Irrational Childhood Fears & Beliefs That Still Affect You

[CraftyCath]

Reading these has made me remember that I'm not good with horror films either. Especially vampire ones. My parents were out one night and my brother and sister were going to watch Slaems (sp) Lot. They said it had David Soul in it and I'd be alright watching it.

Before therapy I couldn't always separate fact from fiction and couldn't as a child. So I watched the stupid film and was so terrified my Dad had to help me to bed when he came home because I was scared to go upstairs.

We have an ginnel (alley) near our house and I still won't go down it in the dark although I do think that's partly common sense and partly due to some b*&^%$£ attacking me when I was 16!

 

[712xx]

The belief that animals can understand me, even though (as far as I know) we have never been able to understand them, lol.

The belief that older people know all the answers, but are just holding out on me to teach me a lesson.

 

[CraftyCath]

I don't think that's a problem 712. We need someone to understand us and there are very few who do!

 

[goingonhope]

Most have long since disappeared. But, perhaps I'd identify some if I continue reading as the thread develops.

Anyhow, two that continue are:

Something from the Walton's tv program that succeeded in really scaring me. During a very sad scene or drama, I believe some little girl had said, "Look into the face of death, never hear your babies breath." This really played with my head for years to come. Though it certainly doesn't have that power it once did, I think of it and its threat haunts me everytime I might cross some dead animal or something. The scenes did have to do with finding perhaps some dead baby chicks and perhaps a loss of a baby in the family thereafter.

Oh' and the other one is, "Put your shoes upon the table and you'll be married before you're able." So I've always tried and very likely succeeding in keeping my shoes off the table, not even breifly setting them there....and of course my kids shoes too. Still do, especially if the shoes/sneakers belong to my kids. (lol)

Maybe new shoes and sneakers in boxes always counted to and I missed this. (lol)

 

[712xx]

Goingonhope, you reminded me ...with your shoes (not) on the table ... about keeping my elbows off the table. I still do, but don't know why. :confused: What is the big deal about elbows being on the table?

 

[cat]

wife of - I well remember those nylon sheet, especially if you had a rough toe nail......!

 

[angel2write]

I still struggle with having to sleep with my body totally covered by a sheet, even when it's very, very hot in the house. When I was little, I believed it would protect me from vampire bats!

I also figured out that events I was dreading never quite turned out the way I thought they would. So I developed this superstition that I had to think of absolutely EVERYTHING that could go wrong... and then those things wouldn't happen. It's been really hard to break myself of that one.

I also had the mirror one when I was small. Only I guess I disassociated or hallucinated or something, and I actually saw my mirror image looking at me, or winking at me, a few times. I believed it was a doppleganger that would eat my soul. I still have trouble with mirrors.

 

[CraftyCath]

I well remember those nylon sheet

I remember those nylon sheets and nylon nightdresses Wife Of!

My mother would send us to bed in the nylon nighties after having a bath. There would be so much static that my hair would be a frizzy mess in the morning! We had no heating so you boiled in summer and froze in winter and every time you turned over you would get a cold spot.

It was fun making our nighties spark though!!

But even today, I cannot stand nylon, the feel of it, the look of it. I don't think it is a fear but I truly don't like the stuff!! Well, who would!

 

[jibber]

When I was a kid I used to watch that TV program "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" There was one episode that involved someone who could transform into an iguana...then terrorize people somehow...I have no idea what the actual story line was but trust me it was terrifying. Anyways, there was one scene where a girl was in the shower and the iguana snuck up on her and she turned around and there it was. To this day I still get scared sometimes when I've left my eyes closed for a while when I'm shampooing my hair and I whip around to make sure there's no iguana in my shower.

 

[Jen93]

When I was a kid I used to watch that TV program "Are You Afraid of the Dark?"

My brother and I LOVED that show. It's still on sometimes during the day on BBCKids.

I still believe in fairies. I grew up a HUGE Peter Pan/ Tinkerbell/ Wendy fan, I love the book, the movie, the play- I love it all. I'm still looking for Pixie Dust to help me fly- and the happy thought that I need too. D:

There was also a movie called "A Fairy Tale: A true story" It was about two girls who took pictures of fairies with a camera, and they got a lot of publicity from it. They were like 12- some people thought they were faked, some people thought they couldn't be; the pictures looked like amateur photography- they weren't professional photographers, how could they FAKE a picture? I had hope that fairies were real after that. I loved that movie. Anyway, I'm also a regular watcher of a kids show "Mystery Hunters," which deals with ghosts and monsters and legends and stuff; anyway, they said that it turns out years later that the pictures were faked. I was so mad.

I still believe in fairies though. They're so pretty and magical. *Claps hands so that a fairy doesn't die*

 

[goingonhope]

My irrational childhood beliefs: ..that life is suppose to be somewhat fair and that some significant good and purpose is suppose to be found and shared in living one's life.

 

[Deleted member 10686]

I dont know if its weird or not..

I have always believed that my feelings and thoughts get transferred onto my stuffed animals when I hold them, therefore nobody else can touch them because if they do they will know my secrets, thoughts, just by touching them. I still can not allow others to cuddle with my special stuffys or touch special things, just too personal.

I will still never, ever go on a ferris wheel...ever. The thought of them has induced panic attacks since..forever. Not happening.

Still can't watch America's Most Wanted or Unsolved Mysteries. The opening song has always triggered the hell out of me. If anyone turns it on.. I revert to child mode and will scream at someone to turn it off NOW!