sight of random clusters of
holes or dots. For me, polka
dots are fine as they have some
sort of uniform pattern.
While they don’t make me
afraid, per se, it’s a feeling of
being creeped out or panicky.
I find it all gross and get the
heebiejeebies instantly, my
heart jumps a little when it’s
really triggered and I just have
to look away. I get nauseous
and have to take a big breath
to calm down. The feeling is
usually very fleeting as I can
control my line of sight and
concentrate on something else.
I think all of us who have it are
forever curious if it has gone
away miraculously, so we look
at triggering stuff again. If I
see something, I’ll take a good
look just to test myself. It’s a
strange reaction, not sourced
from anything in particular.
Overall it doesn’t have a
negative effect on my life. If
anything, it’s a funny anecdote.’‘MY SKIN
SHIVERS AT
THE THOUGHT
OF VELVET’
Rachel, 25, is disgusted by the
fashionable fabric
‘My aunty had a red velvet
couch when I was about eight
years old and I couldn’t go
near it. The texture gave me
goosebumps, even just looking
at it. Since then, I’ve had a fear
of anything velvet.
What is it about velvet?
The look is what scares me
most. It’s thick and heavy and
something that can’t be tamed.
It makes me feel really ill, my
stomach starts churning like
I’m about to throw up and my
whole body heats up. I’ve tried
to “scare myself out of it” and
get close and touch it, but I
end up squealing. It’s really
something I struggle to shake.
I was at a wedding where
an attendee was wearing a
velvet dress and I couldn’t go
near her table, despite having
friends seated there. One friend
who was on that table called
me over during the night and,
as I went to tell them I couldn’t
come over, she finished my
sentence with “...because there
is velvet.” My friends love it,
because I end up being the
target of velvetrelated jokes!
Is it a phobia or something
that makes me uncomfortable?
I would say a bit of both. It’s
something I have tried to shake
and can’t. It just sticks.’ #‘THE WORD
“EGG” MAKES
ME QUIVER’
Eleni, 34, cannot be around
eggs, which makes brunch
interesting...
‘It’s really strange... growing
up, I loved eating eggs and had
them most mornings, but as I
got older I just got completely
turned off by them for so many
reasons. I really can’t handlewatching anyone eat a runny
egg – it makes me want to
vomit. I can’t even talk about
them without feeling sick! I
can’t even stand the word “egg”.
It’s just a word, I know, but it
makes me quiver.
I would say that the phobia
really kicked in when I was a
teenager. I was fine up until
then but then it’s like puberty
kicked in and suddenly I hated
the idea of eggs. It really hit
home when I was talking to
a friend about my dislike for
them and their response was,
“Yeah, I guess an egg really
is a chicken’s period.” Wow,
that was the icing on the cake.
My family is of Greek
heritage, so every Easter, as
part of our traditions, we dye
boiled eggs red. I remember
one year I was with all of my
cousins and I went to the bath
room. When I came back, they
had shelled a whole bunch of
boiled eggs and had thrown
them into my water – some of
the yolks were floating around.
I actually threw up at the sight!
My friends think it’s
hilarious! They often forget
about it when we’re out eating,
and if they order runny eggs
when I’m near I have to change
seats. Then when the penny
drops, all the puns start: “Oh
this breakfast is eggcelent” or
“This is eggsactly what I felt
like”. So I try to avoid going
out for brunch.
I don’t think I would ever
seek professional help unless
something awful happened –
like the world ran out of food
and all that was left was eggs.
Then I suppose I’d kind of be
forced to.’WHEN YOU
FEAR DOTS
BUT YOU’RE
COVERED
IN THEM!GETTY IMAGES