Arachnophobia. The fear of spiders. It’s one of the most common fears in the world, and well, it’s not just about tarantulas that can actually cause you serious harm. No, it’s about all eight-legged critters that can suddenly appear in your line of sight.
Some say it’s irrational, but I say it makes perfect sense. They’re creepy crawlies that can get anywhere on your body and look absolutely horrendous. But deep down, yes, it’s a little irrational. However, some people on r/AskReddit have shared irrational fears that turned out to be real and came true when they least expected them. So, if you want to feel vindicated, keep on reading.
#21
I used to be terrified of getting stung by a bee, I'd made it to 22 without getting stung. After moving in to a new apartment I soon discovered that a bee or two would make it into my apartment through the lighting fixture in my closet. No big deal, I would just swat them (not afraid of bees themselves, just being stung) So one day I see a bee flying around and whack it with my shoe, but I didn't see where it fell. I figured I must've hit it behind my desk or something.
Then, I feel it. A little tickle a little to the left of my lower spine. I knew what it was immediately. I quickly tried to take off my shirt, hoping that it was crawling on it instead of me, but it only served to push the bee against me and sting me. I SCREAMED like I had never screamed before and immediately went into a panic attack. Now, having never been stung by a bee I couldn't tell if I couldn't breathe because of the panic attack, athsma, or anaphylactic shock so I called 911.
The paramedics came in to find me shaking and in tears, but assured me that I was not allergic to bees. We had a good laugh about my freaking out and calling 911 as they removed the stinger and told me that they were glad that it didn't end up being a serious situation after all and assured me that the laugh was worth the trip over
TL;DR- Was afraid of getting a bee sting, got stung, got scared called 911, had a good laugh with the paramedics.
Then, I feel it. A little tickle a little to the left of my lower spine. I knew what it was immediately. I quickly tried to take off my shirt, hoping that it was crawling on it instead of me, but it only served to push the bee against me and sting me. I SCREAMED like I had never screamed before and immediately went into a panic attack. Now, having never been stung by a bee I couldn't tell if I couldn't breathe because of the panic attack, athsma, or anaphylactic shock so I called 911.
The paramedics came in to find me shaking and in tears, but assured me that I was not allergic to bees. We had a good laugh about my freaking out and calling 911 as they removed the stinger and told me that they were glad that it didn't end up being a serious situation after all and assured me that the laugh was worth the trip over
TL;DR- Was afraid of getting a bee sting, got stung, got scared called 911, had a good laugh with the paramedics.
9points
So, it’s essentially a physiological process that your brain can’t fully make sense of. Phobias and irrational fears can come from many different things, but we should remember that we can’t control our environment. Often, we can’t even control our own lives, so fear can end up paralyzing us.
But that’s what therapists and psychologists are for! They can give us the tools we need to handle these fears. But what about you, Pandas? Have you ever experienced a crippling fear that came true? What happened? Let us know all about it below!
#22
I have always been terrified of aneurysms, which have a very low possibility of happening to some one. My mother had one, she survived with minimal damage but increased my fear ten fold.
9points
#23
I have this irrational fear of walking down the street at night and someone grabbing me and doing horrible things to me in the alleys I pass. Where I live it gets extremely lonely at night and I live in a city where there are a lot of alleys (Chicago) so every single time I pass an alley I kind of sprint a bit then slow down when I get to a building and see people inside, of course this is only at night....
9points
#24
I ride motorcycles. I'm allergic to bees, like pretty allergic. Will Smith in Hitch when he had the allergic reaction. That was like me.
I've always been afraid that one day i'd get stung by a bee while riding. I always wear full gear as well.
Well one day i'm in the twisties and i'm going 70 and I get stung in the sternum. My entire upper body locked up for a few seconds.
I drove to the hospital as fast as I could. I nearly crashed into the side of the mountain multiple times and I was going 100-110 to get to the hospital in the streets.
I've always been afraid that one day i'd get stung by a bee while riding. I always wear full gear as well.
Well one day i'm in the twisties and i'm going 70 and I get stung in the sternum. My entire upper body locked up for a few seconds.
I drove to the hospital as fast as I could. I nearly crashed into the side of the mountain multiple times and I was going 100-110 to get to the hospital in the streets.
9points
#25
Getting my fingernail ripped clean off. Good thing it has only happened to me TWO TIMES.:|.
8points
#26
I used to be scared of earthworms. I thought they'd attack me or whatever, I don't even know. But one time, I was outside with my best friend (obviously not best friends anymore) and she put some down my shirt. I was crying for hours, and now I have a serious phobia of worms. I can't even go outside when it's raining, and will sometimes cry if I see them. I know, it's completely ridiculous.
