MicroPilot
Veteran Member
So what do you do if you are, say, out driving and a thunderstorm pops-up?
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am utterly terrified of lightening. I have been convinced for my entire life that I will be struck by lightening. )</font>
What you describe is typical of a person who suffers from an anxiety disorder. It's not just this lightening, but also the fear of the rotary mower. Now, you should have a deep respect for either, but what you're describing goes beyond that, and I recommend you discuss it with your doctor. I suspect you find yourself, to some degree, having these feelings about a lot of other things, and it's quite common. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of really good fixes, but discussing your fears and facing them down goes a long way toward beating them. I can relate in many ways. One was height for me until I forced myself to climb a Mayan Pyramid that was VERY tall. Now I've done it probably 15 times since, and can even climb up trees and other high places. Best of luck, John
What you describe is typical of a person who suffers from an anxiety disorder. It's not just this lightening, but also the fear of the rotary mower. Now, you should have a deep respect for either, but what you're describing goes beyond that, and I recommend you discuss it with your doctor. I suspect you find yourself, to some degree, having these feelings about a lot of other things, and it's quite common. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of really good fixes, but discussing your fears and facing them down goes a long way toward beating them. I can relate in many ways. One was height for me until I forced myself to climb a Mayan Pyramid that was VERY tall. Now I've done it probably 15 times since, and can even climb up trees and other high places. Best of luck, John
mundamanu
Silver Member
<font color="blue"> So what do you do if you are, say, out driving and a thunderstorm pops-up? </font>
I am actually ok in the car since I know that I am protected from the strike by the car. I saw an experiment performed on the Discovery Channel where they put sensors on crash dummies inside a car and then blasted a bolt of electricity directly into the middle of the roof of the car. The sensors on the dummies bodies didn't register any electricity at all.
I would run out to the car and sit in it every time there is a lightening storm, but what if I get struck on the way TO the car?! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
My fear of lightening is the closest to a phobia that I have come.
I am actually ok in the car since I know that I am protected from the strike by the car. I saw an experiment performed on the Discovery Channel where they put sensors on crash dummies inside a car and then blasted a bolt of electricity directly into the middle of the roof of the car. The sensors on the dummies bodies didn't register any electricity at all.
I would run out to the car and sit in it every time there is a lightening storm, but what if I get struck on the way TO the car?! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
My fear of lightening is the closest to a phobia that I have come.
mundamanu
Silver Member
KiotiJohn,
I do certainly suffer from a mild anxiety disorder--all of my anxieties relate to bodily injury.
There are two life events, both comparable in many ways to a "lightening strike" of sorts, that have contributed to my irrational fear of bodily injury. The first was a car accident when I was nine years old. My grandfather lost control of the car, we jumped a curb and crashed head on into a house. Luckily we were not going fast and I merely smashed my head against the dashboard hard enough to knock me out and swell my eye shut (no seat belt) for a few days. My grandfather was fine. To a sensitive nine year old, that crash had a tremendous amount of significance and a lasting effect on my understanding of my physical vulnerabilities. The second event was in the early 1990s, during my invincible 20s. I nearly lost my left eye in a drunken (non-driving) accident. The probability of the specific line of causes that resulted in the effect of a large piece of a broken glass picture frame flying across the room at high velocity directly into my eye as I looked up from a bowl of chicken soup to say something to my friend are absurdly miniscule, almost certainly less likely than a lightening strike. Yet, it happened. That accident had a profound effect on my tolerance for perceived threats to my physical safety.
The fear of the rotary mower is a healthy respect-type fear. I have never used one before. I know they are potentially dangerous, therefore I am a little nervous about using it. Once I have it hooked up and have run it for a bit I won't mind it at all.
The lightening on the other hand is completely and utterly irrational.
