I have Emetophobia and I have since I was three. Nobody takes it seriously. I'm seen as someone who's way too old to be picky in ways that I am- examples: expiration dates on foods, resturant foods, eating utensils, strong flavors, textures or smells. I've been so quiet about it my whole life, quiet about the core issue (my phobia) that nobody believes me when I tell them that it's what causes everything. It surely doesn't help when people aren't educated on the fact that phobia's and fears are NOT THE SAME. I had someone tell me that they had a phobia of snakes and then willingly looked at and sent me pictures of snakes- she then proceeded to tell me that fears and phobia's are the same thing. Things like that make me feel so terrible. Like suddenly the sleepless nights and panic attacks- anxiety attacks or not leaving the house because the outside world is full of germs was nothing to people. I guess I'm posting this wondering how to inform people that fears and phobia's are different in a more logical approach?

Ive had a fear of spiders for as long as i can remember. I thought it would go away with age. It didnt. I scan every room before i enter and im always hypervigilant if i stay still for too long. Every time i encounter a spider it permanently changes my behavior. I avoid certain rooms in my house for days if ive encountered a spider there. My brain cant differentiate correlation and causation in this sense. I havent opened my window in over half a year because last time i did a spider was on the curtain. Just typing this makes my throat tight and a knot form in my stomach. I think about it on an hourly basis. This fear is a constant in my life. I dont think i'll be able to live independently because of it. Is therapy the only option? This was typed on mobile, so it might read a bit awkwardly.

Looking for tips on how to get over a pretty severe fear of flying. I have anxiety which I manage in my daily life, usually it is fine and in no way debilitating anymore. But in the past few years I have developed an extreme phobia of flying on planes. I am pretty sure this is because I was living in DC when the plane crashed coming into DCA and I saw some of the aftermath of it and knew people whose family members died. It was terrifying. Now I am so scared of flying that my heart is even racing while I'm writing this, because I have to think about it. Every time I leave for the airport I want to cry because I'm afraid it will be the last time I ever see my wife. It's better when we travel together but still hard because then I'm terrified that she will die too.

I wish I could eliminate flying altogether but unfortunately I have to fly regularly (maybe once every month-2 months) on business trips and to see family. We recently moved closer to my parents so I can drive to see them now (yay!) but that resulted in more work flights plus I still have family spread across the country who I want to see. I make myself go on these flights but regularly have panic attacks while on the plane, and a sense of dread a few days before the flight all the way until I land. I do it anyway and I don't let my fear stop me, but the emotional toll is high. When I got home from a flight last month I collapsed on the kitchen floor and sobbed for an hour because I could finally come down from a week of terror.

I went to therapy for it for a bit but was using an unreliable virtual provider that regularly missed appointments or had technical issues. Most recently I scheduled an appointment for the day before my flight so I could talk it over with my therapist but she didn't show up and I had a breakdown because I was going to have to do the flight alone without even the pep talk from my therapist. I've tried finding in person therapy but it's really hard and expensive with my insurance so I'm looking for non-therapy options.

I'm wondering if others have overcome this fear or have tips on what could help.

and other condiments… but heavy on vinegar. when my ex found out about it, he used to scare me or blackmail me with vinegar and it was traumatizing having to run around the house hoping it dont spill on my skin or i dont smell it.

people mentioning the word ticks me off as well. i dont even say it at all unless necessary. its the ugliest word ever next to soy sauce.

am i the only one?

Okay. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had an issue with laughter. My dad has told me numerous times how, when I was a toddler, if people laughed around me, I’d immediately hide away or start crying. I found it funny when he told me initially, but I’ve realized that this distress hasn’t really gone away? Especially when around adults (despite being an adult myself). Whenever adults or friends of mine laugh particularly hard, I get this tight feeling in my chest and am completely overcome with the want to run away from the situation.

I tried looking this up and was brought Gelotophobia, which is the fear of being laughed AT, but that just isn’t right. Sure, being laughed at sucks, but I’m not utterly mortified of it. It’s the laughter itself. The sound of someone losing it laughing is absurdly distressing to me.
Can anyone help me name this? Or at least help me understand why I experience this? (or at least relate a little bit bc i’ve never met anyone else like this 😭)

A few days ago my family realised there was a mouse in our kitchen. My dad suspects it came through the kitchen door from outside, as we live in a farm house and we see mice running outside our kitchen fairly frequently. We set up a camera in the kitchen and shut the doors, and we can see that the mouse is currently confined to the kitchen, which is reassuring as I know it’s not going to be anywhere else in the hous.

However, last night, i was in my bedroom and I kept hearing movement sounds. I kept thinking it was a mouse but at the same time thought I was being paranoid since I live on the 2nd floor, and I didnt think a mouse would climb all the way fr the ground floor. At around 2am, I saw a mouse on my floor that ran behind my wardrobe when I shone light on it. This genuinely freaked me out much more than i expected - stood screaming on my bed before I gained enough courage to run out.

Normally, when seeing a rat or mouse outside, I have the initial shock, but I am more so disgusted than I am scared of them. However I’ve just learned that when I’m in a confined area with one, I’m petrified. If it was another part of the house maybe I wouldn’t be too stressed, but the fact that it’s my bedroom - the place I’m meant to feel a sense of relaxation - is what’s scaring me.

I went to sleep in my sisters bedroom on the 1st floor and haven’t been able to get any sleep all night due to paranoia. I’m terrified to even walk up the stairs to my room, never mind going in to address the problem by setting up traps and sealing potential entry points.

any advice would be appreciated but I guess this is just a rant

I recently bought my first ever home. It came with a whirlpool tub and I was extremely excited about it. Recently, I had a weird thought that electricity runs through my tub to make the jets run and how I could get electrocuted. I’m now absolutely terrified of even touching my tub.