Friday OT - Don’t Tell Me Not To Be Afraid

Me too big time. Staying the night in the middle of nowhere still freaks me out.



I still get that nightmare on occasion. It's the end of the semester and I've realized I've been accidentally skipping a class and it's too late to drop it. Then I wake up and I'm like- you're not in college anymore, old man.
Finally stopped for me about 10 years ago(at age 35)
 
I don't have a problem when there is a guard rail or some safety device, but if it is an overlook like the river overlook at the lost lake trail at the ledges, I feel like gravity is actually pulling me over the cliff. I realize its irrational and can overcome it, but I do get some intense anxiety over it. I also hate doing things at the house on a ladder.

Same, I can go the ledge and look over, but I am uncomfortable doing it and get anxiety.
 
Tight spaces! Back in the 80's my sister had a waterbed with the headboard that had the deep shelves so under the shelves there was a small dead space about 12" x 12" that went all the way across the bed. occasionally I would have to go under there to fetch out a cat. They really loved to hide in it. Evidently one day, I had crossed that threshold between being able to fit and not. So I was temporarily stuck and started to panic. I finally calmed myself down and was able to wiggle my way out. After that I just stayed out and never went back in. Years later, in my 20s I went to Mammoth caves in KY. We all wanted to do a cave tour and the group decided on the wild cave tour. I should have taken it a little more serious, but they had to measure your chest size to make sure you could even take the tour. I was fairly barrel chested and barely passed the measurement. Let me tell you there were some really tight spaces. There were a couple of holes in particular that were very harrowing. One was a hole that in order for me to fit through required me to unzip my sweatshirt (for the extra room, and I had to push myself while fully exhaling. I swear I popped every single vertebrae squeezing through that hole. Another section was a wide cavern that was only about 12-18 inches in height. It required you to crawl with just your toes and hands and the section started a bit taller and got tighter and tighter about 10 feet inn. the space got so tight you could not lift your head or even turn it. I made it through the tour and actually had a great time. Years later as an older adult, if I see one of those spelunking videos, I can feel a huge anxiety well up. A couple of years ago we took the kids to Maquoketa caves in eastern Iowa. I refused to entertain going in any of the smaller caverns. I just couldn't do it. The shots below are not me, but are photos from the wild cave tour.
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That wouldn't bother me too much, but add water (spelunking) and that idea gets me pretty bad
 
Squirrels. They are freaking creepy. Their eyes are dead. They twitch. They make my dog drag me when he sees one when he is on a leash. They try to rob the bird feeder.
 
I hate needles, heights, bridges, and heavy traffic. My anxiety definitely doesn't help. If I'm not driving the car, I have to occupy my time with something else or I'll fall asleep because the anxiousness makes me exhausted. Driving on Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay during rush hour traffic is my personal hell.
 
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I don't have a problem when there is a guard rail or some safety device, but if it is an overlook like the river overlook at the lost lake trail at the ledges, I feel like gravity is actually pulling me over the cliff. I realize its irrational and can overcome it, but I do get some intense anxiety over it. I also hate doing things at the house on a ladder.
It took me awhile to figure this out, but I get nervous with heights when I can see movement underneath. Walking over an overpass without cars is ok, but if cars are going by I'll tighten up.

I've been fine walking on a glass-bottom outlook over a cliff until I see an animal underneath or trees swaying below. I think the movement gives my mind perspective and triggers the fear.
 
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Weird goings on after hours at the funeral home...

And I'm perpetually terrified that some supermodel at a bar is going to slip rohypnol into my drink, take me back to her hotel room, abuse me for hours, and I'll not remember any of it!
 
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Tight spaces! Back in the 80's my sister had a waterbed with the headboard that had the deep shelves so under the shelves there was a small dead space about 12" x 12" that went all the way across the bed. occasionally I would have to go under there to fetch out a cat. They really loved to hide in it. Evidently one day, I had crossed that threshold between being able to fit and not. So I was temporarily stuck and started to panic. I finally calmed myself down and was able to wiggle my way out. After that I just stayed out and never went back in. Years later, in my 20s I went to Mammoth caves in KY. We all wanted to do a cave tour and the group decided on the wild cave tour. I should have taken it a little more serious, but they had to measure your chest size to make sure you could even take the tour. I was fairly barrel chested and barely passed the measurement. Let me tell you there were some really tight spaces. There were a couple of holes in particular that were very harrowing. One was a hole that in order for me to fit through required me to unzip my sweatshirt (for the extra room, and I had to push myself while fully exhaling. I swear I popped every single vertebrae squeezing through that hole. Another section was a wide cavern that was only about 12-18 inches in height. It required you to crawl with just your toes and hands and the section started a bit taller and got tighter and tighter about 10 feet inn. the space got so tight you could not lift your head or even turn it. I made it through the tour and actually had a great time. Years later as an older adult, if I see one of those spelunking videos, I can feel a huge anxiety well up. A couple of years ago we took the kids to Maquoketa caves in eastern Iowa. I refused to entertain going in any of the smaller caverns. I just couldn't do it. The shots below are not me, but are photos from the wild cave tour.
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I almost got stuck crawling around the "cave" area at the City Museum in St Louis with my daughter and it took me a bit to compose myself. I don't think I'd fare well as a spelunker.
 
