boxer dog, Pablo.
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I have the fear of heights.
@Janaki Nagaraj Thanks for sharing.
Yes, like you said, it doesn’t paralyze me, but yeah the sight of the pink evening skies brings in a very bad foreboding fear in my heart, and no explanation why.. it has been like that since childhood. I remember having closed windows of my house, to block that pink sunlight coming in… Strangely, pink is my favourite colour. But I don’t like it when the sky is pink.
And centipedes n snakes.. they scare the hell out of me.. Centipedes because they have too many legs and can climb anywhere.. and snakes because they have no legs and can still climb anywhere.. YAKKKK HOW am I gonna sleeeeeeo tonighttttttttttttttttttttt?????
@pristinetulip Funny your phobia is exactly what I love – give me pink skies any evening – if I could paint, my home would be full of pink sky pictures!
Centipedes – have too many legs? Just as well they don’t have 101
I am so scared of rats! Geckos are more of a novelty to me, though, which may be why I look at them in amazement rather than fear. I’m claustrophobic. I don’t know why. But it can be so overwhelming.
@femmefrugality Thank you for sharing. Geckos are a novelty – you can have all of mine – thank you very much! Yes, the thing about phobias is that they can paralyze us completely.
I have a phobia of worms, snakes and frogs of any kind, they creep me out in the same way that geckos, rats and frogs creep you out. Kids at school used to torture me with worms, something it took me a long time to get over!
@Elizabeth Young Kids can be so mean when they know your weakness, can’t they?
I don’t think I have any big phobias such as frogs and snakes. I am however fearful of the dark when in the city, no so much in the woods. I have a fascinating fear of heights, it only occurs when I am told to go up a ladder to accomplish something, not when I climb on boxes stacked on chairs…
@jovane4685 Isn’t it strange that the city-dark frightens you and not the woods. Your phobias seem to be very specific, don’t they?
Yes, sharks! It’s not like I spend a lot of time in the ocean, but just the thought of sharks swimming under the water guarantees that my feet will stay in the boat!
Your mention of your brothers reminded me of a story about my mom. She was terribly afraid of worms. When she was a little girl, her big sister chased her with a worm and threw it on her. My mom promptly fainted dead away. The big sister ran into the house yelling that she had killed her sister! I can’t even guess how many times I heard that story told at family get togethers!
@galenpearl Now sharks are something I haven’t yet considered, but I’m sure I’d be scared if I was anywhere near them.
Thank you for sharing the story of your Mom and her sister. There’s a classic one in our family where my aunt, aged about 8, spied a lizard in the bathroom when she was dressing and ran out leaving behind some unmentionables. She then tried to bribe her younger brother with some money to get them for her. Family ‘folklore’ always fascinates me!
Fears? Oh, yes! Snakes, heights, expressways (I can no longer drive on one) – all irrational, really, but I can’t seem to make them go away. Guess I will just live with them as joyfully as I can.
Great, thoughtful post, Corinne!
@marthaorlando It’s interesting that you say you can ‘no longer’ drive on an expressway. Does that mean that you used to? What caused the change then? Living joyfully with a phobia – that’s something I’m tucking away to think about!
@CorinneRodrigues Yes, I used to be able to with no problem. I think it has everything to do with my eyesight. I get a sense of vertigo at high speeds – not good when everyone is flying down the road!
Do you remember my post on fears? https://forjenssake.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/if-i-werent-oneirophobic/
I so understand your fear. And just like you I cannot look at photos of those fears, especially the dreaded spider one. I’ve gotten so I can kill them now, so I am working through this fear but, ewww just ewww. The reason you probably haven’t worked through them is because the fear came when you had those instances you spoke about. I’m so sorry you fear them. I think I agree with you about rats though.
@JenniDeLaTorre I actually hadn’t read that post before, wonder how I missed it. Just the other night I woke up from an awful dream and kept myself awake for a long while after because I didn’t want the dream to continue. So I can only begin to imagine what you go through, Jenni.
Actually the instances happened much later, I was always fearful of these creatures.
Well, I hate spiders..I mean if I have to..I will kill them but I REALLY hate them and would rather scream and run, which ensures they have enough time to run and hide,lol!
thesocailfrog I know exactly what you mean – but I don’t kill, I just run!
ALL insects
@nikky44 that would be tough if you were living in India!
Oh! where do I begin???
I have an insane fear of getting stuck in really narrow lanes… really narrow (you know what I mean!)
And, then there is the fear that all my teeth will fall.
Could I be more irrational?
@RatZest Haha …falling teeth – sorry I couldn’t help but laugh! I’m coming across new phobias via this post! About being irrational, you’re asking the wrong person!
@CorinneRodrigues I know, right! I mean, who fears about falling teeth. But, it has been a fear, nonetheless.
I fear, lizards, frogs, spider and cockroaches – I feel terrible when I see them, I try to chase them away, but still have fear that they are around.
@G Angela Hmmm..at least you try to chase them – I run away!
Oh yes, heights and closed spaces. Animals and insects dont phase me out, but I dont like crowds of people, closed stuffy and crowded rooms, and will never climb into a ferris wheel
@RituLalit I have those two phobias too but they’re not as bad as the fear of creepy crawlies. A Ferris wheel – not for me too!
