It is a fact that cockroaches will outlive humans as they can withstand 2000 times the radiation levels than us and can also go for days without food. Such facts will not be encouraging to people who suffer from extreme cockroach phobia. The name given to such a fear of cockroaches is Katsaridaphobia.
The phobia or fear of cockroaches can be a debilitating one. A teacher had to reportedly quit her job since she could not even bear her students saying the word ‘cockroaches’ aloud. It would make her “freeze on the spot or break into a cold sweat”. Once, she even ran out of the shower with the soap still on, as she felt a cockroach had flown into the bathroom.
Thus, an extreme, persistent and unwarranted fear of cockroaches can literally turn the sufferer’s life into a nightmare.
Causes of Katsaridaphobia
Many people feel uncomfortable or afraid in the presence of insects and critters like cockroaches. Cockroaches are known to inhabit dark and warm places which are abundant with food. Often, at night or in the absence of lights, they accidentally crawl or brush over our skin. This can evoke deep fear or disgust response. Such a disgust response is usually evolutionary; our prehistoric ancestors were programmed to stay alert to these creepy crawlers when they slept in caves and out in the open.
Many times, the Katsaridaphobic individual might have had a negative or traumatic experience with cockroaches in the past. Children might have been punished or locked in closets or dark spaces where such creatures tend to hide. Such children have a greater possibility of developing cockroach phobia. Adults expressing incredible fear at the sight of a cockroach can also unknowingly pass on their fear to children watching them.
Most childhood cases of Katsaridaphobia resolve over time. In some cases though, it can persist into adulthood.
Symptoms of fear of cockroaches
The fear of cockroaches often leads to obsessive compulsive disorder. The phobic tries to clean his/her house thoroughly to ensure these creatures stay out. Constantly spraying insecticides in the house and car, sweeping and brushing rugs and carpets, or cleaning kitchens and bathrooms etc to deter roaches are some signs of Katsaridaphobia.
Additionally, the phobic might experience following physical symptoms upon sighting a cockroach:
- Becoming ‘paralyzed’ or staying frozen
- Crying and screaming
- Feeling dizzy or weak in the knees, fainting
- Having an elevated heart rate
- Breathing rapidly
- Having a full blown panic attack where one feels like being choked, or experiences chest pains etc.
Katsaridaphobia can sometimes get out of hand or outright dangerous when the phobic runs or darts out on the road into the traffic or tries to brush away the cockroach when driving etc which can lead to serious accidents.
Overcoming Katsaridaphobia
The good news for people with the extreme fear of cockroaches is that it can be overcome. Many therapies are available today to help one overcome different types of specific phobias.
Gradual desensitization or exposure therapy is one of the most common methods of overcoming zoophobias like Katsaridaphobia. This includes looking at pictures of cockroaches, touching a dead cockroach and gradually progressing to being in the same room as the cockroaches without experiencing a panic attack.
Hypnotherapy is another effective way of getting over Katsaridaphobia. It can help the phobic get to the bottom of his fear and change his thoughts about cockroaches.
Cognitive behavior therapy and psychotherapy can also help one rationalize the fear of cockroaches.
What works for one person might not always work for another. Hence, it is essential to discuss the fear with a professional openly and without feeling embarrassed. This way, the right line of treatment can be decided upon which can help one overcome Katsaridaphobia once and for all.
Nicole says
I have been petrified of cockroaches ever since I was around 8 years old. One crawled on my shoulder as I slept, and I woke feeling something wriggling. I threw the covers off, saw it, and screamed. I’ve been terrified to the point of freezing ever since. If it’s on the ground or low on a wall, I can sometimes summon up enough courage to kill it. It takes EVERY ounce of courage I have to do. If it is high up, I won’t go near it for fear of it taking flight. I’m always certain that they will come for me after I’ve sprayed them, as one did once.
My adult daughter has to help me when there’s one in my house, and she thinks it’s hilarious that I’m so scared of them. A bit like pot/kettle as SHE’S arachnophobic but oh well. I keep my laundry, kitchen, and bathroom lights on all night every night, especially in summer, and can’t even walk past one in the street without freaking out!
My motto is: The only GOOD cockroach is a DEAD cockroach!!
Sunny says
Roaches absolutely make my soul float out of my body. When I was nine, my grandma tried to trick me by holding this plastic roach, and let me tell you, I almost died. There was crying and screaming, and I had a full-on anxiety attack. My aunt was there, and she held me as if someone had just died.
K-FAR says
I love cockroaches. I find them very cute and funny. I don’t understand why they are so hated. They need to be rehabilitated, just like snakes, spiders, or sharks, which can be far more dangerous than roaches. I’d like to open a sanctuary/museum/petting zoo where people could meet and handle roaches of various species from all over the world. And to give advice to people that don’t want to spread poisons in their homes to kill these insects. This display would be completed with an evocation of cockroaches in popular culture: the Mexican folk song “La Cucaracha” (“The cockroach” in Spanish), Kafka’s metamorphosis, or animation movies like Joe’s Apartment. Even pop stars like Lady Gaga sang with roaches in their hair (true). Don’t worry. I live in France!
Fb says
I think that bugs generally have no real impact on our society and general well-being and do not contribute to any purpose on earth. Yes, you can arguably say they feed predators, but there’s gotta be another way to still provide for these predators and rid bugs. They all deserve to just die.
roach h8tr says
The only thing worse than seeing one is not seeing one. I’ve had one crawl over my pillow while I was lying in bed. I couldn’t even scream. I jumped up, ran to the other side of the room, and stayed frozen until I saw where it went. I never found it afterward, so I slept on the couch for at least a month.
Wind2 says
I guess I’ve gone through it all, scorpion infestation in Southern California and now cockroaches here in Phoenix, Arizona, brought on by the seasonal monsoons we get during the summer. I’m not afraid of them, though. Heck, I’ve caught them using crushed peanuts in a jar a few times. Once caught, I’d put them outside where they belong. I figure let the birds or other insects deal with them as nature intended. I won’t lie, though. There have been occasions where I had to kill them by spray or by my trusty old shoe.
Fb says
As you should. Please consider killing all further roaches in your home/residence, for there are other Phoenix citizens who do not like roaches as much, and the ones let “free” then find new shelter in OUR HOMES.
Stephanie says
I am shaking right now. One almost flew on me, and now I can’t even breathe.
Decemberlyn says
I can’t stand them; I wish they didn’t exist. Just exterminate the whole earth of them.
K says
It seems like every year, some different kind of bug keeps getting into my house. The need to get rid of the “invaders” is so strong that it literally bothers me to the point of fixation. I have always waged war against any plague of bugs that get in my house. Ants, earwigs, spiders, click beetles, etc. I’ll research them, experiment with various traps, insecticides, baits, or physical barriers (like caulk), but it is the cockroach that has made me so paranoid that it seems to have taken over my life.
It all began when we found two cockroaches in our kitchen over a span of four days. And you know what they say: when you see one, there are probably tons more hiding. The first one, we chalked it up to a freak encounter. The second one, well, there just had to be some problem we had overlooked, right?
As “exterminating German cockroach infestations” is notoriously difficult, I believed it to be one of the few problems that might be beyond my personal capability. Besides, I had no time for research or experiments. We just needed to hit em hard, fast, and with everything we had. So, I immediately called an exterminator, and they did all the things they were supposed to do. But – other than the two that we saved for identification purposes – they couldn’t find any more (neither dead nor alive) during their inspection. But they still baited, dusted, sprayed, and set traps to try to locate any hot spots.
Days went by, and I kept checking each of the sticky traps to see how many were there. None. I took apart all my appliances and looked under all the outlet covers. None. I thoroughly inspected and cleaned every square inch of my house (and appliances). None. I ran into dark rooms, flicked on the lights, and looked everywhere to see if one would run by. None. I quickly opened cupboards and searched with a flashlight. None. No live bugs, no dead bugs, no feces, no body parts, no egg casings, nothing.
Now I’m paranoid about whether they came in with a package or groceries, or snuck through a crack near the door, or worked their way up from the drains. So now everything in my house is in a container or ziplock bag. Seriously, everything from the store comes right out of the box it came in and into a ziplock bag. I vacuum every day, often more. I wipe all my counters down several times a day. All my drains (sinks, tub, floor drain) are now plugged up when not in use, and I’m obsessively flushing them out with hot water before and after each use. Trash bags go out every night before bed, regardless of whether they are mostly empty or not. I’ve added more caulk around my doors and to every single other tiny crevice I could find.
And yet, I’m still looking for them all the time. I’m still paranoid that there are eggs somewhere waiting to hatch. I’m still researching them, hoping to find something important that I might have overlooked. And, unfortunately, I have the horrible feeling that this level of crazy won’t be subsiding anytime soon.
Teresa says
Me too girl. I could have written that post. Hope all is well.
Ken says
Sounds exactly like what I’m going through.
scaredycat says
A month ago I woke up to some rustling of a plastic bag in my bedroom. It was 6:30am and there was no one in my room, but the way the plastic bag was making noise, it sounded like something was in my room. So I go outside of my room, and peek through the door from outside to see what’s in my room. It was THE biggest cockroach I’ve ever seen in my life, running across my room. It was so big that I didn’t even think it was a cockroach. I immediately went to wake up my dad and told him there was a “creature” in my room and he claimed it was a cockroach. I wouldn’t know since I only glanced at it for less than a second before running to get my dad. To this day, every little noise I hear in my room I have to keep looking around, I can barely sleep through the night now. And I have always kept my room super clean even before the sighting of this “creature”. So I have no clue why it was there. No trash in my room, no food. Clothes are always folded away. Vacuum regularly. I’m a clean freak. But they still find me somehow. Now I obsessively spray insecticide around my room and the house.
Can handle everything except roaches says
Relatable, I just back out of the room if I see one and keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t fly. I feel freakishly itchy when I see one.
Lyla kitty says
I remember not too long ago I was sitting on my chair in my room just on my phone. Until I saw something in the corner of my eye and when I looked I saw my worst phobia ever. I literally screamed so loud that I almost woke up everyone, and it was BIG and I am never going to be on that chair again.
Jacinta says
So I’m literally petrified of them. A few years ago I was working at a chicken and chip shop and I answered the phone to take an order, and I’m half way through the call when I feel something drop on the back of my neck and of course by reaction, I squealed and the customer on the other end of the phone is like “Are you ok? What just happened” and I quickly flicked whatever it was off me, and right in front of me was honestly the biggest one I had seen. In my head I’m like ‘I cannot tell the customer who is about to buy food here what I have just experienced.’ So I just blurt out ‘Oh nah I fell over, I’m fine!’ And they have a laugh and say all good and goodbye. Now I’m dealing with this thing with a store full of customers and I’m just frozen, I honestly felt like I was going to have a heart attack. And my boss literally just comes in and crushes it, but everyone in the store saw what happened and still wanted to eat our food so I felt like I was crazy. My real big issue is I cannot kill them, like I will make my partner catch it and take it down the street and put it somewhere. I don’t understand why I can’t kill them because they are disgusting. But I love spiders, explain that.
Lalka-Honey says
I can’t explain because I relate. I freaking love spiders but have minor katsaridaphobia.
Ahmed says
Maybe because spiders aren’t that frightening and disgusting.
The girl afraid of roaches says
I was doing my homework in the dark and I felt something crawling on my arm so I screamed but it was like my body couldn’t produce a scream so it came out as if I lost my voice. After I screamed I swiped away whatever was on my arm and I crawled against the foot of my bed to get distance. Then I thought it was a piece of hair on my arm so just as I was about to laugh at myself I saw the silhouette of the roach and then I screamed again and I hopped off the bed and turned on the lights. It was crawling to the side of the right of the bed trying to escape and I sat there looking at it because I didn’t want to kill it on the bed, the guts would get on the sheets. My cousin came in and asked what was wrong and I could hardly get the words out telling her there was a roach. I asked her how’d it get in the room and she said they were having a roach (waterbug really but still it’s the cousin of the roach) problem. So she left and got roach spray. By the time she got back the roach found a way onto the floor and almost escaped under the dresser but it came back out and tried to escape under the bed. I told my cousin it was under the bed but she didn’t know where and starting spraying in the wrong places which was pissing me off. I told her where it was and she was like “I don’t see it so I’m just gonna spray here” (at another inaccurate place) so I took the spray and scared the roach from under the bed and I stomped on it. Then I stomped on it again to make sure. Now this happened on Sunday and now it’s Saturday. The dead roach carcass has been sitting in the same spot of the room because I’ve been too afraid to pick it up. And ever since then I’ve been afraid to go into the room and sleep. Also I’ve been super paranoid about my surroundings and I always see something move when it doesn’t. But a plus to me being super paranoid I’ve managed to catch roaches trying to sneakily crawl and I’ve managed to stop two. I had 4 roach (waterbug so they are big but they’re a bit smaller than the American cockroach) encounters and they made me even more scared the more it happened.
