Day 89- Panic Attackiphobia

November 5th, 2009

I used to think that panic attacks weren’t real. I just figured that over dramatic insecure people were putting on some faux over hyped panicky display for attention at boring dinner parties. That was until I experienced my first unbelievably horrifying sudden period of intense anxiety where I thought I was losing control, having a heart attack or dying. This unpleasant attack was brought on by having put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in my ear when I felt an infection might me coming on. If you’re an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, I now you’re tisking me..but it had worked in the past. Well, the peroxide resulted with a piece of wax(gross, I know) lodging in my eardrum which did a number on my inner ear and equilibrium. Imagine your ear clogged with water that won’t unclog..and you have no control over it. The sensation made me so antsy that I freaked out. It felt similar to my mild case of claustrophobia. Let the hyperventilating and shaking commence. I knew that I just needed to breath it through..but fear can overtake rationality at times and this severe anxiety persisted for longer than I had hoped. Those of us who have suffered through the extreme fear of a panic attack know that we are forever scarred with an intense fear that we’ll have another panic attack. You know why? Fear is a bitch.

Fear is an emotional response to a threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger.We all have them. If you claim that you do not, I will diagnose you as phobophobic, the fear of fear. What are you afraid of..but ashamed to admit? I'll start: Along with misplaced earwax, I also have a fear of Al Roker and being asked to put lotion in a basket.

Jax's blog reader's fears:

An envelope with a return address from the IRS
-John Kosciusko

It's weird but I'm afraid of spiral staircases. I actually will freeze up and not be able to move down the stairs.
-Beth Bernard Curley

Clowns and people with stinky breath....
-Claire Evans Adams

Glenn Beck, people that win on Jeopardy, and platitude quoting idiots.
-Ken Miller

Page Newsom Pelphrey
-History repeating itself.

Cole slaw and mayonnaise
-Nancy Amanda Wall

Oreos. Especially the double stuff.
-Michael Dubow

Everything!!
--Ruth Kabat Thomas

Definitely clowns and Carrot Top, although I suppose that is redundant
-Leathy Kennedy Leggett

Godzilla and ex-girlfriends that are divorce lawyers.
-Dan Verkman

Ah yes, you might question if the above could be real catalysts for the attack of the panic. Don’t jest in haste because the following fears have been proven(some by medical experts, urban dictionary and when I googled weird phobias)

Bogyphobia- Fear of the bogeyman

Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope

Linonophobia- Fear of string

Pteronophobia - Fear of being tickled by feathers

Consecotaleophobia - Fear of Chop Sticks

Aulophobia- Fear of flutes

Geniophobia- Fear of chins

Levophobia- Fear of objects to the left side of the body

Octophobia- Fear of the number 8

Ostraconophobia- Fear of shellfish

Unatractiphobia - Fear of ugly people.
I do not suffer from this. Just the opposite in fact.
I fear that I suffer from myblogreadersaresmokin’hotphobia.