I wonder if anyone but me has a loved one (whose identity I will guard with my life) who suffers from a little known fear I have chosen to call Trashcanaphobia. Maybe it is not your loved one. Maybe it is you. See if any of this sounds familiar. Sufferers of Trashcanaphobia inexplicably leave all sorts of things – used Splenda packets, or even running shoes, for instance – on otherwise spotless kitchen counters for hours on end or until a codependent loved one moves them. Here’s the definitive part of the diagnosis: and all the while with the trash can only a few feet away. After watching this strange phenomenon for a matter of years (I’ll not say exactly how many), I have come to the conclusion that said sufferer cannot help it. Said sufferer obviously has a terror of trash cans.
Here is a recent documentation of this little-explored and afore unexplained phenomenon:
This very morning, my mind was even further expanded concerning phobias when Melissa’s cell phone dropped in the middle of rich conversation as it does every single morning. I called her back and got the usual voice mail, then about 10 minutes later like clockwork she rang my line. I answered the phone with, “I bet anything your cell battery was dead.”
“Yep, it was.” (It almost always is.) “Colin told me yesterday that he can come up with no further explanation for why I constantly have a dead battery except for an undiagnosed fear of phone chargers.”
So, that’s two of them in our family at least. We’ll call that one “Cellchargaphobia.” I think my daughters told you several years ago that I have a phobia of unfried foods. We’ll call it “Unfriedaphobia.” I’ve gotten some victory over it the last few years but it is still my phobia of choice.
So, please say it’s not just the Moores. Any odd family phobias out there?
PS. We’re having fun here today. Those in a mood to take themselves too seriously will want to find a different blog for the next 24 hours. You are dearly loved but we’ll talk to you later in the week.
My dear hubby suffers from laundrybasketaphobia. AND he’s teaching it to my kids!!
I have a family member or two that have pulllingweedaphobia. they may be outside doing other things but they simply can’t pull a weed. Even if they are standing on the weed. I see a few others in the comments that they also exhibit signs of.
I am the mother of two grown sons, and when they were still living at home, they developed sinkaphobia. This strange disease manifests itself by leaving the victim unable to actually place dirty dishes in the sink. They are perfectly capable of putting them on the counter BESIDE the sink, but not IN it! I believe the disease primarily attacks males, and strangely enough, the only know cure is marriage…another reason to pray for the strength of the future wives of your sons, ladies!
I love that we are being silly today and yes! There is a definite genetically-inherited phobia at my house that I would term “changetherollaphobia”
Why is that so burdensome a task? Somebody please explain…
Diane, my family suffers from the same phobia! I live with my husband and two boys and they just don’t know how to change a roll of toilet paper! How do they survive? I can’t imagine what will happen when they move out on their own. (My boys, I mean. I think I am stuck with my husband!) I wonder if they will call me to change the toilet paper?? You made me laugh, thanks!!
Lori
Diane: This is definitely a phobia of the Y chromosome gender Which also leads to “rolloveraphobia” or “rollunderaphobia…” Do you pull the paper up or pull it down on the roll???
I raised two boys and I know this one well…
Love this!!!
Jan
One of the first times I visited my in-laws (whom I love dearly), noticed the tube was in rollunder mode. Not my preference so I switched it to rollover. Few hours later it was switched back! Oops. Life lesson: never switch directions on someone else’s roll.
Hey GJ: It’s me! Too funny!! Raising 3 sons and my husband who really believed the toilet paper magically replaced itself..I would have been grateful to see the roll replaced in whatever direction they chose,just put it on the roll!!! Carmen “with a smile” :o)
I have often wondered if I am the only women in America that doesn’t care which way the toilet paper goes (Under or over). I’m just thrilled if there is some!
my mom solved the changetherollaphobia the ‘dispenser’ has become a very stylish basket to compliment her decor with numerous rolls 🙂
oh yes – that one too! We have even had lessons on how to overcome that one! lol
Well, my man suffers from dishragaphobia. My hubby is very methodical, habitual, clean, and orderly in life and in the kitchen. He can’t stand a clean dishwasher, he always has to empty it even to just load one cup. All this is wonderful, yes. However, as clean as he likes the kitchen he will NEVER wipe the counters. Nope. Not ever. All clean in the kitchen, food put away (I cook, he insists on cleaning) but leaves crumbs and coffee spills and meat juice and … dishragaphobia.