The fourth encounter was the hardest encounter because I saw it in the bathroom on my way to my room and I sat there for an hour staring at the bathroom because I was too afraid to move because what if there was another one in the room.
Joseph Roth says
I can’t enter a room I know has roaches, even if my dad checks the room. When I see a roach, I run out of the room and that part of the house.
Lorellei says
It’s the same with me. If I know there’s a roach lurking somewhere in my bedroom I cannot be in there, let alone sleep. I can hear the stuttering of them whenever they are there. It freaks me out. If it’s there at night, I have to gather my stuff and sleep on a couch somewhere else.
Elena says
I am phobic to those unnamed insects. I have to fumigate my house inside and outside every month. There is a strong liquid called viper and you mix it with water and never have those horrible bugs in your house. Please use it, you will feel better I promise.
Lina says
How does it work? I’m dealing with roaches in my apartment. I’ve tried everything and they don’t want to leave my house.
Siya says
I am going through this right now. And I’m so paranoid. It’s not a nice feeling…
Monique Garrett says
I can’t kill them either. I’m terrified of them. I can’t even get close to them or I freak out. If I was driving and one was on me I know I would crash my car, I’m SO scared! I’m in my room now because I saw one in the living room on the tv hanging on the wall. I was watching a movie and I had to leave the room.
Blessing says
I literally travel every weekend back home from school because my roommate leaves the hostel every Friday evening then comes back on Sunday. The cockroaches in the room are so overwhelming that I can’t even sleep at night and end up having bags under my eyes because of it. And my roommate doesn’t help matters because she feels it’s stupid to be scared of them. She literally pushes them with her leg when she sees them instead of killing them when I ask her to. I understand what she says but I just can’t help it but feel scared. I perspire profusely when I see one and it’s like I am frozen and can’t move. It’s just so bad to suffer from something like this.
killer of cockroach says
Try to approach the cockroach and kill it yourself. I had a fear of cockroaches but I don’t anymore because I made myself go near it and not panic, run away and start screaming.
the very scared girl says
That doesn’t for me, I’ve been killing cockroaches all my life and it doesn’t get better. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m shaking and I yelp if I feel a ticklish sensation on my body.
Comet says
I have long hair and sometimes it brushes against my neck and I think it’s a cockroach and I start panicking and sweating.
Morning Guy says
Same. It’s just getting worse. But for me, it’s only the big one. German roaches are still ok because they look like normal insects, but that fat American roach can make me petrified and paranoid.
Luciano says
I’m a grown man and I’m freaking terrified of those things; it’s extremely embarrassing, but just last night, I found one in my room, and I tried to get it with a vacuum, but the little turd hid somewhere in my room. So, I said screw it, and slept in the recliner downstairs, before sleeping in the spare bedroom. And I’m no dirty guy, sure, I’m a bit disorganized, but not filthy enough to have an infestation. It’s just THAT time of year.
I’m probably not going to sleep in my room again until I know for sure there are no bugs. People are nasty to me because I’m so terrified of those things. Last night, I actually developed a splitting headache because I was sweating so much; it was bad, I was actually dripping with sweat. I couldn’t stop shaking, and ultimately, I fell asleep in the spare bedroom on the opposite side of the house. And even that took me a few hours. Add insult to injury, I have coursework (I’m studying web development and web design, and trying to code on four hours of sleep isn’t easy). I’m hoping to GOD that the little creep got the memo that there’s no rotting food or food trash in there.
I’m embarrassed to share that my phobia of these tiny monsters is absolutely debilitating and makes me feel like less of a grown adult, let alone a grown man.
Ayi says
You are not alone man, these creatures have been terrorizing me for years. The crazy thing is that I’m not a guy who’s scared of a lot of stuff. I’m not scared of mice, bees, spiders, darn I ain’t even that scared of snakes like I am of cockroaches. I can hold a mouse in my hand but I can’t even bare to see a cockroach, even a picture of it.
Morning Guy says
Same for me. Some people are afraid of the dark because of ghosts, while I’m afraid of the dark because of these insects. I even have to inspect the toilet 2-3 times before entering to ensure there is none of them. I even sometimes enter after someone entered it. This is tiring and depressing and makes me afraid and paranoid. People are just laughing at me for being like this, but I can’t help it. In the past, I have lived with many of them for a whole university semester, and yet I still can’t overcome it. I just want it to stop.
Crunch says
Hey, fun fact: if you squish a cockroach with your shoe, it’s eggs get stuck to it and they spread everywhere you walk.
Ruth says
Well, unless you wash the shoe afterwards right?
Genesis says
I have the opposite of your family. One time I came into my room and saw a cockroach on my wall. I tried to kill it because I knew if I told someone they would laugh at me. I screamed, then my sister came in and saw me crying. She could not find it so I never slept there again. She called me a girl..
Super mild Katsaridaphobian says
It’s okay, we feel you AND crying DOES NOT make you a girl. We all cry and it’s okay. Just because you’re a boy doesn’t mean you can’t cry, and I’m a girl saying this :)
Dizzy says
A roach fell on my lamp while I was watching Britney Spears VMA performances and I was literally hovering outside of my room for 40 mins for the most opportune moment to bug spray the s*** out of it. I ended up calling my mom over to my room to come kill it which upset her husband but like, shut up, if I could kill it I would, but you wouldn’t jump off a cliff if you thought you were going to be alright would you? That’s how I feel about roaches.
Sam West says
I can relate.
Katsaridaphobian says
Hello. I have a horrible phobia of cockroaches and I don’t know what to do. Weird stuff has happened to me because of this fear. Whenever I see one walking around, I scream and cry. They are absolutely terrifying. One time, I woke up and thought I saw something strange on my wall moving around. It looked like a small black little figure. I took a closer look, and realized it was a cockroach. It started running around my room. I felt like I couldn’t move and I was just frozen. All I could do was scream for help. I ended up sprinting out of there and into my dads bedroom. He was already awake, as he heard the screaming so I told him about the roach. He went into my room with bug spray and a shoe, ready to kill it. He told me he couldn’t find it, so I went in there with him, still traumatized, had a good look around but couldn’t see anything. I told him that there was definitely one there, so as this was early in the morning, he let me sleep in his room. To this day, I still sleep in his room and we have not found the roach. I always curl up really well in my blankets so if there are any, they will crawl on the blanket and not me. That is one of my worst memories and I remember it as clear as day. My earliest memory was when I was a baby and a roach snuck into my crib. I believe this is what made me so terrified of them. Once, my friends got a fake cockroach that looked very real and said “Hey! We found something you might like!” I said “Ok, show me!” So they opened their hands and inside was the fake roach. I started to scream and run away until I realized they were laughing and saying it was a prank. Sometimes it feels like they don’t take me seriously. I am lucky my family understands my fears and not to disrespect them. Can you relate?
Li says
Couldn’t relate more.
firza hanif says
I’m the same as you Katsaridaphobia, Bones, emy, emil and Courtney.
Eny says
YES, I can totally relate. I have a fear of them too. Lately I saw two giant ones. One was hiding inside a clean pair of shorts! This is my nightmare and I have a hard time to rest at night.
SoggiFri says
Yesterday at a sleepover we were about to play on my switch. I didn’t see the HDMI option pop up on the screen so I checked the switch dock to see if there was anything wrong. And lo and behold, there was a roach. So naturally I screamed and threw the dock, and the roach crawled behind the tv. I ended up staying on top of our hockey table until my dad came and vacuumed it up. I saw the roach move while he vacuumed it and it was terrible. I felt like I had to smooth out every crease in my shirt and pants so that there’d be no roaches there. I literally was shaking, and every itch made me paranoid. Now, there were 2 other people when I discovered the roach, both of which didn’t like roaches, but I could tell I hated them the most. Even now thinking about it gives me that same feeling of smoothing creases and get rid of itches. I really hate roaches, but I don’t want my family to think I’m a wimp. I just really, really don’t like them.
Emil says
My girlfriend lives in Florida and I’m visiting her. I hate cockroaches so much. Currently one is hiding in my room (didn’t get a chance to kill it before it escaped), preventing me from sleeping in the dark.
I’m living in northern Scandinavia and never seen a cockroach in my area, as they won’t withstand winters.
Not panicking about roaches but they’re just disgusting in my opinion. I don’t want them crawling and spreading their filthy bacteria on me.
Nicole says
Yes I can relate.
Bones says
Yep I can. I thought I saw one on my bedroom wall too so I told my mom and sister and they couldn’t find it. I wasn’t allowed to sleep elsewhere though so I had to sleep in my room. It was an actual cockroach. I hope it died somewhere out of my room though, because I am not looking forward to finding it when I have to move out.
Courtney says
Can relate! My partner works away so it’s just me and my 4 month old baby at home most the time. I check rooms for cockroaches before I enter them, even writing or reading the word cockroach repulses me. Went into my bedroom tonight and turned around and there was a cockroach on the door frame and the door was closed, I felt trapped. I stretched my arm as close as I could to the door handle and opened the door slightly and the cockroach flew towards me and into my cupboard, I screamed the house down with my sleeping 4 month old baby in my arms and ran out the room. I put her in the spare room and I worked up the courage to go back into the room and spray the shit out of my cupboard with insect spray. I am so terrified my baby and I are now sleeping in the spare room (with no aircon) just to avoid being in the same room I know a cockroach is in. Now I’m paranoid checking the spare room and can’t sleep thinking about it. As I was writing this I just saw a little cockroach in the spare room, now I have no idea where to sleep, I feel like I want to cry.
Kristen says
There is a huge American cockroach in my house right now. I’m afraid to sleep. They are so repulsive. I was paralyzed with fear when I first saw it, took everything in me to run out of the room. I keep picturing it crawling on me. My dad left for work already and I can’t even fathom trying to kill it. Even if it didn’t fly at me or scatter, I’d have to feel the crunch of its’ body under my shoe. I can’t wait for it to be morning so I can leave my house. I know people find it annoying when someone “overreacts” to insects but I always apologize right before and remind them I cannot control these reactions. That usually seems to make people more understanding.
Nicole says
American? Where are you from?
Nicole says
In Australia, we have three types of cockroaches that I’m aware of: our own indigenous or the Australian cockroach, German cockroaches, and American cockroaches. I’ve not encountered an Australian cockroach, but the German and American ones put the fear of God into me.
H says
Omg I can relate to this. I just told almost this exact story to my step mom because one was in my house yesterday. Not only do they terrify me but they disgust me so much that I can’t kill them. I can’t step on them and feel the crunch and I can’t squish them and have their guts and stuff all exposed. And I can’t get too close to them because I’m terrified and have a panic attack. I don’t know why I’m like this.
pickles says
I am so terrified of the big flying roaches that I moved from NYC. That was my #1 reason for leaving. People think I’m joking when I tell them, but it’s been 7 years since I left and I am still shuddering as I type this. I chose Denver, Colorado because they have an incredibly small # of these beasts here. One of my friends is an exterminator, and he has never seen one in the entire time he’s been doing his job. I haven’t either.
When I travel now, I am even more afraid than usual because all the fear comes rushing back. I actually travel with a pop up bug net that is sealed on all sides and I put it on my bed, even in 5 star hotels. When I lived in NYC, the nicest, fanciest places all had roaches. I was a nanny for several very wealthy families who lived in multi-million dollar homes and they were some of the worst infestations I’ve seen. Cleanliness doesn’t matter for the big ones. They just wander in from outside or from the damp basements. The only safe place is the subway, because they hate the vibrations.
When I was in Spain last month, I saw one crawling up a door as I walked past and it’s wings fluttered because it almost fell off right as I passed. I was with one of my friends who HATES that I am afraid of bugs. I don’t know why it bothers her so much, but she just thinks it’s so stupid to be afraid of small things. So it was horrible to be with her when that happened because she was so annoyed that I screamed and jumped. I also didn’t want to eat at any outdoor restaurants on that street because of it, which annoyed her (understandably).
If I saw one in my house, I would have to leave. In NYC I remember literally grabbing my purse and sprinting out in my PJs still once. Then it was all I could think about when I returned later. I woke up with one on my chest once that I brushed off and then couldn’t find it.
