Anyone heard of this phobia - fear of floor collapse?

[mom2ariana]

for as long as i can remember, i have had a fear of floor collapse. i think it started when i was little and read in the newspaper that  truck had been under a bridge that collapsed. that seemed to introduce me to the possibility. to find out that something you've trusted can fail at a young age can be somewhat traumatizing. now i am scared when im in homes, apartments, etc... my husband and i - despite my opposition - live in an apartment unit on the top floor. sometimes it scares me and other times it doesnt. i get terrified when i think about how heavy the couch is, or the fridge, or especially the washing machine when it's loaded and running. i get nervous bringing home heavy bags of groceries. we are moving into another unit soon and its also on the top floor. im scared of the move. scared to move furniture in. i dont know how to overcome this phobia, but sometimes it can really interfere with my happiness. the thought of buying a home is not as happy as it should be because im scared of the top floors. ive told my husband repeatedly that i want a ranch. anyone ever heard of this?

[Breadcrumbs87]

I’m another one like so many of the responses above, who has had this phobia my whole life without knowing a name or cure. Not Inviting people over, not taking baths, keeping the fridge fairly empty, not standing next to the washing machine when it’s running, keeping furniture to the edges of the rooms, walking lightly on my toes to avoid thudding floor boards. I can’t even stand next to my wife without my mind racing over the weight of two people concentrated on the weight of one wooden beam. I’ve read and researched structural engineering and architecture books in the hope of finding reassurance. But, just like planes ‘can’ crash and spiders ‘do’ exist, floors can collapse and do have max capacities. So maybe it’s about weighing the fear of an event occurring against the possibility of it not. To note, all the structural texts state ‘live loads’ (people, furniture etc) are made to withstand well over the expected capacity. In places where extra weight is expected (bath tubs, kitchens) then extra support is added. But as it’s hard to gain a definitive answer, all buildings not being created equally, this knowledge only helps a little!

[Dreamgirl248]

I literally feel the exact same way, and I hate living with this fear. I seriously thought I was the only one

[qmsmas]

Batophobia (from Greek batos, meaning passable) is the fear of being in or close to tall buildings. The fear is often caused by being up in a tall building and looked down from above and found themselves suddenly frozen and extremely scared that he or she might fall down and die.

[Helpivefallenandicantgetup]

I’ve googled this a million times as I feel so alone with this fear. But I’ve never found an answer let alone people that have the same thing going on! I recently discovered CBD oil. I’ve always refused to take anything for my anxiety and irrational fear triggered panic attacks. CBD has changed my life. I apply under the tongue and wait until it burns a little bit then I swish with water and swallow. I often think the things on the earth are too heavy for it. Or buildings are not strong enough to support all the furniture. I tend to have this fear as I am drifting off to sleep (especially when it’s not on the ground floor) and it is absolutely crippling. I have felt helpless about this issue my whole life and I am so happy to know I am not alone. CBD does not alter your mind or body in any way. (I am not a marijuana user, and was terrified to try CBD as I thought I would get high from it.) I feel it starting to help around 5 minutes after taking it. It feels like a hug from Jesus as I feel my anxiety melt away and the bricks on my chest are lifted. I hope this can help even just one of you guys!

[LucyMacy]

I have the same phobia, have done since I was a kid and now in my fifties. I have searched and searched for a name for this, and I also thought I was all alone, I have never seen anyone else describe my fears until I found this thread today. It has made a huge negative impact on my life, and I haven't been able to share it with anyone because on the odd occasion that I have tried to open up people have not taken me seriously. I try so hard not to think about structure collapse, but whenever I read the rare stories of structures or buildings collapsing in the news it just seems to confirm my fears.

[TheDudeScaredofHotels]

I am not affected as much since I live in a 1 story home with no basement. I deal with this phobia while staying at hotels. I over-analyze a LOT of stuff, and I fear, "What if it collapses, how the heck can this hotel handle this much weight?" I deal with this EVERY time and rarely get sleep. It helps to know that people also deal with this.

[AnxiousNoMore]

DudeS  Maybe a sleep app with narrators will help your sleep. They focus you to NOT think. Avoiding overthinking if you're tired may make you fall asleep.

[MadameRuby]

Here’s a different kind of explanation for phobias that are otherwise inexplicable:  past-life memory when you died from the very thing you are phobic about.  I have a strong fear of fire.  It doesn’t take long for me to “remember” being burned alive when waking up to a house in flames.  For those of you who are willing to explore this possibility a little further, just allow for it to exist, and see what kind of memories might arise.  It’s pretty freeing to put the phobia “back where it belongs.”  The fear is still there for sure, but now it makes sense, and that in and of itself is healing.