I just joined today and was glad to see I was not the only one with
an unrational fear of cigarettes. I also cannot stand to see or
touch cigarettes, even in packages. I cannot even stand to see
photos or drawings of cigarettes. I will hold my breath to pass a
smoker, completely avoid stepping on a butt. If I see someone
smoking and they touch me I cannot wait to go wash. I hate to feel
that way about smokers since I do have friends that smoke. I just
can't stand anything to do with it. I will not eat at a table in a
restaurant if it even has a clean ashtray on it.


--- In unusualphobias@yahoogroups.com, "Lesley Dove" <Lesley@v...>
wrote:
>
> Welcome to the group, I am sure no-one would judge you for this!
It's really
> not shocking at all, well not to me anyway. Maybe part of it could
be that
> you don't like the soft-pornography-like photos of women in
lingerie ads?
> Just an idea, I don't like them much, I might be completely wrong
though.
>
> My 12 year old son has not so much a clothing phobia, but he finds
his
> clothes in general uncomfortable on his skin, he has been
diagnosed as
> Aspergers syndrome and has a big problem with fiddling with his
clothes in
> some odd ways such as rolling his collar of his school polo shirt
and
> pulling it over his chin, so other kids might tease him but he
finds he
> can't help it. I wish I could do something to help him but he
can't go to
> school in just his underpants, which if he had his way he would do
for
> comfort because he truly finds uncomfortable clothes bother him
more than
> being cold!! He would probably end up being a naturist when he is
grown up.
> I would totally support him if he wants to do that.
>
> I don't know if this is any way related to your phobia, but you
surely will
> not be thought of as disgusting or a terrible person here, and
having a
> child who has serious issues with his clothes I can somewhat
relate as your
> phobia is to do with clothes!
>
>
> As for me, my phobia is quite different. I'm totally phobic about
> cigarettes, cigarette smoke, and anyone who smokes, I can't trust
smokers or
> feel comfortable around them, once I know someone is a smoker I
just feel
> distrustful of them, even if they seem a nice person! I know this
is not
> fair because some smokers are nice ppl and some even want to give
up their
> horrible habit and try really hard to break their addiction! But I
can't be
> near them as I actually get a bad physical reaction to cigarette
smoke (I
> even get ill from the smell on a smoker when they are not smoking
but if it
> is strongly lingering on them), like a really bad allergy anyway,
but aside
> from that my disgust of it is so beyond that of the average non-
smoker. I'm
> sorry if anyone smokes here and is offended by my feelings about
it. I can
> just about cope with a smoker if the person accepts they must not
smoke in
> my presence even out of doors or I would have to leave their
company because
> I would be sick seeing them taking that filthy muck into their
lungs,
> regardless of which way the wind was blowing. I have to cross the
road if I
> see anyone smoking, I get panicky if I have to walk by someone
smoking and I
> really rush past and hold my breath! It's not just that I can't
stand the
> smell and getting any of it into my own lungs (which of course I
can't
> stand), I also find that just seeing someone on TV smoking upsets
me a lot
> more than seeing a violent film. It's the thought of those nasty
sooty
> particles lodging in the tissues of people's lungs, it bothers me
like it
> does for some people nails down a blackboard!! I'm squeamish about
people
> smoking the same way some people are about blood or spiders. I can
pick up
> big spiders for my arachnophobic 9 year old daughter and put them
out of the
> window quite calmly, I can reassure her how spiders will do her no
harm, set
> her an example to try and encourage her to fear them a lot less, I
can watch
> gory horror films and operations on TV, no problem with blood,
etc, but if
> anyone was to make me watch someone smoking a cigarette, I would
feel sick
> and panicky, nausea etc, for me this would be torture! Physically
the effect
> for me is that if I get a tiny amount of second-hand tobacco smoke
in my
> lungs I can literally feel the pain of the particles from the
smoke going
> into my lung tissues (anyway I assume this is what I am feeling)
and it
> feels like a huge crumb has gone down the wrong way and I am
choking and
> coughing. Bonfire smoke affects me quite a bit too, so we are all
odd in our
> own way here.
>
> I sometimes wonder if there is a hereditary connection between my
son's
> extreme hypersensitivity to clothes on his skin with his Asperger
syndrome
> and my hypersensitivity to smoke in a part of my body that
supposedly should
> not have the nerve endings to feel it the way I am feeling its
effects. I
> know this is not entirely about phobia, but the physical reaction
my body
> has to it has led to me being very phobic about cigarette smoke
and anything
> related.
>
> I've not found anyone who shares my smoke-sensitivity as badly as
I have it,
> although I have met some people who are moderately smoke-sensitive
and hate
> it, and never met anyone who shares my severe phobia about it,
even about
> seeing ppl smoke on films.
>
> That film with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen "Lost in
Translation" was
> a prime example of a film where I had to keep looking away and was
totally
> ruined for me because she smoked like a chimney.
>
> Lesley
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: creepygothichorror [mailto:creepygothichorror@y...]
> Sent: 12 April 2005 12:31
> To: unusualphobias@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [unusualphobias] icky horrid phobia
>
>
>
> apologies to anyone who got a privat e mail from me, i should
have
> realised i could post a group message first. a case of too
little sleep.
> My phobioa and i kind of dont feel happy or comfortable being
brought
> up to be feminine and have good social graces. That didn't stop
though
> the ritual degradation this sick world forced on me. sorry if
this is
> t m i,
> I have ADHD amongst other things including an epilepsy like
condition.
> Serendipity is what i like to known as as it has a nice free
sweet
> sounding name to it. I have no idea what anyone will think and
> apologies if the thought is unplesant i am depserately dont wish
to be
> viewed with the thought she is
> being unnatural and obscene. *deep breath* i have a lingerie
phobia..i
> see the shops and the adverts of happy people purchasing, and i
> deperately wish to be a normal person but its just i think too
much
> for me. I end up sobbing and heartbroken that i can not be
normal. Its
> led in the past to unmitigated rage against myself and my arms
are
> coverd in scars where i cut myself in desperation of feeling
> something. I want so much to be pritty and attractive, but i feel
> asense of isolation and self disgust that i could want to be
> *normal*.I would just love once not to have to want to be
anything or
> wear a pritty garment to feel normal,
> its alot more complex than i have put down but i am sure that i
will
> feel better for coming clean. apologies to everyone for just
putting
> them off their lunch
>
>
>
>
>
>
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