But this phobia is ruining my life when I am not home. I travel for work 1-2 times a month, and always to places with roaches since they’re almost everywhere except mountainous regions, so I really need to get over my fear of roaches. Before I knew they could fly, my phobia wasn’t as bad. Now that I’ve had one literally fly onto my head as it crawled across the ceiling and fell, I just can’t get over them. The ceiling one was SO fast too. It was on the ground, I tried to grab a shoe to kill it but in a split second it was already on the ceiling and then suddenly fluttered down onto my head. Luckily it “skipped” right off my head to the floor, but it was still traumatic. I haven’t been able to even attempt to kill one ever since. I just pack up and run!
Emmanuel says
Welcome to my world. I have recently had a cockroach infestation. But when you think of it, question yourself “what makes me so scarred of cockroaches”. Now whatever makes you scared about them, question if it is reality or if it’s just your mind. Now compare the reality with you superstition. Or just find out more about cockroaches by searching them up. These steps might work. I’m also 13, living proof that you too can get over the fear of those creepy tiny insects.
Lorelei says
I can’t.. you can’t understand how scared I am of cockroaches. I have terrible nightmares about them. Just the thought of them makes me shiver. I’ve been scared of cockroaches for over twelve years now.
Eny says
I am sorry, and I feel for you. I have recently encountered two big ones in my apartment and have not been able to sleep at night, I keep waking up. It’s a debilitating fear.
Nyxie says
I have had a fear of cockroaches for as long as I can remember. I have no idea as to what caused it or anything, just always living with it. It has gotten progressively worse as I’ve gotten older. Whenever I see one, I start to breathe very quickly, my heart rate speeds up and I freeze up and then can’t move until it has gone and even then I have trouble walking past that particular spot. I’m the only one in my family who is scared of these insects and everyone just keeps telling me how ridiculous I’m being. I have even had a few nightmares about these bugs crawling all over me and not being able to get away.
Scottie says
I am petrified of them. There are big ones all around outside and they keep darting for my door when I open it. I was watching my surveillance camera that watches while I’m away and caught one three days ago on camera.
It literally appears to just pop in on the wall like it was Houdini! It obviously flew into the wall out of the blue. It was disgusting to see it crawl all over my things in my room. I would have never known! I instantly sanitized everything it crawled on in the footage. It freaks me out. Now with it still 96F in NW Florida, it is hotter than ever for this time due to global warming and they are only getting worse over time. They even seem to be bigger than usual. Gross!
I just sprayed the heck out of my home outside perimeter. An ambulance went off in the background over in town as I was doing it, which sent shivers down my spine. Now I feel like one is crawling on me. It’s so sad. I need help with these feelings of being petrified.
gurprit singh says
I’m the only one scared of cockroaches, especially the flying ones. Thank god my mom and sisters are more than willing to kill them for me when I see them. My mom literally catches them with her bare hands and toss them out of the house.
Hamzeh Qat says
Same. My mom and dad always say that you’re a boy and you should get rid of cockroaches but i just can’t. Even if i saw one and i killed it i still feel there are more coming, so i can’t sleep for the rest of the day.
Just Scared says
I hate it when my parents won’t kill the cockroaches flying around especially when they say that I’m overreacting. Every time they tell me that I get awfully annoyed that I wanna punch something especially my irritating Grandma.
Natalie says
I could definitely agree. I’m in bed, it’s 1:35am and there’s a roach in my house and my parents say I’m overreacting. I can’t sleep.
Ana Latrice says
Literally the same thing is happening to me right now. I was watching YouTube videos when all of a sudden a roach comes flying down on my bed (I heard the wingbeats and everything) I screamed and now my mom is forcing me to sleep in my bed fml
zaynab abdillahi says
I literally can’t with roaches, they scare the living crap out of me and my family. I hate them so much and like yesterday night one climbed my room door and i saw it and it took so much for me to run and get a broom. I have tried several times to hit it but my fear strikes and I can’t. I am disgusted, scared, and frustrated with this immortal bug, I hope they go extinct.
Aishwarya says
You’re not alone!
Jacob says
It’s definitely a primarily traumatic thing.. I can pinpoint the exact moments in my life that turns to me, a blue collar 19 year old graduate and musician, into a screaming baby whenever I see ANY of the little expletives in my house…
At young ages, between 10-13, I remember two incidents, one where I woke up feeling something on me in the middle of the night to flip up my covers and see a huge cockroach, and another, where I was pouring a bowl of cereal in the morning and another fell out with it… Thinking about it now almost makes me puke.
I honestly thought I’d get over a bug by now but recently I moved into a house I know to be infested with them, and because of that memory it’s making it hard to eat anything in the pantry, or even take a shower, which ironically I’m doing now after finding a roach in the tub and teaming up with a squatting spider to rid the house of their filth.
Kaitlyn says
I hate roaches with every single cell in my body! I live in an old house with my parents (im 13) and we moved in like a year ago and always noticed how many roaches were around, well my dad went in the attic and put a smoke bomb to kill the roaches and turns out we had a major issue and it basically looked like our porch and roof was moving when he let the bomb go off and then we didnt see them for a while and now they are crawling into my light, which is in the oldest part of our house (the kitchen and bathroom were added after those appliances were made) and they can crawl through the top of the light and they fall on my bed. I start having a panic attacks and screaming and i cant breathe. Once i found a roach in my shoe after i had put the shoe on and i had a panic attack and washed my foot throughly and threw away that pair of shoes and never wore them again. I have ocd and want all parts of our house to be spotless and i have no clue where these guys come from because my dad sealed all the cracks and holes in the roof and attic and im just lost on what to do because we dont really have anywhere to move to and we have tried everything!
Bones says
Cockroaches like to crawl through any tiny hole they can find, kinda like cats, they can get through the tiniest crack in a wall. I recommend getting rid of the light or sealing the stuff around it to prevent them from falling on your bed or into your room. Get all your stuff off the floor as well if you can.
Liana says
I had never seen a cockroach only on T.V. until I moved to New Mexico. I can’t stand them! I hate them so much and they’re so disgusting. I was getting ready to move into another apartment and was packing my stuff. I went to wipe my shelf off and when I did a huge black cockroach came flying at me. It hit my chest then down to my leg and onto my foot. I honestly almost threw up and passed out. I’ve seen literally gigantic ones and little ones and I hate them all the same. Earlier today I found two and killed them but I won’t be able to sleep tonight!
Daniel says
Just moved to Louisiana and I’m from Michigan. First month was fine until I was using the restroom and I looked down to see a huge roach dead on the floor, this was my first time seeing anything that horrifyingly big. Yesterday I saw one crawl on the floor in the kitchen at 4 in the morning. My friend smacked it with a broom 6 times but it was just stunned. I threw a box of garbage bags at it just for it to explode. I’m really just gonna move back at this point.
Dani says
I used to not pay any attention to insects at all. Last summer changed everything though. A big flew on my face at night when I was on my phone. I slapped it off thinking it was a moth. That’s when I turned the lights on to see a huge roach crawling on my door. I retreated under my blanket, and even though I was hot and sweaty, I stayed there all night long. I was absolutely terrified. Today must be my lucky day again because I just saw two more and ran out the room. I had a panic attack and I still have a bright flashlight with me just in case one roach pops out again. Wish me luck
Karine says
Good luck.
I grew up with these insects. I remember these times I was going in the kitchen, turning on the lights and they were running fast and stuff. Just to read the articles makes my heart go fast. These are disgusting and I personally avoid hot countries. I never go to countries that I know can have them, if too hot for instance. My biggest fear is to actually touch one or have one on me. Just the thought makes me sick.
Again, good luck!
Deborah says
If I see one crawling wherever it is, I start hyperventilating and crying to the point where I have panic attacks with headaches and chest pains. My parents laugh at me and tell me to get over it and that I’m overreacting and it’s so annoying that they don’t understand my phobia.
Scarlett says
Exactly, they never understand. Sometimes my breathing gets so bad I might just pass out.
Michael says
Cockroaches and Hell. Mmm, I’ll choose to stay in hell than to be with a dead cockroach in heaven, I seriously don’t want to see the brownish insect, I hate them.
Chelzi Ochoa says
I have an extreme fear of roaches especially the big flying ones. Ugh they are so disgusting. Here’s the story of when I saw a huge big black one in my sisters room. We grabbed any shoes we could find and literally started grabbing the bed (because it went under it) so we found it hiding and it came out and was still, so I started hitting it but I couldn’t kill it. So it ran away and we started crying and screaming (it was at night). I screamed to my sister KILL IT, she said no, you kill it. So I freaked out and did it and then I couldn’t sleep that night.
Raul says
I usually fear only the flying ones. As long as they are quietly crawling I am not pissed off.
Once I was trying to kill some roahes on the walls just below the ceiling, with a long stick. As I hit the 3rd or 4th one, it got alert and came flying down straight to my face just like an airplane landing. Fortunately I ducked down just in time and then fled the scene.
Joshua says
I think i only have mild katsaridaphobia because when i see a cockroach I won’t get nervous or scared unless its 2 feet near me or its on wing-mode. I cover myself with a blanket and shout to my mom “There’s a cockroach”. But if my mom is asleep i throw dirty clothes at it because im scared of spraying insecticide to it because it will fly around and make me so nervous.
Human says
I definitely have a severe case of the phobia. Today I was talking to my mom on my bed and saw one on the bottom of the top bunk bed. I screamed and asked my mom to kill it, she said it was my fault for eating in my room and I continued for the next hour screaming and crying. She didn’t care and I just wanna die now.
Megan says
I just bought a condo and I was having plumbing issues so HOA had the plumber do jetting on the main pipe which happens to be in front of my unit. I got an email saying when he opened it 20 roaches spilled out, they killed most but some escaped! I come home to a few dead ones in the hallway, deep breaths and I passed them. Put the key in my door to unlock and three are on the trim. I scream and slam it, my poor dogs need to be walked but I’m paralyzed with fear. I leave and go to Kroger to get RAID! When I get back and finally go inside there’s three, then four than five then six! I’m spraying and crying and screaming and having panic attacks. It’s now 2:37 and I can’t sleep as dead roaches are everywhere. Overload for a person with this phobia. No friends were close enough to stop by. Worst night ever!
Charrie maquilan says
Me too but my friends don’t take it seriously. They make fun of me every time we talk about that. They say I’m just overreacting.
RT says
I would think of something like ending my life in that situation or just have a heart attack.
Journey says
I have always had a huge fear of these roaches, the fear going as far back as I can remember. Its pretty embarrassing, as the first thing I do when I see one is panic and bolt to the highest or farthest place from the roach. Its also not that helpful that all my friends and family members seem to poke fun around my fear, despite knowing how panicked I get when they even mention roaches. Once in the middle of school, there was a roach by my teachers desk and I started panicking. What did my friend do? She told me to kill it! Once my siblings even told me there was a roach on my back, and they “grabbed it” and held up a rubber roach to my face. I couldn’t do anything but cry and climb onto the coach while panicking wildly and they just laughed at me, finding my violent panicking hilarious. After having an incident with a roach, I tend to avoid the area that it happened at and if I do go there, I’m extremely paranoid the whole time. Yeah, Roaches just don’t fly well with me.
Maimuna says
I have the same symptoms. Today after coming home from school i had to clean the bathroom (which i keep very neat and clean) and found a cockroach beside the toilet. I called my mom and she killed it and told me that i had to throw it in the toilet and she was not going to help me (to help me overcome my fear), but it took me half an hour just to pick up its dead body and flush it down the toilet and i was crying badly all the time i was doing it. I dont know if its a phobia or what but roaches really do scare the hell out of me.
Manish says
Can anyone help me overcome its fear…
I will be joining a hostel soon and I don’t want embarrassment there….
Please help….
I don’t fear snakes, spiders etc but I fear cockroaches like hell
Liana says
I’m the exact same way! Those damn roaches terrify me but I want to get over my fear
Abbey Lopez says
I, too, am phobic! I woke up early this morning to tinkle. I saw one on my desk. I am out of spray. So i began to panic and freak. But, then i saw my fly swatter and grabbed it. If i could’ve gotten a clear shot i could’ve killed it. But. It got away so now im sitting here trying to not think about it. I keep looking back over my shoulder to see if i see it. I can literally sit for hours just sitting staring at my desk. Then, I’ll almost break my neck looking all around. Just in case. Last year i was horrified when i went to use my jug of Home Defense and nothing came out of the long applicator. Seems it was plugged up from lack of use. I lost it! Cuz i couldn’t spray it from across the room! You know what i mean!?