I have a phobia of spiders. I never had it as a child, but then developed as a teen and then vaguely grew out of in my early twenties and then REGAINED again in my thirties. I’ve no idea why! I can’t bring myself to kill them either! Silly really because bees and wasps that sting, do not bother me a bit!
@Feelix6 That’s interesting that you grew out of it and it came back. I wonder if there’s an association with other things that came back in to your life in your thirties…
I’m not too big on snakes. I’ve come across a few lately while hiking. I know they are usually harmless, at least the ones I come across, but I still find my heart racing anytime I see one!
@JessicaMokrzycki My heart won’t race, it might stop! You’re a brave lady, Jess.
Yikes! geckos creep me out too… But it’s common to see house lizards in the Philippines.
I have this unusual fear of images (eg saints). I don’t know when it started, but it’s difficult because I’m Catholic. I prefer pictures…
It’s weird I know… But it’s not so paralyzing…
@Glori That’s an unusual phobia and I can imagine how hard it must be going to Church! I wonder what’s behind your phobia.
@CorinneRodrigues A guilty conscience probably… LOL…
@Glori Nah!
I used to have a phobia for spiders. Even the tiniest, would make me scream. I got over i, since living in the Southwest. Here, tiny spiders are the least of my problems. Scorpions, rats, rattle snakes and a variety of bugs I had never heard of took the place of spiders.
I would freak if I was ever in a room with flying frogs, or if rats nibbled at my toes. You survived without being totally traumatized. I think you’re very brave.
I do have a fear of ghosts… I cannot explain why. Though off late I do watch horror shows / movies on TV but I cannot do that in the night. All my growing up years I have grown up with this constant fear and there are nights when I cannot sleep alone at all!
@privytrifles Hmmm…and you still watch the horror movies? I think you’re a glutton for fear
Just kidding! I think most people are scared of ghosts.
@CorinneRodrigues
Maybe you are right…. I enjoy that fear. Or I want to overcome that fear that is why I torture myself through that movies / shows
I have the irrational fear of skyscrapers — not height, but walking on a road flanked by these structures. I know I might sound silly in the extreme, but I fear they might fall on me!! Likewise, being on a mountain is fine, but in a valley surrounded by the mountains, I feel claustrophobic and want to run out….
Thanks for sharing, Zephyr. You’re the first person I’ve come across with the fear of falling skyscrapers. I tried to google it but couldn’t come with a name for it!
Dear Corinne,
Most creepy crawlies will do it for me, heights too. If I could live in a world with no bugs, I’d be quite happy. I guess that’s why I can’t wait for summer to be over, because it seems once the mercury rises, the bugs come out of their hiding places!
Thanks for sharing.
<a href=”http://thoughtsofbeautyinthestillnessofdawn.blogspot.com”>Thoughts Of Beauty In The Stillness Of Dawn…</a>
@Andy David Now you’ve added heights to my list too. I seem to be having too many phobias. It’s true that summer seems to bring them all (the creepy crawlies, I mean) out and about. Thank God, it’s over here!
Corinne,
Just reading the post gave me creepy crawly itching. Centipedes, roaches and anything that tries to sneak around where it doesn’t belong spooks me. I have been known to go outside around the back porch and through my garage years ago when I had a basement laundry room because a centipede was sitting on the stairs that went from the kitchen to the basement. Yep, held hostage by a centipede!
Thanks for sharing, Kathy. I’ve been held hostage too and have some silly stories that I’d rather not share in public
Yes, I am afraid of spiders–terribly, terribly afraid of them…
@BhavanaNissimaUpadhyaya Oh my, I wouldn’t have put you down as being afraid of anything, but that just goes to show that we all have our weak spots, don’t we?
Hi Corinne, I don’t blame you for being afraid of creepy crawly creatures. I’m not fearful of them but I don’t want them in my bed, as was the case recently with a big fat spider recently. I have no problem killing them either!
My fears are closed in spaces. One time I got locked in a tiny restroom for a half an hour until the manager of the mall found a key. I thought I would die. Luckily I had my cell and was able to phone a friend who lovingly talked me off the ceiling. This was an interesting topic, one most can relate to! Sending hugs;)
@floridancing I knew you were a brave woman and I wish I could borrow you to kill the geckos here! I think my second fear would be closed spaces. The more I think of them, the more phobias I seem to have, eh?
@CorinneRodrigues Oh no! I couldn’t kill a gecko! They’re so cute! I’ll kill the spiders though! LOL!
I have a strange one! Fear of birds. Rather inconvenient! There are plenty of the creatures you name where I live so thank goodness I don’t have a problem with them. I wish you the best with this.
@Sandra Pawula That must truly inconvenient. The moment I read your comment, I recalled Alfred Hitcock’s ‘The Birds’. I’m wondering what could be at the root of it, Sandra.
Im soooooooooooooooooooo scared of geckos and frogs, I can even see them on pictures without being disturbed, I do know where I got this fear tho, I was like 6 years old when I was playing with my sister when suddenly I felt something cold and sticky in my knee (I had jeans btw) and then I saw the head of a gecko with yellow gel-like liquid coming out from it, I have no clue where the body was left, the only thing I did was to run and scream and told my sister to put my pants down. Remembering this always gives me chills. Ugh I really hate them.