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It's just popped up, but I get slightly spooked locking the gate at our jobsite in the dark.

We're up here in the mountains / woods, and it's f'in DARK. I'm typically the last one out and even with the light over our security gate, the walk from the gate to my truck is freaky
I think this is completely rational. You are living the first 3 minutes of every horror movie and Supernatural episode ever.
 
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We actually had the buddy system for a while leaving / locking gates here because the of the slightly crazy homeless guy that was living in an abandoned building up here (the owner kept calling the cops, but he kept showing back up). He killed a guy with a sword about 6 months ago so he's locked up for good now.

We have seen some tracks for bobcats and other game around. No bears though (although I know there are bound to be some in the area).
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I don't have a problem when there is a guard rail or some safety device, but if it is an overlook like the river overlook at the lost lake trail at the ledges, I feel like gravity is actually pulling me over the cliff.
I can relate to this one. In some situations, even if there's a railing, I feel like somehow I'll stupidly lean over too far, the rail will break or someone inexplicably nudges me from behind. The irrational fear varies a little depending on height and what's below (such as body of water vs. rocks, or such).
 
Tight spaces! Back in the 80's my sister had a waterbed with the headboard that had the deep shelves so under the shelves there was a small dead space about 12" x 12" that went all the way across the bed. occasionally I would have to go under there to fetch out a cat. They really loved to hide in it. Evidently one day, I had crossed that threshold between being able to fit and not. So I was temporarily stuck and started to panic. I finally calmed myself down and was able to wiggle my way out. After that I just stayed out and never went back in. Years later, in my 20s I went to Mammoth caves in KY. We all wanted to do a cave tour and the group decided on the wild cave tour. I should have taken it a little more serious, but they had to measure your chest size to make sure you could even take the tour. I was fairly barrel chested and barely passed the measurement. Let me tell you there were some really tight spaces. There were a couple of holes in particular that were very harrowing. One was a hole that in order for me to fit through required me to unzip my sweatshirt (for the extra room, and I had to push myself while fully exhaling. I swear I popped every single vertebrae squeezing through that hole. Another section was a wide cavern that was only about 12-18 inches in height. It required you to crawl with just your toes and hands and the section started a bit taller and got tighter and tighter about 10 feet inn. the space got so tight you could not lift your head or even turn it. I made it through the tour and actually had a great time. Years later as an older adult, if I see one of those spelunking videos, I can feel a huge anxiety well up. A couple of years ago we took the kids to Maquoketa caves in eastern Iowa. I refused to entertain going in any of the smaller caverns. I just couldn't do it. The shots below are not me, but are photos from the wild cave tour.
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Reading through and this is the first one that's made me physically uncomfortable. I've figured out as an adult I have some level of claustrophobia and this is just so much of a HELL NO. I literally have nightmares about getting stuck crawling through spaces like that. And imagining how many zillions of lbs of rock are above you.
Siblings used to make tunnels out of floor rugs or out of small hay bales and have fun going back and forth. I could go about as far until my toes were going to be inside and then I'd nope out. Lost my **** in a hay tunnel once and my brother had to lift the top bale off. It was only one layer deep but that was still too much for me.
 
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Add me to the not liking bridges crew, but only certain ones. The Mile long bridge is white knuckle every time I drive over it, even in perfect conditions. But, I've also developed this habit of holding my breath going over the Des Moines River on 235, but only after dark, going west bound, and I'm by myself. Must be something with how the view opens up or that earlier in the day I'm too focused on merging traffic, or if I have someone to talk to that I don't care about the river. However, I don't even bat an eye on the 80/35 one, the one on Hwy 17 or crossing major ones like the Missouri or Mississippi River bridges.
 
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Reading through and this is the first one that's made me physically uncomfortable. I've figured out as an adult I have some level of claustrophobia and this is just so much of a HELL NO. I literally have nightmares about getting stuck crawling through spaces like that. And imagining how many zillions of lbs of rock are above you.
Siblings used to make tunnels out of floor rugs or out of small hay bales and have fun going back and forth. I could go about as far until my toes were going to be inside and then I'd nope out. Lost my **** in a hay tunnel once and my brother had to lift the top bale off. It was only one layer deep but that was still too much for me.
LOL, Probably better take some melatonin tonight then.
 
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