So, in short, im glad to find that im not alone! And, i feel ALL OF YOU your pain! I sincerely feel your pain! Writing my story out is helping though. I recommend whenever a “situation” occurs, put it down on paper. From wherever you can! Now, i gotta go hunt down that little mother f#!*er! Hang in there everyone. Someone does care!
harika says
There’s a big fat Roach under my bed right now and a smaller one ON my bed I’m terrified can’t sleep.
B says
Hello,
I am a young psychologist and I’ve been having this phobia for many years.
Let me tell you this – there is no quick fix, there is no something you can read or hear, or a pill you can take to get rid of this.
I know that the idea of gradual exposure to them (through CBT) make you anxious because I feel the same. However, you will not gradually suffer more and more as the exposure increases: it will always be mild, you will be in control, and it will take time.
For example, you might start with looking at a cartoon with a funnily drawn roach that does not look much as the real thing. Once you get comfortable with that, you can level-up maybe to a more realistic cartoon, but this wouldn’t happen within one session for most of us.
I am lucky because I have never seen any in England where I’ve been living for two years now so it does not cause me any problems at all. I had an encounter last month while on vacation and had a panic attack so I avoided leaving the hotel because I knew they might be in front of it.
If your home or a city you live with has a lot of them and you are bound to see them at least occasionally, please find a good psychotherapist who has experience in phobias. I can promise that the therapy itself would be nothing in comparison with facing a cockroach in your bathroom.
In the meantime, remember that it is no more irrational than having a PTSD after a trauma. Many people have phobias, they just hide it well and avoid things that trigger them. For example, many people have a fear of height, but they will never suddenly find themselves being in such situation, while in our case it is less predictable.
Love to you xxx
Ido Toren says
I actually spent some time online for a period of time, reading about spiders and roaches, the facts about, getting used to the scientific side of these animals, trying to view them from a scientific point of view as opposed to an irrational disgust and fear point of view of a “laymen”. I gradually changed the way I viewed these creatures, tried to see the fascinating and interesting sides they have, their role in our environment, and it dulled the whole fear. I now actually like spiders very much and I am thinking of adopting a tarantula pet, and just this night I managed to pick up a cockroach with a piece of kitchen-paper and put him outside of my house – Initially sighting the animal I felt intense dread, but I was able to control myself and the feeling settled after several seconds.
Next I approached him and observed him, trying to see him from an objective scientific view, as I am observing a fascinating and strange organism rather then a hideous monstrosity, and it worked.
After about 15 min, I mustered up the courage, and grabbed the little guy.
Before these past months which I have spent on trying to alter my thoughts about these animals, I could not even stand to be in the same room as roaches, dead or live, and would feel almost complete panic if I encountered one.
So yeah, really, this can be brought down to a very manageable level, where you can be in control and not humiliate yourself publicly, heck I just picked one up tonight.
Suse London says
You’ve lost it. I have a SEVERE fear of roaches – or anything that might crawl on me (because it might be a roach). My ex used to tickle my back to get a reaction. I am a “run out in the street type.” I bought a used fridge and brought some in (I guess). By the time I noticed it, I have already thrown my neck out and neighbors have come to see what is up. I would NOT expose myself to them for ANY reason, EVER. I’m in Texas . . . where EVERYTHING is bigger. Especially, the Texas Terrorist. The little ones just give me the creeps. I am having my kitchen/front treated and I have literally moved into my bedroom. I think I overkilled last night. I would move and have the sheetrock removed if I could afford it. If you ever build, fill your walls with boric acid . . . This is one I do not want to “overcome.” I just NEVER want to have to encounter it, no way, no how, ever, ever, did I say, no way?
ShatteredPride says
Can someone please share a story of them addressing this problem except just reaching and touching one (I believe I speak for everyone here when I say touching a roach to shake off the fear is an absolute NOPE for us).
I’m supposedly one of those people who are known for “being made of steel” among those who know me and I fear nothing and no one, even when I should, and just last night, I, a 27-year-old “toughie” (weighing 80 kilos) had to call my mother to stop by my apartment to pick up the body of the intruder I’d killed earlier (just a 12cm-long tiny bug with no parts to bite or poison me) using sprays (yes from some 3 meters away)! To this second I’m swearing at myself nonstop; my pride and my image are now big jokes to my mom, I assume (funny how the only person I ever tried to impress was her). I never thought I’d be this humiliated without another human being doing something mean! And like many others here, as a kid, I practically shared my room with these things, big and small, flying or crawling and just two weeks ago I killed one and threw the body out (it took me some 4 hours just to pick up the body with a 3 meters-long shovel but I still did it all by myself without chickening out) and now it seems to be getting worse.
Please, any inspirational stories or constructive advice? Anyone? I can’t afford to be bullied by roaches who are just going about their lives now and where I live (Iran) in summer their population seems to just explode.
Also, am I the only one who generally has no reaction to them if she sees one outside but gets a mini stroke when she sees one INSIDE her house?
Suse London says
I wish I knew what to tell you. I am female – but also fearless. When we had a little rattlesnake in the house, my husband RAN. I got the broom, scooped it up in a trashcan and tossed it back into the woods. I don’t like other bugs – but because I THINK they are roaches. You can at least go outside. I cannot go through my courtyard from house to garage at night. I cannot walk the dogs in the dark because they run in front of me – and live in the trees. These are the Texas Terrorists. I have NEVER had the food roach, but evidently brought some in and now I am finding those. I am ready to MOVE. I’m afraid to go in my kitchen. I moved the dogs water bowl to my bedroom. Here, they say, if you build, to fill your walls with boric acid. They cannot survive that. I want to move and build. :/
Cam says
What is the species you’re calling the Texas Terrorist? I wonder if it’s the same as what I’ve been calling Palmetto bugs. South Carolina is not a good place for people like us who are paralyzed by the sight of 3-inch roaches.
No one important says
Well. Phone at 8 percent because I’m not moving from this spot. Saw a cockroach. Went down the hall to my grandmother, and she refused to kill it… I’ll be sitting here until I die…
Jude says
Thats exactly like me. I usually didn’t care if they were outside (specially at night) but I felt like my heart stopping on me whenever I saw them inside home. I can take a bullet in my head and still manage bit of a smile but all that courage bravery and fearlessness vanishes when a roach is around. I am on Xanax and Cymbalta for 15 years+ because of it. I’d started feeling pain in the chest, felt sick of being humiliated by the family and friends. Now at 40, life is better since I moved to Canada. I haven’t seen any full size flying German roaches here so far. It was different back home though. I am 40 and still feel uncomfortable sleeping at night.
Melody says
Oh I’m the same! Roaches are ok outside where they belong but if I see one inside I FREAK. Just now I opened the cupboard to get a mug and saw a roach (or maybe 2) crawling away. In fear I slammed the cupboard shut and grabbed the roach spray, but I couldn’t find them. I asked my dad to help me and he told me not to spray because he didn’t want chemicals going on the dishes we eat off of. So I asked him to take a cup out for me because I was scared to reach in there and a big roach was hiding on the mug! And I see it and I’m like “there, it’s there!” And I spray it and it goes flailing onto the stove to die. And I’m about to spray it but my dad is like “no no no that’s enough, it’s going to die just wait.” My immediate reaction is to spray it until it dies because I need to make sure the little monster is DEAD. It stumbled over near some drying dishes and died, being disgusting and nasty the entire time. I washed the mug at least 5 times with a ton of Dawn and scalding hot water but still feel suspicious drinking from it. I washed all the dishes it was near (even though it didn’t touch them) with scalding water too, disinfected all the counters, the stove, the cupboards, sprayed orange oil because they hate the smell, set up fresh combat traps hoping to kill the nest, and sprayed a protective layer of roach spray around my bedroom doorway. I freaking hate summer in Hawaii.
It only occurred to me this week that I probably have some kind of phobia. As a toddler I did live in a rundown apartment building with an infestation, so maybe that was it. I scream and can’t even say the word “roach” when I see them, but at least I’ve grown brave enough to kill them myself now instead of calling someone else.
mirandaketo says
I have a pretty severe fear of roaches as well. I cant even look at pictures of roaches without elevated heart rate, feelings of disgust and terror. Its stupid. They dont do anything, but they scare the living hell out of me. It can be debilitating at times which is also stupid and sucks :/
Laura says
Believe I’ve read somewhere that the aversion to cockroaches is pretty much confined to Western civilization (maybe even primarily Americans.) Europeans, the article implied, are able to take them in stride. More power to ’em. (They’ll always terrify me–cockroaches, that is, not Europeans).
Ellie says
I’m Indian and can say without a doubt, I’m absolutely cripplingly terrified of them. My mom just gets annoyed when I scream and she isnt afraid of them but my goodness, if I see a cockroach in my bathroom, I will turn all the lights on in the House before going to bed, they seem to dislike lights. I’d rather have a $100 electric bill than a brush with a roach.
Pepper says
I hate them so much, i don’t understand why would anyone would want to loose fear of being near one… i don’t want to be cured… they are disgusting and should be terminated by someone other than myself.
Suse London says
I get it.
Perez Heidy says
Same!!!! I cannot look at a picture. Sometimes, I google things for help in treating this horrible phobia that takes away from my everyday life, and I have to close one eye and keep the other semi-open in case a picture of one pops up. I know I’m insane, but I cannot control it.
jovita says
im deeply terrified of roaches I had to move out from my in laws and back to my parents house due to the fact that they have a roach infestation and seem to not care at all . I was laying in bed reading a book while my boyfriend slept on the couch because we had gotten in a fight because he doesn’t want to clean the kitchen I was only wearing a shirt and shorts when I felt something crawling on my thigh I stand up and shake and I see nothing I thought I was just being paranoid then I see this giant disgusting red brownish devil under my pillow I cried and ran and both me and my boyfriend slept on that little couch. The next day I made him look for that roach until he finds it and kills it. Eventually I moved out and idk why I’m so scared of roaches my mom told me that when I was 2 or 3 yrs old I would collect roaches in an empty Kleenex box eww. I was not a child of god back then. For some reason I am petrified of them. I have run out of public restrooms with my pants down crying due to that nasty fat devil roach.
Suse London says
I could hardly read that! When I first moved to Texas, a Texas Terrorist jumped off a picture frame and across my forehead. Another time, my mother said one got in her bed and bit her butt (thanks for sharing, mom – that was 35 years ago, I still can’t move on). I have some small ones in the kitchen now – used fridge. I am afraid to be in the house.
Alex says
I can’t sleep because of these things. 3 small roaches just climbed to my bed! My house is filled with these things. Sometimes I think cleaning my room does no good. Plus I think they breed in my TV! Im gonna have to turn my room upside down. Yes I hate cleaning but I hate roaches and love sleeping. Fml and I got a psych visit in 4 hours havent slept
Somebody says
I am a 35 yo man, and I have been scared of cockroaches since childhood. In case of facing with those cockroaches that can fly I might react unbelievably crazy meaning that the whole of my body specially my knees start to shake and my heart will be about throwing out of my body and I scream and escape from the spot and I won’t go back again, and most importantly this will have a huge damage on my nerves for several months after the incident. To let you know how much I am vulnerable in this case, I will tell you a recent story. Currently, somebody on Instagram having a profile picture of a cockroach and some photos of cockroaches started to follow me. After facing with this account, I blocked the person and I reported him, since that bothered me a lot. I do not want to be like this, but honestly it’s out of my control. That’s a huge disaster in my life. I do not know what should I do. Unfortunately, people cannot understand what I feel and they will make fun of me.
Suse London says
Wow, my ex used to tickle my back to make me react. I feel you, here. It’s good to know I am not alone. I have severe hypertension, I have rescue meds.
Cancerouspantsudesu says
my problem with these demons started very young. I was tucked in by my mom, we had just finished watching a very scary movie and i was so scared i told her to leave the hallway lights on (during this time my sister was a baby so i knew she couldn’t protect me, plus she slept in my parents room so that meant i was in the room by myself.) i tried sleeping and i kept waking up in a cold sweat every 5 minutes so my mom had to come and monitor my sleeping and just as she left and on top of my blanket was an adult freaking roach. I cried i shook and everything and my mom finally invited me to sleep in her room and i did NOT disregard the invitation. Till my sisters dad had kicked me out and told me i couldn’t sleep in their room because i forgot to tell him hello earlier and that pissed me off so much so i stayed up all night in the corner crying. Reason why i hate those demons… and my sisters father… monster….