In one of those neat quirks of timing, there is a lightening storm going on right now! Luckily, I am on the eleventh floor of a 35-story building, in the middle of a hi-rise downtown business district, and about fifty feet from the nearest window, so I have no fear at all. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Should I get into my fear of bees too? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif No, really, I am terrified of them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I do certainly suffer from a mild anxiety disorder--all of my anxieties relate to bodily injury.
There are two life events, both comparable in many ways to a "lightening strike" of sorts, that have contributed to my irrational fear of bodily injury. The first was a car accident when I was nine years old. My grandfather lost control of the car, we jumped a curb and crashed head on into a house. Luckily we were not going fast and I merely smashed my head against the dashboard hard enough to knock me out and swell my eye shut (no seat belt) for a few days. My grandfather was fine. To a sensitive nine year old, that crash had a tremendous amount of significance and a lasting effect on my understanding of my physical vulnerabilities. The second event was in the early 1990s, during my invincible 20s. I nearly lost my left eye in a drunken (non-driving) accident. The probability of the specific line of causes that resulted in the effect of a large piece of a broken glass picture frame flying across the room at high velocity directly into my eye as I looked up from a bowl of chicken soup to say something to my friend are absurdly miniscule, almost certainly less likely than a lightening strike. Yet, it happened. That accident had a profound effect on my tolerance for perceived threats to my physical safety.
The fear of the rotary mower is a healthy respect-type fear. I have never used one before. I know they are potentially dangerous, therefore I am a little nervous about using it. Once I have it hooked up and have run it for a bit I won't mind it at all.
The lightening on the other hand is completely and utterly irrational.
In one of those neat quirks of timing, there is a lightening storm going on right now! Luckily, I am on the eleventh floor of a 35-story building, in the middle of a hi-rise downtown business district, and about fifty feet from the nearest window, so I have no fear at all. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Should I get into my fear of bees too? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif No, really, I am terrified of them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I do certainly suffer from a mild anxiety disorder--all of my anxieties relate to bodily injury. )</font>
I certainly don't LIKE being out in the lightening. Florida is the lightening capital with quite a few people killed every year.
Just the other day we had over 1000 lightening stikes in one afternoon storm here.
I sure understand where you're coming from on this, and for the most part, the anxiety has led you to be extra careful about some things, and you may just have saved your life at times. I'm just sorry about the terrible feeling of it all that I can imagine you've gone through, as with my heights problem. While it doesn't make me panic any longer, it does make me extra cautious when climbing high.
I think if you were able to get everyone with whom you speak to be totally forthcoming, you'd find that most of us have some degree of anxiety disorder.
One thing I found when I was working psychiatric nursing was that most all people have issues of one sort or another when it comes to "mental health." Thanks for sharing this as I'm sure someone read it and said, "Well, I'm not the only one." John
I certainly don't LIKE being out in the lightening. Florida is the lightening capital with quite a few people killed every year.
Just the other day we had over 1000 lightening stikes in one afternoon storm here.
I sure understand where you're coming from on this, and for the most part, the anxiety has led you to be extra careful about some things, and you may just have saved your life at times. I'm just sorry about the terrible feeling of it all that I can imagine you've gone through, as with my heights problem. While it doesn't make me panic any longer, it does make me extra cautious when climbing high.
I think if you were able to get everyone with whom you speak to be totally forthcoming, you'd find that most of us have some degree of anxiety disorder.
One thing I found when I was working psychiatric nursing was that most all people have issues of one sort or another when it comes to "mental health." Thanks for sharing this as I'm sure someone read it and said, "Well, I'm not the only one." John
Junkman
Super Member
My (female) Greyhound never minded the lightning storms at all, and just seemed to ignore them completely. On the other side of the coin, my male Weimeraner didn't like them at all and would go into the closet and lie down. Since the Greyhound was very attached to him, she would go in to keep him company. I know the the Greyhound wasn't afraid of the lightning because many times she would stay alone at a neighbors if we were away for the afternoon. She was a wonderful dog, but just didn't like to be without people around. If we left her in the house with the Weimeraner, she would take the place apart and he would join in. If they were separated, neither would get into trouble. Once the Weimeraner got old and lost his hearing, the lightning/thunder storms didn't bother him. As a side note, my Weimeraners names were Thunder/Lightning/Storm/Misty/ and none of those were afraid of any kinds of weather. When I received the last male "Blue" or as we called him "Boo" he already had been named... he was the only one that was afraid of storms. The Greyhounds name was "Holly"...... she came with that name...