Blessings from Bakersfield, CA
Trashcanaphobia takes a different form in my house. While MOST of the time trash makes it to the trash can, the bag is never, ever taken out and tied. Trash is piled higher and higher until it spills onto the floor. If I get to it before that and put the sealed bag next to the can to be taken outside, it becomes invisible and can sit there for days before I can’t take it any more and put it out myself.
HA-HA-HA- Oh. my. yes! In this family of 6 there are 5 trashcanaphobias…I won’t tell who they are.
We also have laundrybasketphobias,and a big one, putcleanclothesawayphoiabas.
I know, I know the trsh can lid is very scary, the laundry room is soooooo far away,and well…to actually go in a closet or open a drawer to put clean clothes away, that is jsut too much, too much, nerves cannot handle it. Shhhhh lean in a littel closer…
there are a few in this family that once they have finally gotten up the nerve to get close to the laundry room door…not go in, just at the door, they toss their clean clothes back in so they don’t have to face their deep dark fear of puting away their clothes.
Surely there is a drug for these serious phobias theorpy maybe? How about PA meetngs? -(phobia Anonymous)
There must be help out there…..some. where. ;0D
That is hilarious…my husband laughs at me when he walks in the kitchen and sees my empty Stevia packet with the stir sitting in the spoon rest – by the coffee pot – instead of the trash can – which is underneath the coffee pot! But he’s so faithful to pick up after me 🙂
Thanks for the fun today Beth, Lord knows I needed it today.
beth, i love this blog! you are a blast. too funny! i laughed outloud at the tape measure!!! thank you for being real.
Yes, we have trashcanaphobia, laundryaphobia,dishwasheraphobia and the list goes on and on. But on a serious note I have frogaphobia! I know it’s silly but it’s true.
I’ve roared so loudly my almost-5-year-old hushed me so I wouldn’t wake her sleeping sister. Thank you.
In our house we have closedaphobia…….leaving closet/cupboard/pantry doors…..a-hem……open. This a particularly dangerous phobia, as I’m the perfect height to turn around and smack into the open upper cupboard doors. This is esp. fun while making dinner.
Our children have acquired this fear, but they mostly practice on the outside doors. All the local bugs know to hang out at our house. A little patience, and they’ll be IN!
My family also suffers from cleandishaphobia. The criteria for this is inablility to allow more than five minutes to go by before a perfectly clean and spotless kitchen sink has a dirty spoon or dish in said sink. Amazingly enough this also happens even in the middle of the night, somehow even though all dishes are either clean or in the dishwasher right before bed, but before the sun is even up there is a dirty dish somewhere in the kitchen!!
LPM Friends,
I am a middle TN flood survivor and thought you might be interested in reading my immediate post-flood perspective. Thanks so much for your ministry; it means more to me now than ever.
http://susanebriggs.blogspot.com/2010/05/first-thoughts-post-flood.html
Praying for you. I live in Sparta, TN, between Nashville and Knoxville. We escaped the flooding. We have seen so many of the pictures of Nashville and Clarksville. My heart and prayers go out to you.
my husband suffers from trashcanaphobia too! it’s so severe that he even told me the other day, “when we got married, we became a team. that means, i make the mess, but you back me up by throwing it away!” i’m sensing some codependency here…
he suffers from laundrybasketaphobia (piles all his dirty clothes at the base of the laundry basket instead of inside it) and plateaphobia (which means he invariably puts part of his food – bread or whatever – on the table instead of the plate i’ve put out for him!).
i, on the other hand, suffer from counterspaceaphobia, which means i can’t for the life of me keep this specific counter clean for more than 24 hours. it’s like my things travel there in the night, or grow there when i’m not looking. i also suffer from emptycoffeepotaphobia. i can never pour out the last little bit of coffee from my pot until the next morning. it’s like if it’s empty, i’m afraid it will be empty forever! that is something i simply cannot live with!
