I know there must be a name for this as people often refer to it as an unusual/weird phobia.

I have a fear of umbrellas. I can NOT handle being under one and really even touching one creeps me out. There is one in my place right now that someone left here and it creeps me out just thinking that it is there.

I have found it before on the internet, but I've been searching now for a while and I can't find it anymore. Anyone have any idea what this is called? Anyone else suffer from this?

Hiya Y2Jasmine and a very warm welcome to oFear

I'm not aware of a name for this phobia but nonetheless it's not wierd but maybe uncommon that's all.

Do you suffer from claustrophobia? I'm wondering if this umbrella phobia it linked to claustrophobia.

John

Hey John - thanks for the quick response...

As per my intro post http://www.ofear.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4383&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a I have no claustrophobic tendencies otherwise. Just the umbrella itself.

Hi Jasmine

To be honest I'm more curious about the worms in the rain than the umbrella! But it's not about me , eh?
Just a random question but - is the fear linked to superstition in any way?

I'm not sure if you wanted any help with this but do you mind if I ask more questions about this so perhaps we'll understand more about how it bothers you?

(And then I ask them anyhow before you get chance to answer! Just ignore them if you'd rather not answer)

Are there any particular circumstances with the umbrella that make it worse or better? Like having it open or closed.
How do you cope on a rainy day when people are carrying them outside? Are you able to walk outside then or do you confine yourself to wherever you are until the rain is gone?
And what if it's raining heavy and you need to move through the rain - could you overcome your fear and use one if necessary or would you simply choose to get soaking wet?

Finally, how does it effect you physically? Do you get full blown anxiety or do you manage to contain yourself?

Lots of questions...and lots of writing. :)

>Just a random question but - is the fear linked to superstition in any way?
Nope not at all.

>I'm not sure if you wanted any help with this but do you mind if I ask more questions about
>this so perhaps we'll understand more about how it bothers you?
Nah I'll answer :)

>Are there any particular circumstances with the umbrella that make it worse or better? Like
>having it open or closed.
Being under when it's open is terrible. Being around it when it's open, like beside someone with one - I will let them go ahead or pass them, I find it uneasy. Being around it when it is closed, I am uneasy.

>How do you cope on a rainy day when people are carrying them outside? Are you able to
>walk outside then or do you confine yourself to wherever you are until the rain is gone?
I avoid the people with umbrellas. I either pass them really fast or let them walk ahead of me. If I do have to pass them, I make sure I'm not under the umbrella when I pass or my stomach gets queasy.

>And what if it's raining heavy and you need to move through the rain - could you overcome
>your fear and use one if necessary or would you simply choose to get soaking wet?
This has happened many times - I will NOT go under for any reason. I have gotten soaking wet more than once to where all my clothes and hair could be wrung out.

>Finally, how does it effect you physically? Do you get full blown anxiety or do you manage to
>contain yourself?
Being under them or close to being under them - my stomach churns, my shoulders and other muscles tense up, my breathing increases, my pulse increases, my toes curl, my ears pull (wiggle upwards), the hands clench. I can't say what happens if I stay under one as I don't ever stay longer than I have to - preferably less than a second. One time I had to for work to show a lady an umbrella - I ended up leaving on break right after and just walked around to calm down for almost an hour. I was sweaty and shaking when I finally got out from under them.

Being beside one that is open - I hate it. I don't like to look at it. My muscles tense up with the fact that they might put me under it accidentally. If they ask - such as my grandma does as she doesn't understand this - I curtly answer NO. My stomach feels like butterflies are in it. My eyes dart to observe every move the umbrella makes.

Being beside a closed one - I am very aware that it is there. I am tense if someone is holding it, just in case they open it close to me. I avoid all forms of contact.

Touching an umbrella - my stomach becomes uneasy (butterflies almost) and my muscles tense up.

Right now I have a closed one in my apartment, it bothers me a LOT. Today I had to touch it as it fell down and after I tossed it I couldn't stop thinking about it. I thought it wasn't here anymore. I don't know who it belongs to - either my boy's friend or my grandma. I wanted it gone a long time ago. I want to throw it in the garbage, but I don't want to touch it again. The next time someone is over, I'm going to get them to do it. For now, I am keeping an eye on it so that I do not touch it.

My anxiety has gotten worse over the years with the umbrellas. It used to be just being under them, then I realized within the past 3 years it now involves touching them as well. The work situation where I stood under one for a customer, I did that in 1999 - I would NEVER be able to do that now. I get anxious even thinking of it. I also used to be able to walk beside my grandma when she had her umbrella up. Now I walk in front of or behind her, preferably behind so I can keep an eye to make sure I don't go under it.

ok... slightly off topic - but here is the worms in the rain story for anyone who read my intro.

