So this one has been a nuisance of mine for as long as I can remember. This phobia starts acting up at certain trigger points of mine, like football fields or parking lots. Anything that is seemingly wide open. I get this really uneasy feeling, and if it's really bad, I clench my fists and I start sweating. When this happens, I have to go inside, where there is a roof under my head, just so I can feel comfortable again.

This phobia started affecting me at an early age. I remember the first time I really felt uneasy. I was sitting on a grassy knoll in 1st grade. I didn't know why at the time, I just felt uncomfortable. It's been on and off since then, but the reason I am posting here is because it's been really bad as of late. I know it's all my imagination, but it doesn't help. I get really freaked out.

I've been looking on the internet to see who else may have it, and a few others have described symptoms close to mine. It's not agrophobia, since not all spaces give me trouble. It's just, I literally feel like at any moment the world is going to flip upside down and I will fall into the sky. Any help on the matter would be appreciated.

Welcome to the forum SMK!

So you can't really think of anything that triggered the phobia for you? You just started feeling uncomfortable and it got worse and worse?
You might already have found this out by yourself, but there is a phobia named Ouranophobia or Uranophobia, which is the fear of "heaven or the sky". It might not specifically describe your phobia, but maybe you'll find others with a similar fear if you google it? I haven't really seen anyone on the forum with your particular fear to be honest. Still, no matter what the fear is, they're all related in one way or another. So you might still find it helpful to read through a few threads on the forum.

Have you ever tried to get help? Ever tried beating this on your own?


*edit*
Casadastraphobia ...seems to be one name for your phobia. I doubt it's an official name, seeing as I found it in the "Urban dictionary", but when googling it I found some other people who share your fear. So you're not alone.

(07-12-2011 02:53 PM)Harold-L Wrote:  Welcome to the forum SMK!

So you can't really think of anything that triggered the phobia for you? You just started feeling uncomfortable and it got worse and worse?
You might already have found this out by yourself, but there is a phobia named Ouranophobia or Uranophobia, which is the fear of "heaven or the sky". It might not specifically describe your phobia, but maybe you'll find others with a similar fear if you google it? I haven't really seen anyone on the forum with your particular fear to be honest. Still, no matter what the fear is, they're all related in one way or another. So you might still find it helpful to read through a few threads on the forum.

Have you ever tried to get help? Ever tried beating this on your own?


*edit*
Casadastraphobia ...seems to be one name for your phobia. I doubt it's an official name, seeing as I found it in the "Urban dictionary", but when googling it I found some other people who share your fear. So you're not alone.

It's funny. As I think about it, I actually do have a fear of Heaven. It's actually more of a fear of living for eternity, so I think it's a separate issue. What triggers the fear for me now is my imagination. Sometimes I'll think of what it would be like if I were to fall into the sky, which doesn't help my problem at all. And of course, I get an uneasy feeling as though I am not completely anchored to the ground.

Hi!

I know this is a bit late, but I thought it might help to know that I had that too.

It seems a bit odd, because I remember quite vividly that when I was younger I would suddenly have to dash to somewhere with a roof (and glass ones always felt to me like they would crack, so they didn't help). Unfortunately for me, most of the places I had to go to consisted of open spaces large enough to freak me out. At school I was forced to do PE in the vast field, I had to cross a large open area to get home, my parents loved going on trips to the country which often consisted of walking in open grassy areas.

So I didn't get much help there. I used to cope by lying down on the grass and gripping onto the grass whenever it became too much, then after a while I would be ok enough to get up and run to some trees. But around teachers and parents, they thought this was childish stupidity, so I had to do something else. Usually I would freeze, often close my eyes, and wait until I realised I wasn't falling, then argue with myself internally for a while until I could deal with it.

I understand that this was when I was a kid, so it might be useless. If I knew how I'd stopped getting this feeling, I'd tell you, but I can't remember. Probably overexposure to it or something. I still get that feeling, but far fainter than I used to. Faint enough to push aside. But, I hope it's worth something that you're not the only one.

Best wishes!

Its amazing how phobias affect people and how "unusual" they can be.

The poor person affected by the phobia is made to feel childish and somewhat ridiculed, probably feels like they are the only person in the world that is feeling like they are yet one day they stumble acorss a forum such as Ofear and find that other people suffer the exact same feelings. The exact same phobias.

Im glad you chose to express your problems here, it really will help over people that may sufer from this phobia

Cheers

I too have had this for many years and there are times when I actually have to grab on to my car or shopping cart or lock myself into the bathroom until the major part of the anxiety is leaving. I am so sorry you are a victim of this crazy thought. It is wildley stupid and I know it is I just don't know how not to feel scared. I wish I could give you some great advice. For now I hope it helps for you to know that you are not the only one. [/font]

This is just amazing to read. I have had this fear for so long. I also fear the idea of an eternity in heaven. Forever is just too much. The idea of being a ghost until earth is finally destroyed scares me too. I don't want to float in space forever. But the sky thing has always been there. When you are next to a tall building, do you feel as though you will fall past the top of it, inches away from grabbing it? I also suffer from depersonalization disorder and mild OCD.

I have suffered with this fear since I can remember, the first time I felt it was when I was a kid and I was in a field and I realized the sky is all around us, you can't escape it, I think it is a lot of agraphobia as I used to ave panic attacks in assembly because of the open space and size of the hall, for about a year now I have suffered really bad and have even started to avoid certain places or events, I too used to be scared of falling into the sky until I googled if it could ever happen and the answer was no gravity will never die or whatever, so that put my mind to rest, now the panic is that the sky is everywhere and I get real bad panic attacks if I am in an open place, I feel alot better knowing I'm not the only one, I havent really told anyone about this phobia as people think its just silly, but it is the most terrifying feeling in the world, please, if you ever manage to sure it let me know how you did it