Orrany+C’s+OpEd+Article

"Irrational Fears are Just Plain Annoying"
by Orrany Allany C.



media type="file" key="orranhyc-muckraker-0910.mp3" Now, how many of you guys have jumped into your bed with rapid speed after the lights are turned off? Why is it that you quickly react to secure yourself into the “safe” bed of comfort? Do monsters live under the bed? Or the shadowy figures of the dead dwell in the luxury of your room, wait to attack in the dark? Well, I admit that I have multiple irrational fears that just annoy the hell out of me; it’s just illogical. These worries are ridiculous and unlikely to actually occur, but that paranoia remains within my soul. No matter what, thought will forever linger in the back of the conscience.

I always inspect the bathtub/shower stall before showering… who knows who might pop out and shoot you. Also, when I shower, it is impossible to close my eyes for more than 5 seconds for I panic at the thought of an assassin suddenly appearing. Now as absurd as that previous example had been, it gets even weirder when I brush my teeth. After plopping a dot of toothpaste onto the dental brush, I have to immediately look down and back away from the sink. As crazy as it may sound, I fear that a random arm will slice my ankles with a box cutter so I stray as far from the sink as possible. Mirrors are just plain creepy. I have this obscure notion that a person will abruptly appear behind me as I clean my teeth.

It may seem as if I am some twitchy paranoid person, and that is somewhat true to an extent, really, I'm a normal teenage girl with angst, stress, and homework. My case may be a bit extreme but I know other people contribute to their share of irrational fears; it can range from spontaneous combustion to those creepy porcelain dolls that are waiting to kill you in your sleep (they stare into your soul). My annoyance of this odd psychological problem comes from the fact that I try to counteract the paranoia, but in the end I just fail. Maybe its the fact that I failed that bugs me the most? Or it may be the awareness of my lack of effort? I’ve tried my best, but I guess that’s no where near enough to repel this displeasure. The most maddening aspect of this problem is that I am very well aware of my predicament; I just can’t get rid of it. But I don't feel lonely or isolated from the rest of the population due to this odd condition; I've discovered to world of Facebook groups with various irrational fears.