Suse London says
Ahhh, I hate that story, but I feel you.
Christopher B says
I have been terrified of these things since i was 6 years old. And by the age of 12 i already knew what trauma caused it.
When i was under the age of 4, i would watch that TV show “alf” and one day my dad scared the crap out of me while watching it. It was the ep, oh yes, and i do remember it like it was yesterday) was when the giant roach was in the house and in the bathroom.
After that point, if i see a roach i flip the heck out. And if they are flying, nope, i will sleep OUTSIDE.
Now almost 30, i can KINDA see one in the room and just keep an eye on it and be OK, but i can’t squash it, i can’t get a cup over it, i can’t scare it away, i just keep a clear escape route between myself and my door and its fine. If i see one in my room, i sleep in the living room.
Suse London says
FLYSWATTER. After 40 years of living in Texas and having heart attacks. I have thrown bowling balls, vacuum cleaners, tvs, you name it at these Texas Terrorists. They don’t die. Someone told me to get a flyswatter and it worked (on the big ones). I can’t walk my dogs in the dark because they are outside and live in the trees. Can’t get over my courtyard from house to garage at night. Jeeeez, you would think they could figure this out.
Trevor says
I got ran out of my room once by a cockroach, it was bout the size of an enter button on a keyboard BUT STILL i am 13 it happened when i was 12 i will not sleep even though i have gmap testing tomorrow until that little guy is killed and mutilated.
someone says
When I was a child, I was fearfull of many things; dogs, spiders, ants, caterpillars among other things, but then I had, may pets, dogs, crabs, lizards, snails, and that, added to personal research on these things made me lost my fear for all of them. Cockroaches on the other hand simply disgusted me in those days, as most other kids would be, but the more I learnt about them, coupled with many bad experiences with them that just keep stacking over, I ended up developing -to the point of nearly overcoming my previous position on them- fearful of cockroaches; and while it has become a bit crippling in certain aspects of my life, these are things that I do not enjoy doing at all anyway, so it’s not really something I’d see myself trying to get rid of in the future, even if it has costed every other night of sleep: usually when one of these creatures slits through my door or falls into the trash bin, at levels of noise far below of what it’s usually needed to wake me up in the middle of the night, at the very least I can actually go to sleep once I make sure the little vermin is dead or at least, disabled enough to cause further trouble. In fact, this is the reason I’m awoken right now reading this article, I’m in my grandparent’s house and woke up to no less than 3 cockroaches in the same room as I and, while I managed to get rid of 2 of them, the third one found quite the spot to hide.
Petrified1998 says
I have severe anxiety and roaches make me absolutely flip my shit. Like most people on this forum, I’ve never been afraid of spiders, snakes, even most other insects. However, roaches cause me to scream, cry, and even have full-blown panic attacks. This REALLY sucks, because I live in Florida. Roaches are to Florida like fish are to the ocean. I honestly don’t know how to overcome this extreme phobia, because all of the therapies listed sound absolutely terrifying. If anyone has any suggestions, please help.
Pepper says
Wow, i know how you feel, if i were you… i would move to another state!!
Suse London says
Hello from the OTHER roach state . . . Texas and the Texas Terrorist. I agree. I would NEVER put myself through any of these “therapies.” I have thrown out my neck, and almost stroked out (I have severe hypertension) to where I have to have my BP rescue meds.
insiya says
I was in std 9.. while lecture was going on.. very much silent in the class.. and suddenly on my hand I saw a cockroach! I shouted firstly and then I was shivering literally.. whenever I see it I become speechless.. please help me
Sketching Productions says
I only fear big adult cockroaches.. the only thing I think of is throwing stuff at it to kill it..
Suse London says
Which doesn’t work. I have thrown (and broken, even) some shit like you wouldn’t believe. The babies are just as terrifying . . . it means you have to sit up watching out for them!! Flyswatter is the best killer . . . if you can get close enough before you have a heart attack.
Adam says
I am a grown man and I am absolutely terrified of cockroaches. I’m not bothered by spiders or snakes or scorpions but cockroaches scare the hell out of me. All I can do is run when I see one. I can’t even get close enough to kill one. I can’t even stand to see one on TV or a picture of one. And i don’t know why. I never had any major trauma involving cockroaches. But they give me nightmares, I hate them much. Why would a grown man be afraid of them? I know they can’t hurt me but I’m still scared. Help me, please.
Johnny Moe says
If you have received any answers that have helped,, PLEASE let me know. I am 50 yrs old, 6 ft, 200 lbs. Im a retired Police Detective and an avid trainer in numerous fighting skills. Id rather be in a room with a 6’5 250 prisoner then 1 big roach. Id shoot it before stepping on it. Im married with 2 boys and its hard to say but my wife can deal with this better then me. I/we had the biggest storage place in the building of our coop. I know its a basement and thats where they dwell but after seeing 1 MONSTER roach in our storage area I gave up the spot and won’t go back. Have u received and good responses and/or new advice? Thanks
Suse London says
I am 50 and I get the shoot it before getting close. I have demolished tvs, vases, thrown vacuums, whatever avails me. Although a baby rattler, my ex ran like a sissy – I tossed it out in a trashcan and broom. My big, manly neighbor hid in his upstair while they removed a bee colony (bee guy just digging it out, throwing on a tarp). He peered out the window, refusing to come out while I got close and took great cell pics. I have used yard fog and then had to leave the house with the dogs because freaking out. Good to know we are not alone, because people think I am nuts.
Rachel says
I am a 45 year old woman and I have had this phobia my whole life. My dad was an evil man for various reasons, and he loved to freak me out by acting as if he was going to throw a roach on me. I put my house up for sale shortly after several bad encounters, even though I keep a neat house. My fiancé understands my issue and kills them when I see one. We live in Alabama so of course they fly. It is terrifying. I have full blown panic attacks. I am a therapist myself but it doesn’t matter because phobias are irrational. I haven’t worked with another therapist about this mainly because of the stigma, and of course I know almost all the therapists in my small geographical area. I don’t care if you’re a 7 foot tall muscular former Marine, roaches are EVIL and the phobia is real! Do not be ashamed people. I feel your pain. I have had one run up my arm, fall in my hair, sit on my shoulder, fly in my face…I can pick snakes up bare handed and spiders don’t bother me in the least- even the poisonous ones. It’s ridiculous but the struggle is nonetheless REAL.
James Buchanan says
Me and you are literally the same person. My dad teases me about it.
Kirstin says
I am 10 years old and I live where there is a bunch of trees. I am so scared what can I do?
K says
Idk what to do… I am a 40 year old woman and just had another major panic attack/battle with …
I can’t sleep if I see one – I feel like they zone in on me/my space…
I grew up in Florida and as a kiddo if I saw one in the house -would wake my parents or stay up all night
Now , in Hawaii they come by sometimes and I don’t know why I am still so scared of them but I will not rest if I see …
I love all animals- I most love mammals and sharks ….but I live peaceably around spiders and do not wish to harm any living thing except…
I just feel so violated by …roach- there…;( i typed it
My home is clean and this is a occasional incident but I may die from my crazy feared them…
Unlike most other animals, the brain of the cockroach is in its body instead of its head. This means that a headless cockroach can live for nearly two weeks and will eventually die from malnutrition and not nerve damage.
Suse London says
The more I am reading these stories, the worst my neck is getting. It’s the Texas Terrorist I would get from time to time. But, I bought a used fridge and brought in German. I had it treated, but moved into the back of the house. Terrified they are going to get back here.
Pepper says
Have your parents buy you a can of RAID and keep it with you at all times!!
Suse London says
Do NOT go under the trees at night. Stay in the open – under a street light (I speak from experience). Carry a light and a flyswatter (just in case)!
Trevor says
Im 13, i feel ya bud, they scare me and all i do (can do really) is stare at them. One time i got chased out of my room, another time a dead one and a live one were in my bath robe when I finally decided to wear it after a long time of not, one time on the bus a cockroach had found its way into my shoe. These things terrify me more than anything, i could watch a murder and a cockroach would scare me more.
haruna kanako says
Just a few hours ago, i was in my bed, watching some videos and suddenly, a big dark red cockroach was flying as if it owns the room and i suddenly shouted and cried and ran towards the kitchen and let my mother and brother kill it.. but I thought it was the end but i was wrong and many more roaches are roaming the house and me, i was in the kitchen, trembling with fear and watching my mother and brother hunt those ugly creatures. This phobia started when I was an infant, my mother used to scare me with pictures or live cockroaches if I didn’t sleep or i misbehaved and now every time I see them, big or small, i panic and will lose my mind.. seriously.. I can’t help or do anything with this phobia.. I just can’t agree with them…
Andrew says
Those roaches are nothing compared to the ones i see in Florida. Look up palmetto bug and imagine that f***** coming out of your outlet and crawling onto your bed. Even the thought of one makes me very on edge. After I see one any tingle on my leg and I freak out. I never liked them but it all started when this weird unidentified bug ran out from under my dresser and onto my toys (i was 10) I saw it and it was like a HUGE roach but clear. I quickly grabbed my things and ran downstairs. Next day i was bringing laundry up stairs and i stepped on it. I have never screamed so much for some reason i started biting at my shirt sleeve. Worst part is my house is infested all my family members are complete slobs like leaving food on the bathroom floor for weeks messy. So i encounter the vulgar creatures of the night on a semi nightly basis. Im 14 and I plan to move out as soon as possible just so I dont have to see another roach. While i was typing this i went to get water and one flew out of the air vent and onto the counter, i hate them so much!
Christopher B says
That is the type that scares the crap out of me. Get them in south and central texas…
Carlos R. says
Anyone know a place where there are NO roaches? I was getting food for my dog and when I open the bin with my foot I see a freaking huge one on one side, and I have to do it or else my mom would treat me like the biggest wimp in the world. I had to scoop food out of one side while cringing at the other side at the roach. I was trembling like crazy the whole time, I didn’t even fill up the whole bowl before I decided that I had had enough. Those things give me the absolute creeps.
Tom says
I am moving into a sailboat because of this phobia. I dont typically see them but today I did, quite large, in the middle of the freaking NJ winter! WTF.. When I was a kid I used to live in Rio De Janeiro and they have the flying ones out there, but strangely enough I came to acquire this phobia as an adult. The only other place I remember NOT seeing roaches for many trips there was in the CZECH Rep (Prague, Karlovy Vary..) I’m sure they have the german ones but it’s nothing like Manhattan, where two ex girlfiends saw me scream and run like a little hysterical child. I am sure they lost respect for me.. Anyway, cant wait till the SAILBOAT!!!
Suse London says
OMG, that breaks my heart. My family loves to tease me by tickling my back. And, I do not find it funny, but to deliberately scare you for acting like a normal kid, good grief. I hope you find a safe place that gives you more peace. The fear is real. I hate hearing that it was intentionally put on a child – for life.
Islander says
Anyone remember the movie ALIEN? That is what I feel about those big damn B52 sized roaches. Freaks me out.
Trevor says
Oh i thought you meant alien vs predator, i did see that and i am a fan of the xenomorphs.
Natalie says
I cannot bare roaches, let alone palmetto bugs. They are absolutely disgusting and I am petrified to death by them. I am a 13 year old girl, and I haven’t been scared of any bugs all my life. I find most insects and reptilians interesting but I cannot handle roaches. Just hearing the name makes me get chills down my back. If I see one I freeze on the spot and start hyperventilating. I feel like I cannot move and my feet are stuck to the ground. I see it wiggling it’s long disgusting antennas at me and It makes me want to vomit. The worst part is, I walked into my bathroom a few minutes ago and when I flipped on the light it was sitting on my countertop. And guess what else? I forgot to put my makeup away. It was literally crawling all over my makeup brushes and lipsticks. I almost screamed. I am disgusted. In the morning I’m going to have to sterilize everything and possibly throw my makeup away because i will now not be able to touch it. This is how bad my phobia is. I would have asked my dad to kill it but he is asleep. I couldn’t move at all and I felt all the blood drain from my face. I wanted to turn off the light and run away but the roach was right next to the switch on the counter. Just being in the same room as one makes me break out into a sweat. I had to turn off the light so I left for 5 minutes and came back. The roach was gone, it probably ran away somewhere. So I flipped off the switch quickly, slammed the bathroon door and ran to my bedroom and slammed that shut as well. I’m so scared it’s going to happen to me when I’m sleeping, now. My room is a mess and now that I think about it I could have one in my room and I want to hurl.
