Phobias

[Crinklebum]

Does anybody know the scientific name for fear of crustaceans, if there is one?

[Llamatron]

Apparently 'kabourophobia' is the fear of crabs.

[Crinklebum]

Apart from calling yourself a freak, how would you correctly name the phobia of all crustaceans?

I know. It's off the wall isn't it?

[dawkins]

Entomophobia is the fear of arthropods (the phylum crutaceans belong to) but you would also need to fear spiders and insects to qualify.

[Kromovaracun]

If it's of any consellation, Crinklebum, I have exactly the same phobia (unless they're edibly on my plate)...

[Crinklebum]

I can't even look at them. Not even pictures of them! We live on the coast too. How unfortunate!

[rosepetal]

I have a phobia of crabs! Whenever I tell anyone they snigger and say something like "Me too. I had a nasty dose of them when I was 18...". Hilarious. I was ok until I was about seven and then I'm not sure whether it was standing on a load of dead ones in the sea or my grandad tapping me on the shoulder with a dismembered claw that psycologically damaged me!

Do you remember that Saturday night program with Davina McCall & Darren Day about people doing scary things? A girl on it had a fear of crabs and was locked in a cubicle with loads of them to try to cure her. I can't remember if it worked or not!

I know that this does not answer your question in any way, but I just wanted to let you know that you aren't alone!

[erin_shay]

I have never met anyone else that had a phobia of crabs, i have never even been able to find a name for it! I have had this phobia since as long as i can remember and have no idea how i got it. I can't even bare to see a leg, or a piece of a sell, look at a pic or see it on TV. I recently moved to Australia, and I am so uneasy when i go to the beach, which is rare because i am afraid of the small sand crabs. I rerfuse to go to a seafood resturant or swimming when there is debrie in the water at the off chance it would be some part of a crab. it is restricting so much in my life as to what i would love to do. everyone thinks it is really stupid and they laugh at me. I am looking into hypnosis to hopefully try and get over this. it is nice to know that somoene else out there is afraid too!

[jukeboxfukup]

I have exactly the same phobia, and no one seems to understand it at all. I also have one other weird phobia which I haven't really told anyone about because it's so pathetic - opening and closing curtains. I wonder what that says about my psychological state. But yes, crabs take the biscuit as it were, and I find it really difficult to go to beaches in case I tread on a bit of one or see one appearing from a hole in the ground in front of me. It's a shame, because - aside from the possibility of crabs - I adore swimming in the sea!

[GTAtherton]

I have been phobic of crabs since early years - I think I was scared by one in the sea and I remember running screaming from the sea. Elder brother's teasing didn't help.

Not sure I was ever actually scared of them in the sense that I felt they could do me harm, it was more the horrible feeling I got when being surprised by one, or even a body part. Very odd.

However now over 40 years later I have become relatively desensitised and could handle a dead crab. possible even a small live one. I take a lot of pleasure in walking & jogging on beaches as long as I am wearing shoes, and even visit the sea occasionally as long as I am fully clothed in a wetsuit with boots - definitely something to do with standing on one in my bare feet then!

Incidentally it has only ever been the 'saucer shaped' crabs that give me the heeby-jeebies, hermit crabs don't have the same effect. Not too worried by spiders either, which are similar shapes.

Do I want 'treatment'? Not really, I am very sure that being locked in a room containing hundreds of the things or carrying one in my hand would be the stuff of nightmares until the day I died.