I have to vent a little bit and I wasn’t sure where to put this, but my phobia is exacerbated from my anxiety so I suppose it fits here? So here goes...

I have a phobia of loud sudden noises. Like anything popping. I’m talkin balloons, bags (like when people blow it up with air and then smash it), fireworks, big bubble wrap, sirens/alarms suddenly going off. And I don’t mean these like give a lil spook and then I’m fine, I mean like i cannot function fully when these things are in my vicinity. I cannot focus on anything else because I get so anxious the entire time they are near me.

Anyways, people around me and my family (who’ve seen me with it since I was a child) don’t take me seriously. They antagonize me by trying to pop stuff near me and they just laugh at my physical response to it. It’s really upsetting, I have a full fear response to these things like my Fitbit has shown my heart rate goes up to 175-185, I sweat profusely, I shake all over... it’s not fun. I didn’t choose to have this phobia. I really really wish I didn’t have it.

But with all of that, today I won against it. I had a bottle of sparkling wine that I wanted to drink, but that had a cork that “pops” off. After much pacing around the kitchen, watching YouTube videos for ways to make it pop the least amount, or at least know what to expect, and lots of shaking/sweating... I was able to open that bottle and get me some bubbly all on my own with no one else around or doing it for me. Again this may seem silly to some, but this was a big deal for me.

TL:DR I won a battle against my phobia and people who laugh at or make fun of people with legit phobias should stop and actually think about how this person feels, they definitely don’t like having that phobia.