# What makes you stomach twistingly nervous? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668 "2012-10-04T06:32:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/1 "2012-10-04T06:32:42Z")
I just got back from a teaching demonstration from a job I really, really want. I wasn’t nervous at the initial interview, not even a little bit. I’ve been teaching for a decade, and I know that I’m a competent teacher. But for some reason - probably because I want this job so badly - I’ve been nervous since last night. When I get nervous, my stomach feels like it’s twitching inside me and my heart feels like it’s fluttering rather than beating properly. I didn’t even eat lunch because I was afraid I might vomit in the middle of class, which probably wouldn’t have gone in my favor. Thankfully, once I was in front of the students, my instincts kicked in and I taught like I always do. I even made the kids laugh. Go me. So, what gives you the shakes? Interviews? Dates? Parallel parking? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/2 "2012-10-04T06:55:09Z")
Heights. The funny thing is I worked summers as a roofer and fell off a roof or 2 in my day but they still scare the hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/3 "2012-10-04T07:27:39Z")
Anticipation of a new lover’s arrival. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/4 "2012-10-04T08:04:17Z")
Yep, heights make my butthole jump up onto my stomach and bounce around like a pinball machine. Meeting new people. Public speaking. Rollercoasters that look like someone threw a grenade in MIT. I still ride 'em though. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/5 "2012-10-04T08:12:36Z")
I get irrationally nervous when my car does anything out of the ordinary. Or, if I smell someone else’s dripping oil &etc while driving, I worry that it’s coming from my car. The independence I’ve managed to establish depends entirely on having reliable transportation, and I don’t have the money to afford a major repair. My entire world would come crumbling down if my car developed a serious problem. My car’s never had a serious problem, it’s never even broken down except once when I ran out of gas. But I still have nightmares about breakdowns. And sometimes when my anxiety spirals out of control, every little bump in the road causes me to freak out that my suspension is going to give way or my tire is going to fall off in traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/6 "2012-10-04T08:16:04Z")
Going someplace. Talking to someone. Going someplace _to_ talk to someone makes me just about catatonic. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/7 "2012-10-04T08:48:35Z")
When my friends try to confront me and get into an argument about something I have done. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/8 "2012-10-04T10:53:35Z")
I am a high anxiety person so just about everything, it sucks! ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/9 "2012-10-04T12:37:06Z")
Lately? Being alive. Usually? Class presentations, job interviews, knowing that I’m going to have to do something that will upset someone (breaking up with them, firing them, etc), loved ones being seriously ill/injured/missing. As a child? Piano recitals. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/10 "2012-10-04T12:53:26Z")
Thinking about my kids getting hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/11 "2012-10-04T13:07:43Z")
This theme tune: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/31jMx8GpJ3Y/hqdefault.jpg "Hart Beat") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31jMx8GpJ3Y) It’s from a children’s TV show in the 1980s. It used to have swimming lessons as a child which I really didn’t enjoy, and this show used to come on at 4.30pm, just when I’d be waiting for a lift to the pool. Those opening credits basically meant 1hr of cold water torture and still gives me butterflies 28 years later. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/12 "2012-10-04T13:40:44Z")
Having surgery, going to the dentist (sometimes, depends on the reason), and having the dog be sick. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/13 "2012-10-04T13:57:18Z")
BEING LATE. I hate being late, and I hate being lost. It stresses me out like nothing else. I’d rather be 40 minutes early than five minutes late. I can’t stand late people and chronically late people generally lose my friendship. Sure, I’m judging them, but I’m also taking a significant factor of stress out of my life. I now have family members who are chronically late. :smack: Thankfully the rest of the family have FINALLY gotten the point not to wait for them. We used to wait for them all the time to eat, etc., and they’d show up TWO HOURS LATE and say “We already ate, thanks.” While we were starving. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/14 "2012-10-04T14:12:06Z")
Confrontations. Like when I’m billed incorrectly, or have to go to the apartment manager’s office over problems with maintenance, etc. I hate them. My blood pressure shoots up, I’m shaky and red faced, and can’t think reasonably. Asking someone out. This is probably the one big thing I can’t do. Never have done it, actually. Closely related is simply approaching someone in whom I’m interested. I thought maybe I’d be better online at dating sites, but nope. I even dislike that my profile thumbnail will pop up in someone’s “visitors” list on OKCupid. I have to rely on someone approaching me, which happens once every few years at best. Weird thing is that I’m incredibly comfortable in situations that a lot of people find nerve-wracking: public speaking, research or classroom presentations, job interviews, teaching, first dates, being the only guy on a dance floor (hell, simply dancing in public… most guys act like they can’t), and so on. I don’t know why “saying ‘hi’ to the cute girl” is so much worse than “impromptu speaking in an auditorium,” or why I have no problem with first dates despite not being able to ask someone on one. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/15 "2012-10-04T14:47:57Z")
Driving on the highway. Any public speaking. Water that is deeper than my neck - I’ll go on a boat but be scared the whole time. A myraid of other things that I can’t be arsed to get medication for. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/16 "2012-10-04T15:07:59Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > This theme tune: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31jMx8GpJ3Y](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31jMx8GpJ3Y) > > It’s from a children’s TV show in the 1980s. What’s the show? Sorry for asking, but YouTube is blocked at my work. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/17 "2012-10-04T15:09:13Z")
Lately it has been anticipating the flack I know is comming from a recent post on the dope. Either spelling, grammar or content, I know it is comming! Same with public speaking. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/18 "2012-10-04T15:10:55Z")
going to the doctor. I’m a manager and I hate having to address performance problems with reports. I do it, because it’s part of the job I took, and I work very hard to do it fairly and well, but when I know I have to do it I will spend the night before and the day of with my stomach in knots knowing it’s coming. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/19 "2012-10-04T15:13:10Z")
Extreme heights, although oddly, rollercoasters don’t bother me. Anything that’s a steep cliff, a tall tower, the roof of a skyscraper, that gets the palpitations going. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668/20 "2012-10-04T15:38:26Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Driving on the highway. Highway as in two-lane highway or highway as in busy interstate? I’m okay with highway driving, if I know the route. Getting lost makes me nervous, and I’ve been lost quite a bit. No sense of direction. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-you-stomach-twistingly-nervous/636668.md?page=2)