How do you overcome your fears?
@TheApparition (337)
India
January 18, 2007 11:50pm CST
A couple of years back I did have the phobia for working with Electrical components.As an undergraduate engineering student,instead of being inquisitive about them , I used to shun them .While conducting experiments,a constant fear electrocution,getting the right results of experiment etc.. used lurk at the back of my mind.
To me they represented chaos and it turned out to be a serious mental block.I also screwed up my lab exams due to this.
However,in the next semester I began to question my fear, tried to find the answer while being the lab for long hours,(while everyone in the lab thought I was studying hard :-)hehe..)
I suddenly ,and surprisingly I realized that I never had this fear in the first place.It was just my wrong (but un-questioned)assumption that I hated to deal with anything thats seems complex.In essence, I began to understand my self.
In retrospect,fears , minor or significant ,I think , it dwells in not -knowing a certain aspect of your self ,not exploring the intimidating situation or not questioning the fears themselves.The habit of Not questioning what we normally take things for granted and not delving into to the root of such assumptions lead accumulation/retention of fears.Probably this is what is meant by "facing the fear squarely".
Have you any such experiences of overcoming phobia ? How Have you over come fear? Do share experiences.
1 person likes this
24 responses
@abhiquest (579)
• India
19 Jan 07
I am an Electrical Engineer and had a similar phobia about electrical components. But the simplest way to overcome such fears is to actually face them. I did had 2-3 electric shocks, but then I started taking things casually and concentrated more on the task at hand and my approach rather than have fear from the real danger.
I think the knowledge about what you are doing and the positives you would get out of the job at hand, really help you to overcome fear from unexpected dangers
@TheApparition (337)
• India
19 Jan 07
Yes. Concentrating on the task at hand really helps here.I guess this applies to other phobias as well.
@hazeter (670)
• Philippines
20 Jan 07
well honestly i dont any phobia like that but if that happened to me i think i just think that i need to do it. Also just think that you can do it. If others can why not you. Sometimes even if we know we can do it, sometimes we just feel fear first before doing it.
@diansinta (7544)
• Indonesia
20 Jan 07
i overcome my fear with dealing with it over and over again.
first i fear to dark room without window, such as elevator/ lift machine.i can't breath when the door clouse,..which is embarraced me. then i try to hide in my closet again and again which is more lest room and very dark. the i haven fear the little room with no window no more
@shivampanchal (174)
• India
20 Jan 07
I had a fear of people i.e I couldnt stand in front and give speeches. Till school everything was OK but when I passed school and choose mangement stream, I was forced to give presentation as it was our daily routine......so the first time when I was thrown on stage ,I couldnt speak a single word but later on every word by word fear diminished ....and today I can give excellent speeches......
THE ONLY SOLUTION TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR IS TO FACE FEAR.
@pendragon (3348)
• United States
20 Jan 07
I don't remember where I heard this but.. F.E.A. R. "face everything and react"...lol, I kind of try to do that.Not much to fear but fear itself really,once your mind can rationalize that, then you react appropriately to whatever is going on, fight or flight.
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
20 Jan 07
I believe you must hit fear head on. I did when I was younger I fell of a horse and was so scared to get back on again. Untill recently I attempted again and I am now over it.
@missy12 (65)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Overcoming your fears can be very hard. When your afraid of something it's hard to be talked into something or convinced of something. All i can say is when i'm afraid of something i really just think in my head if someone else can do it so can i. I also think that i would love to know that i conquered my fears to prove to myself that i am confident.
@YummyLingo (179)
• India
19 Jan 07
i did have a phobia.
i had a wicked fear of heights.
i think i have explained how i overcame this fear but i'll do it again over here.
i forced myself into it. i kept doing it over and over again till i became immune to it.
fear of heights.... alright.
the school i was in had a 300 acre campus.
it had lots of tall trees.
i started climbing them, and while climbing up and down, i'd always keep looking down.
it was really bad in the beginning but it got to be super cool later on, and as of now, i have no problem whatsoever.
my fear of heights is gone, and i be a soothsayer if i say it was all thanks to me.
@vikramiyer_2k (41)
• India
19 Jan 07
Imagine that you are going to die today,look yourself into the mirror and tell that to yourself,and when this is your last day,you'll live life to the fullest,where in you forget and are appeased
by all shame and fear.try it,it works
Cheers
;).
@katenkim (238)
• Singapore
19 Jan 07
I do have fear of heights especially if its very very high. I just overcome it by my own, closing my eyes while on the top of the tallest building in the country, say things that "I'm not afraid" and "woohla!" Im still afraid but not as much as before, and now i can look down on any high grounds to see what's below
@cuddleme01 (2725)
• Philippines
19 Jan 07
i have fear of spiders. until now i have not overcomed it. am trying hard but i just can't get rid of the fear i feel everytime i see one. i've tried facing my fear by getting near a spider but i can't bear the sight of this animal. i get this ill feeling. guess, overcoming my fear is hard to do.
@Corrine11 (90)
• United States
19 Jan 07
"Have I ever overcome a fear?" In some instances, yes but sometimes it is an ongoing battle. What I have learn to do is just admit to myself that right now I am not strong enough to do what I need to do to overcome my fear, which is usually confront it head on. But when I am scared of something or a particular situation, I write down everything I fear about it. For example, I am scared I will look stupid. I am frighten I will fail. Then I write down the solution. For example, "If I fail then I could try again. If I don't want to look stupid ask questions and admit when you don't understand everything." But no, I don't think I have conquered all my fears.
@akhil_kumar (75)
• India
19 Jan 07
just forget what will happen or what not... just do work what you want to do...
