Ichthyaphobia

[Wannabe30]

I am pretty sure that is not a real word, however I use it to describe my biggest (and most annoying) fear. Those of you who remember biology class may be able to figure it out. For the others, it is a fear of fish. Yes, FISH. If I should be watching TV and a commercial comes on that shows a fish I have to look away. I take a wide path around the seafood counter at the grocery just in case they have whole fish displayed. Fish that is filleted does not bother me, but please do not ever serve me a whole fish.

I don't mind fish in aquariums much and even see the beauty in some species, but do not ask me to have any type of contact with them.

I cannot pin point exactly when this fear started. I do know I was not yet 10 years old. My dad could not understand why I would not take fish off the hook when we went fishing, or why I would not help clean them. One of the worst summers of my life was a year the lake community we lived in flooded. There were fish everywhere!

So there you have it, a very strange fear, or so it seems to me. It does not really interfere with my life, but it can cause a momentary panic.

I could probably make myself less sensitive, but that would require dealing with fish, and I do not see that happening anytime soon! By the way, this IS something I can laugh about.

 

[Halo]

Wannabe,

FINALLY, someone who I can relate to. I have had the same fear of fish for as long as I can remember and most times when I tell people I just get laughed at. I too cannot see a whole fish either on tv or in real life and will make the biggest detour in the store in order to avoid the fish counter. I once went into the ocean and saw a mino and took off running because it freaked me out. Others laughed but I was scared. I truly thought that I was the only one with this fear and I am so glad to know that there is at least one other person out there .....THANK YOU

I remember when I use to work in a grocery store and people would buy whole fish from the fish counter and when they got the cash I refused to touch it and scan it. Unless they scanned it themselves, they got it free because there was no way in heck that I was touching that thing. Ewww :yuk: I am slightly different from you in that even fish in a tank bother me and some of the larger fish I have trouble looking at.

Anyway, like you it doesn't cause that much interference with my life and I have learned how to survive with this fear. I am a little nervous though that my office is moving and the new location has one wall that is entirely an aquarium with many fish which kind of scares me. I guess that will be like exposure therapy everyday Hey, maybe I can get my company to pay for my therapy if I tell them that I have a fear of fish and need help dealing with them....it wouldn't necessarily be untrue

Anyway, thank you Wannabe for admitting this fear and for helping me realize that I am not alone in this world with this fear.

Take care

 

[Wannabe30]

Well thank goodness, I really thought I was the only one!