Posted by Janelle at Oct 19, 2006 6:00 am
I’ll admit, I love watching Fear Factor on TV. I have from the very first episode. Even now, I’ll catch repeats of the show and watch in fascination as entrants eat disgusting things like beetles, pig testicles, and fish eyes, or dangle from staggering heights while doing a stunt, wrangle with alligators, or be buried alive with scorpions, snakes, rats, spiders, or other creepy-crawlies.
While watching one of these Fear Factor episodes lately, it got me thinking of what my Fear Factor might be. I’m not afraid of eating gross things – I would just choose not to. Heights 
don’t bother me, and I could probably handle having bugs crawling all over me. Again, it’s not something I would volunteer to do, but those aren’t things that make my heart pound in fear. I’m one of those people that can put myself “in the zoneâ€when I have to do something that I don’t like to do. Like getting shots. I used to fear needles, but learned to make myself relax enough that I can handle getting a shot now.
So, after giving the question serious thought, I realized that there are two things that strike real fear in me.
The first thing is the fear of drowning. I don’t know where this fear comes from, because I’ve never had a near death drowning experience – although my youngest daughter did a few years ago when we were at the river (and yes, she had a life jacket on, too!). For me, there is just something about the thought of being under water and not being able to breath that makes my chest hurt. Or being trapped underwater somehow. It’s just something that makes me queasy just to think about!
The other thing that I’m really, really afraid of is aggressive dogs. The kind that lift their upper lip when they snarl and show sharp teeth. Now, this fear is based on a personal aggressive dog experience when I was a little girl, and has stayed with me ever since. At the time, I was 
five years old and I was rolling skating with a friend (who was riding her bike) on a sidewalk that bordered an elementary school. There were two boys on the school grounds, and their dog was barking viciously along the chain link fence that separated me from the dog. He obviously wanted a piece of me, LOL. Well, the boys took their rabid dog and dropped him over the fence to my side, and the dog chased me down, growling and fangs bared, and bit me in the butt! I ended up in the hospital, but thank God I didn’t have to go through a series of rabies shots. However, the incident truly traumatized me. Now, whenever I’m near a snarling, vicious dog, my hair stands on end, my heart beats hard and fast, and I become paralyzed with fear.
So, what are your personal fears for yourself? What are you the most afraid of? What sends chills up your spine and puts your adrenaline in the danger zone?
I am afraid of heights. Well, actually “afraid” is probably not the best word. I get dizzy, lightheaded, feel like I’m going to pass out. If I get near the balcony to look over, that’s what happens. So I’m not really afraid, but my brain is convinced I’m going to topple over the edge.
And the picture with the spiders crawling over all that girl??? Ick, yuck – that would make me pass out! I am not terrified of spiders, but that I could never do. No amount of money in the world could make me do that. Ewww, I think I need another shower!
Spiders freak me out and so do maggots. Heck I shudder just writing the word maggots. I think that’s it, although I’m very cautious around clowns as well but I watched It for the first time when I was about 5 years old so that’s to be expected
I’m with you on the bugs–they don’t bother me much. I’m the bug squasher in this house. But snakes? Forget it, I’d go nuts if I had to touch one–and be in a vat of them or something? I’d lose my mind.
I also don’t do so well in small, enclosed places…a bit of claustrophia, I’m afraid.
Rats. Mice. I’ll add snakes and maggots too. Not a fan of spiders, but I’d take them over the rodents.
I don’t think I would make through the auditions of this show. I am petrified of any type of flying animal. After my :bat: incident it has become worse. It feels like they are diving at me when I see them flying nearby. And I HATE snakes, I will scream if I see one, they make my skin crawl. And the biggest fear I have is of flying. So just getting to the show is out. LOL!! :happy2:
Bugs of any kind. I don’t know that I ever had a bad childhood experience with them, they just freak me out. I’ve had bad dreams in the past were bugs(flying or crawling) are on my ceiling. I wake up in a panic and have to turn on all the lights in the room just to make sure the bugs really aren’t there…so bugs are my big fear. I also really don’t like snakes, but I see more bugs, so I like them less.
I had a similar dog experience and am still terrified. I was with a friend, doing his paper route, and this little yapping poodle started chasing us. It bit me on the back of the knee, while the owner was saying, “Oh she won’t bite you.” I had the teeth and blood marks to prove it! On my way home after that incident (literally), my knee was still hurting and my legs were wobbling, I got attacked by a pack of 4 dogs. None of them bit me but they were biting the tires on my bike and snapping at the peddles. And I lived in the city, it wasn’t like I was in a wild dog jungle, but I sure felt like it that day.
The other thing I really dread is the dentist. And guess where I get to go in 1/2 an hour? I have to spend a lot of time getting myself phyched up to be able to even walk in the door – another bad childhood experience I’ve not gotten over.
I hate anything without legs- snakes, worms, maggots- you name it. I also have the same problem with heights as Stacy. I have finally decided the only way to get over that feeling of falling, or wanting to jump is do it. With a parachute. One of these days I will. I love to fly in helicopters, especially with the doors open. Weird, huh?