It was 1990 - I was in grade 8 and that year I got put on the bus line. The only bad thing was I was the first on the bus line in my part of town so I had to stand outside and wait for the bus that was often not on time. Needless to say I had to get out there 10 minutes early and sometimes wait over half an hour.

So it's Spring of 1990 and I go outside as usual to wait for my bus. I'm wearing my rain jacket and rubber boots as it's really pouring outside. I put on my earphones to listen to my Walkman (portable cassette tape player). Well, it's been a while and I had to flip over the tape, so maybe 20-30 minutes. I look down and the ground is COVERED with worms. I mean hundreds are in my driveway and lawn. There are small ones, big ones, short ones, long ones, and dew worms that are big and fat. I look down and start to freak right out. One is just on the verge of getting into my boot, his tip is just reaching over the top. I shake my boots and use my coat jacket to get rid of the worms on my boots. But now I have a problem, I still have to wait for my bus and I'm freaked. I put on my music on full blast and start dancing back and forth - anything to keep moving to keep the worms off my boots. I start praying (even tho I'm not religious) for the bus to come. Finally after an agonizing 5 minutes the bus comes.

The reason for the worms? Everytime it rains, worms do this. They don't want to drown so they come up. Well that day due to ALL the rain all night and morning, I guess ALL the worms decided to come up. Eeew! Now when it rains, here I am walking in the rain getting soaked due to the lack of umbrella, but I'm also walking slow to ensure I don't accidentally step on a worm or come into a patch of bunch of worms.

Oddly enough, I can fish with worms with no issues. It's just worms in the rain on the ground that bother me.

Hi Jasmine,

I'd just to say - fascinating! I hope that doesn't sound patronising or anything but the wonders of the mind never cease to amaze me! Thanks for sharing your stories.

I have a curiosity on the worms and the umbrellas and not wanting to add 2 + 2 and make 5 - is there anything about this that is more to do with an association with rain and worms than the umbrellas themselves? I'd also be curious about the rainy worms event and whether this freaked you as much to have this 'trauma' at the back of your mind - and the umbrella fear is about association?

This is all speculation and I'll explain my theory all out - then you take from it that makes sense (if anything) and discard the rest.

1990 - having to wait for bus - worms come and scare the heck out of you.
[Here sows the seed of association of worms and rain]
Some time later the worm experience lives on at the back of your mind. When it rains - what do people do? They put up umbrellas - so here is another association and now it's become - umbrellas = rain = worms.
Umbrellas are inanimate objects and, unlike rats, mice, spiders or even worms, their 'behaviour' can be largely predicted.
It's different when the umbrella is in other peoples hands as you're then predicting their (unpredictable) behaviour and not the umbrella.
So for the umbrella on it's own to be fear invoking - I'd suggest it has more to do with the association than what it can actually do to you.
That's the basic theory.

The fact you aren't bothered by worms when fishing - well I guess it's dry when you fish so no rain or worms erupting from the ground.

The umbrella in the store will not help - because it's taking the perception of control out of your hands. You no doubt felt 'forced' to do this as part of your job and the worst thing in phobia is to force someone into exposure without good planning or back up.

I realise I'm grabbing at only these two things you've told me about yourself and trying to make a connection - but usually the things that the person tells me about as being most significant are just that - the most significant.

My other theory would be you're afraid of getting poked in the eye!
But that's because it's something I'm averse to and dislike walking in crowds of people with umbrellas for that reason.

Interesting theory Ian...not sure if it's correct or not.

I would assume that due to your theory I might also be afraid of the rain, which I'm not - I love the rain. Most people avoid walking in the rain, but for me I find it refreshing (as long as there is no worms on the ground).

I wish I could remember when this fear of umbrellas started. I don't ever remember owning one as a kid, but I can't recall that being linked to a fear. The first instance I truly remember is walking when I was perhaps 16 with my grandma uptown. She put the umbrella she had in her hand over my head and I suddenly felt SUPER uncomfortable. I pulled out from under it and said, no it's ok - I don't mind getting wet. Then it grew and grew to where it is now.

I wish sometimes that I would like umbrellas, I mean I have gotten drenched before due to my hate of them. I just can't even bring myself to willingly touch one anymore. I've tried in stores on those umbrella racks, the ones where they hang all in their plastic covers. Those never used to bother me, but now I can't even touch those ones.

I've tried to think to attribute it to different things and people have suggested things over the years. They suggested the noise of the pop when it opens bothers me, like someone scared me with it. Then someone else suggested that umbrellas are used to scare things away in movies sometimes...like they open and close it to scare off a cat. I mean the noise creeps me out but that's more of the anticipation of fear that they are going to put me under it and less of the actual noise.

The other theory is that they used to say not to use an umbrella in lightning, that the metal would make you more attractive to a strike. But if that were true, I probably would be afraid to stand under a tree in a storm and I'm not.

