Automatic toilets scare me. Am I alone?

Question

I am scared...and I mean really honestly scared of automatic (self flush) toilets. I have no logical reason to be, I just am. When I was younger I wouldn't use any toilets, other than the ones in my house. We'd have to stop and let me go on the side of the street if we were traveling, or else bring along a bucket. As I've gotten older, I've gotten better about them, and will now use manual flush toilets. I just hate the ones that jerk the handle down and/or flush loudly when you press it, so I always use my foot and jump/scream if I come across one of these. Auto toilets still drive me bonkers. I get very nervous when I know I'll have to use one, and my heart speeds up. I sometimes make my mom stand in the stall and flush the toilet over and over again so I can see how sensitive it is, if it's likely to flush while I'm on it, and how long it takes it to flush once I move (the delay between when you get off it and when it flushes). Sometimes I can force myself to use ones I "know well"

or I'll have my mom cover the sensor while I use it, if no one is available, I can't hold it, and I can not use the toilet, I will go on the floor. I hate to be in the stall when it flushes. I've considered using tape, but sometimes it flushes when someone's hand is over it, so I don't know if I can trust tape to work 100% of the time.
This is a very big ordeal for me and I really want to get over it. I hate being like this, and yes I've heard all the logic: "It's just a toilet, you cna't get sucked down" (not that I ever thought you could) and "it's just noise!" It doesn't help me. Am I the only one like this and what can I do?

Thanks for the people who answered seriously, and if you're going to say something mean please don't answer because I'm serious! And I hate being scared of them, it's not funny.
About sanitation: You still have to touch the stall door, sink handle (often), main door, etc. You can flush a toilet with your foot. And I do wash my hands, I'm a bit obsessed with it, thank you very much.
I told one of my couselors about this, but she didn't have much to say about it...she didn't help much with my depression either which was the reason I was going there. I don't really want to ask my mom to send me to therapy to get over toilets...

Answer 1

What you need to do is 'desensitize' yourself to these 'self-flushing toilets.' I have a similar phobia about 'strange toilets' but only when I am moving my bowels, not going pee ... but the toilets that 'self flush' ALWAYS startle and upset me, too. To do this 'desensitization' you'll need to go into the 'stall' when you don't NEED to go ... just drop your pants, squat, stay that way for five seconds at first, then rise and pull up your pants. After a week, do your 'squatting' for ten seconds. Since you aren't actually 'going' you don't need to have ANY interaction with those 'strong minded toilets' ... and you are then 'free' to let them do whatever they want to do. Some should be 'regular flush' and some should have the 'buttons' to push, and some should be 'self flushing.' You may even try 'talking' to the toilets (not too loud, or people will think you are insane) ... tell them that you 'appreciate them' and hope that you can 'become friends' ... that you know you must always be the one to 'visit' but that you understand their 'disability' ... make it 'fun and a bit funny' when you talk to the toilets, and you'll soon be able to 'go' whenever you want to, without the 'startlement' and 'fear' you now feel.
And DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED. People have all kinds of 'weird' phobias, and many have a phobia about 'toilets' that aren't in their homes. HOME is 'safe' for you, so the 'toilet' is also 'safe' ... when you are outside your home, it's 'not safe' ... so the toilet isn't 'safe' and one that flushes itself (especially those that flush suddenly while you are still going) is very frightening. In the end, though, a toilet is just a toilet, but by 'making friends' with the toilets you use (and you can do this with EVERY new toilet you meet for as long as you need to do it) you'll feel safer ... and when you feel safer, you don't 'startle' as easily, and you don't 'fear' the act of 'getting undressed' in a 'public place' ... and a stall, even with the door locked, is still very 'public' to many of us. Just do this 'exercise' and soon you'll be 'more normal' ... by the way, in our apartment, I don't call it the bathroom ... I call it the Throne Room, and I 'sit on the throne' ... which makes it a lot easier to 'go' ... so you are not 'weird' ... but I am!

Answer 2

You are definitely not alone! I've suffered from this my entire life! I can't recall the exact incident but I know it happened when I was very, very young. According to my mom I wasn't potty trained yet and while my parents were on vacation, my grandmother tried to do it and it went terribly wrong. She told me that she doesn't know the exact incidents but all she knows is that when she returned from vacation, I was terrified of going to the bathroom (even my home bathroom). I eventually came to know my toilet as 'safe' and was petrified of any public toilet. All I remember is always being afraid of any toilet that was not my own. I too could only use the one at my home since it was the 'safe' one. You may want to speak to your parents about this. There may have been an incident that occurred that you don't necessarily remember that triggered your phobia. This may help you understand your phobia to then hopefully cure it. As an adult, I have desensitized myself from most public restrooms. Although my heart still begins to race and I definitely still get scared, there are some toilets that are now 'safe' to me (auto toilets are not included in this). The one thing I started doing that helped me a lot (especially with the embarrassment of everyone starring at me when I run out of the stall if the flushing is too loud) is to hold the sides of my ear lobes down. This reduces the flushing noise by A LOT and makes it more tolerable to stay in the stall. I still can't look at it flushing (this is TOO SCARY) but I can now stay in the stall until it's done flushing and now 'safe' to leave. As for automatic toilets, they are the devil to me!!! This is definitely something I'm still working on and have not conquered. This is definitely becoming more of a problem because they are becoming more and more common. One thing that has somewhat helped is to cover my ear lobes and close my eyes while I'm on an auto toilet. This is of course if I absolutely have to go and cannot hold it and I'm feeling extra gutsy that day. Most of the time, I end up going on the floor or in the trash can if there is one. I always feel guilty but I can't overcome this phobia. If I do end up using the auto toilet, I'm trembling because I'm absolutely terrified (which is not any help since I'm trying my hardest to NOT trigger the sensor). It helps a bit to also close my eyes. I try to pretend I'm not there and hope I don't hear or notice if it does flush while I'm over it. Then I get out asap! I've also done some research on phobias and have learned about cognitive behavior therapy. Try to do some research on the matter. You may need to see a therapist about this to help you desensitize. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

