I've developed spectrophobia (An intense and irrational fear of ghosts/specters.)
2 weeks ago, ghosts were rather fascinating to me, and I was loving looking up the fake ghost pictures on the internet then scaring friends via e-mail with them. Well, shortly after I went on my fun-trip, and had already half-scared myself with searching for the photos (Which of course wouldn't keep me scared... They are all fake and I know that.), I had an experience that didn't really impact me at the time (I had just woken up for my last day of school, and was extremely tired.), but as the days went on, I realised just how traumatized I was by it. I would have been fine, but after shcool that day I tried seeing if what i saw was something normal... But it was seemingly unexplained. There is only like a 20% chance that what I saw can be explained.
Well, anyways, after that, I've become EXTREMELY paranoid during the night (Even though it happened in the morning.) when it's about 11:00pm-3:00am. Here is some of the things that it is doing to me:
I am having thoughts of scary things that could happen while I am doing something, and I will start panicing and wanting to get out of that room. Like just an hour ago, I had a thought while I was making a sandwich in the kitchen, and it terrified me of the stairs leading downstairs to the right of me.
EVERYTHING gets my attention. I've noticed that during these hours my attention will be diverted by something even as small as a dust particle.
I am terrified to look into reflections, especially television/moniter reflections (They are darkened).
Shadows have started to scare me.
Things as simple as pop-ups on websites are startling me.
Just an hour ago I noticed the clothes in my closet were casting a shadow on the wall, and the shadow looked like a KKK member, which reminded me of my personally most terrifying dream in my lifetime. It got my attention because it looked kind of like it was growing when I stared at it for a few seconds (Which is actually quite normal. Staring too much makes your images warp a little.), but it scared me and I had to move the chothes.
That is when I realised this is getting pretty ridiculous, and so I have been looking on the net for any type of virtual treatment.
Also, regardless of if it is late at night or not, I am EXTREMELY terrified of the object in my closet that caused my trauma. I can't even touch it without becoming overwelmed with panic.
This isn't nearly as bad as the experience that gave me extremely severe Scelerophibia (Fear of burglers/murderers, typically in your house.), but that was as a kid and it was simply cured with getting a lock on my door and having explained to me what the noises during the night I was hearing.
Does anyone know of a treatment that could help me with this? I mean, a treatment I could do from home online since I am completely broke? I searched on google etc. for something, but only found advertisements for books to treat it, and just a tad bit of info on it.
And "Being exposed to my fear" is proven not to work here, because with spectrophobia, that will only not help or make it much worse.
ID:188194
 Jun 14 2004, 10:49 pm (Edited on Jun 14 2004, 10:55 pm)
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Hahaha it makes me laugh now, but they were hunting me with sniper rifles and shotguns, and they didn't care I was white!
I remember waking up and saying to myself, "Ohh... THANK GOD that was just a dream." heh I actually had 3 different nightmares that night. | |
*Waves torchs around* Where did that black man go? Brah!
Fear:A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. Meh, I don't see where fear fits in your case, because you are not in the presence or imminence of danger, infact your completly safe. Confronting a fear doesn't do any good unless you confront it with the right attitude "Hey, it be shadows.. No harm there, im in no danger." From my perspective, you have tried confronting a fear with a wrong attitude "It's out to get me, it might not be a shadow, it could be real.., ITS TEH BOOGIE MAN" Confronting it is really the only way unless you want to go buy yourself extra large pampers to wear at night because your to scared to goto the bathroom(AKA: Stealth 2k's solution). I entirely suggest you approach the situation with a positive attitude, lift you shoulders high, and don't bother turning the light on. You will later laugh for being fooled by such tricks of the mind. It is the only solution there is, except for stealth's way. | |
Well, I used to have an extream fear of aliens. So much so that even feeding the dogs at night was hard to do. I would go out there, then start thinking of little green men running up behind me and killing me, or maybie eating me. None the less the thought was there.
