Over-coming phobias?

Hello there lovely people!

I was just wondering, seeing as it's the perfect time to set resolutions and what not, if anybody has ever tried to over come a really deep-seated phobia and if so, how did you do it?

I desperately want to try and be braver by the end of 2013 but I have no idea where to start. I sort of tried to 'face my fears' this morning by agreeing to go on a walk through the forest (phobia fail attempt #1 - wildlife!) but I found it genuinely terrifying! That's just one of the millions of things that I'm scared off and well, it's starting to effect my quality of life and I don't want to be a giant wuss anymore. :o

Any stories, advice or help is much appreciated!

E x

I have an awful fear of the dark. I grew up in the country where it was pitch black on cloudy nights. I would never be on my own outside or even move about the house without the lights on. I'm not as bad now having lived in the city, where being on my own outside at night doesn't bother me. There's no rational to phobias...I think counseling or hypnosis may help. Fair play to you for facing them head on, it's not an easy thing to do. :)

I would never belittle anyone for their phobias as I have one myself that I have never overcome. I cannot use an escalator. Not for any amount of money could I use one and no one has ever been able to persuade me otherwise. It has now amplified to the old fashioned aircraft steps. I just about make those but go into panic mode inside myself if I have to stop near the top.

You have taken the first step by putting yours into writing on here and asking for help. I hope someone on here can help you and that it is not one of those threads that get ignored.

I have seen programmes on the television where people have been helped to get over their phobias so it is possible.

www.phobias-gone.com


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I hope these help you and that you can get on with your life and enjoy it.

Incidentally, I am sure that if you cannot afford to pay for counselling you can ask your doctor about paid for help.

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Originally Posted by fillymum

I would never belittle anyone for their phobias as I have one myself that I have never overcome. I cannot use an escalator. Not for any amount of money could I use one and no one has ever been able to persuade me otherwise. It has now amplified to the old fashioned aircraft steps. I just about make those but go into panic mode inside myself if I have to stop near the top.

You have taken the first step by putting yours into writing on here and asking for help. I hope someone on here can help you and that it is not one of those threads that get ignored.

I have seen programmes on the television where people have been helped to get over their phobias so it is possible.

www.phobias-gone.com


YourName Home



I hope these help you and that you can get on with your life and enjoy it.

Incidentally, I am sure that if you cannot afford to pay for counselling you can ask your doctor about paid for help.

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Hi Sue,

My mother is terrified of escalators as well. Thankfully when you get an escalator you generally get lifts as well. Airports are the worst as they have the flat ones as well (travelators?) and she can't bring her self to get on them.
Now that I think of it one of my sisters can't touch or even look at matches...and a my friend's mother is repulsed by buttons! So I think maybe everyone has a wee phobia of some sort :)

Thank you both! The buttons phobia is quite common apparently, I wonder why!

I'm also scared of the dark and escalators, the escalators one has only really come about in the last year or so though. It's surprising how many there are now and how difficult it can be to find the stairs sometimes! Also, thank you so much for those links Sue, I'll have a good read through of them. I am considering hypnosis, I have a holiday coming up in August and it will be the first time I've gone abroad without my folks so I'm definitely going to need to step up my brave. I have a very over-active imagination and can picture about a million things going wrong and there are things that I would love to do there (Mexico!) but at the moment I couldn't because my fears would hold me back.

Thank you both again, it is much appreciated. x

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Originally Posted by LuhLuhLoser

Thank you both! The buttons phobia is quite common apparently, I wonder why!

I'm also scared of the dark and escalators, the escalators one has only really come about in the last year or so though. It's surprising how many there are now and how difficult it can be to find the stairs sometimes! Also, thank you so much for those links Sue, I'll have a good read through of them. I am considering hypnosis, I have a holiday coming up in August and it will be the first time I've gone abroad without my folks so I'm definitely going to need to step up my brave. I have a very over-active imagination and can picture about a million things going wrong and there are things that I would love to do there (Mexico!) but at the moment I couldn't because my fears would hold me back.

Thank you both again, it is much appreciated. x

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much love and hugs xxxxx

It might be worth concentrating on those fears/phobias which are actually affecting your daily life. Only you can decide which these are, but I would have thought walking in a forest was something that you don't really need to do and could easily avoid. Whereas things like escalators, lifts, the dark, flying, are (or so it seems to me) rather more important to deal with.

What has worked for me in the past is to laugh at myself. For instance, you might ask yourself what wildlife you were expecting to find in January in Bournemouth - it's not exactly the Amazon rain forest, is it? Very few anacondas in Dorset! (Please note - I am not laughing at you, far from it believe me, just suggesting a possible strategy.)

Good luck, whatever works for you.

I am scared of so many things, I'm not sure I would call them phobias, they don't seem that severe but my biggest fear is of bathrooms!
I have no idea why, I have never had a bad experience in a bathroom but I hate the but on the bath that the plug is attached to with the holes in, its scares me so much, I am scared that something is looking at me or that something is going to crawl out. I hate the mirror in the bathroom, I'm scared that there is going to be someone behind me when I look through it. I cant have the shower curtain closed whilst I'm in there and when I'm in the shower or bath I have to have the door open and there has to be someone else in the house. I cant flush the toilet and then wash my hands, the noise of the toilet flushing give me the creeps so I have to wash my hands then flush the toilet and run out quick! If I'm in the public toilet I have to check the lock 3 times. Its so rediculous!

I would recommend hypnosis, I had it once to get rid of panic attacks and it was fantastic! Good luck with facing your fears x

My phobia is bambakomallophobia lol. Ridiculous I know but thinking about it now is send shivers down my spine lol xxx

Also look up Trypophobia, you'd be surprised how many people have this and don't even realise it until they look through the photos.......

Trypophobia Makes Your Skin Crawl

i am pertified of birds yuck they make my skin crawl x

Mine is spiders, wasps, bees - well basically anything that flies buzzes or crawls. I get a cold sweat my heart races and my skin feels like there are millions of things crawling over it. I have gotten off buses, left restaurants, stopped my car dead, dropped bouquets of flowers, and screamed in public.

I have very light carpets and I hate it when im watching tv or on my laptop and something moving catches my eye, its usually a HUGEEEEEEE spider and i freeze, cant move or speak. Hubby or Son usually have to get rid of them for me.

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Originally Posted by MrsWilsoncroft

My phobia is bambakomallophobia lol. Ridiculous I know but thinking about it now is send shivers down my spine lol xxx

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Your phobia is what....?? What does that mean in simple terms lol x

Fear of cotton wool

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Originally Posted by MrsWilsoncroft

Also look up Trypophobia, you'd be surprised how many people have this and don't even realise it until they look through the photos.......

Trypophobia Makes Your Skin Crawl

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Omg I've got it... The photos are horrible! My skin is crawling and I've got goose pimples!! Ewwww