14 People Share Normal Things That Actually Scare The Living Daylights Out Of Them

Some fears are easy to understand, but others are so specific they catch people completely off guard. In this roundup, Reddit users share the normal things that make them uneasy, from everyday situations to oddly intense phobias that can turn routine moments into stress.

What makes these stories interesting is how personal they are. One person panics over the idea of decay, another dreads small talk, and someone else cannot shake a fear that sounds almost too strange to be real. Together, they show how unpredictable anxiety can be.

And yes, one of the most memorable fears on the list involves a parrot. Read on.

1. Forever rotting...

"I am terrified of dead bodies, of being in the ground, and of corpses. The thought of being buried makes me panic. It's not about being buried alive or even the claustrophobic feelings (because I am not claustrophobic); the idea of decaying, with the clothes still being there, and the way it would look just freaks me the f*** out.

My own mortality isn’t even the scary part. It’s just the corpse. I want to be cremated because I don’t want anything left. I don’t even care who keeps the ashes; I just don’t want to be around forever rotting, shriveling up, and trapped in an underground box. I don’t want people staring at my dead self and touching it."

That fear is very specific, and very hard to shake.

2. This is a classic case of overthinking…

"The future. And people asking me how I feel about something because usually I have no clue how I feel about it, so I end up lying and just agreeing with them.

It makes me feel so fake because everything I like and dislike is generally based on other people's opinions; I seriously just have zero clue how I actually feel about things.

The only things I am certain that I do and don’t like are things like food and music. Everything else, even things like my hobbies, I generally can’t figure out if I actually like doing it or if it’s because I grew up around people whose hobbies were the same as my “hobbies.” I only just realized this too."

3. To eat, or not to eat?

"I have IBS, so the idea of going out to eat or eating in general with people frightens me, especially if it’s breakfast or lunch. If I eat even a little of anything except the blandest foods, I will have to urgently run to the bathroom, possibly more than once. It doesn’t help that I’ll be anxious about using the bathroom because I’m around people who will notice.

And if I don’t eat, people judge me for not eating, saying it’s unhealthy, and then I have to explain my condition. In the end, I just do everything I can to avoid eating with people, which includes skipping any kind of invitations unless I have to, and then just eating some crackers or a small salad or something really light and bland.

I’m sometimes okay with dinner. Not always, but sometimes my body behaves better in the evening. I can also control it by drinking and getting tipsy, which usually turns off my anxiety, so I’ll be less likely to have an emergency. Still, I avoid it as much as I can."

Even a simple meal can turn into a whole production.

4. Do we have to?

“Let’s each stand up and introduce ourselves and say one interesting thing about ourselves.”

5. We are so small....

"Space.

Just looking up and coming to terms with how big it is and how little we know about it."

6. Interesting combination of fears....

"The ocean. I’m talking about being out in the ocean, hundreds of miles from land, treading water, alone.

Also, spiders."

Also, this matches the friend who adopted a pet snake everywhere, and got refused.

7. Are you following me?

"This seems largely irrational compared to others, but someone driving behind me.

They don’t even have to be close to me; they can just be doing their own thing, but I don’t like it."

8. Deep waters...

"Subnautica made me afraid of the deep. I’ve never cared for the ocean (I grew up in a landlocked state) or any body of water where I can’t see where my feet land. In rivers, I prefer to just swim, no matter how shallow the water is, if I can’t see where my feet are landing. But I’m not scared of deep water in rivers (those are actually my favorite spots).

I’m really not scared of rivers at all (just freaked out if I touch a wet log because ew, ugh, eep). But that game made me terrified of deep water in the ocean. Absolutely petrified. I quit playing even though I really like it because of the near panic attacks I would get while playing it."

One game was all it took to make deep water feel different forever.

9. That is one amazing parrot...

"I have an irrational fear that someone will break in and steal my parrot whenever I leave my house.

Davy Jones is an African grey worth over $4,000. He is currently standing on my head as I write this. He is becoming more and more valuable as he is incredibly smart and already says over 50 words at 1 year old. He said his first word at 2 months and knew 14 at 6 months. I am homeschooling him and teaching him basics like colors and reading.

I would never stop worrying that he is being neglected or abused, and that worry would continue for the rest of my life because it is possible that he could outlive me. My fear of living without him is strong, but my fear of him living without me is stronger.

To those of you who are interested in stealing him, here is why that is a bad idea:

I have a rescue pit bull/lab mix who will kill you if you attempt to enter my house. I also have a guard goose (he wears diapers) that will back him up.

I have an advanced security system with several cameras. I can check them whenever I want, and I will get an alert if you come near my house. The police will be there in 2 minutes.

He barely steps up for me, and he will never step up for a stranger. He is free in his bird room and will fly around. Good luck catching him because if he doesn’t want to be caught, I can’t even do it. He will probably bite your finger off if you manage to catch him.

Just because my car is gone doesn’t mean I am. My husband usuall...[truncated]

10. Feeling warm...

"Feeling warm. I had a vacation in China when I was a child, and ever since I woke up in the hospital there, I’ve been very (and I mean very) sensitive to heat. It could be 20°F outside, and I’d feel warm.

The worst part is that usually when I get too hot, I have a wicked seizure and wake up on the floor with scraped knees or a bruise on my forehead. I don’t know. Feeling warm terrifies me now because I just know I’m more likely to pass out."

11. Messed up…

"Growing up in a very neurotic family, my biggest fear was that I was like them and lacked the ability to see myself and the world clearly.

It was sort of like, “My mum is in complete denial that she has severe BPD and PTSD; her memories change depending on what she wants to remember. What if I’m the same and just don’t know it?”

I basically gaslit myself."

12. Well, come to think of it…

"That LEGO dragon statue in the water outside the LEGO store in Orlando, Florida.

I recently found out that other people find it scary after discovering the submechanophobia subreddit."

13. Too many Alfred Hitchcock movies...

"Getting a bath or a shower at home alone. I always have the terrible fear that someone will break in and kill me, or I’ll slip, fall, and die. It’s not the dying part that gets me, though; it’s the dying while naked part that does.

Such a vulnerable state to be in, and then when you start to relax, boom, something happens and you die. I don’t know what started this fear, but I wish it would go away, lol."

14. Seeing is believing...

"Freaking walking in the dark. You expect me to just walk comfortably when I hear a small noise in the bushes AND I CAN BARELY SEE!?"

Some fears are weird, but they are still very real to the people living with them.

Still, “corpses in the ground” isn’t the only fear, read about the sister’s emotional support peacock.