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Snow phobia

(25 Posts)
winterwhite Thu 01-Mar-18 17:16:20

Following from an interesting post on a thread about unblocking sinks (!), I too feel oddly frightened by snow. Nothing to do with risk of falling over, more the eeyrieness of it and an odd restlessness. Half of Gransnet seems to have emptied its drawers, cleared out it’s cupboards and made industrial quantities of soup, and i’ve just been nervously looking out of the window. Hate it. ???

Anniebach Thu 01-Mar-18 18:47:33

I have a snow phobia , have done for years, so strong I cannot wear the colour white or have white linen in the house, I see white and think snow, even in the summer. I do sympathise with you x

MaluCatchu1 Fri 02-Mar-18 10:41:02

That must be terrible for you, especially atm obv! Luckily we don't very often get it now and its soon over. I watched "The Big Freeze" last night about the 1963 um, big freeze!. Now that would've been horrendous for you, if you remember it. Went on for weeks and was proper snow, 14' drifts the lot. We don't really get anything like that now, suppose due to global warming? I love it personally but it is wearing a bit thin - whats happened to the post, milkman, delivery people? I was due a Tesco delivery on Tuesday about which I got a cursory text simply saying due to bad weather no deliveries. No post or milk since Monday either. I'm happy to see snow but feel bad for you. I have a phobia of worms. Just writing it down makes me shudder and feel bit sick. Keep warm and don't look outside!

Anniebach Fri 02-Mar-18 12:02:44

The 63 winter didn't trouble me, I walked the mountains helping to dig out sheep. My phobia hit me later, only had to hear on the news - snow in Scotland and I had a panic attack, I live in Wales ! For years had to have medication, now I just muddle through, I am realy fearful , try to avoid looking out of the windows , even close my eyes opening door for my dogs to go into the garden, so stupid. When we married I hunted for a deep cream wedding gown couldn't wear white.

Teetime Fri 02-Mar-18 12:07:58

I'm not phobic but I hate hate hate snow and all the disruption and accidents it causes. Why people want to throw themselves off mountains with bits of wood or tea trays attached to them I cannot imagine.

goldengirl Fri 02-Mar-18 12:51:13

I'm not phobic but I'm scared to walk on it. I have trouble working in 'normal' weather! That said I felt sad for the children whose head teacher wouldn't let them touch the snow let along play in it in case they hurt themselves - they're nearer the ground than I am if they fall!

BlueBelle Fri 02-Mar-18 12:55:09

What a strange name to choose considering your fear !⛄️

yggdrasil Fri 02-Mar-18 13:20:41

goldengirl: That said I felt sad for the children whose head teacher wouldn't let them touch the snow let along play in it in case they hurt themselves - they're nearer the ground than I am if they fall!

It may be a different case, but the head teacher I heard talk about this was because the children got wet, all over if they fell or got snowballed, and then had to sit in wet clothes in classes. Which was unhealthy and not conducive to learning. That was a secondary school. At a local primary, they had a more flexible timetable, could encourage the kids to play, and learn about snow, and dry them off when they came back in

winterwhite Fri 02-Mar-18 17:00:14

Fair point, Bluebelle! Dunno why I chose this name, except that that was in September, and out of sight out of mind.... In 1963 I remember thinking that the earth had somehow got stuck on its axis. But I feel a fraud compared with you, Anniebach I don’t have panic attacks or medication, just a feeling that it will never get better. Thanks for kind replies. Surely it will stop tomorrow??

jordana Sun 04-Mar-18 20:50:46

I have never heard of anyone having a snow phobia. It must be awful for you at the moment with all the snow about. I think we are past the worst of it now. Is it the snow on the ground that troubles you or falling snow or just the colour white?

lemongrove Sun 04-Mar-18 20:56:07

Annie I remember you talking of your snow phobia a couple of years ago on GN, and thinking I had never heard of anyone with that!
I really wonder what brought it on, must have been something upsetting.Am not asking for details btw as it is your business.Have you considered hypnotherapy for it?
Living in hilly Wales you must dread the onset ofWinter.

MissAdventure Sun 04-Mar-18 21:11:03

I can understand the feeling.
It changes everything, and makes everywhere look alien and barren. (Apart from on Christmas cards)

Anniebach Sun 04-Mar-18 21:31:37

Every thing about it, colour, smell, atmosphere.

