Hello I'm new here. I joined this forum because I wanted to talk to others who have a similar problem. My phobia is of pigeons and in the last few weeks it has got considerably worse. I've always been scared of them but it hasn't stopped me going out and about but now it's grown to such proportions in my mind that I dread going into the city centre where the birds are.

Thank you for listening

Hi leodis57

Welcome to oFear!

Do you know what might have triggered the worsening in the last few weeks? Have you had any recent bad experiences with the birds?

Hi Globetrotter! waves back

Thanks for the welcome. I've had a couple of experiences recently that I think accelerated the problem. On one occasion I had no choice but to walk past a group of pigeons and on another occasion one flew into my face. It's the unpredictability of the birds that frightens me - wondering if they are going to land near me or flap their wings etc. Although I'm fine with small birds I'm also scared of gulls and large birds like geese.

It's really helpful to find somewhere I can talk about my problem.

I wouldn't say I have a "phobia" of birds, but they make me very uncomfortable for sure. birds just don't like me and they always go to come after me. So now they make me nervous so now they come after me cuz im nervous....

at least know your not alone!

Im a bird lover and own a few....my wife is ok with that as long as the bird is chirping, quiet or relatively inactive.

Now if the bird starts flapping her wings, it terrifies her. The noise, the air movement it makes her break into a sweat and panic, even though she loves the bird itself. So i can imagine how you feel walking around if pigeons are nearby, or seagulls

Welcome to the forum and im sure that you are not alone with your fears, discussing them can often help.......

Regards

Thank you!

On Friday I'm going to see a therapist and I hope that this will be of some help. I am becoming totally obsessed by the birds and I'm looking over my shoulder every time I go out to see if there's one around.

Regards

(12-06-2011 04:09 PM)Snooks Wrote:  Im a bird lover and own a few....my wife is ok with that as long as the bird is chirping, quiet or relatively inactive.

Now if the bird starts flapping her wings, it terrifies her. The noise, the air movement it makes her break into a sweat and panic, even though she loves the bird itself. So i can imagine how you feel walking around if pigeons are nearby, or seagulls

Welcome to the forum and im sure that you are not alone with your fears, discussing them can often help.......

Regards

I don't know if it will help you or not but if you just come to realize that you can kill a bird very easily should you get your hands on it, maybe it will help alleviate some of your fears?

Anyway, not sure if it helps or not but either way, welcome to oFear

(12-12-2011 07:05 AM)leodis57 Wrote:  On Friday I'm going to see a therapist and I hope that this will be of some help. I am becoming totally obsessed by the birds and I'm looking over my shoulder every time I go out to see if there's one around.

Did you find the therapist to be of any use leodis57?

Thank you for asking Globetrotter. The first meeting was an introductory one but I am hopeful that the therapy will prove helpful once it starts properly. In the meantime, I am still very anxious when I have to go into town and encounter the birds.

(12-30-2011 05:42 AM)leodis57 Wrote:  Thank you for asking Globetrotter. The first meeting was an introductory one but I am hopeful that the therapy will prove helpful once it starts properly. In the meantime, I am still very anxious when I have to go into town and encounter the birds.

Do you have a second meeting arranged yet?

Hello Leodis57. How do you think this fear started? This reminds me of a former fear of shots I had until my mid- or late-teens. I watched a movie somewhat recently that I remembered liking a lot as a kid, "The Right Stuff." There was a part where a guy was getting a needle (or several, I don't remember) into him and the scene was made to look very uncomfortable. I'm curious if that was a strong reason behind my fear.