Are You Scared Of Thunderstorms?

[Lightning Hunter]

Personally Ive never had a phobia.. However for peopel who do. I would recommend learning the science behind it. You may see it in a different way nexttime.

Yeah, then they'll have a reason to be scared!

Being aware of what it is and what it can do can be important. The amount of people I've seen not taking a blind bit of notice when dangerous CGs are raining down is unbelievable.

[cartedj]

Yeah, then they'll have a reason to be scared!

Being aware of what it is and what it can do can be important. The amount of people I've seen not taking a blind bit of notice when dangerous CGs are raining down is unbelievable.

My sentiments exactly. I've always had a phobia of storms mainly because of the sudden, unpredicted nature of the lightning.

Now i am an electrician and have been for the last 20 years i can tell you how much 240volts hurts let alone the many millions of volts in a lightning bolt.

The products we make at work suffer major build ups of static amounting to thousands of volts and that can be very painfull to the unsuspecting. How some people survive direct lightning strikes must be down to pure luck or the fact the entire bolt did not pass through their body.

[saint]

once your use to them you will love them

[PersianPaladin]

My sentiments exactly. I've always had a phobia of storms mainly because of the sudden, unpredicted nature of the lightning.

Now i am an electrician and have been for the last 20 years i can tell you how much 240volts hurts let alone the many millions of volts in a lightning bolt.

The products we make at work suffer major build ups of static amounting to thousands of volts and that can be very painfull to the unsuspecting. How some people survive direct lightning strikes must be down to pure luck or the fact the entire bolt did not pass through their body.

Indeed, its pretty incredible tbh.

I heard that when people are 'struck' by lightning - the bolt doesn't directly hit their body but more likely explodes around them in an arc. Not sure what causes this tbh, my knowledge of earth-based plasma and electro-magnetic fields are somewhat lax.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Other reason i don't get a phobia perhaps because 'severe' storms rarely happen here, from what i remember i only witness 2 severe storms one was in Autumn(think it was then but some other person from T&W can correct me if i am wrong) 2000 when it was quite a foggy night then we had a storm consists of sheet lightning and the one on the 31st August 2005.

Yes, there was a pretty severe thunderstorm on 11 September 2000, although here in Cleadon there was a thick wall of sea fog obscuring it- the only possible source of misremembering is that there were a couple of big storms here in September 1999 also (one of which was also obscured by fog!).

As it happens, my house has been hit by lightning 3 times- 3 August 1994, 26 September 1999 and 17 June 2003. So much for 'lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice'! The lightning fortunately hit the alarm system and not the electrical appliances.

[Geordiesnow]

Must of been that date you menturned then, because i remember the foggy night and i looked out the window and saw a flash of lightning so i just kept watching. What i remembered the fog did clear here as soon the rain came so i had pretty good views watching the sheet lightning liting up the whole place. A storm to remember i say. I was probably slightly anxious back then but now i know if sheet lightning occurs i know it can't strike your house(or can it?).

Thats quite unlucky i must say. My house never been strucked yet and hopefully it never will(touch wood) and thats the only thing i hate about thunderstorms.

[laserguy]

Scared of thunderstorms? I should be so lucky! I can honestly say that I haven't heard one crack of thunder this summer. Incredible but true. I love them now and get pretty worked up whenever conditions appear to be vaguely right for them,but it wasn't always like that. One of my earliest memories as a kid was the sheer,abject terror displayed by my mother during thundery weather and how she used to sit huddled halfway up the stairs whilst covering herself in blankets and singing/shouting at the top of her voice to drown out the thunder. Being little more than a toddler I followed her example of course! This went on for a few years until one day a school pal and myself were walking home across a football field after lessons. It wasn't raining at the time and there'd been no thunder,but I do recall it being very hot,humid and dark. Then no more than 50 yards in front of us this incredible flash and explosion levelled the pair of us as a bolt of lightning which announced the breaking maelstrom hit the field's metal goalposts. We got up and set off running to my parents house,not thirty seconds away. But my legs were paralysed with fear and I kept tripping up in an attempt to muster more speed than I could possibly attain. By the time we got there my mother was doing her usual trick and my dad thought it was all good fun. Peering out the window I didn't know if what I was seing were raindrops or my own tears! Watching the storm from the safety of the house made it seem harmless after our ordeal and my fears faded away.

