(Of course, I thought of Fay, just having gone through the dreaded root canal. You have my sympathies...this article should cheer you up.)
If you really want to scare someone this Halloween, you should think about dressing up as a microphone — 21 percent of Americans say they are afraid of “public speaking/performance.” Alternatively, you could just spend Friday evening forcing fellow partygoers to engage in conversation, since 13 percent fear talking with strangers, according to a survey of 9,282 adults cited in a 2008 study.
Interestingly, when similar questions were posed by the World Health Organization in 20 countries (including the U.S.) in 2011, researchers found that the anxieties charted above were more prevalent in developed countries than in developing ones — with the exception of using a public bathroom.Read it all here at 538.
But it’s hard to find a costume that conveys a fear like “important exam/interview” so I looked at another study, published in 2007, which looked at objects as well as social situations. This survey was even bigger — it asked 43,093 U.S. adults about 12 “specific phobias” as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Respondents were asked if they felt nervous, frightened or tried to avoid any of the items listed, when they thought about or were confronted with the items.
"Working while being watched". Ugh. I never got a "real" office working in tech, it was always cubicles - but the one startup I worked for had an open bullpen. That was the worst.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Fay, sorry about the toof. Root canal sucks.
Of course, I thought of Fay, just having gone through the dreaded root canal.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Fay, sorry about the toof. Root canal sucks.
Ha! Everyone told me. "oh Fay, the only people who tell you root canals hurt are people who never had one. They don't hurt a bit."
LIARS!
Hurt like all get out, don't have one, ever . Unless you are sedated.
Only problem with sedation is that it might interfere with the post-dentist drinking session.
DeleteI had one. It hurts. But you know what was much worse? When the endodontist doesn't get all the root and then has to cut through the side of your gums to get to it. I honestly thought I would have a conniption (and I am NEVER going back, EVER).
DeleteNever had that one (knock on wood) but I have a friend who recently did. It was badly infected, abscessed and whatnot, so it had to be done. He almost passed out from the pain. But he got some gnarly meds afterwards...
DeleteYou know how it is, lewy. Anything going on with our heads is the worst as that's "where we live".
DeleteOMG florrie that sounds positively tortuous. I'd NEVER go back either.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the hell I went through at the periodontist years ago where they had to inject freezing in the roof of my mouth, four separate times. Why I went back after the first time is still a mystery to me.
Unfortunately lewy, I didn't get any gnarly meds after wards LOL :) Your friends ordeal sounds worse than mine.
ReplyDeleteY'all are making me cringe. I'm in the middle of extended dental work as we speak...just narrowly avoided the dreaded root canal. I'd rather eat worms than go to the dentist.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing the harrowing experiences you ladies have had with freezing injections to the roof of the mouth (ACK!) and butchering of the gums, I feel positively woozy with trepidation. Come on lewy, let's drink!
Ugh. So sorry lr.
DeleteI've been in dental hell myself lately. Comes with the territory I think.
Seneca, the Roman stoic, would say be glad you lived long enough that your teeth fell apart.
Life of the party, that Seneca...