8points
#27
I have weak capillaries on my face - it's not a medical condition, just a harmless beauty defect. Not long ago, I got food intoxication, puked and retched very hard. At one moment, writhing on the floor over a bowl, I thought that the capillaries on my face would break from effort but I dismissed the idea as absurd.
When I felt better, I fell asleep and woke up after a couple of hours. I went to the bathroom, looked at the mirror and saw I had some kind of a strange rash. I took a closer look - it wasn't a rash. I had tiny petechiae all over my face.
tl;dr - I puked so hard my capillaries exploded.
When I felt better, I fell asleep and woke up after a couple of hours. I went to the bathroom, looked at the mirror and saw I had some kind of a strange rash. I took a closer look - it wasn't a rash. I had tiny petechiae all over my face.
tl;dr - I puked so hard my capillaries exploded.
8points
#28
It's kind of an opposite situation for me. Something happened that has given me an irrational (or maybe now it's rational) fear.
In the fifth grade, on Halloween, I wore my costume to school. My costume included a large pole (was I fairy? An exotic dancer? I couldn't tell you) that I would have to carry up the stairs to my classroom. As I was walking up the stairs, I tripped over the pole and landed teeth-first. Yep, teeth... first. My two front teeth pierced my bottom lip, leaving a nice scar, as well as chipped and forever-fractured teeth.
Now, there are these odd looking lines that cross through my front teeth, and they have really sharp, jagged edges.
I remember walking into my classroom with blood running down my chin and neck, and one girl shouting "Look at Rigabear's costume! It looks so real, gross!" and me shouting "IT IS REAL WWAAAAARGLBARLGAAHHH HELP."
Today, I tuck my top lip over my front teeth when walking up stairs and I do it with extreme caution.
TL;DR: Be careful on stairs, you could fall teeth-first.
In the fifth grade, on Halloween, I wore my costume to school. My costume included a large pole (was I fairy? An exotic dancer? I couldn't tell you) that I would have to carry up the stairs to my classroom. As I was walking up the stairs, I tripped over the pole and landed teeth-first. Yep, teeth... first. My two front teeth pierced my bottom lip, leaving a nice scar, as well as chipped and forever-fractured teeth.
Now, there are these odd looking lines that cross through my front teeth, and they have really sharp, jagged edges.
I remember walking into my classroom with blood running down my chin and neck, and one girl shouting "Look at Rigabear's costume! It looks so real, gross!" and me shouting "IT IS REAL WWAAAAARGLBARLGAAHHH HELP."
Today, I tuck my top lip over my front teeth when walking up stairs and I do it with extreme caution.
TL;DR: Be careful on stairs, you could fall teeth-first.
8points
#29
I always have a fear of me have a cheese grater cutting through my nail while grating cheese. One day, I was peeling a carrot with a veggie peeler when I let the peeler slip and feel a sharp sting. It turns out I stabbed the side of the peeler into the middle of my nail(only by a few miliimeters, but it HURT), which makes my nail constantly bleed for about fifteen minutes.
8points
#30
Bridges and overpasses. Higher ones are worse. I've always kind of held my breath and kept a white-knuckled grip on something until the car made it over. Every time. Oh God, even the thought of an overpass over another overpass gives me shivers.
Then the bridge collapse in Minnesota happened. OMG. I wasn't directly involved, but that just completely validated my fear of bridges and overpasses - obviously, it can happen. This has not helped my state of mind while traveling.
Then the bridge collapse in Minnesota happened. OMG. I wasn't directly involved, but that just completely validated my fear of bridges and overpasses - obviously, it can happen. This has not helped my state of mind while traveling.
8points
#31
I always feared that when I'm at the gas station the automatic shutoff wouldn't go off and gasoline go spraying everywhere in true slapstick fashion. Then it did happen. The gas kinda just dribbled down the side of my car. I told the guy working there and he just nodded, grabbed a jug of water and dumped it down the side of my car and on the ground. Then he tipped his hat and walked off.
7points
#32
I had a fear of driving. It was getting close to being a phobia, but I got past that, telling myself I won't get into a car crash, and got my license last summer.
And then in September, I knocked off the sideview mirror of my car, and then a few days later, I was in a parking lot and accidentally hit the gas instead of the breaks and ended up driving up onto a ledge separating two parking lots, caving in the trunk. And then the next week (while I was in my mom's car) I fell asleep while driving in the far right lane and crashed into the center median of the highway (I was having severe insomnia from severe anxiety problems). I caused $5000 dollars worth of damage between the two cars, so maybe I was right to be afraid of driving. Or afraid of me driving, at least.