Alex says
Hey, usually people like us with this fear eventually turn into very orderly people. Lots of food and trash around = roaches. My house is simple, clean and no spots for roaches to hide in. I’m 24 btw :P. It gets better, I kill them from a distance If possible with a spray. My living room consist of a sofa, a lamp a decently sized table thing for the tv with space for books and that’s it. No places for roaches to hide, etc. good luck
sav says
I just had one sitting on the wall and I couldn’t pass it to get to my mom so I literally had to call her 3 times to wake her up and it took me, her, and my brother to kill it. I expirienced the same symptoms and I’m so so sorry to hear that you had to go through it, it’s seriously so frustrating and horrific.
K says
I understand … Really sucks – my boy friend told me to use rubbing alcohol ( 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol) in a spray bottle – I still can’t do it by myself but when he does it works;)
Sophie says
I’m also young and am utterly disgusted by cockroaches. When I even see a picture of them I start to feel like they are in my mouth and they are like crawling up my throat. I am so scared I scream or start having a panic attack when I see one. Don’t even get me started on what happened the last time I touched one. I completely flipped out and I had my dad hold me off the floor and calm me down. I’m also intensely scared of butterflies and just flying bugs in general.
Bianca says
I’m a 12 year old sissy who just delt with a Palmetto. It won. It wasn’t even near me in my room either. I saw it and ran out to my living room and curled onto my couch. I’m honestly rocking back and forth because I’m suffering with extreme paranoia right now. Im actually about to cry. I’m having a very bad panic attack right about now, and my grandmother just said it wasn’t there and to go back to bed. Welp I heard a bag move and ran again. No one else is awake to deal with me and my weirdness. So I’m screwed…
Benjamin says
What a Coincidence! I just got up to go to the bathroom and as soon as I flipped on the light there was a monstrous cockroach on my facial soap! I ran to get windex, but it was too late as the beast disappeared. I’m going to bed literally in fear that there may be one in my room right now.
Suse London says
Alex is right. You’ll learn how to avoid them because of the fear. I find that a flyswatter kills the big ones the best – if you can get close enough. I feel for you that you freeze, I am a run in the street screaming type.
Sterling says
I like insects for the most part. Many are fascinating looking or just cute looking. There are lots that are beautiful and colorful. I study them often for common knowledge, identification and even for character design. I believe they are some of the most diverse and unique animals the planet has to offer and many play an important role in the ecosystem. I LOVE praying mantises and those big cute looking scorpions. In my adult years, I’ve kept some of these insects as pets. There are only two insects I cannot STAND and it’s the American cockroach (those big flying ones) and the house centipede (though strangely enough, I find it’s cousin the Giant Centipede and all millipedes) to look quite cool.
Hell, I’ll even take the spindly, many legged house centipedes over the American cockroach by FAR. A hundred times over. Infinity times over. There are even certain states I would NEVER move to and the only reason I am in Texas is because of the military. If I could move to Alaska, I would just to get AWAY from these things.
And I live in Texas. Forever bleaching, spraying, vacuuming and cleaning… some still get in. Perched up on the closet ceiling… just this morning. THIS MORNING. It hasn’t even been seven days into summer and the first live one I’ve seen since last year has come to say the season’s greetings. I opened the walk-in closet to get some laundry detergent and a HUGE one, pretty much looking down at me, waving it’s antenna at me like I should just be ‘cool’ with his presence there. HELL to the FAWK no! EAT DEATH ROACHIE!
Most of the time, I will get my husband to kill these things should the occasional one sneak in. But if I am on my own, or he is away, I feel cornered and threatened by these things. I don’t take threats well and I will go full-on she-Rambo on these things. Get my grenades (foggers), nets (roach traps), guns (two roach sprays in each hand) and irresistible candy (roach gel). I tuck my pants into my socks, my sleeves into my kitchen gloves, wear my heaviest boots and will put on my biker helmet to keep my hair and eyes free of any ‘surprise’ attacks. I will stay up all night and hunt the roach down and kill it.
Once I attacked a literal 2 and a half incher that I caught trying to crawl through the crack in the front door. It was the biggest one I’ve ever seen and it fell in the ‘long’ American roach category. The sound of this huge thing wriggling through the crack and flattening its body literally woke me up on the couch. I looked at it. It looked at me and froze, moving it’s antenna and made a ‘break’ for it, heading for the shoe rack. I let out a ‘battle’ cry… mostly in pure fear, but also rage. I treated this intruder like one would treat a burglar. I grabbed the roach version of a baseball bat (steel toe boot) and gave it a good hit. What made me even madder is that it looked up at me like ‘that all you got’?
By the time I let out my rage on the intruder, it looked like a mashed, oozing raisin and it was STILL moving and flapping its dented wings in vain. Proud of my ‘victory’, I texted a picture of its dead carcass over to my husband who was deployed at the time. He called me a weirdo. X’D
Well, it felt like a victory to ME. I also sealed up the crack with caulk and put a roach trap nearby and sealed the rest of the crack with roach gel.
These creepy-sauce American cockroaches are the absolute BANE of my existence. I don’t even pass under trees in Texas anymore because I know that is their home. They look sinister, evil and menacing and all kinds of WRONG. Where they come from is disgusting and what they eat is even more disgusting. Even how they are born looks like something out of a horror movie. Their legs are spindly and full of jagged spikes. It’s the eyes, the humped-back oval shapes and those legs that get to me.
The roaches in the picture above do not scare me. They may be ‘bigger’, but they look like beetles to me. Beetles are cute. Even the smaller roaches do not scare me. I’ve never had problems with them, but I’ve seen them. They remind me over silverfish. A simple tap of the foot and their dead. No biggie.
Most roaches in this world leave humans alone. It’s only the main four kinds of roaches that just don’t get the hint they are NOT wanted.
Suse London says
You must be in VERY north Texas cuz those Texas Terrorists NEVER let up.. we don’t have “summer” – it’s always summer. I do not walk under or near trees in the dark. But, I bought a used fridge and evidently brought in some of the little ones. I have NEVER had to deal with this and when I found them, I ran out the front door screaming. A neighbor came over the next day to say he heard my daughter scream, was she okay. Uh, nope. It was me and I am NOT okay. I have over sprayed, over moteled, over boric acided, cleaned everything with rubbing alcohol (my secret for spot killing fleas after bringing the dogs in – they hate it), but I am afraid to go back into the kitchen (for a week now). I am afraid of finding live ones as well as dead. You are not not a weirdo.. or not to me.
IPassionatelyHateRoaches says
I’m a 24 male and I’m scared to death by roaches (or any insect that’s able to fly or move fast in an unpredictable manner, like camel crickets). Flies and mosquitoes are fine with me though, or anything smaller. But really, roaches take the top spot. They’re so flexible with their movements that you cannot predict where they plan to go or what they plan to do next. They can walk fast, hop, fly, climb up walls, etc. Plus they’re just dirty.
One time I was in a car and a cockroach was able to sneak into the car. Good thing I was not driving (I was at the back seat), as that cockroach went flying straight in between my nose and mouth and I just lost it. I almost threw up. I was shivering after the ordeal. My sweat was cold. I was in a panic state and I cannot move properly. To add to that, the cockroach’s smell stuck onto that area so I had to wipe it with alcohol a couple of times. I was with my girlfriend (now ex) and my dad at that time, so imagine the embarrassment that I had. Don’t worry though, she didn’t break up with me because of that.
But I don’t care at anything anybody says anymore. It’s not like I can control it anyway. I’m just damn scared of cockroaches, period. Nothing anyone says against me will change that. They’re just rubbing salt to the wound.
Carlos R. says
Same (the first three sentences) though the smaller ones just annoy me, and mosquitoes always bite ME instead of the 3 other people in the house.
Pepper says
And haven’t you noticed that when you spot one they ALWAYS seem to run towards you, instead of away like any other regular critter.. they are disgusting.
Bre says
I have had accidents where I’ve eaten or drank them and I freak out. Not even 30min ago one was in my cup and I usually look inside all my cups before taking a drink but I was so tired I just didn’t. I felt it inside my mouth and I threw my cup. When something like this happens I end up pulling my hair or tightly holding onto my arms and legs and I just spazz out. I’m not crazy or anything but I just can’t stand it. I’m actually still in tears from what happened. I won’t be able to sleep tonight. If anyone knows anyway to help me get calm and or not freak out in these situations please let me know. My kik is ilovechris41016 please message me.
Louise says
Oh my goodness.. There was a cockroach in my bathroom a second ago and I was literally paralysed. I started screaming and freaking out and… ohmygosh. My mum eventually squashed it for me, and I was so scared I couldn’t go back.
If what happened to you happened to me…
I would probably faint and go to hospital, tbh. BUT you can…
• Watch cartoons (Adventure Time is advised)
• Clean your house with a friend (to make sure there isn’t another one)
• Put your mug in the back of the cupboard and use a different one until you’ve gotten over it
• More cartoons
• Watch a My Little Pony episode (sounds stupid, but it distracts you)
• Spray Cockroach Repellent everywhere so that little b*tch goes the f*ck away
• Think of Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing on Rainbows at night so you’ll dream of unicorns rather than… you-know-what.
Ashley says
Lol but one time out lights were out cause of a storm so we had to keep the front door open.so I went to the bathroom and I had my tablet in there with me for light so our house is prone to daddy long legs so I felt something crawling under my foot so I just thought it was a daddy long legs. When I shined my flashlight under my foot…”IT” WAS THERE omg I came out the bathroom screaming and having a heart attack I couldn’t get out of there fast enough I didn’t even pull my pants up when I ran I didn’t even flush😶😥this is controlling my lifeeeee I just saw one on the wall in my room he was hugeeeeeee I ran out cursing (unlike me) leaving my phone(unlike me too) and called my grandma to kill it. She’s afraid of them too but she was the only one around to kill it.when she came in there IT WAS GONE. now I was supposed to go to sleep at 9:00 to get up early for school in the morning but nope Nada no sleep for me I’m still looking over my shoulder for it😞and now…I’m sleeping in the den and it could come up anytime and crawl on me ugh just writing this makes me shiver
Kera says
I recommend watching cartoons like the previous person, the last time I had an encounter with those ‘Horrible creatures’ (which was only 5 minutes ago) I was paralysed my heart rate was going crazy, I was crying (I still am doing most of these things) I couldn’t scream or even talk, the thing is was that I saw one on my bed and one in the bathroom, I saw one downstairs, I know I will not be sleeping upstairs in my room or down stairs, I live in Sydney(Newtown the home of the ‘things’)
I am totally unable to sleep, every time I see a ‘Thing’ I am totally frozen, unable to breathe (or hyperventilate) and I panic, whenever I hear there name I cry and hyperventilate, just watch some cartoons or things you like (e.g music, TV shows etc)
Val says
I also live in Sydney. Honestly cockroaches freak the living **** out of me
Suse London says
Or drugs. It’s that bad.
Sophie says
I have been afraid of cockroaches since I was a kid (I’m now 22). When I was little I took some medication that caused me to hallucinate. In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a massive cockroach and a daddy-long-legs spider crawling on my pillow besides my head. I can still picture it now. I didn’t sleep in my bedroom for a week because I was afraid it would happen again (even though it didn’t really happen). For some reason I don’t fear spiders – just cockroaches – after this event. People in school would tease me with dead cockroaches (throw them at me or even once a boy put one on my head) thinking it was funny but the feeling that comes over me when I see one is so horrible. I’d rather spend a night in a haunted house than be anywhere near a cockroach!
Amethyst says
I mean seriously there were two cockroaches walking by me like they own the place and they don’t care what you do. But there were these two mate cockroaches but i accidentally killed its mate i think it was the female cause its bigger. That thing came charging at me it even hissed and was super fast on its feet but what scared me the most was when it started flying and jumping. Ever since ive been scared of cockroaches.
Skidoodlepuff says
i can see your point i nearly had the same encounter when i stood on one of its legs it was uuuuuuuugly ugh
Meh says
Even people without Katsaridaphobia will panic once the cockroach starts flying.
Gordon Brown says
I wouldn’t. I love cockroaches especially the hissing kind.
sav says
You got some issues then homie.
