How do you know when you officially have a phobia?

robfosters · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:38

I had a bad accident when I was 22. I slipped on ice walking down a hill and injured my back. I was in pain for weeks. The shock of it all has had a lingering effect.

I have got progressively worse when it comes to walking on ice. I used to just not like it, but now it freaks me out so much that I avoid going out and get panicky and a fast heart rate when I know I have to. When I eventually make my way out of the door, I am a nervous wreck and walk like a penguin at a rate of 1 step every five seconds. When I eventually make it off the ice I feel so relieved.

Am I just weird or is falling on ice a genuine phobia? Does anyone else suffer from this fear or is it just me?

Thekwango · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:43

Not a shrink but I think anything can become a phobia. Especially when a relatively traumatic event is linked.

Edit: also as you get older and become more aware of your physical 'frailities' something that might only have caused mild 'annoyance' when younger can become exaggerated.

NoobCannon · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:46

I think its called fallingonyourassitus

hornetstinger · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:49

Got hit by a van broke collarbone.

No hesitation to get on bike after I healed.

Minusorange · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:54

Google has diagnosed you with Pagophobia

http://www.phobiasource.com/pagophobia-is-an-intense-irrational-fear-of-ice-and-frost/

ChroniC · 1 Mar 2018 at 22:55

Isnt a phobia an irrational fear of something. That sounds more like some sort of mild ptsd flashbacks

SexyGreyFox · 1 Mar 2018 at 23:11

When my eldest daughter was 16 we had to get her help because anything to do with frogs would upset her so much she would be physically sick and you couldn't talk to her for a couple of days. The breaking point came when the King in Shrek turned into a frog and we had quite a bad time with her. She was diagnosed with a proper clinical phobia and we had to break her out of it.
The first thing we did was put the word frog on 3 doors in the house and it took about 4 months before she would walk through them. Over 18 months we went through lots of stuff until she actually said the word frog and that was it, there was no stopping her. There was a period where she actually said the word frog and it took her 2 weeks to settle down - seriously.
The very last thing she did was to go to a garden centre with her shrink and sit in front of a pond full of frogs while talking about them - we were so proud.

She was also scared of going on planes (crying her eyes out) but used techniques from her frog experience to get over it. The moment I knew she was OK was when we were in some really bad turbulence and I was poo'ing myself, she sat there not bothered.

OP - it does sound that you could be on your way to a clinical phobia if you don't get it sorted.
I'm getting a little that way with driving on snow/ice.

Pho · 1 Mar 2018 at 23:45

robfosters said:
I had a bad accident when I was 22. I slipped on ice walking down a hill and injured my back. I was in pain for weeks. The shock of it all has had a lingering effect.

I have got progressively worse when it comes to walking on ice. I used to just not like it, but now it freaks me out so much that I avoid going out and get panicky and a fast heart rate when I know I have to. When I eventually make my way out of the door, I am a nervous wreck and walk like a penguin at a rate of 1 step every five seconds. When I eventually make it off the ice I feel so relieved.

Am I just weird or is falling on ice a genuine phobia? Does anyone else suffer from this fear or is it just me?

I've slipped on ice / mud quite a few times and jarred my back several times doing it, nowhere near as painful as yours though by the sounds of it. The upshot is I hate walking on slippy hard surfaces too (I'm fine trouncing through a field, as it doesn't hurt if I fall), especially down a hill or steps if there's not something I can grab onto if I do start slipping. I don't get the increased heartrate or anything but I do the whole gingerly walking penguin thing :/.

I'd say we're both weird

ChroniC · 1 Mar 2018 at 23:49

I fail to see how this is anything other than learning a lesson the hard way.

Sliver · 1 Mar 2018 at 23:50

I fell over last week. Actually not a fall but more a passing out. One minute I was fine then I remember feeling dizzy, then I was on the floor trying to stand up. I have horrible bruises on my thigh, chest and arm and a sprained ankle.. No idea why it happened and it's the why it happened bit that has me worried, not the bruises. Hasn't stopped my going out though. I feel fine now, my ankle is sore but otherwise I'm ok, feel like I'm on the mend.

The best way to deal with a phobia is to face it. If you don't, you'll always be phobic.

