What are the smallest things in life that makes you anxious and why?

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1. Not being behind the wheel of a car I’m in. I’m sure it’s linked to trauma or something. I got into a really bad wreck a couple years ago and I was driving so now I always want to be the one driving.

2. I gotta say escalators

   Seen waaaaaaay too many videos of people being eaten alive by those things, whenever I reach the top I always leap forward.

3. Sometimes going over very tall and long bridges. Like my head says if this collapses now there’s no way I’ll survive.

4. Everything but mainly people.

   I grew up heavily abused with a mentally unstable mother in a household where the slightest innocuous thing could trigger a violent episode.

   I only feel safe & calm when I’m completely alone.

5. Someone reading but not responding to a text. It makes my brain play me an entire movie with a budget of $250M about how they hate me, why they hate me, why everyone always will hate me, and why I’m a terrible human being who will die alone. 20 minutes later they reply and it turns out I had an aneurysm and aged 20 years for no reason at all. I no longer use messaging services with read receipts because of this.

   It’s ridiculous especially since I’m a horrible texter who takes years to respond, and the reasonable part of me obviously understands and respects the hundreds of reasons as to why people won’t instantly reply. It’s perfectly fine to prioritize other things than immediately exting back. And yet-

6. Meetings/appointments. No idea why, I just get really anxious before any type of meeting or appointment. Could be just a chat with my boss (who I like!), a haircut, a doctor’s appointment. I just get anxious before.

7. Bus stops. I’m standing at one right now and it always makes me nervous

8. Introducing myself or having to talk about myself

9. “We need to talk”

10. When swings are on a single rope or ball joint so they can go any direction. It’s one direction, back and forth only. Don’t get wild on me.

11. Stairs, I just have a big fear of heights and when I have to use any kind of stairs (somehow I’m ok only with the ones in my house, don’t know why) I get all shaky.
    Unlucky because where I live there’s this monument that has a whole lot of stairs and once in a while my friends always want to go to and I just simply shit my pants.

12. My most irrationally fear: mopeds want to snap/fold in half. I know this is completely ridiculous but still gets me, Anytime i see someone riding one, i feel like I’m waiting for it to trip up and fold itself on the rider.

    Years ago, my brother got in trouble and continued to pissed my dad off about whatever. So my dad picked up his moped and snapped it in half with his bare hands. My brother welded it back together later. I never watched someone on a moped while it folded but it’s in the back of my head for a possibility, if a human man can do that, its not strong enough by itself.

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14. Talking on the phone. I’m always afraid the person on the other end is going to get angry and beat me up because I can’t hear them well enough ( or they can’t hear me well enough ).

    It’s gotten a little easier as I’ve become older, but last week I still needed a few minutes to breathe before ordering a pizza.

15. Crossing the street at busy intersections / at the cross walk

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17. Mice, I’m a huge pussy tbh

18. Went to an interview the other day. The interview itself didn’t make me anxious, it was the fact I had to drive somewhere new and talk to people I’ve never met

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21. hanging out with people one on one (except my boyfriend or family). i didn’t used to be this way but idk. started feeling this way after college. got worse after i quit my office job and transitioned to being self-employed.

22. People I don’t know at my door when husband’s not home.

23. My thoughts. All the time.

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