Featured Fear: Aichmophobia (fear of sharp objects)

We all remember the famous scene in Psycho, where the innocent Janet Leigh jumps into a shower expecting to wash off the day's grime...only to find herself the victim of a crazed killer, stabbing madly through the curtains, clearly unaware of the term 'personal space'...and if we don't, here's a reminder...

And of course, there's also a little scene from F13, when Bacon gets the shaft...

But what's my point? Other than the literal one? Well...these two scenes (and many others) have something in common. A very disturbing something, in fact...sharp objects. Knives specifically, but they're still sharp in general. All slasher flicks capitalize on sharp things, actually. Giallo movies too, when people aren't being strangled. So...it makes sense that there's a specific fear of sharp objects, when you get right down to it. My point being that this is one of the few phobias I'm featuring that I actually have. And who wouldn't? Just look at these spiky plant things! They're terrifying!

Most aichmophobes tend to experience a general sinking feeling or panic when they come into close contact with their fear, and this tends to count for other phobias as well. Causes tend to be either traumatic, or a simple instinct response (fight or flight.) Funnily enough, aichmophobia can even accompany iatrophobia (fear of doctors) as well...which makes sense. All those needles and things always littered about everywhere. It's generally treated with exposure therapy, which...just gives me the shivers thinking about it, but fortunately aichmophobia is generally a fairly simple phobia. The only thing they really should worry about, if nobody's holding the sharp object in question, is perhaps an angry poltergeist.