How 'irrational' would you call your phobias?

If you have any phobias, like flying or heights, how rational/irrational do you consider them? Do you think that your fear/paranoia is justified, or do you know that you're being silly?

Take me, for instance, I have a fear of rodents -- particularly rats. I think I'm completely justified in feeling that way, considering that they gnaw and have rabies/diseases.

What about you?

I'm afraid of dying young. I think that's completely rational.

I dont have many fears so all mine are rational I think.

Chris wrote:If you have any phobias, like flying or heights, how rational/irrational do you consider them? Do you think that your fear/paranoia is justified, or do you know that you're being silly?

Take me, for instance, I have a fear of rodents -- particularly rats. I think I'm completely justified in feeling that way, considering that they gnaw and have rabies/diseases.

What about you?

I actually consider my phobias to be very practical. I'm not afraid of "heights" so much as I'm afraid of "falling". I don't climb onto high areas if I don't have to and I'm not a thrill seeker. As a result, I've never fallen from a great height before and never broken any bones. My fear of "flying" is actually much more a fear of not being in control. If I was actually flying the plane or at least inside the cockpit, I'd feel much more comfortable on an airplane than I do sitting back in coach, not knowing what's going on or how skilled the pilot is. And it's really not flying that terrifies me so much as "take offs" and "landings" (because that's pretty much when everything can go wrong).

One of my biggest 'phobias' as a child was going down in other people's basements because I knew I was not familiar with those stairs and I fell down the stairs a lot as a child and when it's those board after board steps with the gaps in between, I always used to worry I would fall between the gaps and wind up under the stairs where there wouldn't be any way to get out. Was it a justifiable fear? Most likely not, but I still hate having to go down the basement steps to any cellar other than my own, because I'm still afraid of falling down the stairs and possibly killing myself, and any set I'm not familiar with, and some they creak, some they wobble, some the railing is about ready to break, etc.

I don't have any phobias. Not everyone does.

I fear God and the IRS....and I think it's completely justified.

captainbryce wrote: I actually consider my phobias to be very practical. I'm not afraid of "heights" so much as I'm afraid of "falling". I don't climb onto high areas if I don't have to and I'm not a thrill seeker. As a result, I've never fallen from a great height before and never broken any bones. My fear of "flying" is actually much more a fear of not being in control. If I was actually flying the plane or at least inside the cockpit, I'd feel much more comfortable on an airplane than I do sitting back in coach, not knowing what's going on or how skilled the pilot is. And it's really not flying that terrifies me so much as "take offs" and "landings" (because that's pretty much when everything can go wrong).

That pretty much sums up my acrophobia and fear of flying.

http://www.conversationchamber.com/t11233-he-loved-to-fly

Altho, from a very early age I have had problems with high elevations and have to really cling to something, or crawl down steps backwards rather than walking down looking out into open space (that's how I got down off the pyramid at Uxmal Mx).

I even tried working the derrick on the oil rig but it didn't work out. I was good leaning over the edge looking down feeling the safety harness pull on my back but when I had hold of the stand of pipe and the safety line went slack, my knees started to buckle. I lasted 15 minutes before going back to work on the main deck.

I'd say that my claustrophobia is very irrational. I go out of my way to avoid elevators and it's very hard when I must use them.

But that phobia rears its ugly head in other peculiar situations. I also get extremely anxious when stuck in unmoving traffic for very long. It's that feeling of being trapped, can't escape.

Now. . . I'm one of those rare fools who can play with a spider. The very thought freaks out a neighbor of mine who has extreme arachnaphobia.