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Comment by smtddr | Hacker News Reader

We're talking irrational fears?

For the longest time I had a fear of unfamiliar shower heads well into adulthood. http://i.imgur.com/qcVVJwCl.jpg

Like if I'm in a hotel room and need to take shower, I have to take a deep breath and stare at it, telling myself "it can't hurt me" over and over again. The same kind of nervous I get in a plane that's about to take off. I still get a bit nervous to this day at 38 years of age. I suspect something happened to me at a young age but nobody seems to know what it could be. I've noticed that my 5yr old daughter is also scared of them when they make those whoosh-sounds just before water comes out. Maybe I was traumatized from that too.... I dunno...

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> I've noticed that my 5yr old daughter is also scared of them when they make those whoosh-sounds just before water comes out. Maybe I was traumatized from that too.... I dunno...

If I may: it's more likely you passed along the stress you experience in these situations to her. She learned to that the shower head should be approached with caution because you tense yourself around it.

Moreover, irrational fears are not necessarily linked to the stress inducing agent. It might have been associated later (to prevent your psyche to directly relive the trauma). That psy territory though so I stop there before saying anything stupider ;).

it's possible :p

Don't want to generalize, but this could be a form of OCD (which is very misunderstood and comes in all shapes and sizes). Your brain is lying to you. Channeling Yoda here but you have to be mindful of your thoughts :) What's worked for me is to label thoughts like that "that's an OCD thought" takes a while but eventually the thought won't trigger the hamster wheel. http://hope4ocd.com/foursteps.php

I'm always curious about stuff like this so I don't mean to be rude, but in all seriousness, how do you think a shower head will hurt you? I understand it isn't rational so maybe the answer is "I dunno" but figured I would ask.

I suspect it is a sensory-processing thing. I'm reading waaaayyyy too much into this, but people on the Asperger's syndrome spectrum--even slightly--and more likely to be in the HN commenter crowd--have peculiar sensory issues. Often you see it with things like aversion (or preference) for certain food textures, so it doesn't seem out of left field to hear that anticipatory auditory and sensory stimulus (like the death rattle of a showerhead, or the subsequent burst of lukewarm water) would be a trigger. And that it would be passed down genetically or by behavioral role models...

part of the struggles we're having with my autistic son center around toilet training -- I think in large part because the bathroom is full of things that make running-water type noises, and those freak him out.

The closest thing I can think of is maybe a bunch of vines will come out and grab me or something.

don't worry, you are too big to fit through the holes, so worst case they will just immobilize you until you yell enough that someone comes and kills the vine monster. they might see you naked but you won't die. :D

My experience is this, As got in to mechanical work (lathe, milling etc) and computer. Before about 16 i thought everyone will do right thing only and not really cheat absolutley but the real work hit me and i found people will do mediocre job for no reason or simply lazy so when ever i see structure or car i double check break or think it may fall...

There was a truly distressing scene in the IT miniseries involving showerheads in a locker room. That perhaps?

Hmm, I don't know that show by name but it's possible I may have tuned in just to see something horrible scene.

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