Chris Wilson · 2 Mar 2018 at 08:28

Hob nailed boots are your friend. Avoid parquet floors or that trash that masquerades as it these days though!

dirtychinchilla · 2 Mar 2018 at 08:53

ChroniC said:
I fail to see how this is anything other than learning a lesson the hard way.

Initially, but then he's developed this fear of it. I can understand where he's coming from. It's not the falling that gave him a phobia, but the fear of it recurring.

JessieD · 2 Mar 2018 at 08:54

SexyGreyFox said:
When my eldest daughter was 16 we had to get her help because anything to do with frogs would upset her so much she would be physically sick and you couldn't talk to her for a couple of days. The breaking point came when the King in Shrek turned into a frog and we had quite a bad time with her. She was diagnosed with a proper clinical phobia and we had to break her out of it.
The first thing we did was put the word frog on 3 doors in the house and it took about 4 months before she would walk through them. Over 18 months we went through lots of stuff until she actually said the word frog and that was it, there was no stopping her. There was a period where she actually said the word frog and it took her 2 weeks to settle down - seriously.
The very last thing she did was to go to a garden centre with her shrink and sit in front of a pond full of frogs while talking about them - we were so proud.

She was also scared of going on planes (crying her eyes out) but used techniques from her frog experience to get over it. The moment I knew she was OK was when we were in some really bad turbulence and I was poo'ing myself, she sat there not bothered.

OP - it does sound that you could be on your way to a clinical phobia if you don't get it sorted.
I'm getting a little that way with driving on snow/ice.

This is a wind up right

If it isn't I'm sorry...big time sorry

Malt_Vinegar · 2 Mar 2018 at 08:58

If the phobia affects your daily life and mean a you have to alter your behaviour to get around it (more than just a preference) then it's a proper phobia and should probably be addressed.

new boy · 2 Mar 2018 at 09:00

Seems like one of the more sensible phobias, pretty dangerous stuff really.

SexyGreyFox · 2 Mar 2018 at 09:33

JessieD said:
This is a wind up right
If it isn't I'm sorry...big time sorry

100% true - we had a terrible time with her.
It started when she was about 10 and saw a frog in the shed and things just got worse from there.
At 16 she had decided to become a Nursery/Infants teacher and there was no way she would ever get through a school year without frogs cropping up.
The final straw was when a cartoon king turned into a cartoon frog and made her ill for 2 days.
I have pictures of her holding snakes & tarantulas so it was a really weird one to be phobic about frogs.

and she didn't become a teacher

JessieD · 2 Mar 2018 at 09:47

SexyGreyFox said:
100% true - we had a terrible time with her.
It started when she was about 10 and saw a frog in the shed and things just got worse from there.
At 16 she had decided to become a Nursery/Infants teacher and there was no way she would ever get through a school year without frogs cropping up.
The final straw was when a cartoon king turned into a cartoon frog and made her ill for 2 days.
I have pictures of her holding snakes & tarantulas so it was a really weird one to be phobic about frogs.

and she didn't become a teacher

Awww bless her I hope she is ok now & happy with what she became instead.
I have a rat phobia, can't even look at pictures of them

Dis86 · 2 Mar 2018 at 09:54

new boy said:
Seems like one of the more sensible phobias, pretty dangerous stuff really.

I'm with this one tbh!

ttaskmaster · 2 Mar 2018 at 11:21

ChroniC said:
Isnt a phobia an irrational fear of something. That sounds more like some sort of mild ptsd flashbacks

"an extreme or irrational fear of, or aversion to something".

OP is not especially extreme

robfosters said:
Am I just weird or is falling on ice a genuine phobia? Does anyone else suffer from this fear or is it just me?

My wife is a lot like that. Hates going on any slippery surfaces and only does so when I force her... and yes, there are several jokes in that - Feel free to make use of them!

There is a genuine phobia, but I'd say you're not completely there yet (or rather not fully gone?), as you're still plucking up the balls to go out and attempt it. This is good, IMO, but I'm also not a psychologist.

Q: Is it really a problem for you in the first place?
If it's not, stay home, stay warm and enjoy playing some computer games.

If it is... I'd suggest getting some professional help to get your confidence back, maybe a gradual introduction with the use of those spiked hiking poles and so on...

Bassmansam · 2 Mar 2018 at 13:17

I slipped and fell on my back in December, back felt achey and bruised for a couple of days. These last few days i have been walking muxh slower as a result!