So, my house mate got back from a week long vacation. After this vacation he has deemed himself with a new phobia. The phobia of getting lost (which is apparently called Mazeophobia).

I just don't understand how it could be a phobia, everyone hates getting lost and most people will panic when they don't know where they are but a phobia? Really?

Anyone else experience this care to help me understand a little more?

Maybe he is afraid of the possibility of getting lost? Most people freak out when they ARE lost? Maybe he is talking about even just thinking of the possibility of getting lost makes him afraid.

I'm a bit the same way actually. I always have to know exactly where I'm going. I have to print directions or ask for the address 4 or 5 times just to make sure because I really really really just don't want to get lost because it freaks me out D:

There's an extreme difference between how a normal person acts in a stressful situation and how a phobic person acts when stressed by their phobia.

A person who is truly mazeophobic would literally cease proper function if they were to get lost, where a normal person would stress out, gather themselves, find directions or generally solve their problem. A phobic person would simply meltdown.

It's the same with any phobia, really. My friend will literally pull the car over on the road and get out if there's a bee in the car, and won't get back in until it's gone. A mark of a phobia is the person's complete inability to deal with it, regardless of how mundane it may seem to a normal person.

I don't know if it's a complete phobia but I am absolutely terrified of being lost, I read the bus number 3 times before I get on it. I always worry when I get on a train and think I've got the wrong one even though I've read the board 3 times. Maybe it is a phobia I don't know I have so many it's a miracle I can even go outside -_-.

If I get lost I have like a total breakdown, I got the wrong bus back to uni once, it had the right number on it when I got on but after I'd got on he changed it so I ended up somewhere I don't know in the dark, ended up leaving all my DVDs on the bus, it wasn't that bad at first because it wasn't that far away and I found where the bus to Bolton went to straight away. My problem came when the guy between me and my bus started having a fit that was pretty much it for me I turned into a complete baby and rang my mum crying and my Dad had to come get me.

I panicked the other week as well I was on the bus to town and I was looking at my MP3 and when I looked up it wasn't familiar. My heart started goin really fast. I was in the centre as well but the bus driver forgot to turn.

I can't go anywhere new on my own in case I get lost.

Haha good point
maybe he had a bad experience on his trip..

A phobia is an extremely irrational, paralyzing fear that makes it difficult for you to function in daily life.

Keyword is: IRRATIONAL.

For example, a lot of people claim to have a 'phobia' or spiders, when in fact they merely dislike them. Real phobics will, as a previous poster said, shut down. They will believe they WILL die if they get near to the object or situation.

If your friend is not doing this, chances are he's bullshitting.

I really don't think he has it then. I believe he stressed out but he continued to drive and was rational about it... well rational for him (which isn't overly rational to begin with).
But being that he believes he has a phobia he'll probably work himself up to meltdown next time he needs to go somewhere unknown.

there's many a type of phobia out there and most of them seem quite ridiculous to those of us who don't suffer from them.

in either case, from what i've heard about your housemate over the year or so we've known each other he's a little odd to begin with :P hehe

^ Thats very true hahaha. I think he makes stuff up for the fun of it.
Loves to have a conversation piece :P

either that or he's like monk. while I like monk you have to admit that dude has some major issues! hehe

I guess its just the fact of not knowing where he is and how to get out as a fear. I mean, it sounds a little scary to me, not knowing where you are. I like knowing where I am and how I got there, so I can leave and be comfortable.

I'm sure everyone is like that thoughtlessamaya and I think he is just the same.

Based on what others have said here I really doubt he has a phobia like he's claiming because it seems he was still in control just freaked out that he was lost.

Which seems like how most people would react.

Originally Posted by Kalliste

I'm sure everyone is like that thoughtlessamaya and I think he is just the same.

Based on what others have said here I really doubt he has a phobia like he's claiming because it seems he was still in control just freaked out that he was lost.

Which seems like how most people would react.

Maybe he's ashamed to admit that he got lost and was freaking about it and decided to use a phobia as an excuse?
Some people do that.

^ now that totally sounds like something your housemate would do kalliste!

I agree, I think he's using the 'phobia' as an excuse so he doesn't have to feel embarrassed that he was wigging out over being lost.

What I don't get is how that would be embarrassing. Everyone wigs out when they get lost, it's part of human nature and if I'm not mistaken it's an instinctual reaction.

There are a lot of phobias out there. It mainly has to do with their reactions. Sure normally people will get freaked out if they are lost, but they will find a way through it .. but a person with a phobia of it will act much differently ...

You can have a Phobia of absolutely anything and everything.
Like even hair, toes, Loads.
if it exsists, then there can be a Phobia of it.

^ now that totally sounds like something your housemate would do kalliste!

So true lol. He covers stuff like this up all the time. Who knows why... yesterday he opened a new bank account because he couldn't be bothered driving out to his normal bank to get money changed and didn't want to have to pay a fee for it... the hell?
He just doesn't think things through! He doesn't think 'hey, I'm going to get monthly fees now' instead thinks how this 1 transaction was free.

So yes, I could see him pretending to have a phobia and thinking it was better than admitting the truth.