Tag Archives: Agoraphobia

How to confront your fears in triplicate

You know those people who say if you’re afraid of gorillas you should go to the zoo and jump in the gorilla pit?* Well, I’m working on something like that this weekend. Three times over, in fact.

Acrophobia: Getting high on fright since 1978!

Taken by closing my eyes, holding up the camera and pointing it that-a-way.
Taken by closing my eyes, holding up the camera and pointing it that-a-way.
I can’t climb the ladder to the attic. Open staircases give me the willies. Glass elevators aren’t my cup of tea, but at least I can keep my eyes fixed on the inside wall. In other words, I’m afraid of heights. So yesterday I took the rooftop tour of the Biltmore House, which might not be the tallest building in the world but by golly it’s tall enough. The view was beautiful, and I found that I was fine as long as kept my sights on the far vistas and didn’t move around too much. Going back inside, however, was a relief.

I wouldn’t call my fear of heights cured — although I’m not currently standing on a tall structure, so who knows? — but I managed not to crawl back to the stairway. So that’s good.

Ophidiophobia: Snakes! They’re menacing!

It was a really tiny snake.
Seriously. It was a really tiny snake.
You know what would be worse than hanging out on a rooftop? Hanging out on a rooftop with a snake. Or running into a snake on the ground just minutes before going up to the roof, which is what I did. It was a tiny snake, and it was probably just drawn to Biltmore’s front door by the opulence, just like the rest of us, but still. It Was a Snake. I didn’t scream or jump up on the nearest jump-upable thing (which was a person, so that was Sound Judgement on my part), so I’m calling it a win on the Nichole v. Snakes front.

Agoraphobia: But home is so cozy, and I know everyone there!
This one probably doesn’t technically qualify as a phobia, but I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable around people over the last several years. I’ve always tended toward hermitude, and I think being a stay-at-home mom has definitely not helped matters. So I’m battling my social anxiety this weekend by going to a blogging conference. Yesterday, I felt like I could very easily vomit at any time. This morning wasn’t nearly as nervy. And I am pleased to report that I even talked to people. For example:

  • Kym says she can help me learn to quilt. I say she is optimistic.
  • Mara also writes for a very neat travel advice site.
  • Amy has fantastic glasses and will most definitely make herself a media kit before I make one for myself. She seems very on top of things.
  • Bonnie’s son sounds like the world’s best 14-year-old.
  • Michele wears the same size shoe as I do and has a very cute haircut. Also, I may have accidentally locked her in my car. Thanks, child-safety locks!
  • I’ve read Casey’s blog for years and years. She is just as adorable in real life as she is on the internet.
  • Molly has delightfully curly hair and a ferocious love of Red Vines.
  • Marie is my newest style icon.
  • Cintia has an adorable teeny-tiny baby and a lovely voice.
  • Fadra’s fervor for Twizzlers equals Molly’s Red Vines passion. And she got me started on the Twitter again. Twitter? You ought to be paying that lady. She’s a dynamo.
  • My plans for tomorrow include going to a few sessions and talking to more people (and perhaps picking up more Little Debbies). But pleaseohplease no snakes or heights.

    *ButterscotchSundae.com does not recommend jumping into a gorilla pit, fear of gorillas or not. Also, ButterscotchSundae.com is pretty sure there isn’t really a gorillaphobia-centric idiom.