I hate fire. It is my biggest fear of anything. I have nightmares of dying that way.
I forgot Turkeys. Terrified of them. Worse than :bat: :bat: One actually flew into my windshield while I was driving on the highway and well, I swear the 20 plus that visit my house every day (I’m in rural NJ, it’s OK to snicker) know I killed one of their own. If they get the chance, I think it’ll be worse than The Birds.
Like ev, I have a fear of fire. I am not really sure why. I think it is because it is uncontrollable. I would not do well on that show because I couldn’t eat anything they eat…I’d be “see ya” at that point. I like meat burnt and not a creepy thing around. Oh, did I mention, I wouldn’t do anything remotely creepy crawly. I’d skip those segments. :hide::hide: The other stuff, if I was more physically fit, would be more of a muscle thing and not a mental thing.
I would never make it on one of those shows………..but the thing that freaks me out the worst is spiders………….
Rats and roaches!!!! I can handle spiders and all sorts of other creepy crawlers (I DO live in Texas). But cockroaches (especially those big, fat flying ones) totally creep me out. And rats, mice (anything that falls in this category). We had a mouse in our house once when I was growing up and I refused to sleep in my room. I stayed at my best friend’s until my dad managed to get rid of it.
I have a fear of falling, also. Plunging. It’s that weightless, helpless feeling that makes me so terrified.
Oh, and the book I’m working on now (just kidding), but you writers out there know what I mean. The computer . . . frightening.
Wow…I agree with just about everyone’s fear. I’m a big fraidy cat, I guess. The computer especially, LOL! But only when it’s open to Word and there’s a blank page. :hide:
Seriously, I’m notorious for my fear of heights. And if you couple it with water (like a bridge), I’m nearly catatonic. I’m not that afraid of snakes if I know they are not poisonous. But I have to know that beyond a shadow of a doubt…I live in Florida and poisonous snakes are fairly common. I hate bugs…all types. Fortunately, I do love killing them. Fire…I don’t worry about it much, but I don’t like to be around bonfires or such. I’m not a big fan of boats (that drowning thing) and roaches, while I should be used to them by now (the big Palmetto bugs) I hate beyond reason.
I also hate lightning. Which really sucks when you live in the lightning capital of North America.
I’m not afraid of bats when they are flying around outside but I did freak out when one of them landed on my head in the middle of the night while I was in the comfort of my bed. Definitely not a welcomed surprise!:cursing:
My biggest fear is snakes.:hide: It is even so bad that I can’t watch any program on TV that has snakes in it. I remember one time, right after I got my driver’s license, running over a snake on the roadway.
What sweet revenge!
I also have to agree with Kimberly about the big cockroaches. There just “nasty”.
big spiders, worms and cockroaches. i do like watching it too.:cooldance:
I don’t like cats. I have been bitten by one. Also, I was woke up in the middle of the night by one that got into my house. I think the door was left open and the neighbors cat came in and snuggled up in bed unbeknownst to me. Then at 4 in the morning the cat decided to put his paw on my cheek. Man did I scream! I flipped on the lights and there sitting at the head of my bed was a cat! Well, I knew the cat’s name, and screamed to it, “Moe, you scared the hell out of me!”
As for bugs, I absolutely hate big spiders. I can deal with the small teeny ones but the big wolf spiders I can’t stand! They scare the jeebers out of me! I send my warrior of a husband after them to squish them.
Michele, I think squishing those wolf spiders is worse than having them alive. They make a HUGE mess!
I go with spiders because they seem to be around the most and I’ve had them get on me and bite – arghhhhhh. I’ve never had any real face to face encounters with the other scary things people have mentioned so I never think about it but I’m sure all them them could be potential heart stoppers.
Except the cat story, michele l. I could never be afraid of a cat
Well, I agree with most everyone. I can hardly stand to watch fear factor, let alone actually try out for it. I am so afraid of fire, I cannot light a match, to this day.
I think most fear is healthy, it’s just not understood by people who are not mentally healthy.:D
Also, I am afraid of dying in a car wreck. Just the thought of being trapped in all that metal, breathing your last breath….shudder and pause for panic attack to pass.
My greatest fear is drowning—my car going off the road into a body of water and not being able to get out of the car.
Snakes, if I know for sure they are not poisonious I’m okay but I tend to stay away from them! I could not watch Fear Factor–yuck! Not for me.
Claustraphobia runs in my family but small spaces are not a problem for me it is crowds so big that you don’t have any space & can’t move how & when you want!! Not for me!! Other than that I’m a pretty normal person. 
I have had a near drowning experience so I am very careful around water but it doesn’t keep me from taking a ferry or boating or being in a pool!
My youngest daughter was attacked by a pit bull when she was in high school so I don’t like them & try to stay away from them–I just can’t find a way to like them! Other than those I can’t think of anything!
Anything to do with spiders. Even the itty bitty ones. Just. Can’t. Handle. Them.
I’m afraid of small confining spaces. I freaked out when I had to have an MRI a few years ago. They had to give me enough Xanax to knock me out.
Older Small elevators make my heart race too.