This sounds so stupid but a couple of weeks ago, I was bitten by a dog and it’s really affecting me. Quarantine has been hard for me because it has exacerbated my feelings of loneliness and compulsions to self-harm and my one comfort was taking time for myself to go for walks. Ever since the dog bite, however, I jump at every little thing when I go for a walk and can’t relax. I can barely go for walks. I have to massively avoid areas where I think I’ll encounter dogs. I sit outside and jump when I hear a dog barking. I used to love dogs, but now they really, really bother me. Today I went for a walk and started hyperventilating and almost passed out and started crying when I saw one: this was in front of my neighbors and I felt really humiliated. I don’t want to tell anyone because I’m embarrassed but I’m tired of feeling powerless which is a feeling this fear has made so much worse!!
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It’s ok. I have a fear of stairs for basically the same reason. I fell down a flight one day and it hurt so now I’m not the biggest fan of them. It’s ok to have fears. And none of them should really be considered embarrassing, but sadly people only see what’s being said and not the backstory or reasoning behind it. Like I’m also “scared of the dark”. Embarrasing for a 20yo right? But it’s not the dark I have a problem with, it’s the fact that I cant see. And I have really bad paranoia that my “friends” from my past are going to come looking for me and hurt me. Not so embarrassing now with an understanding backstory. It’s ok, lots of people are scared of dogs. I even have a small fear of them because 1 attacked me. Fears are perfectly normal and understandable. Well some of them dont make sense, like the fear of holes, but I’m sure if it was explained to me it would make sense. I understand your problem and really all I can say is dont pay attention to others. How can they make an informed judgment on something with no information making whatever they say or think meaningless. I know it might not help but I hope it helps a little bit to at least know you aren’t alone and that your fear is reasonable. 🙂
Thanks :). It helps to know that I’m not alone in this. It just feels terrible to feel powerless, you know? But you’re right: I need to remember that fears are normal/reasonable! It’s just hard to remember that sometimes.