AHHHH yes, the phobia epidemic!! We too have fallen into several phobias. The one called wateraroundthesinkaphobia, which closely resembles an outdoor BIRD BATH!! And the one, onlypullweedsinthewoodsnottheflowerbedsaphobia, I know that is a dollar fifty cent word! But a very perplexing phobia! And the everythinghasahomeaphobia! We have all heard of that one. I am sure of it! Glad to know we are in good company with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! 🙂 I needed a good laugh today…..thanks Beth and ladies!
Yep. This is exactly why we are one another’s peeps.
In our family I have a daughter who suffers from timeagraphobia…she is never on time for anything…we all know to tell her that something will start an hour earlier than she really needs to be there. My sweet hubby suffers from chairgraphobia…clean laundry sits in a chair for a long time before it gets to where it really needs to be.
thanks for the fun post today 🙂
I cannot tell you how much enjoyment this has brought to me this morning. I have been reading past comments after finishing the blog and I have decided that my family (me included) must be in trouble having almost ALL of the phobia’s listed. Oh dear! I just might need some sort of counseling… or wait… I know maybe a MAID. 🙂 We rarely have a clear surface (especially on busy weeks), or “stuff” making it’s way to the trash right when it needs to, not to mention the MANY piles of clothes throughout each room because no one seems to remember where the basket is, and the whole folding clothes thing… well, that’s what I’m trying to accomplish today. I have 3 kids 5 & under so there are so many toys throughout this house I could very well be picking them up all day. Oh well, we all have some form or another of these right. I guess it’s probably best not to dwell on them… off to my PILES. lol
Yes! There is a case of Trashcanphobia at my house, but I just didn’t realize it was a phobia. Makes me much more sympathetic to know that. There are a few others now that the subject has been brought up: Toiletpaperholderphobia and Clotheshamperphobia. Clotheshamperphobia must be the most serious one because my loved one gets very, very close to the hamper with things on top and right beside, but never in. I think my most serious disorder along that line is Paperphobia. I think I get a handle on it from time to time, but then it gets out of control and takes me hours to fight what I call the paper war to get rid or file all kinds of papers.
This one is hilarious and some had me literally laughing til I cried!
I have rawmeataphobia too! It’s apparently contagious, because my husband has FINALLY (after 10 years of marriage) caught it. I thank him on a regular basis for washing his hands, spraying the counter with disinfectant, and using a different plate than the raw meat was on. I also have dishwasheraphobia – the fear of getting the dirty dishes off the kitchen counter and into the dishwasher. Fortunately, my husband hasn’t caught that one yet.
I have a slightly different form of trashcanaphobia than previously described. Mine is the fear of throwing something in the trash can that is recyclable. I have been known to pull recyclable trash out of the trash can in order to recycle it, even if it is under several other non-recyclable trash items. I also peer around the corner as my husband is throwing away a recyclable item to make sure it goes in the recycle bin or holler “Recyclable!” as he is walking to the trash can.
An additional phobia of mine is worryphobia: the fear of not having something to worry about. My motto: “Why worry about nothing when you can worry about something.”
While I am the family phobia record holder, I am not alone in my household. My husband has specifiphobia: the fear of saying something specific enough that the other person can actually understand what you are talking about.
My 3 year old daughter has pantsaphobia: the fear of not wearing a skirt. No matter what I dress her in, she eventually finds her way into a tutu, a pink frilly tutu with flowers – and a tiara.
My son has boysbikeaphobia, the fear of riding his own bike instead of his sister’s pink bike that is way too small.
Thanks for all the laughs everyone!
