Saturday 9 May 2015

P Is For Phobias


Day 16 of my A to Z Challenge. P is for Phobias.
If you don't know how this works, I've posted the link back to the rules of the challenge at the end of this, along with a link to yesterday's post. If you want to read my full alphabet, just keep following the links. Each day has a link back to yesterday's post.

 
I think it’s fair to say that everyone is scared of something. The important part is how you handle the fear. You need to find a way to deal with it. Whether that be by not putting yourself in the path of whatever you are afraid of, or by purposely putting yourself in its path to try to get over it. Whatever works for you! You may never fully eradicate it, but if it doesn’t affect your life in a negative way, than to me you’re winning!
I think some fears we grow out of (like monsters under the bed) and some we grow into (like health scares, facing our own mortality). These are something everyone has on some level, its human nature.

When I was young, I was terrified of spiders. I know it’s irrational, I don’t live anywhere where there are dangerous spiders, but that didn’t make it any less real. I couldn’t walk into a room with checking every inch of it for a spider. If I saw one, I would scream blue murder. I now class myself as over it. While I will never be a fan of spiders, they no longer send me into blind panic. I don’t scour everywhere I go looking for them. If I do happen to spot one, I just pop it outside (with a glass and paper, I’m not into holding them!), and move on with my life. I can’t remember when I stopped being scared of them, but I think a lot of it was as I grew older, I didn’t want to be that girl that was scared of spiders, so every boy in a one mile radius would try to capture one and throw it at me, so I pretended not to be afraid. It was hard at first but it worked. Fake it until you make it and all that.

I am still utterly terrified of water that is deeper than boob height (for want of a better description). I understand where this one comes from at least. I can’t swim, so water is kind of dangerous to me, so at least that makes it rational! I don’t think this fear will ever leave me, but I refuse to let it control my life! I make a point of being the first one into the sea on holiday. I make it a point to walk down pontoons and go on boats. This fear will not define me. When I force myself into these situations, I feel panicky, hot, clammy, and want to run in the opposite direction, but I don’t. Only by facing these fears can I beat them. And when I’m back on dry land, the feeling of achievement by far outweighs the feeling of panic.

Do you have any phobias? How do you try to overcome them?

Follow me on Twitter @randommusings29 and feel free to comment J


12 comments:

  1. Hi Debbie, I also have to feel the bottom of a pool/ beach/ lake with my feet, I'm terrified of diving, I always think that I'm going to bang my head in the bottom and feel extreme pain.
    To overcome it, no luck there yet. I run away from those. :)

    http://dearmartam.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Not a good thought at all banging your head on the bottom! I wouldn't be brave enough to actually dive though so I think I'm pretty safe there :)

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  2. I love that you overcome your fear of spiders and force yourself into situations that frighten you. You sound very strong.
    Popping over from the #BinkyLinky
    Becky xx

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    1. Thank you, I don't always feel it when I'm doing it though! :)

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  3. I think my phobia is wasps, I cannot stand the sight or the sound, they make me crazy. Totally freak out. I have been stung a couple of times when I was younger. I am trying hard to control this though as I don't want Boo to pick up on it and be scared of them too!

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    1. Touch wood I've never been stung I think once that's happened it's only natural to be wary of them. You might find that by pretending you're not scared for Boo's sake that you kind of get used to them :)

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  4. Phobia of hairs! Can't stand loose hairs that aren't attached to my skin being in the water or on me after/whilst in a bath or shower. It makes me itch. I couldn't pull them out of the sink plug hole because it's awful. Hairs are a no-no!

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    1. Yeah I feel your pain - hairs get me every time too! That's one fear I won't be facing by choice though!

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  5. I think I have a bit of claustrophobia. Not sure because I've never been in a situation, but the idea scares me and makes me queasy.

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    1. It sure sounds like claustrophobia if even the idea of it makes you feel that way! Thanks for commenting :)

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  6. Phobias eh? The lizard one replaces the spider one in my case.
    I'm terribly scared of losing my phone. And also, I'm terribly scared of people reading what I tweet on my personal account.
    Does that me make me a neo-phobic person?

    I'm loving your blog posts.. Keep rocking!

    Fellow #AtoZChallenge Blogger,
    Mithila @Fabulus1710

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    1. I'm not sure how I would cope if I lost my phone! I think it's a sig of the times we live in and I would bet you're not alone in not wanting your personal account viewed by your readers!
      Thank you so much :)

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