When my daughter had a tantrum in the bathroom, I thought she might be safer thrashing about in her bedroom. As I was carrying her along the landing, she nearly went over the banister. I let her have her tantrums in situ after that. I think my fear of heights must have started when I was very young because I can remember not particularly enjoying being lifted up to look at the Thames over the embankment wall so maybe I was born with the fear. Sitting on my dad's shoulders was ok though but only walking along the pavement.
As a child of around 12 or so @WonkyWomble suddenly became afraid of spiders … we had lived on a smallholding with an old Victorian mill house and a huge range of old spider and cobweb-filled mill buildings where we kept cattle, pigs, sheep, ponies, goats and poultry … Wonky was a real tomboy and played happily in the buildings among the cobwebs … but when we moved down the hill into the village and she started playing with lots more girls she became apparently genuinely terrified of spiders … I put it down to learned behaviour from other more ‘girly girls’ that she wanted to fit in with. She was quite shy at that age.
Much later on, when Wonky started working as a gardener and again came into close proximity with spiders, she told me she squared her shoulders, gritted her teeth, ignored the spiders and got on with the job, and now she doesn’t mind them at all. That’s my girl. 😎
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
OH came a cross a pair of canoodling Western Whip snakes the first spring we were here. They're not venomous but will bite if cornered. We haven't seen any since then tho which is a bit sad but then no damage to our pets either.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Decades ago, a boyfriend of mine and his flatmate were both terrified of spiders. I found this out when, returning to their flat from an errand, I found them both standing on chairs in the sitting room, pretty much gibbering with fear. They were both well over 6 feet tall, and fit, so this was an amazing sight. It was a biggish house spider, to be fair. So I removed it, and had to promise to walk it some way down the street so it wouldn’t come back. I’ve stuck to my promise never to tell anyone, and they will remain nameless 😊.
Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.
I'm not afraid of heights, just have a desire not to fall a long way When I was younger I would stand on cliff edges etc without a second thought. A few years ago I had vertigo and it has never fully cleared. Staying away from edges just seems sensible now. I will still climb ladders as long as I can get high enough that I don't need to look up at what I'm doing.
Apparently most people are unable to conceptualise their own demise until they’re about 27 years old. Our brains just cannot grasp the reality of it … that’s why younger folk are the ones that can do all the dangerous things without real fear … and why older soldiers aren’t a lot of use on the frontline 😞
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have a glass and a card ( I use the pretty fronts from old birthday cards) strategically positioned round the house, so there is always one within easy reach! OH is useless with creepy crawlies, so I have to deal with them. He won’t even pick up woodlice, so I’m charged with gathering them up and popping them outside. I used to be scared of spiders, but cured myself of that. I can’t say I like them though so give them a wide berth when I can.
I've had epilepsy since I was a kid, but the threat of falling from a height hasn't been a problem - until my wife was at one of my hospital appointments, and heard the doctor tell me to stay off ladders. Now I am reminded of this - not that I take a great deal of notice. SOMEONE has to go in the loft.
I've now ended up in A & E twice with serious repercussions because of a dislike/fear of spiders and have no wish to do it a third time.
My daughter was so scared of them (probably because I was) that eventually as an adult living alone in her own house, she had the courage to sign up to Bristol Zoo's spider phobia course. It changed her life and incidentally changed mine too in that I am now not so frightened as I once was. I still don't like the big ones but can deal with them most of the time. I will shut the door and walk away from the ones I can't, knowing they are unlikely to be still in the same place in the morning.
Vertigo is horrible @KT53, you have my sympathy. I too, stay away from steep drops and don't climb ladders anymore because of it.
Thanks @Lizzie27 my vertigo isn't as severe as many. As long as I move my head slowly I can look up for a short time, but don't push my luck. When it happened for the first time it scared the daylights out of me. I had no warning, just got out of bed and next thing I knew I was flat on my back, and repeated it when I tried to stand again. It only really affects me when I look up or down quickly, with side to side being no problem.
Posts
I think my fear of heights must have started when I was very young because I can remember not particularly enjoying being lifted up to look at the Thames over the embankment wall so maybe I was born with the fear. Sitting on my dad's shoulders was ok though but only walking along the pavement.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Now I am reminded of this - not that I take a great deal of notice. SOMEONE has to go in the loft.
My daughter was so scared of them (probably because I was) that eventually as an adult living alone in her own house, she had the courage to sign up to Bristol Zoo's spider phobia course. It changed her life and incidentally changed mine too in that I am now not so frightened as I once was. I still don't like the big ones but can deal with them most of the time. I will shut the door and walk away from the ones I can't, knowing they are unlikely to be still in the same place in the morning.
Vertigo is horrible @KT53, you have my sympathy. I too, stay away from steep drops and don't climb ladders anymore because of it.