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( As a side note, my Weimeraners names were Thunder/Lightning/Storm/Misty/ and none of those were afraid of any kinds of weather. )</font>
Sounds as though you've had a lot of wonderful companions in those dogs.
My late wife's shitzu (sp) used to get so terrified, she'd really tear things up. I don't know if it was terror or anger as she would really tear the blinds down in an effort to get at the lightening. But the valium kept her calm. Polly said she really just hated to have to keep replacing the blinds if we left her alone. Lotto was the dog's name because Polly loved to play the lottery. John
Sounds as though you've had a lot of wonderful companions in those dogs.
My late wife's shitzu (sp) used to get so terrified, she'd really tear things up. I don't know if it was terror or anger as she would really tear the blinds down in an effort to get at the lightening. But the valium kept her calm. Polly said she really just hated to have to keep replacing the blinds if we left her alone. Lotto was the dog's name because Polly loved to play the lottery. John
Junkman
Super Member
From Thunder, born 1970, to Star, born 2002, the Weimeraners span 35 years. They have all been great dogs and I have a special place in my heart for each and every one of them. The home is filled with portraits of the dogs past and present. I only wish that they could live longer lives. Holly (Greyhound) was the longest lived dog having attained the ripe old age of approximately 19.... Chloe, was the shortest lived dog having only made it to 9 months. Of all the dogs, she was the one that was the closest to me in many ways, because of her special needs. No matter where I went, she was only about 3 feet away. She would even wait for me when I took a shower by lying on the floor by the shower door. I sure do miss that pup..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
DAP
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Junk, one of our greys, as stated above, goes into panick at thunder - he shakes the plates off the shelf - all about 10 minutes before us humans can hear the thunder.
The other grey, Alice could care less about thunder/lightening, but if she hears ANY wind rustling through trees or windows, she b-lines it for the darkest part of the house.
The greys aren't like dogs at all - so quirky - which is what makes them the best kept secret out there.
There both going for a teeth cleaning this week and the CEO is severely nervous (anesthesia). Need this to be over with.
/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
The other grey, Alice could care less about thunder/lightening, but if she hears ANY wind rustling through trees or windows, she b-lines it for the darkest part of the house.
The greys aren't like dogs at all - so quirky - which is what makes them the best kept secret out there.
There both going for a teeth cleaning this week and the CEO is severely nervous (anesthesia). Need this to be over with.
/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
Taylortractornut
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Mundamanu I understand the lightning fear. I operate heavy equipment mostly dozers, excavators, and cranes and have a healthy respect for lightning. I was operating a crane on a job on the Tennessee River and had a sorm sneak up my blind side and got a little strike that came off a tree that was struck. The crane gave me a wierd low voltage jolt i think one thing that gave it to me was the steel canopy of the crane had a fold up panel for viewing the really high lifts. I had it folded up. The crane operators manual says in a storm if you cont have cover unlock the swing brake to weather vane and close all the doors But my biggest concern was the long days at the landfill we run is ligthning hits the hardest there in the whole county. I think it has to do with all the sand wh have uncovered there. We use hill and hollows to bury the rubbish and sometimes a storm will slip up if you can hear the thunder over the engine. Ive been off in a 70 foot deep hollow from the barn and it seemed like the dozer would never get back to the barn. wide open 3rd gear lol. I hate operating the rolloff truck I drive now because of storms all I have to do on the new truck is get out to hook the can and can get in the cab to hoist and winch the can up then have to lean out to operate the tarp. I dont like that either.