Suzan says
I guess I dont have it as bad as some I have read. If I see one my heart races and anxiety increases but I am easily capable of killing it because the thought of it getting away and breeding terrifies me. I can even sometimes turn my mind off if I am someplace that has them and they aren’t too close to me. However if I find a nest of them or have one crawl on me all bets are off. I may be able to control myself not to scream but I would definitely panic and run. If I was to be driving and felt or saw one on me I would definitely wreck. Once I saw a HUGE one that was probably quadruple the size of a regular one on my living room window. I suddenly imagined it breeding and the thought of my home filled with giant roaches caused me to start screaming and shaking and crying. I couldnt go back inside until my husband killed it. Even then, I had nightmares for weeks that there were more of them. I know how my phobia started. TRIGGER WARNING DESCRIPTIVE. As a child we had a severe infestation. They were everywhere. At night you could hear the scratching noises and see the wallpaper ripple as nests of cockroaches moved beneath it. When I would open the upper kitchen cabinet doors at least a dozen of them would fall on my head and crawl through the strands of my hair causing me to scream and shake my head and swat at them. It was horrible. Due to that overexposure as a child I not only have a phobia but also a serious allergic reaction to them. The babies dont cause the reaction for some reason but if its a medium or a full grown one, I will break out in severe hives wherever they crawled on me. If exposed to their droppings, my eyes swell shut and it becomes hard to breathe. For those who may even think the hives are psychosomatic, not true. There have been times I was asleep and woke up scratching my arm only to see the hives where one was on me while I slept and I didn’t know. At first you can clearly see the hives form a trail of the creature’s path then the swelling around the hives gets so bad that you can’t see it anymore. I actually MOVED OUT of my last home because of the roach infestation and the fact that my grown children who were living with me would not help me keep the house clean at all or help spray them on site to help get rid of them.
Alice says
I always see cockroaches at school. So one time I was doing work on my iPad and this black cockroach landed on my iPad. So I threw my iPad onto the ground (which was one of those really hard carpets with concrete underneath them. I started crying. Another time, I was sitting next to my friend and she felt a cockroach on her leg. I pulled my legs up onto the seat and I couldn’t move and I started crying, even though I hadn’t seen or felt it on myself. The last time I was getting books from my locker. Our lockers were in this narrow hall thing, and my locker was towards the end. There was this cockroach coming towards me and the was nowhere to go except over it. So I was about to try and jump over it AND I PHYSICALLY COULDNT. I was so scared, I couldn’t jump over a thing an inch long. Just writing this and thinking about it and shivered, felt sick and started tearing up. To all those above who lived in flats infested with them and constantly seeing them, I feel for you deeply. I would have to get the hell out of there as fast as I could. And I wouldn’t return.
Td says
Ever since I saw the movie “CreepShow” when I was younger, I’ve been completely terrified of cockroaches. I feel like I’m going to throw up and I break into a sweat every time I see one. Been trying for ages to find something to help.
Mohamed Ashwaan says
I hate the big roaches which can fly. They are so creepy when they fly. The ones which cant are not a problem at all. I wish scientists could find a way to eliminate all roaches and most insects from the face of the earth.
Excel Ojemen says
That is exactly my problem. I only hate cockroaches because they can fly.
Jen says
I like horror movies, gory shows, anime with lots of violence, death, and blood, I don’t get phased if I accidentally cut myself, and I also tend to be interested in things that make people think I’m borderline insane. But the one thing that I can’t handle other than large open or public spaces are those little demons from hell;more evil than the devil himself. I actually don’t know how I got this phobia but I sometimes get yelled at because of it. All I know is that I’m terrified of those bastards and I can never stay in a room for long when theyre there with me. I once ran out of the shower with only my towel and cried in my room when I saw one crawling towards me. But another thing is, if I’m ticked off for any so reason, I can mercilessly crush any roach into oblivion but I won’t be able to clean up the mess later. I also live in an old house so everywhere except the in use bedrooms are crawling with them at night and they don’t care if you turn on the lights, they don’t give a damn. That’s why I always try to take a bath in daylight or right after someone; I wasn’t able to shower one night because no one was up to get the efer off the wall. I don’t feel safe in my own home. Sorry for rambling but I needed to vent on this somewhere.
Tricia says
I hate roaches! They were alwyas were in my granny’s house in her laundry room or pantry! My sister who is 17 years of age is scared of them like there rapist coming at night! Soooo i hope one day 10 roaches fall down her shirt because i dont like my wonderful big sister at times. Roaches take away!
Cortney says
What a jerk, Tricia! I hope that YOU yourself have a phobia and someone puts it down YOUR shirt.
KinkyChi says
I really don’t know when it all started. I do remember always having a disgust towards some insects. I’ve been living alone for about 5 years now and I remember that putting nets on my windows and buying some insect-killing machine or spray was step number one when moving into almost every rental I’ve ever lived in. Cockroaches specifically have always been something “I’d hate to see in the flat I’m renting” but I guess I was lucky not to see or “have” roaches up until this current flat. The thing is, the roach intensity is really low and it’s like they’re just passing through my flat occasionally. I mean, I had the exterminator dude come over and he told me this. I have seen a very small amount of roaches in this flat in total, like 1-2 dead ones (cause I dust those places) every month or so. But still, I freak out every time. I obsess about cleaning, taking out the trash, eating carefully so I don’t spill anything and washing the dishes almost instantly after using them. I can’t believe that one or two dead roaches every month or so have the power to screw me up that much. After seeing a dead roach, I pack and go to my boyfriend’s place for a couple of days. Starting to feel like this is putting pressure on my relationship. I just can’t get used to this situation, moving out now would cost me too much and getting used to the flat (which is amazing other than those “visitors” every now and then) seems so far away from me. This whole thing is worrying me a great deal. I feel trapped, cause I keep thinking that even when I do move out, I might move them out with me. I can’t get any peace when I’m alone in the flat, and this is so strange to me because I see myself as a pretty independent person who had things “under control” before. I know that, realistically speaking, this isn’t a real problem and that I’m making a huge deal out of it, but still… somehow this one roach situation is now stopping me to be peaceful and productive in the flat, to enjoy my relationship and it’s causing me to not recognize myself anymore. I don’t know what to do.
UniverseBear says
When I was growing up my parents would tell me travel stories of how they would wake up in their motel rooms covered in cockroaches. I think those stories prepped me to be afraid of them. Like a decade ago I rented my first apartment. The building was full of roaches (and I found out later my neighbour was filthy). They were everywhere. One night I came home and flipped the light switch, there was a roach on the switch. I went to go grab some insecticide and on the way a roach fell out of a shoddily sealed ceiling light onto my head. I flung it off and thought “I need to get out of here.” so I went for my jacket but then I saw one crawl out of the sleeve. I just left and spent that night sleeping on a bus/subway. I remember it got so bad I would sleep at my apartment during the day (because they weren’t out during the day) and I would spend all night out on the street waiting for it to be safe again. God those are bad memories. It’s because I know they swarm, if I see one I can’t deal because my brain just starts picturing them being all over the inside of the walls and in every little crack and my whole body gets shaky and cold. If I see a roach I’m on edge for like a week. I’ll freak out at leafs blowing down the road in the wind. Luckily I haven’t lived in a place with roaches for a long time so it doesn’t really effect me day to day anymore.
Fear of cockroaches says
I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one petrified of cockroaches!
Just today when I went to feed the birds, when I opended the door there was about 4 roaches in the crack! I screamed and ran away of course. But I still was told to feed the birds. After about 5 minutes of crying and hyperventilating, mum had to open the door and feed them. One roach fell out of the cage and it brought another wave of tears over me. I’m so ashamed of my fear and I almost vomited at the sight of the top photo!
Sinister says
My mom and I are petrified of roaches!!#
Lily says
Im completely terrified of roaches. Small ones, big ones, I just hate them all. It started when we first moved in to our new house about a month and a half ago.. I was sleeping and I suddenly felt something crawling on my arm, I opened my eyes, and there was a huge roach on me… I jumped, and screamed and cried like a baby.. Ever since then, I’ve been scared to death to even walk in my room.. Or touch my bed.. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep in there again! I’ve been sleeping on the couch, for weeks now.. And yet it’s still really hard to fall asleep. That was not the only time I’ve found a roach, I’ve found several around the house already and it feels like I’m the only one that sees them. And it bothers me so much, all the time, just thinking about them makes me all itchy and I feel knots in my stomach.. And all I want is to not feel that way.. To be able to actually sleep in a bed again, and go in my room😞 what do I do?
abc says
I once woke up to a cockroach on the wall right next to my bed. I looked away to get my shoe and when I looked back it was gone. I didn’t go back into my room until my dad killed it. I had to wash all my sheets and spray raid to make sure there was no more 😣
Cockroach says
I have no idea when cockroaches scared me. One time I was watching TV and I felt something crawling on my arm I jumped up and screamed like I usually do when I see one and started bursting in tears. The flying and crawling ones never seem fun to me, I can’t even stand looking at dead ones and hearing the name makes me shutter. I get paranoid and im get freaked out when I see something dark in my room or anywhere. I will literally move to Antartica if I have to together rid of this fear. Sorry for making this really long I just hope someone will understand.
Raghu says
And guys the worst thing about these bugs is that if you fail in an attempt to kill them they crawl straight to you.. every time. I hate them yuck.
Kuroa says
I can relate which is why I just run for the hills
Suzie Stearns says
Yes! They will come back after you. I have noticed this myself. I just bought and remodeled a house on the coast of NC. and I think I have made a mistake. The roaches are unavoidable here. I have Orkin every month, but still get the occasional one that has me paralyzed with fear. Up until yesterday, I felt fairly comfortable during the day, as they normally dont show themselves until dark. I am so crippled by them, I walk around with a bottle of Raid everywhere I walk in my house at night. And it has come in handy! I have tried to get over my fear of them by reminding myself that they cant hurt me. That was disproven yesterday (daytime!) I grabbed my towel which was hanging on a hook after turning off the shower. Suddenly, I felt something bite, or sting the hell out of me! I threw my towel, and yep, you guessed it! Out ran a huge one of those creepy things! Of course I had my Raid near by. I sprayed enough on him that it should have drowned him. He still hobbled and limped around on my shower floor for a good 15 or 20 minutes. All the while, I keep giving him more sprays. I know, I should have smushed him, but I cant stand the crunch! If he had been loose (not caught in the shower), he would have eventually died from the Raid. But Yes, he would have died by my side, because they DO come back for you! I know that sounds crazy, but it is true for me! I have seen it many times over. I am glad to know that this is an actual phobia. I am thinking of getting professional help. Or move.
Emma says
I agree with all of the comments above. I have all the textbook symptoms of the insect phobia. Seeing one cockroach is enough to render me catatonic, frozen, screaming and crying.
Life is disgusting. Even our bodies are just huge collections of all kinds of microbs. I intend to move to an artic region where there is much fewer insects.
Tanja74 says
I am a 42 year old woman who has had a phobia of roaches my whole life. Let’s just say my natural mother didn’t like to change my nappy that often. And she locked me in a bathroom FULL of the creatures and left me there as punishment. This went on for 10 months until she tried killing me. This was when I finally got to go with my nana and pop to life. Tonight I have had a nest of them spring out just as I was opening the cupboards. Needless to say I lost it big time.
Ryan says
I am 14 years old and I’m deeply afraid of cockroaches. It all started when I was 6 years old when I was asleep in my room. I started to feel something crawling on me but I just ignored it and went back to sleep. Then I started feeling it again on my neck so I touched what was there and I felt something weird and flicked it off so I turned on the light and looked on the floor and I saw it, the ugliest creepy crawly ever. I screamed and froze in fear and I was screaming. The cockroach started to fly and entered my mouth and so I was choking and my mom had entered my room and saw me choking so she was giving me back-blows until the roach finally came out and it started flying until it landed on the wall and my mom killed it. I think that’s when I started to be afraid of them. Even at one point when I was watching Wall-E I screamed because of the little roach and at the picture above I froze in terror but yeah I am f***ing scared of roaches.
Hannah says
I’m absolutely terrified of cockroaches. It all started when I went to sleepaway camp as a kid. I slept on the top of a bunk bed, and woke up one morning to a cockroach on the ceiling right above my head. Since then, I’ve been scared to a ridiculous extent. When I lived with my parents, I would run away from the cockroach until my dad could come and kill it. I would wake my dad up in the middle of the night to come kill roaches. Today I found a roach in my bedroom, and for the first time ever, had no roommate, parent, or anyone to help. I panicked. I started hyperventilating and cursing and just freaking out. I cried and in this time, the cockroach went away, making my problem worse. After calming down a little, I searched my room for the roach, and could not find it. Now I am too scared to sleep and have nowhere to go. I’m terrified. I want this roach DEAD.