I LOVE IT!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Beth, you have saved me from a melt down today by providing me with much needed laughter. Seriously, those pictures could have come from my own kitchen this morning. I too have have, oh well I’ll just call them out, a husband and like daughter who suffer from “Trashcanaphobia.” I also to the great praise of God have another daughter that is more like her mother. We love the said father and sister/daughter with all our hearts, but cannot understand what the deal is with those two and the trash can. Now we know, “Trashcanaphobia.” You are so great, have a blessed day 😮
PlasPotPanphobia: My husband has a fear of putting pots, pans and plastic containers away. Bless his heart he dries dishes and unloads the dishwasher, but if it is a pot, pan or a plastic container he puts them away by setting them on the stove. It started to get to me, then I praised God that he actually dries dishes and unloads the dishwasher 🙂
Gaugephobia: Fear of taking my eyes off the road so I don’t know when my gas tank is low. Sweet PlasPotPanphobia is so concerned that he fills the tank for me every week so I don’t run out of gas. This phobia is working for me!!
Love you guys!!!
Sinkaphobia. The dishes go all over the counter but for someone reason they can not make it to the sink!
I knew there had to be a name for it…HA! Also, dumpaphobia, bagaphobia, shoeaphobia and dirtyhataphobia. Amazingly all seem to revolve around the clean dining room table. Hmmm…
I’m just dying laughing at this….. yes… my “other” as I call him, suffers from this horrible disorder AND a fear of laundry baskets…. I have poured my heart out to girlfriends with no sympathy… at last, a safe place to share… Seriously, On April 10th we thought we were having “important” company come over to our place. We clean and scrubbed every inch of our apartment until it shined. There wasn’t one thing out of place. I was in mini-heaven. THEN an hour after happiness… the company rescheduled for May, suddently it was a free for all to get the place messy again. That sweet man of mine decided it was time to do taxes and COVERED every hard surface including the kitchen with stacks of paper… which… other than the kitchen are still there today. *sigh* Just today as I walked into our bedroom I saw the evidence of his fear of laundry baskets. The basket, intended to collect dirty clothes is SURROUNDED by clothes, some of which are even TOUCHING the basket… but not one thread is IN the basket.. oh how I wish I could share a picture… as we southern ladies say “BLESS HIS HEART…”
I absolutely laughed out loud at those pictures!! They could just as easily have been taken at my house, and I live with 4 that have it–3 kids, and the biggest culprit is my sweet hubby. Can’t wait to show this blog entry to him!
My family(2 sons, 20 & 17, and husband)have a getmycleanunderwearphobia. It doesn’t matter what time of the day or night they take a shower, they will always yell “Mom, can you get me clean under wear?!” Needless to say, if they are at this age and I have been married 25 years and they are still yelling for me, you must know, I keep getting the clean under wear. I guess I would be the codependent who loves them dearly!! But also it is my fleshly (insecurity) part of being a mom, they will always need me!!! Or wear dirty underwear, it is their choice.
makingthebedphobia…pickinguppjs and puttingthedirtyinthedirtyphobia.practicingviolinphobia…
lovingyoursisterphobia…notactingsillyatschoolphobia..
goodmannersphobia..stayinginyourownbedphobia.
You, siesta mama, clearly have an addiction to tape measures. I would say I leave my kitchen messy (never peels) but if I’ve cooked or cut up vegetables – I will leave it till after I have finished eating, because I don’t want to clean before I eat.
But my phobia would have to be coffeecuponnightstandinitis.
The medical description is as follows:
One who enjoys 3/4 to all of his/her morning coffee but
for no apparent reason, with full knowledge decides to leave the cup on nightstand until one HAS to pick it up. (I cannot stress HAS TO enough – this usually involves roommate intervention).
Fear not, there is a cure, but it involves breaking
free from laziness so it has a low percentage rate of
success.
I might try it one day though!
Yes, come to think of it, I do! A new addiction???
How about clotheshamperaphobia. I love how my husband can come so close to the hamper (right in front) but not actually put them INSIDE the hamper. 13 years of marriage and I still don’t understand it. :o)
Momma Beth, Darling, Did you stand in a chair… or climb on a countertop to take that last picture… TOO CUTE!!! I’m giggling just thinking about it.
