Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Irrational Fears They Had As Children That They Never Quite Grew Out Of

People Explain Which Irrational Fears They Had As Children That They Never Quite Grew Out Of
Image by Pezibear from Pixabay

No matter how much therapy I attend there are just some issues from childhood I'll never be fully free from; in particular, crippling fears and specific haunts. And I know I'm not alon. I'm still no fan of the dark and I always give sufficient credence to any and all superstitions, there is no reason to tempt fate; especially since I've made it this far.

I loathe most insects, snakes and anything that resembles a rat. And I actually think those are healthy issues. Some fears are just unshakeable. Do you agree?

Redditor u/Chaelaminsky1990 wanted to hear about details of the past that so many of us just can't seem to outrun, by asking:

What irrational fear did you have as a kid that you thought you'd grow out of but never did?

I grew up in New York. When I was about six, I was walking up the stairs from the train when a rat fell from the street onto my head. I don't remember the rest. Need I say more?

Look Away

Scared Dog GIF by MOODMANGiphy

"Mirrors, I'm always have a thought that I'm going to see something that I shouldn't. lol"

- AmbyrLamps

Deep Blue Sea...

"Sharks in the pool at night. Can't see 'em but I know they're there."

- SingleFunction141

"Came here to say this, but it goes beyond pools. It can be any body of water. Sometimes when I'm in the shower I just start thinking about sharks and have to shower real fast and get the freak out of there."

"Sometimes I get freaked out when I'm not even around water thinking I'm just gonna wake up and realize I've been passed out in the middle of the ocean with a shark about to attack me. Kinda weird. I watched Deep Blue Sea when I was really little and it freaked me out, and I've always blamed it on that."

- gooptygooptygoopta

Can't See

"The dark, I'm 48."

- fishfingerchipbean

"My caution meter goes up. Not like I can't walked around my house in the dark but hearing or watching horror or thriller stories, it's quite rational to be cautious and recheck all the doors are locked."

- Elemental_Titan9

"It's not just 'the dark' for me, I'm fine in the dark outside or in rooms of my house. It's dark in unfamiliar places/rooms."

- fistymcbuttpuncher

From Beneath

"The fear that something under my bed will grab my foot if it hangs off the bed."

- 7CatsInTrenchCoat

"Yo... I specifically store a bunch of stuff under my bed so it is all full up under there specifically so I can know. NOPE NO MONSTERS HIDDING IN THERE. and if they are. They much smaller than me so I could overpower those smurf sized monsters grabbing my feetsies. Not tonight non-existent underbed gnomes. Not tonight."

- Kondrias

Mighty Waters

loud house animation GIF by NickelodeonGiphy

"As a child every time a toilet clogged I would start crying because I thought it was going to overflow, flood the house and we would all drown. Now I don't cry, but the fear is still there."

- Pigeon-named-Beans

I hate toilets. I've been involved in too many floodings. It's like I'm cursed when I go number two. And that under the bed thing, that's real problem.

Entanglements

Jazz Seaweed GIF by The ItchywormsGiphy

"Swimming in the ocean in the sections that have sea weed and are consequently dark."

- NapendaWatermelon

Shut It!

"I absolutely cannot under any circumstances fall asleep if the closet door is open. I've tried so many times. I KNOW there's not demons in there but at the same time like what if there is???"

- lesbian_moose

"I can't sleep with my bedroom door closed. Closet and my en suite bathroom doors HAVE to be closed, but the door to the bedroom HAS to stay open. I blame my being a mom. WhAt If SoMeTHiNg HaPpEnS tO tHe BoY aNd I dOn'T hEaR iT!? He's 11 now and in no risk of SIDS or anything else I panicked about when he was a baby."

- KixStar

KaBoom!

"It took a long time to grow out of but propane tank and torches used to freak me out I thought everytime one was turned on it could possibly explode."

- Boat3000

"Me too! I was probably 8 hanging around in the basement of one of the "older boys". I was helping him with something and he was using a little propane torch."

