For me it's General Anesthesia.

I have never had to have it. I know thousands upon thousands of people get GA performed successfully for various operations all over the globe every single day. However, no amount of reassurance from people who have had it done to them personally, even people whose opinions and points of view I trust without question, could break this phobia of mine. I know it's a completely irrational fear.

I know that it is perfectly safe. In fact, I have done enough research on the processes, procedures, drugs, etc in hopes of breaking this fear through education on the subject that I could probably almost perform the procedure myself! Yet, to no avail. My phobia remains intact and as strong as ever.

It's not something I even considered as a kid... or even a young adult... but recently (Over the past couple of years), and for no reason that I can explain I simply "developed" said fear.

I've done all manner of crazy things which would probably scare many people in a stupefied puddle of slobbering goo. But for some reason this simple thing makes me feel like I would literally rather have an operation done Civil War battlefield style than to be put to sleep. I wont say that I'm unafraid of excruciating pain, but I dare say I am less afraid of it than Getting put under.

And the fact that I am in the unfortunate circumstance that I will soon have to face this phobia in the very, very near future for the extraction of some dodgy teeth makes my heart beat quicken and my anxiety muscle start doing jumping jacks in my stomach.

So in light of having to face down my own worst fear... I want to know what it is that Scares the FREAKING CRAP out of some of you BOTL's and SOTL's. And if/how you faced it down.
[Reply]

You'll be fine Brother. Thats a cakewalk once your their.

Biggest Fear. Prison. I here they don't play nice!
[Reply]

Being stabbed.

Drowning.
[Reply]

Snakes.
[Reply]

needles
[Reply]

Get a permit to conceal and carry. You know what they say about bringing a knife to a gun fight :-)
[Reply]

I have no doubt that I will be fine. It doesn't really ease my mind at all though. Which is what makes the whole thing stupid to me. In my mind I KNOW it'll be fine... it's not even the thoughts of the unknowns/what ifs that give me problems because I can rationalize those away. It's just the actual thing... and I'm sure, as with all phobia's, it's just a psychological block that can only be erased by dealing with it...

Kind of like the people who are afraid of snakes holding snakes and losing their fear of them...

Ok maybe that is a bad example but the point is... I feel like it is one of those things that only goes away once a person has experienced it first hand...

I'm also afraid of Babies. Terrified I will break them. And actually not just babies but the whole process of childbirth FREAKS THE F'N HELL out of me. And I don't even have to do the hard parts.
[Reply]

You know, I've been put under once when I got my wisdom teeth out. I remember them giving me the shots in the IV, I think one was either valium or morphine. They told me to count backwards from 100. I got to 97, then watched the clock on the wall melt, and it felt like I fainted. Next thing, I woke up. Groggy and confused. It felt like I was being born. I had no recollection of ANYTHING (kind of like amnesia), but that all came back after a few minutes. Wasn't bad, actually.
[Reply]

It's like you're there the whole time!

If I can get through life without getting stabbed, I win.

:-)
[Reply]

Get over the Baby thing Brother...You just got married! If you are like the 87% or newly weds out there, babies are coming!


I suppose you van psyche yourself up by tricking yourself into thinking you actualy enjoy your fear. Put your game face on and take yourself out of your shoes and into someone elses. Look that **** in the eye and make a game out of it.

Bottom line, picture the absolute worst that can happen and learn to accept it. From that very point, anything better than the worst is easy to deal with.

Two Cents!
[Reply]

Within 10 feet of you somebody can stab you before you can draw a gun and stop them. I know it sounds like BS but I have seen videos and training to prove it.
[Reply]

Not trying to sound like a bada$$ and not saying a situation never pops up that I may become a little scared while dealing with it, but to be honest I can't think of something that terrifies me. And hopefully things will stay that way LOL
[Reply]

getting retributed by someone I have massively bombed.:-)
[Reply]

Only if I stand still too. But you can be sure I will be dodging the attack whilst drawing my weapon.
[Reply]

And you should be.........:-)
[Reply]

:-)
[Reply]

Not even being a Victimike in Hostel or Saw?

Cut at the Killies?

Skinned Alive?

Paralized from the Neck Down?

Your Unit stops working?
[Reply]

Everyone should be afraid of prison. :-)
[Reply]

Heights. I don't even change light bulbs.

I'm going under GA on Thursday and wasn't worried a bit until I saw this thread. Thanks, Jeremy :-)
[Reply]

Who were they fighting? Steven Segal? The young Steven Segal... the one from Under Siege... Because if it was Steven Segal: Lawman getting stabbed and trying to draw the gun... then I could see that... if it was Under Siege Segal doing the stabbing on someone else... I could see that too... Either way I think if Steven Segal was in the video/training it's probably skewed.

Something else that TERRIFIES me is Botfly Maggots. I don't spend much time in the tropics/areas where these insects are prevalent... but holy crap... if you want to see something that will make your Oh-****-ometer peg out... google image botfly maggots.
[Reply]