This lasted me for many years, but over time the thoughts faded. Now the only way to scare me is let me watch a good alien movie. I still havent seen "Signs", Ill probably be scared out of my wits for weeks. I supppose you should just realize that there is no such thing as ghosts (well, probably no such thing.) And even if there was, who is to say they would be evil, people fear that which they do not know. | |
I have a mild case of the same thing. Since I was little, I've always been afraid of demons and the like, and I even was afraid to put my hands under my pillows because I'd get sucked into a fiery hell. Anyway, it's only triggered when I read something particuarly scary, like a log from Chatters.
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i I came over my fear of it by accepting it and now when ever I see a ghost I just get my vacuum cleaner and....O wait Ive been watching too much ghostbusters xD....
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Ghosts don't exist. That's why nobody is ever like "I used to not believe in ghosts, but then I saw one, and I was all like, WOAH!" It's all just a figment of your imagination.
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I believe in them because I've seen my girlfiend's home-made footage of when they went to a place called Ben Lomand Inn, and the footage captures many unexplained things, and some of them weren't just as simple as a telephone ringing without the line hooked on it.
My girlfriend nor any of her friends can edit movies like a professional, and if that was faked, a professional would have had to had done it. | |
You never really told us what the event was that impacted you, just the effects. But from what I read, you're a lot like me. My solution was that after a while, I just completely forgot about my fear. It just got lost in my endless pit of a mind. Although, your link to the "Lights on" story pulled it out of the pit. o.o
The thrill you get from being scared is worth it, I think. It's fun. :P In reply to the "Lights on" post, I'd have to say I'm vice versa from you. I thought I would get creeped out by the story, cause I get scared easy, but I guess I've seen lots of scary things before, since that seemed pretty mild. I'm trying to creep myself out by reading all the urban legends, and it's fun. Edit: Oh no! You ruined me! It's raining down where I live..My dog was at the back door, so I let her out. I had my shoes on, so I went out in the rain to walk around my yard. I went into the basement, and stared at a closed door. Thunder ripped through the air at the exact moment I imagined a crazy murderer busting through the door and screaming and stabbing me. It creeped me out. | |
Zaole wrote:
The thrill you get from being scared is worth it, I think. It's fun. :P Ugh! I hate being scared! I don't understand why people watch horor movies and read ghost stories, but then again, some don't understand why I love going 80mph upside down on a roller coaster... | |
Hehe, it was 3:00 in the morning when I read that story and I ended up shuddering, and trying to avoid the bathroom :P
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Heh, I'm one of those people :P I have always had Acrophobia... I was able to go on one rollar coaster, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, but there is no way I would ever go on anything higher or else I probably would :P
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Wow, maybe it's just me, or maybe it's because I read it at 2:00 PM but that didn't scare me in the least, though I can understand it from your point.
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Im a bit turned off on roller coasters right now, as the last major one I went on was going 94 mph, and it was raining. That was painful.
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Well, to me, nothing is creepier than someone killing pet. And those messages written on the walls and stuff were pretty creepy too.
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Yeah, killing a pet is mean, and writing in dogs blood on the mirror is mean too. But like the story said, the thing that really makes you shudder is the thought of how narrowly this other person avoided death. Like in all the horror movies, you're watching some 13 year old kid walking through a mansion with blood everywhere, and the kid hears an evil laugh inside a door, and screams and chopping noises. And he decides to go in! Youre like "OMG STUPID DONT GO IN NOOOOOOOOO!" And watching this guy narrowly avoid death through the whole movie is fun. That is, unless he ends up dieing anyways, like in most movies.
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I have no reason to be afraid of things like that. When I was little I was, but then I snapped out of it seeing my dad's gun collection >_> And now that I'm able (and certified) to use the 22 and 36, I am confident that if anyone tries to kill me, they will be shot (My family is a bunch of hill-billies who shoot anything that moves in our yard ^_^).
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S2k