Lemon, after we talked about it a few years ago I did see a psychologist , he was a lovely chap, I saw him several times , he did use hypnotherapy , it was grim, he recorded it and I felt such an idiot, rabbiting on about it changing colour , it stopping them breathing then I screamed, he brought me from it. I was sick, how embarrassing was that .

etheltbags1 Mon 05-Mar-18 07:16:41

I love snow as long as im behind a window and nice and warm with a good book and as long as it lasts no more than 2 days ad i cant get to work. It must be horrible for those who hate it though

TwiceAsNice Mon 05-Mar-18 08:18:45

I am not phobic but hate walking in it. Ours is gone now but my daughter who lives in the next street to me walked over to my flat and walked me over to her house holding my arm asIm scared I'll fall. Other daughter put crampons on the bottom of my shoes for me and it made me feel safer . I'm terrified of driving in it. Last winter it started snowing whilst I was in work ,nearly an hours drive away, I felt panicky all the way home and was so relieved when I got back. I only vaguely remember the winter of 1963 I was only 10. I remember 1982 as my two oldest children were 6 and 2 and had to be towed on a sledge if we went out because it was too deep for them to walk, youngest wasn't born until the year after.

winterwhite Mon 05-Mar-18 11:25:17

Yes, panicky and spooked. Find having to stay inside because hilly road impassable very scary. But compared to you, Anniebach, I used the word phobia rather loosely. I’m sorry.

Anniebach Mon 05-Mar-18 11:33:38

No winterwhite, it fills you with fear , this is what phobias do and I sympathise with you. Think how many fear thunder storms, fear of snow is the same just few suffer from it . My younger daughter is terrified of snakes , what are the chances of her coming across one? Yet she cannot even see one on tv without be realy frightened of it.

TerriBull Mon 05-Mar-18 12:02:03

I don't have a phobia about it, but weather such as we have just had does wreak havoc in so many ways. I'm urban, suburban, so don't perceive my inconvenience to anything like as great as those who live in rural outlying areas that become quite cut off. Disruption to rail travel nevertheless is considerable. One son told me that his firm's offices in London shut at 3 pm last week so everyone was able to get home before the 6 pm deadline warnings given by the various rail networks. I I worried about my other son driving to and from work. We tried not to do too much driving ourselves, but had a funeral to attend on Friday, 30 or so miles away and that day the snow fell and settled along our route. Snow can look very pretty in an idealised way, but the reality is not so great, we are not geared up for it like say, Canada, where I have cousins, it can start as early as September there but life goes on pretty smoothly. On a lighter note, did have a chortle at some of the quips posted by other countries such as Canada and Norway who mocked us with "So Britain thinks it has Snow" contrasting our modest sprinkling, to some extreme pictures of their mounds of the white stuff.

TerriBull Mon 05-Mar-18 12:06:03

I know what you mean about "atmosphere" Annie, I always think there is an eerie silence and surreal feeling about snow, can be pretty, but strangely creepy as well

Anniebach Mon 05-Mar-18 13:46:58

The eeriness is horrible Terri. I now know I have to accept my phobia, cannot undo what the psychologist believes is the cause and no hypnotherapy can erase it or ease it.

Spring on the way ? and I won't be troubled by it until the clocks change in October , then it kicks off again.

lemongrove Mon 05-Mar-18 15:08:43

Annie flowers You will have to move to hotter climes!

Mapleleaf Tue 06-Mar-18 08:21:13

It's strange, isn't it, how things can affect us. I don't have a phobia about snow, but become tired of it and the inconvenience it can cause. Having said that, I love the atmosphere after snow has just fallen - there's a stillness and calm that I think is quite magical. It's when it freezes and later turns to dirty slush that it is less magical, and I'm not fond of driving in it, either!

Cherrytree59 Tue 06-Mar-18 08:58:51

I would describe my self as a 'winterphobe'
Anxiety levels rise mid September,
I start to fret about dark nights and winter.
Completely spoils Autumn for me.
I count the days until the winter equinox
Then count the days until clock changes at the end of March.

Strangely what helps me is to get daffodils in to the house.
I have been able to buy some weekly since the beginning of February.
During the bad weather I have had them on every windowsill acting like a charm against the snow.

Spring is heresunshine

Anniebach Tue 06-Mar-18 10:36:23

Cherry as soon as someone says - the evenings are getting darker , that does it for me . I so agree that daffodils in the house helps , this year I haven't been able to buy them and miss them so much

winterwhite Tue 06-Mar-18 11:31:55

Thanks for the daffodil tip, will def try it next year.