When I was about 8 or 9 my brother got angry and slammed his hand on
top of a science project I had made out of toothpicks and Styrofoam.
By some strange fate one of the toothpick just so happened to break
in half and have one side fly right completely into my brother's
wrist. The toothpick was not in any way visible, it had completely
vanished into his wrist. It was logged in between two major veins and
an artery. We weren't for sure it was in there until he had surgery.(
wood doesn't show up on x-rays, at least not one that small) You
would think I would be afraid of toothpick and I am, but it's not a
phobia. No, my phobia is wrists. I cannot look at my own or anyone
else's(you'd be surprised how many times wrists are shown in movies
and on TV). No one can touch my wrists and I can't touch anyone
else's. Even though I understand where my phobia stems from and tell
myself it's irrational, it doesn't help. I always keep a jacket with
me in case I need to cover my own. I hate bracelets and watches. I
know many of you understand how much a phobia really effects your
life. For me, a trip to the doctors is afoul, because I know they're
going to check my pulse and to do that they immediately reach for my
wrist and usually the nurse is different every time or simply doesn't
remember about my phobia, I have to retell it to them and relive the
thought of terror I get every time. And then they look at me like I'm
a freak and it's so shameful. But the thing I hate the most is when I
tell people and they react, not by shock or disbelief, but by showing
me their wrist and asking" So this scares you?" Ugh, I mean what is
that? So if I told you I was claustrophobic, would you drag me to a
closet, push me in, and ask "So this scares you?" No, you wouldn't.
Honestly, curiosity is fine, but that's just mean.Honestly, curiosity
is fine, but that's just mean. Do any of you get that reaction to
your phobia? Even if
I tell them it's a PHOBIA, MEANING IT FRIGHTENS ME, they still do
that. Well, anyway, that's my story. What's yours?