I made Melissa stand UP on the kitchen cabinet and take it for me. My I-phone just wouldn’t do it justice. Don’t you love how artsy she did it?? We honestly almost wet our pants. And we did all of it behind said person’s back who was in the very next room. Hilarious memory for us.
well that explains the perspective. I had wondered.
Pulled off the lil caper did ya?!
The men in my household have “newtoiletpaperrollaphobia.”
My two children definitely suffer from trashcanaphobia. I often wondered at what it is that caused this phenomena of leaving all kinds of garbage near but not in the garbage can. Clearly only a phobia can explain it. They also suffer from laudrybasketaphobia. Symptoms of this disease include leaving dirty laundry on the floor, table, counter or any where near (or not) the laundry basket. They must believe that a monster of some sort lives in there only to show up when they try to put the laundry in it. How frightening that must be. On the flip side, when there is clean laundry in the basket that is neatly folded and ready to be put away, it stays in the basket. Again I wonder if they are seeing things that others do not. This is a mystery but I am sure that the disease will cure itself about the time they have their own children. Won’t that be funny.
My family suffers from toiletseatophobia! This is the fear of putting down the toilet seat, and also wiping the seat clean. I live with my husband and two boys, ages 64, 22 and 21. Just the other day I called them all into the bathroom for a family meeting. You had to see them all gathered around the toilet as I explained how to wipe and then place the seat to a down position! I wish I had thought to take a picture. Priceless! I am so tired of cleaning up after these grown men! (Although, I guess whose fault is that??? mine??) They looked at me as if I was crazy as we all stood in the bathroom. Until I just called them over to see your blog! Now they just think we are all crazy. The measuring tape to the trash basket is precious!!! I am not alone! Thank you Lord!!!
I just love you Beth, I feel so normal!
Lori
My loved one has clotheshamperphobia. They will leave their clothes on the floor by the basket, but, rarely, actually put it in the basket.
I guess I have un-foldaphobia, I have to fold the clothes right out of the dryer, and additionally there is a CERTAIN WAY I like each item folded………… it is just so neat and tidy that way! %) Others that have phobias in my house are certainly to soda cans (left on counter) and tea bags left in cups (and put in the sink! p.s. garbage and recycling UNDER THE SINK.
Whee, feels better to get that off my chest, thanks Beth!!
karen 😉
My husband had that trashcanaphobia–with a twist. Call it decotrashaphobia. Anything left on the counter no more that 2 feet from the trash was always arranged decoratively and creatively–soda can buildings or orange peel smiley faces, etc. Both annoying and entertaining. My daughter has dishwasherphobia. Used dishes and silverware sit on the counter two inches on top of the dishwasher. They usually look clean because she’s let the dog lick them.
I have foldaphobia, and tolietrollphobia (which results in me leaving the new roll on the floor instead of putting it on the roller again)
Hi, my name is Amy and I have “badhaircutaphobia”. Though I really haven’t had a bad haircut in quite a while, just the thought of one makes me ill. If I think my hair girl is talking too much and we’re getting side tracked, I’ll “check in” with her to make sure she remembers where the haircut is headed and when my boys were little I was known to stand next to her while she cut their hair. So I guess you could say I have “projected badhaircutaphobia” as well. Ditto on the foldaphobia. Not sure at this point why we even have dressers.
I am the lone female in a house full of men and they are all genetically stricken with “oh-no-the-dishwasher-has-clean-dishes-and-I-have-kitchen-duty-aphobia”. As you can see, its quite involved. It results in males helping in the kitchen and realizing the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, which means they now have to unload, not just load. Thus adding one more task to the overwhelming chore of cleaning the kitchen. They unfortunately have the aforetmentioned underlying Moore condition of “trashcanaphobia” as well. Needless to say, my work is never done. (But I do so love them anyway.) 😉
The trashcanaphobic in my life has taken this phobia to even scarier levels. He…um,er..this person….not only sometimes leaves the trash on the counter, but more often will wait until I pass through the room and say, “Would you please put this in the trash AS YOU GO BY IT?”