"Well I guess he didn't tighten the tip onto the propane bottle well enough, propane escaped creating a second flame that went spewing out the side. He freaked out and threw it and we both BOLTED out of the house - his Mom in tow. Luckily a larger fire didn't start but I was quite fearful of those things for a long time. Now I know how to handle them and I can sweat pipes with little anxiety."

- CausticJackwagon

Superstitions...

"I'm 27 and I still smack the light off and run up the stairs like a dog ASAP."

- jrocbb

"I'm 32 and still jump in bed and hide under the blanket for a minute until my eyes adjust. Thankfully I only have to do this at certain relatives houses as I have a light with hanging switch above my bed so I can do it while partially under cover already."

- GMOiscool

Who is there?

"Always checking behind the shower curtain before using the restroom. My dad used it to scare me so much as a kid, that I now get relatively extreme anxiety from a closed shower curtain."

- SpectacularSesame

"Yup I have my own apartment now and only clear shower curtains are allowed lmao. Nothing happened to trigger this fear, except possibly a movie or something where the killer was hiding behind a shower curtain? Idk but at my parent's house I still check under and in anything in my room a killer could be hiding in before I go to sleep so I guess I'm just paranoid. lol"

- dumbbinch99

Let me Poop

steve irwin snakes GIF by BustleGiphy

"A snake swimming through my plumbing lines and biting me in the butt while I'm taking a poop. It went away after a while until I saw a video of this exact scenario happening. Now I will never be able to poop in peace."

- HondaCivicOfDeath69

What did I tell you about snakes? See! And it's wise to always check every corner of the house when you can. You never know.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Mehmet Oz
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Dr. Oz Raises Eyebrows Over His Bizarre Defense Of New Guidelines For Alcohol Consumption

Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump's administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), raised eyebrows over his bizarre and surprisingly permissive defense of new guidelines for alcohol consumption, saying "it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize, and there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way."

Oz spoke as the Trump administration on Wednesday released updated dietary guidelines for Americans, emphasizing whole and minimally processed foods, reduced consumption of refined carbohydrates, and what officials described as a “war” on added sugars.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bowen Yang
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Bowen Yang Gets Candid About Why He Decided To Leave 'SNL' After His Sudden Exit

Bowen Yang, who's well-known for his work on Saturday Night Live and his role in Wicked and Wicked: For Good, stepped off of the SNL stage for the last time, mid-season, after being a writer and performer for the past eight seasons.

During his final skit, Yang starred opposite Ariana Grande, with the couple playing a married couple. Grande was waiting for Bowen to come from after his final shift before retiring from working at an airport.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kyle Rittenhouse
Sean Krajacic-Pool/Getty Images

Kyle Rittenhouse Blasted Over Sociopathic Post Following ICE Shooting In Minneapolis

Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse sparked outrage after he offered to travel to Minnesota following ICE's fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed Good “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them.” But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey pushed back against this narrative considering witnesses described seeing Good in the vehicle trying to flee officers when she was shot.

Keep ReadingShow less
LEGO's 'SMART Brick'
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

Lego Just Unveiled Their New Tech-Heavy 'Smart Brick'—But Not Everyone Is Excited About It

LEGO has long been known for its fostering of creativity, independent play, and imaginative designs, both in their LEGO sets and free-form bricks.

Parents have long hailed LEGO as a viable option for fostering creativity and critical thinking, even when faced with the frustrations of children not cleaning up all of the pieces and the pains of potentially stepping on them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams
Bryan Bedder/Athlos/Getty Images

Serena Williams' Husband Just Stepped In To Defend Her From Accusations That She's Lightening Her Skin

When the Williams family burst onto the scene in the tennis world as juniors, an inordinate amount of discourse focused on Venus and Serena's appearance. The Williams sisters weren't the first Black people—men or women—to play tennis at an international level, but they quickly achieved heights that set them on the path to legendary status.

The heightened attention brought with it a lot of racist and colorist comments about their hair, their skin, and their bodies—especially Serena's more muscular and curvy body.

Keep ReadingShow less