At what point can I overcome a fear?

[peanutbasher]

I know it's kind of a silly question. It's one I think of all the time.

The fears I can think of off the top of my head are: spiders, spider crickets (or cave crickets), dragonflies, any other insect that can bite or sting actually, flying, long trips, being stranded without a way home, being alone, dying, tornadoes & bad weather, bad things happening to my family or pets, bad things happening in general, crowds, strangers, things that family & friends think or say about me, my husband leaving me, germs or gross stuff in my food...

It's ridiculous. It feels ridiculous. Most are just fears or worries, some are strong phobias. I can have a complete panic attack walking through a spider web, finding a spider ON ME, and one time at an airport picking up a friend.

Sometimes I can kill a spider super quick, no big deal. It just depends I guess. Not sure on what.
Dragonflies are just freaky. That comes from a bad dream as a child.
I've only been on a plane once, and that was as a baby. That fear is a cross between TWA flight 800 and just not liking the idea, maybe.


I feel like I can trace most, if not all, of my fears back to something. Like a trigger? I don't know. Somethings I just worry about because it's the times. Like where will the next shooting, crazy person rampage or terrorist attack happen? Near me? Where I am? How can I keep my kid safe?



I want to get on a plane one day. I want to go to a huge event without fear or worry. I want to walk through the store without feeling like every single person is staring at me and thinking horrible things. I want to believe what people say and trust people. I want to stop being so freaking nervous. I don't want to be medicated.

I think I'm destined to over worry for the rest of my life.




And yes, if you are wondering, I have actually ran from a dragonfly more than once.

[Orchaid Lover]

Dear Peanutbasher,
Okay since you shared your fears I'll share a couple of mine. First, I have an extreme phobia of needles, I always have and when I was younger and had to get shots I would scream as if someone were trying to murder me. I have a fear of heights and I am really afraid of flying. Unfortunately I'm often forced to face my fears. I'm usually on planes about 6 or 8 times a year and I regularly donate blood so I have experience when it comes to dealing with phobias.
All I can really say is that never really get over your fears. No matter how many times I do it I still break out in a sweat when boarding a plane or laying down to donate blood. No one said fears have to be rational, often they aren't, but fear is a part of life. The key is to never let your fear stop you from doing something.
Having dealt with panic attacks, a couple my own and others not, I know a couple tricks. First is to take deep breaths. Just go somewhere quiet, if you can, and collect yourself. The best method in my experience is to distract yourself. Do the multiplication table in your head, or recite a poem. For me, I count in Japanese, and if that doesn't work I then translate it to Spanish. Since both are rusty it's a good way to distract myself. Find your distraction method and if you feel a panic attack coming on you'll be prepared.
Hope I was of some help,
Orchaid Lover

[Helloraspberries1]

I know how you feel. I also get fears of things and worry. Your not on your own.

That's the hardest thing about phobias. You worry and worry. I understand. You have to not worry so you don't fear the worst of it. That's what people say.

You have to do one step at a time. Look at the phobia and see why you worry about it and what's made you feel like it in the first place. Therapy can help with that. Seeing a doctor can help also to put you on medication without feeling anxious. Maybe relaxtion techniques or mindfulness too

I would try and relax and talk to someone how you feel.

I hope that helps

[Prycejosh1987]

I know it's kind of a silly question. It's one I think of all the time.

The fears I can think of off the top of my head are: spiders, spider crickets (or cave crickets), dragonflies, any other insect that can bite or sting actually, flying, long trips, being stranded without a way home, being alone, dying, tornadoes & bad weather, bad things happening to my family or pets, bad things happening in general, crowds, strangers, things that family & friends think or say about me, my husband leaving me, germs or gross stuff in my food...

It's ridiculous. It feels ridiculous. Most are just fears or worries, some are strong phobias. I can have a complete panic attack walking through a spider web, finding a spider ON ME, and one time at an airport picking up a friend.

Sometimes I can kill a spider super quick, no big deal. It just depends I guess. Not sure on what.
Dragonflies are just freaky. That comes from a bad dream as a child.
I've only been on a plane once, and that was as a baby. That fear is a cross between TWA flight 800 and just not liking the idea, maybe.


I feel like I can trace most, if not all, of my fears back to something. Like a trigger? I don't know. Somethings I just worry about because it's the times. Like where will the next shooting, crazy person rampage or terrorist attack happen? Near me? Where I am? How can I keep my kid safe?



I want to get on a plane one day. I want to go to a huge event without fear or worry. I want to walk through the store without feeling like every single person is staring at me and thinking horrible things. I want to believe what people say and trust people. I want to stop being so freaking nervous. I don't want to be medicated.

I think I'm destined to over worry for the rest of my life.




And yes, if you are wondering, I have actually ran from a dragonfly more than once.

There are crazy insects out there. To stop having a fear over time is to know that you have power over them and you can kill them without any effort. There's a big anxiety over things that can harm you. You are right to be worried, but its highly unlikely that these things will effect you in your life. Know that. Look how big the world is and how many people there are on the planet. Of course peoples lives will be effected but i dont believe much will come near you. Everyone in life faces negative situations. There are many precautions that you can take when dealing with this issue. You can be safe, and believe in safety. There are things in place to stop these things from happening like police and etc. The plane is the safest way to travel in all transport.