Now, mind you, I was not going anywhere near the trash can in reality but in his mind, all my roads lead to the trash can or the kitchen sink.
He also has a fear of phone books apparently because he will not look up a telephone number to save his sweet life. Phonebookaphobia.
I think it comes from so many years of having an assistant by his side at his beck and call….he’s a dentist.
Ummm, I guess that instead of actually labelling myself as co-dependant, I’d call myself his beck and call girl!!!
Leah
Praise God, my family is not the only one!! I live with a trashcanaphobic, clothesinclosetaphobic, takethetrashoutaphobic and many, many more. You are note the only one, trust me.
This is so funny!! Reminded me of my daughter when she was in college and had an apartment with a roommate. My daughter is immaculate housekeeper but she got tired of being the only one taking out the trash. She decided to leave it and see if roomy would take it out. When it became full and overflowing, instead of taking out the roomy got out another bag and hung it on the dining room chair. Makes me wonder how many phobias that girl has now that she is married with children
Oh yes, dishwasherAphobia….they make it to the counter and stacked up in the sink but never in the dishwasher.
Also….fearofputtingclothesawayphobia. I guess they like getting dressed in the laundry room. 🙂
I have a few, I guess. But they don’t sound cute with ‘phobia’ on the end – so I’ll let someone else make up a clever name. 🙂
I cannot be on time to anything! I mean ANYTHING! I was even late for my own wedding! I don’t mean to be late…. I drive my family absolutely bonkers. Someone else called it “Beontimeaphobia”. That is awesome!
I also can not park my car straight for the life of me. I always am crooked or over the line or not in far enough. I have been driving for 24 years now and I am as bad as I was at day 1. Sheesh.
OK – that was fun! Thanks for lightening my spirit today!
Kelly
39
Houston,Tx.
Let’s try “Cantparkacaraphobia.”
I don’t know my cell phone number. I have never memorized it. Why should I? I never call myself. But it is embarrassing because whenever anyone asks for my number I have to call that person’s cell or call my husband. Surely I could find a place in my fancy phone to store the number.
Oh, you are so on the money!!! I have several of these little creatures in my home – and age does not matter – 34, 12, 9, 4. Our trash is right beside the island and just shy of island height so a quick swoop of hand or arm would do the trick – but alas! Out of town I have one with washroomaphobia. Every time we are on the phone she has to end the conversation for said problem. I think only I am the catalyst for this one. JR, we really have trashcollectoraphobia. In our city trash is picked up once every 2 weeks and only 4 bags allowed. The rest has to be recycled. On a trash week there are 6 different coloured receptacles at the curb.
Beth, it is an epidemic because “trashcanaphobia” has found it’s way to my home in Mississippi. There are other phobia’s in my home as well, such as “shoesinclosetaphobia”….in my research this often occurs in both male and female and reaches it’s absolute worst stage between the ages of 4 and 19. I’ve also discovered that boys could suffer with it for the rest of their lives, depending on how long this goes undiagnosed or worse, untreated. It happend to my husband. My man suffers from it as well. *sigh*
Briefly, I suffer from “lackoflipglossaphobia”. I shudder at the thought of how much has been spent on lip gloss over the course of 20 years.
I am in denial no longer.
=)
Shanna
Petal, MS
30’s
My oh My! *big grin* This on top of an hilarious youtube video on “if guys were girls” a theme video for So Long Insecurity for sure! – I have had more than one belly laugh this morning!
Yes, Beth, we too have those exact phobias. Plus a few more! What would you call “fear of taking out the trash”? or “fear of taking the mail and walking two feet more to put it on the desk rather than the kitchen counter”? ;D
Thanks for another reason to be happy today – laughter is such good medicine!!
loving you and your family
mk
ps – here is the link to the youtube – enjoy your laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ6WpVSutrM&feature=player_embedded
I suffer from beontime-aphobia. My husband and daughter have a condition that COMPELS them to be Early.