Phobias and Phears

My recent tarantula post made me think about phobias, an irrational, intense and persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, animals or people.

We all have something that just twists our insides, makes us break out in a cold sweat or freezes us in fear like a deer in headlights.  Some have fear of flying as I read on a recent post and some have fear of spiders as I read in my comments. We all have fears, many seem irrational to us but for the people who experience them, they are very real.

I knew a man who was afraid of the cotton in the top of medicine bottles.  He could not remove it, could not touch it, and you could chase him a mile with a cotton ball.

I have had two fears in my life, irrational but real. 

One was needles.  This was not a problem before my surgery.  I could take a shot with the best of them.  The night following my surgery, I got shots, lots of them, so many in fact, my husband stood between the nurse and me and said no more shots. We later discovered I was not only receiving my shots but also those of another patient.  All I remembered was white uniforms and the needles. 

I did not know this had a lasting impression on me until two years later when my doctor mentioned I needed a shot.  I immediately crawled to the corner and was screaming, no shots! NO SHOTS!

I used to give our animals shots and discovered I could no longer even touch a needle.  This changes your whole world, no dentists, no doctors, no vaccinations for the animals...I had to do something so I took the bull by the horns.  I started by looking at the needle, forcing myself to hold it.  I worked on this for months to over come it.  At the dentist, I explained and he was very careful to warn me and keep the needle out of sight.  It took me almost three years to over come this so I know how crippling phobias can be.

My second phobia is scorpions.  I stepped on one as a small child.  I didn't know I had this fear until I saw one in the floor after I was married.  I climbed on a chair and was hollering like the woman in the cartoons when she sees a mouse.  The pain of the sting I had when I was a child returned, shooting from foot to hip.

I kept this fear for a very long time.  Hubby could get me to do anything if he had a scorpion! (He's just a tad ornery, like me)

My children grew and knew of my fear.  As young teens, they and my nephew captured a scorpion and hot glued him in a jar lid.  It was gift to help overcome my fears.  I also have been presented with scorpion paperweights. 

It was a long haul but I have over come this one too.  My heart still speeds up, but I can kill them now and not run like a striped ape when I see one.

What are your fears and phobias?  Do you actively try to over come them and how?

I look forward to your answers.