You are not alone! I have a very definite reason to be leery of auto-flush toilets. A few years ago, I was in the Vancouver Airport - preparing to travel back to the States. I had my passport in a jacket pocket - that I truly thought was pretty deep. Well, I was unaware of the auto-flush feature, so I was not especially careful when rising from the seat. You can probably guess the rest... Yes, as I rose, somehow my passport (protected in a leather case) dropped into the toilet and the next thing I saw was the leather case swirling towards plumbing fixtures you and I can only imagine. Luckily, the holder was too big to go through the hole, but it was soaked (in not the cleanest of "water") and I wound up fishing it out of the toilet, drying the leather as best I could and presenting the moist document to airport officials with the "embarrassing" explanation. I also suffer from a very heightened "startle response" due to a diagnosis of "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" so any unexpected event, noise, etc. is particularly bothersome for me. Some folks look at me like I'm "acting" but if you have a heightened "startle response" you know it's no joke!

Answer 4

The thing I don't like about auto flush toilets is if I am sitting on it and it starts to flush while I am on it, I am worried my butt will get drenched from the water.
Also if it flushes too early, we have to figure out how to make it flush again to wash the goodies away.
I do like the idea of not having to touch the toilet to flush it.
This is definitely more sanitary.
How do you like the sinks that auto rinse?
There are also the paper towel machines that work automatically when there are enough towels inside.
I guess these are the bathrooms of the future.
I do use my foot to flush the manual toilets so I won't have to touch the filthy rotten flush-handle.

Answer 5

I HATE those things! They don't always flush when they are supposed to & I'd like to not have to worry about disgusting toilet water splashing at my naked ___, you know?! Then when they don't work or flush after you're done, you gotta stand there & wait or you gotta find the little button & push it anyway. I mean I understand the concept because I hate to walk into a stall & the toilet has not been flushed, so I don't know either way, I try to avoid public restrooms & hold it until I get home if that is possible...

Answer 6

When I was young I was like deathly afraid of them.
The first time I ever used an automatic toilet and it flushed by itself I screamed and ran out of the bathroom with my pants still down(Keep in mind I was only about 5). Now I'm used to them and they don't scare me, but I still don't like the loud roaring ones. They don't really scare me, they're just kinda annoying.

But don't let them scare you. Perhaps you could bring ear plugs into the bathroom so that the noise doesn't seem as loud?

Answer 7

very funny. hope you still dono use the bucket.that would be scary for your family. not to mention the passer by. your mom never showed it because she fears how sensitive you are and thats why you donot seem embarassed to say all this. but i can tell you this she must always curse your fears. anyway, the problem i think is that you fear being flushed inside the toilet. thats the fear your mind has. probably some weird imagination you had as a child, maybe some movie you saw. that somehow stuck on you , i hope you can correct this fear.
hard? it was a honest opinion. try to correct it.

Answer 8

Umm... kind of sounds like a serious phobia. I'm not scared of public toilets, but I can't go "number two" in public. I even tried once at a testing center that I was going to be at for like three hours. I had to go, but I couldn't. I tried twice to do it and my friend even turned on all the sinks, but it still didn't work. Maybe that will make you feel a little better?

Answer 9

Well it sounds like you have something deeper to worry about like you said it's the sound!

I know it may be hard but you need to get to an unfamilair bathroom..
And FLush like crazy once you get use to it and you see there is nothing to be fearful of you can pull yourself out of it! YES LOCK YOURSELF In the stall and flush like a crazy human!

You have to face your fear straight in the eye over and over and over again... untill it's scared of you!
you need to ask yourself why you feel this way and soul search untill you find out!

this site may or may not be usefull..
it may cross out some irational belifes you have
www.coping.org
Good luck

Answer 10

While I am not afraid of them, I DO hate them. I hate when they flush while I'm still sitting on them. UGH!

Phobias like yours are not uncommon and can't really be dealt with all that well with just logic. I know -- I have one about spiders. You probably need to either contact a therapist or somebody that can try "desensitizing" protocols on you. Good luck.