And then in September, I knocked off the sideview mirror of my car, and then a few days later, I was in a parking lot and accidentally hit the gas instead of the breaks and ended up driving up onto a ledge separating two parking lots, caving in the trunk. And then the next week (while I was in my mom's car) I fell asleep while driving in the far right lane and crashed into the center median of the highway (I was having severe insomnia from severe anxiety problems). I caused $5000 dollars worth of damage between the two cars, so maybe I was right to be afraid of driving. Or afraid of me driving, at least.
7points
#33
Breaking my knee and getting stung by a stingray. I used to think it would be the knee breaking would be the most painful experience ever... it really didn't hurt as bad as I thought. Getting stung by a stingray hurt way more than breaking my knee. LFMF: Drag your feet.
Report
7points
#34
ALWAYS paranoid the house was going to burn down, no matter how close a fire station is to where I live. It sometimes took my parents hours to convince me to go to sleep when I was little. Still flips me out now, but nothing like it use to be.
Tonight (this morning, whatever), I had just been asleep for less than an hour and woke up to my dad talking and figured he was on the phone (he gets a lot of calls in the middle of the night lately about my grandfather falling). Then I hear someone else talking, thought it was weird that he'd have speaker phone on in the middle of the night. Then I hear my mom talking. What?
For some reason I look in the front yard. THREE fire engines with lights flashing! Quickest I've gotten out of bed at three in the morning.
Someone had called 911 saying there was a fire in our backyard. Twice. They had already been here once 15 minutes before and I somehow slept through it. They checked all around our house and apparently deemed it safe.
I can't get back to sleep now. Fear back with a vengeance. I wonder what in the world the neighbors saw....
Tonight (this morning, whatever), I had just been asleep for less than an hour and woke up to my dad talking and figured he was on the phone (he gets a lot of calls in the middle of the night lately about my grandfather falling). Then I hear someone else talking, thought it was weird that he'd have speaker phone on in the middle of the night. Then I hear my mom talking. What?
For some reason I look in the front yard. THREE fire engines with lights flashing! Quickest I've gotten out of bed at three in the morning.
Someone had called 911 saying there was a fire in our backyard. Twice. They had already been here once 15 minutes before and I somehow slept through it. They checked all around our house and apparently deemed it safe.
I can't get back to sleep now. Fear back with a vengeance. I wonder what in the world the neighbors saw....
7points
#35
I'm scared of cockroaches. Even though they can't hurt me. One night I had an itch on my arm and when I went to scratch I got a handful of one. As soon as it squirmed in my hand I threw it across the room and ran out as fast as I could. Wouldn't go back into my bed because I thought that it would go back there.
Report
6points
#36
I've been arachnaphobic since sixth grade after a few traumatizing events with spiders. And suffering from minor OCD-style habits caused me to check under the covers of my bed exactly 16 times every night for spiders. Exactly 16, no more and no less. My mother was highly concerned by my irrational behavior regarding spiders.
One night I lost count right as I hit 16. I was almost positive I had checked the 16th time but I did just ONE MORE TIME to be sure. Sure enough, a spider came crawling out. Cue me flipping out, crying, hyperventilating, screaming, waking up my parents, and general chaos.
One night I lost count right as I hit 16. I was almost positive I had checked the 16th time but I did just ONE MORE TIME to be sure. Sure enough, a spider came crawling out. Cue me flipping out, crying, hyperventilating, screaming, waking up my parents, and general chaos.
Report
6points
#37
Ankle injuries. The thought of ankle injuries causes me to have a massive flinch. I can't even look at people wearing high heels because all I can think about is their ankles snapping.
Ended up watching a woman break her ankle while trying to walk downhill in San Francisco in high heels. Not. Good.
Ended up watching a woman break her ankle while trying to walk downhill in San Francisco in high heels. Not. Good.
Report
6points
#38
Turning on electrical appliances scares me. I'm always afraid to get shocked. A few weeks ago I turned on my computer, got a shock (same intensity as doorknobs when you're static) and as a reflex I pull back my hand and topple a speaker. It remained on it's back for about a week.
Report
6points
#39
I'm so scared of wasps. Typically I can avoid them, and I do so sometimes by running and screaming like a little girl. One day about a year ago, I go to start getting my car fixed. We get it driven to the place to get a new battery in it alright. I go to get back in to drive it to the service place, and I see movement in between the doorway. I panic, because I just knew. I ran, telling my family. They laughed, told me I was being ridiculous. They poked around the door a bit to try and find the wasps I saw. Little old grandma finally gets in the car to drive it since I've made it clear I'm not going near the car again, and low and behold! Wasp nest in my car. Right next to the drivers side.
Report
5points
#40
I'm scared to be burned alive. When I was 8 my brother threw me face first into a fire.
Report
5points