Ahhh...I hate not knowing the cause. Is it not true that once you know the cause you can overcome the fear? Or is that just a theory?

Well that sucks about my theory.

Knowing the cause can help to overcome the fear for sure and if you were to engage with someone 1:1 for longer I'm sure something more meaningful might arise to uncover the origins. But it's not strictly necessary. There are other remedies.

CBT (see here for more info) can help you to overcome the fear by teaching you to adjust your thoughts and behaviour when around the object of fear. There are many 'teaching methods' and they are all pretty much based on normal everyday ways of learning and have a reasonable success rate. The way CBT works relies on your desire to get better being greater than your desire to remain phobic.
As an umbrella fear does not often impede your life - other than you get wet when it rains (which you say you find refreshing anyhow) or you struggle as you are now with one in the house - it may be something you need to decide how badly you want to be able to overcome the fear. Many people with phobias and fears simply do their best to avoid them all their life - but this doesn't prepare you for times like in the store at your work or when someone leaves one behind in your home.

Hypnosis may well be a useful option too.

Are you sure it's not the worms? I really liked that theory.

Sorry Ian, I'm pretty sure it's not the worms... but good try.

I looked at some of the therapy options and at the time, I'm not ready for it yet. I didn't even THINK of hypnosis - geesh and I just went to see one for a fun thing too and talked with him after. He is a registered hypnotherapist and I could have used him. I am EASILY hypnotized. In the latest fun one I went to I went down to level 5 - which only me and one other girl did from our group of 10. It was interesting for sure... so I'm sure hypnosis with the umbrella might work. Hmmm...

Sounds like a good idea.

If you need any help locating a hypnotherapist let us know - be sure and look for one who's certified.

And let us know how you get on?

And ask him to desensitise you from the worms thing too!

Hi all, Im new here and I just want to say that I believe its possible y2jasmine's fear of umbrellas is unrelated to the worms etc as I have a very young son (2 and a half) who is terrified of them. I first noticed this when he had just turned 2, we were at a county spring fling and as I approached a large tent (no sides to it, but a high tented ceiling with many tables and chairs set up inside, a band, and dancefloor) he suddenly clung to me desperately, shaking, and I could literally feel his heartbeat increase. I had no idea what happened, I wondered if a bug had stung him or something. Then I realized when I backed away from the tent he calmed down but the closer I got the more he would freak out. If I tried to take him inside his physical reactions sound almost exactly what she described. Complete panic. Later that summer, we had a barbeque in the backyard and our patio table umbrella was up, he had the same reaction. Even with only close family around, holding him, and speaking soothingly, he was very upset to be near it. If he was on the other side of the yard, he was calmer, but still quite nervous and kept looking as if it it would jump off and chase him. Then during that same summer we went to a water park which had several large umbrellas set up around the perimeter so people could relax in the shade, he freaked out again and we had to sit in the sun, away from them.

Now the other issue here, is that he has several behaviors and developmental delays which have led me to believe he is most likely autistic, late walker, speech and language delay, obsessive behaviors, obsessed with spinning toys and parts of objects, how things move, picky eater, etc.

y2jasmine, do you have any traits that make you think you might have autism or any other type of issue like ocd or anything? im just curious. With him being so young, Im pretty certain there havent been any crazy 'umbrella incidents' to cause the fear, so I'm thinking it is just something miswired in the brain if you will.

As we speak we have a very small colorful umbrella out and I've been working with him showing him how it can go up and down, encouraging him to touch it when closed, and singing songs about it to try to show him that it is okay, nothing fearful. He also had a bad reaction to the 'parachute' toy used in school, but with multiple exposures, he has gotten better. I'm trying to increase his exposure to the umbrellas slowly but surely and he DOES seem to be making progress!!! He points them out in books and seems very interested, and right now seems happy about the umbrella, but only from a distance. His biggest negative reaction seems to be when it is overhead, so I do wonder if its more similar to a claustrophobic type reaction than some kind of umbrella related trauma as people suggested, or associating with worms.

Also, he did have a similar bad reaction to fancy light fixtures hanging in a hotel lobby, so combined with the umbrellas, the tent...it definitely seems to be an issue with things overhead.

Thanks for sharing.
Kaci

Hiya Kaci_anne and a very warm welcome to Ofear

Thanks for the very informative long introduction. It's good to see you're using some exposure techniques to help him deal with his phobias and have you noticed any significant difference in him?

John

Yes actually I have!! In the last few days, he has done better and better with playing with the small umbrella. Only problem now is he seems slightly obsessed with it. He asks for it a few times a day and cries when I put it away, but thats yet another quirk of his personality is that he obsesses over various things. I think its better than having a debilitating fear anyway, and hopefully as the novelty wears off the obsessive behavior will wane off. Thanks!