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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rabble_rouser on July 21, 2005, at 15:56:37
I havent got a clue where else to talk about this, so here goes.
Does anyone else suffer from an irrational fear of ghosts? I don't mean like 'if i met one id be scared', thats obvious. I mean, at the age of 27, sometimes I lie awake scared that there may be one in the room. I've never seen one, or had any experiences, but yet I can lay for hours not being able to sleep because of it.
I had a girlfriend who lived in a haunted house (I believe this as her very middle-class, high-income professional parents would insist the subject was changed if anyone mentioned it) and when I found out I actually felt sick, and genuinely considered whther I could have a relationship with this girl.
I regularly have nightmares about ghosts and hauntings. Again a feeling of nausea through fear often comes up.
Is this totally freakshow behaviour? It is actually really distressing. Could it be due to my high levels of arousal through stress etc (my BP is always high)? I had anxiety attacks in the past - could that be part of it?
Any thoughts greatly appreciated ...
:S
Ross
Posted by Jen Star on July 21, 2005, at 16:02:54
In reply to Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabble_rouser on July 21, 2005, at 15:56:37
hi Ross,
I'm sorry you're feeling fear and anxiety! I'm not a doctor, but I love to offer my little armchair analysis here and there. Feel free to disregard if it doesn't make sense. :) So here goes!My thoughts are: Maybe you suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder -- something in your brain works overtime and your "fear circuits" and engaged too frequently. You don't know exactly what you're anxious about, just that you ARE anxious. The brain struggles to come up for a rational explanation, and developed one: ghosts. Your brain needs SOME reason to understand why you're anxious a lot, so it created one for you. Now it's to the point where the fear has been with you so long, it's part of you, so to speak. And the more you worry and attach that worry to spirits/ ghosts, the stronger the connection of FEAR:GHOSTS becomes in your brain, to the point where it's very hard to break out of it.
It sounds a little like OCD. Not the compulsion part where you wash compulsively, but the obsessive part, where the brain gets an idea into itself and keeps it, over and over and over again. Different people have obsessive thoughts on all kinds of topics: Murderers, germs, death/dying, elevators, etc. (Mine was sickness of all kinds.)
Have you tried anti-anxiety meds before? If so, did they help at all? For me, Lexapro is GREAT.
Therapy might help...have you tried that?I wish you the best of luck!
JenStar
Posted by pinkeye on July 21, 2005, at 17:07:35
In reply to Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabble_rouser on July 21, 2005, at 15:56:37
Do you believe in God? Lot of people are afraid of Ghosts.. especially in countries like India, it is not all the uncommon.
Typically the saying goes that ghosts are not present when you have God in your house.. So maybe keep a picture of Jesus or some other God (if you believe in some form) in house, and maybe that will put your mind to ease.
Sometimes I am afraid of going to the other rooms when it is dark. I say prayers and go.. and that helps..
Posted by Dinah on July 21, 2005, at 18:56:59
In reply to Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabble_rouser on July 21, 2005, at 15:56:37
Panic can organize around nearly anything.
I have a phobia about people vomiting. Even when I'm not thinking about it, it influences a lot of what I do. For example, there are parking spots I can't use because I saw vomit there at some time or another.
Medications can help, and so can therapy. And for me at least, the fear of people vomiting is a sort of mind distraction from what was really bothering me at the time the phobia cropped up.
(I sort of wish there were ghosts. I waited in vain for years after my little dog died, knowing that if she could visit me she would. Therefore, I don't really believe in ghosts.)
Posted by Shortelise on July 22, 2005, at 13:01:04
In reply to Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabble_rouser on July 21, 2005, at 15:56:37
I think we all have ghost, personal ghosts. They haunt us until we face them, or make other arrangements with them.
About haunted houses, people sometimes think it's fun play games with that.
WHen I am anxious, I get very anxious about all sorts of things.
ShortE
Posted by rabble_rouser on July 22, 2005, at 13:57:57
In reply to Re: Something weird Ive never spoken about » rabble_rouser, posted by Shortelise on July 22, 2005, at 13:01:04
Thank you all!
The 'obsessive' comments seem to make sense. Ive been looking into phobias on the net, and have downloaded some NLP stuff that claims to be able to help - I may even try it on other areas of my life. Thank you for the therapy recommendations. I am hoping not to have to go back to tablets or therapy too soon, but its nice to have options :)
I did have an anxiety disorder when I was younger but that was more social phobia. What I find interesting is that, from some of my reading, it seems that poor sleep, depression, addictive behaviours and phobias all seem to go together. Maybe science will explain that one for me soon!
With my latest theory that all these things might be connected, I am experimenting with trying to stop some of my addictive behaviours, by giving up alcohol and chocolate, to see if it has an effect on my sleep and maybe phobias too. I'm quite the human guinea pig - but hey, if god decided I should be a depressed person, I might as well have a little fun with it ... :s
Posted by rabidreader on July 23, 2005, at 11:36:03
In reply to Re: Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabble_rouser on July 22, 2005, at 13:57:57
Dinah,
I too have the vomit fear. It rules my life at times, too. I hate it. Do you have the fear that you yourself will vomit, or is it just where vomit is?
Ross, I'm sorry about your ghost phobia. It is always so miserable to have such consuming fears. I hope your "human guinea pig" trials go well.
Posted by Dinah on July 23, 2005, at 11:46:40
In reply to Re: Something weird Ive never spoken about, posted by rabidreader on July 23, 2005, at 11:36:03
The actual fear is being present when someone vomits. I know the origin and all. But there is a shootoff belief that anywhere I know vomit has been is contaminated.
I mean, I know vomit has probably been lots of places I touch. But if I have actually seen it someplace, it's contaminated and I can't touch it. So I'll circle around spots in my parent's house, or one in my front yard, and in a few parking lots. Wherever I know it's been.
But the fear of being around when someone is vomiting is even more debilitating.
I'm much better than I once was.
If you do an internet search on emetophobia, there are sites devoted specifically to it. Though most are geared toward the fear of throwing up yourself.
(Which I don't actually. But I'm not afraid to. I just don't.)
Posted by rabidreader on July 25, 2005, at 16:08:33
In reply to Re: Something weird Ive never spoken about » rabidreader, posted by Dinah on July 23, 2005, at 11:46:40
Thanks for the tip Dinah. I have done a little research and even posted on a board a few times. I may start again.
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