From that point on I've loved severe weather of all types,no doubt some psychology types will say it's something to do with confronting and mastering your phobias head on. Like someone with arachnophobia have a tarantula climb up their arm!

As an aside,can someone clarify whether it's voltage which kills you or amperes? Obviously a lightning bolt has both in spades so it's a moot point,but a couple of years ago I was 'wired up to the mains' whilst messing around with a faulty glue gun. Jeeeeeeeesus!! If the missus hadn't been there to flick the switch I wouldn't be here now.

[kentish_sally]

I suffer from panics and phobias, Im now only slightly agraphobic /public places, fear of embarrasing myself and when it starts one half of my brain says its my phobia and the other hlf has dreamed up how i could embarrass myself and how im already doing and its happening right now... its such a horrible feeling of needing to get the hell out of where i am and get home that i dread even having to go places , ive alway thought its funny how i am basically scared of every thing ... everything but im not with storms , which can be dangerous .. i love them and i often think about this and wish i could apply this lack of fear to the rest of my life in the same way !!

Excuse the long quote!! And i only have recently found this topic!

I am a VERY big sufferer of the same kind of thing. I cannot physically bring myself to get in ANY form of transport specifically, but like yourself i find it hard to be in public places and large crowds (Demophobia). Hearing people talking about driving or something alone begins to really freak me out.

Storms never really bothered me. And i did used to wonder what was so scary about them, the bigger the better for me. But since i now suffer in such a large way i had to go to my doctor, and am waiting to see a psychiatrist to begin getting treatment (besides the medicine i have to take).. i can 100% sympathise with everyone whos posted here and know how hard it must be for you.

I feel quite lucky that if my fear is to great, i have the option to walk (run screaming!!!!!) away from it. It must be so hard to know something your scared of, is looming in the distance and you cant exactly escape it :o

My thoughts and sympathy with you all *hugs*

[Cat 5]

I have never understood phobia's. Sure, I do not like a lot of things, like snakes for instance. But I would not say I have a phobia about them.

I am scared of being in an enclosed room with a tiger that has not eaten for 3 days - is that a phobia? Kentish Sally, I have read your post. You do not like being in large crowds. Perhaps that is not a phobia - you do just not like it. You do not feel comfortable. At what point does it become a phobia?

I for instance do not like the sound of people crunching sweets - not a phobia but just find it irritating, oh and crips !

Anyway, thread drifting somewhat here so to bring slightly back on track. I do not remember the last time I heard even the slightest of rumbles (in stirling, Scotland) let alone any fork action.

Sorry for my naieveity on the problems related to phobia's....

Cat 5

[SnowBear]

Hiya Cat5.

I would define a phobia as a behavioural fear which interferes with daily life, usually this fear would be of something which actually doesn't pose a big threat. So a phobia is defined as an irrational fear of something.

eg; a spider, which 99.99% of the time would not pose a threat, yet to the arachnophobic all spiders would be feared and avoided. The avoidance is where the daily life interference would come in, say going on a 5 mile trip instead of a 1 mile trip to avoid a place where spiders are known to be, or are possibly going to be.

Edited September 25, 2007 by SnowBear

[kentish_sally]

Snowbear has explained it perfectly, And its not so much being in Large Crowds. It's the same, as you mentioned.. being locked in a room with a tiger whos feeling rather peckish. You do all you can to get out of that situation. Not because you dont "like" being there. I love going shopping, I love heading into town. I used to really enjoy going out in a car and being places i never been before. Now - its pretty much near impossible to put myself in a situation i am completly terrorified of. And im sure the same goes for all the phobia suffers of storms or any weather as a matter of fact, they would rather be somewhere totally safe where storms dont exist.

The avoidance is where the daily life interference would come in, say going on a 5 mile trip instead of a 1 mile trip to avoid a place where spiders are known to be, or are possibly going to be.

[Lightningboy]

Hi just a second joined

i absolute love thunderstorms its my fav type of weather and never been scared of them

thow funny thing i used to be terrified of lightning when i was like for but now its the most beutiful and awsome thing ever i think

[swales]

I love them but they do get a bit annoying when I'm tired and need sleep.