Hello. I've got two here that to this day still bother me,and though I've gotten over them, this baggage fromchildhood still follows me around. 1. Mushrooms, Fungus, Mold etc. (mycophobia?) - I haveno idea where this came from. The bigger and morecolorful, the scarier. Those big orange numbers that grow on trees kept me from several activities at summer camp, even causing a hike to be stopped and turned around and throwing a fit if a hike was planned- I didn't want to go. Back home, I'd have my sister walk in front of me to squish any mushrooms in the yard. I would hold onto her shirt with my eyes closed. And she is my YOUNGER sister. I'd be cautious about playing in the front yard because a frisbee looked a lot like a mushroom and you couldn't be absolutely sure exactly what lurked in the yard. I'd close my eyes, and freeze, having to have someone lead me away or I'd scream and run. After a few exposures, I'd eventually get used to the offending fungus. But my favourite day was lawnmower day when the stupid shrooms would all be decapitated. I don't know WHY they scared me or what they'd do. I'd just see a mushroom and have a panic attack. Beats me. Today, I can deal with them, to a degree. I pick the mushrooms out of my food and I have eaten a few without knowing it but wild mushrooms make me jittery. Mold scared me too, I'd shake when I ran into something in the fridge and I would have to have my mother come in and remove the evil spore bearing entity. Gah. Even thinking about it makes me nervous. 2. Catapillars. Similar to the mushroom situation but a less common occurance and much less anxiety provoking, by a long shot. I was afraid they'd fall into my hair. 3. Anthropormorphic food. C'mon, do you really like the idea that something was living before you ate it? That it danced and sang and was happy. Do you beleive that it liked to be eaten? And would you want it to talk and stare at you while you ate it? Not a fear, just something that freaked me out as a kid.