Ruth says
I’m 39 years old and I was embarrassed of this phobia. I’m truly glad to see I’m not alone in this. I just moved into a really nice apartment on the 2nd floor. I was pretty excited about this and was settling in, until Saturday night when I was heading out I had one of “them” greet me on my kitchen counter. I was paralyzed in fear and couldn’t really breathe. My stomach was in knots and I started to shake. I had to call my mother that lives over 300 miles away to pray for me because I was freaking out. It ran off and I still could not move. I finally was able to leave and I did not return to my apartment until daylight. I bought bug spray and sprayed everywhere except the kitchen. To this day I have not been able to walk in there. I can’t cook, much less eat inside my apartment. I don’t feel clean at all!
Gwynethe says
I’m 13 years old. My fear in cockroaches started when I was 4 years old. It tickled my toes then I cried. So that’s the reason why I don’t touch them or even look at them because they’re so creepy and YUCK. Sometimes I can’t even sleep at night because of them. My mother always scold me if I shout because of the cockroaches. It’s really a nightmare to me.
Yasmine says
I’m 16 and these bugs give me absolute anxiety, I hate them and everytime I see one I freeze up, then scream and tell my brother to kill it for me. I get so scared I almost want to cry. Yesterday I saw one and froze, then my heart started beating really fast. I ran and got my mom’s shoe and tried to kill it myself, that was a mistake for sure! I threw the shoe at it and missed, shaking, and it just sat there. Then it moved towards me and I ran for my life! I couldn’t sleep that night, but somehow I managed to.
Anna says
I hate bugs (especially roaches). I just can’t get myself to kill them. I scream and run as fast as I can to get away from them. I sometimes even cry when they are really big and I can’t handle it. I honestly don’t know if I can get over my fear.
Jayson says
So I’ve had this ever since I was about 5 or 6. It started with a movie called “Creepshow”. For those of you that don’t know what it is, it’s a series of short horror films that are all sort of like the Twilight Zone, but usually a bit more, how you say, brutal. Or gross. I think it was the very last section that has it, but I may be mistaken. Anyway, what happens in the segment is this guy who hates all things gross buys a multi million dollar apartment and has it completely sterilized. Air can’t get in there without going through filtration. He slowly begins to find bugs in and around the place. I’ll give you a good guess as to what kind of bug it was. Then they started showing up everywhere. In his coffee, in the pudding he was making, in his pantry, on his bed, everywhere. It ended with a shot of him dead on the ground, and cockroaches crawling out of his head. Seeing that at a young age is what caused my fear. Some of you all may be thinking that makes it less of a phobia, but nope. I was very impressionable. Even now, roughly 12 years later, I can’t have small things that move in my room. I constantly look at corners of the room and under things because a cockroach might be there. I have to check on my own body about once every hour because I once woke up with one on my neck. I have panic attacks when I see them, and I basically can’t do anything in the room the cockroach was in until someone else comes and kills it and removes the body. And people know to do this in my house because I’m usually screaming and stomping a lot if there’s one present. If they manage to get on me, I’m pretty sure I’d rather catch myself on fire than grab it and throw it off, just because I hate how they feel. And to make matters worse, I’m a hairy guy, so if there’s any kind of air circulation in the room, it blows my hair around, and makes it feel like something’s crawling on me. Sorry for writing this long thing, but I had to get this off my chest. Now this place is the only place that knows just how bad my fear is.
Daft Funk says
I’m a 42 year old man, fearless of pretty much any bugs. See a be, wasp or hornet, I instantly smack it dead, no problem. No reaction to mice, snakes, whatever.
But roaches? Hell no! I’m getting sweaty just writing this. The picture at the top of the page freaked me out so badly that the very INSTANT I scrolled to it I jumped out of my seat and ran outside shaking and wriggling around to get the imaginary alien creepy crawly off me. Shaky breath, trembling, cold sweats, the whole nine-yards.
It probably didn’t help that I grew up in Tampa, FL (the world capitol of roaches). Too many hot, sweaty nights woken by the disgusting feeling of one crawling over my leg or face. Too many cereal boxes opened with a bunch storming out like an alien predator here to conquer the world. Too many wall or computer panels opened to reveal HUNDREDS running for cover.
Nor did it help to watch that movie “Creep Show” where the scientist gets taken over by them.
There is something untrue in this article- they DO have a dangerous threat: they are suspected to cause or exacerbate asthma; I suffer from asthma and nearly died from such severe asthma attacks on several occasions. Although this couldn’t contribute to my fear – I only learned this a few years ago and my fear runs back to early childhood.
Therapy by touching a dead roach? No, that’s called torture. I don’t want the therapy. I’m fine with my fear. I don’t WANT to be ok with them. Yuk.
Wendy the kid says
I used to live in an apartment that was infested with cockroaches. The exterminator told us there was a colony of cockroaches living in the wall, he could remove them but it would give us a shock when we use the pesticide bomb. Resulting the apartment covered with dead cockroaches, the pesticide to cockroaches smells like food so it will kill them all. We went to stay at my grandma’s house until the bomb’s effects take it’s course. During late spring after school I returned home with my mom then when I went into my room, what I saw on my bed, was a massive cockroach, I screamed so loud I think the neighbors heard me from 3 doors away. I was 9, but I starved it to death while it was in a box and then I threw it out the window for the birds to eat, but the thing is I wasn’t really scared of cockroaches since I lived with a whole colony for 2 years. That could be the reason why my cockroach phobia is horrible, first off I scream or cry or even freeze or step back. I cry or panic and when I hear someone say “cockroach” I say “COCKROACH?! Keep it away from me!”. Even a picture scares the sh*t out of me, during class my teacher was teasing my classmates by putting on a cockroach documentary, my classmates were like ew, but I was sobbing and saying “I don’t like cockroaches, I have a horrible phobia”. My teacher sent me to the other teacher until it was over. I was in 6th grade before the last day of school, it was pretty embarrassing because my classmates saw me crying just because of the word cockroach or picture or seeing one. But I think there was another thing causing this, I watched infested, the show about rats and anything that lives in groups and are pests, but when they showed the face of a cockroach up close, I was terrified, so every time I see a cockroach or hear the word I can’t stop picturing that face that terrified me. It’s too much for me too handle. I wish that picture will go away, but it never will.
Jason says
I can definitely identify with the previous comments. There’s this giant roach that occasionally is in my bathroom. I’m not sure if it’s even a roach or something else because it’s so huge, but it looks just like a roach and freaks me out. It’s especially scary, because it usually appears at around 2 or 3 am when I’m asleep but wake up because I have to go to the bathroom to urinate. But I’m still half asleep so I’m not in a state to shout. After a few instances of this, I decided to knock on the bathroom door to let it know I’m coming and to go where I don’t see the insect. However, this last time, instead of going away, the roach came right to the door like a human would to see who was there and it freaked me out, although I was too asleep to make a noise or really react immediately. However a few moments later, I did spray it with an all-natural insecticide (made from orange extract) until it perished and then took a broom and dustpan and got rid of it. Excruciating! I’m still afraid another one will come in its stead and maybe bring a whole bunch more for revenge. :-(
UniverseBear says
I hate to tell you this but I REALLY doubt the cockroach you saw in the bathroom was the same one every time.
Andrew says
100% wasn’t.
Lucy says
Oh hell on earth! The cockroach. I find it difficult to open my letter box because the Australian native cockroach likes to nestle in my mail. And visiting my family in Sydney can become a nightmare if I spot one of those giant flying american cockroaches or the smaller, scuttling, forever breeding, lighter brown german cockroach.
Justin says
I can’t stand these things, I walk into the kitchen and there’s always 3 cracking around. Just today I was at my gfs house and we both saw it and I yelled louder than she did. As I’m writing this I just tried to kill one, but it got away. So I’ve been up waiting on it, it’s 2:08 AM and I’m about to go sleep in my moms car.
Afraid of roaches says
I’m also 15 and deadly afraid of roaches. I don’t know how or when the fear started, but it’s so intense that I’ve taken drastic measures just to avoid being around them. There have been cases where I’d stand in the hallway for hours too scared to move because I saw or thought I heard one.
And this one time, it was really recent, one crawled on my legs while I was asleep one night. I think after that was when it started to get really bad. When I woke up screaming and running into my bathroom, another fell on my head and didn’t get off of me until I collapsed to the floor knocking over an entire table. I’m like breaking down into tears just thinking about the situation. It’s gotten so bad here recently that I can’t even sleep for more than a couple hours because I’m too scared they’re going to crawl all over me in my sleep.
Cat says
I can’t even look at the picture for too long without feeling sick. I don’t know why I’m fine with snakes and spiders (unless they crawl on me) but terrified by cockroaches. I’d never move to any place without winter because it keeps the cockroaches from getting too big, and because winter means a few months without any bugs.
Kathryn says
For me it’s to the point where I can’t be in the same room as one or I’ll scream or be extremely paranoid. I hate them so much.
Also afraid of roaches says
I am deeply scared of roaches. When I see one I freeze and back up and don’t enter the room. Then I become paranoid and this was all caused because one night I woke up and there was one crawling on my arm.
Moyin says
I’m 15 years old and I HATE cockroaches (the big ones that fly). This hatred/fear started only recently. I feel like they can sense my fear cause they are literally everywhere I go. I have tried so much to get rid of them, but nothing worked. So now I want to try to get rid of this fear.
Sharnae says
I feel the same way I only just recently began fearing them because of the one time I was in the bathroom to get to the clothes drier when I saw one in the clothes basket I freaked since I hated the things and slowly moved forward and I think it must have sensed my fear or something because it flew straight at me following me if I moved until it landed on my chest and I have been scared since and last night I woke up and thought I saw one crawl under my pillow and I slowly moved back and got off the bed. I told my mum but she was half asleep since it was 1:00 in the morning so I ended up paralyzed with fear in front of my bed shivering, crying and my heart was racing. Lucky I have cats because he came in and got rid of it for me and now I look on the ceiling in every room before going in there and check under the furniture before using it. I have become so anxious that I jump at any sign of movement and scream and cry if I think I see one, and even when I know that it is gone I’m still unsure and still feel scared to go anywhere near that area.
Farah Smolders says
Hey everybody, I am absolutely terrified of cockroaches. I mean to the point that when I see one (even in a photo) I get a proper panic attack, can’t breath, start to cry and even start to feel them crawling over me even though there are none there. I was wondering if anyone could help me and come up with some advice on what to do about this. I live in Spain and with the hot weather it is almost impossible to avoid these horrible creatures. What should I do? I tried to ´deal with it´ but I can’t help being scared every time I see one. Thanks in advance.
Ana134 says
I am in my late 30s and also have this unexplainable phobia. So I understand everything that you and other posters are going through.
We just moved to southern Florida and I’m really contemplating moving back to Illinois. In the meanwhile I got myself a huge mosquito net to cover my bed. It’s a pain to set it up every night. But I feel it’s provides some protection. Hope it helps.
But, really, after reading this post , I think the only lasting solution is to rewire my brain through therapy or such. I’m going to look into it.
Nompumelelo says
I’m scared to hell of cockroaches. When I see one I just want 2 flee. I hate that they can fly. I never get my beauty sleep because I’m constantly waking up turning on my phone’s flash light and checking if there are any lurking in my room. Our house is being renovated and there’s stuff everywhere meaning cockroaches are all over the place! Once one fell on my head while I was sleeping. I could not jump out of bed fast enough!
liz says
I have extreme phobia for large roaches, they are so creepy that when I see one I shiver and this will affect me to a point that if something touches me I scream… the other day I could not sleep when I suddenly woke up and found a BIG roach crawling over my net!
Ashley says
I know EXACTLY how you feel when I see a roach and something touches me i shiver and freak out my heart starts racing and it feels like I’m having a heart attack I’m only 11 but I’ve had this fear forever and my mom has it too. I don’t mind the small roaches but if its bigger than 1 inch I’m paralyzed😩😵
Gerald says
I just jump with terror when a cockroach crawls over my skin. I seem to not be able to overcome it.
Nora says
My 10 yr old son is afraid of cockroaches. He can’t sleep at night for fear of a cockroach walking on him while he sleeps.
alejandra says
I have a big fear of cockroaches I always try to get rid of the fear but I can’t. If I see a cockroach I’ll panic, scream, run, or even cry. Everything that this website said explains literally everything of how I feel.
megumi shantal says
Me too to the point that I even hear if there’s a cockroach flying, I hate it, even though I’m in the deep sleep I can feel or hear it and once I hear it I panic, I can’t sleep like I’m going crazy, I’m looking around and crying and my body’s shaking if there’s a mosquito fly in my front I easily get shocked, I can’t handle it :'(