Face Your Phobias

We all have our little phobias. Some of us cannot stand spiders, while others have a fear of mice. Many people are afraid of the water or heights or blood. Whatever your phobia, now is the time to deal with it. No, not tomorrow, but right now. Today, you will learn how to conquer your fears and your squeamishness and move on with your life.

Cold Immersion. This is where you give yourself a bit of shock therapy. Rather than exposing yourself to your fear a little bit at a time, this is where you will be exposing yourself to a lot of it at once. If you are afraid of spiders, visit a zoo and learn about spiders, or visit a pet store and pick up many of them with your bare hands. If you are afraid of water, find a pool with a large shallow end and get straight in. A fear of heights would involve a trip to the roof of the tallest building in your city.

For all of these excursions, it would be helpful to have someone with you, just in case. You do not want your fear, or sudden lack of it, to cause you to do something stupid like actually put yourself in danger. It is fine to allow the other person to have some sort of physical lifeline attached to you, especially if you are on a roof of an extremely tall building. That is just good sense, because it can be windy up there.

Study. The more you learn or understand something, the less frightening it is. Take classes, view online videos, read how-to manuals, whatever it takes. Learn about your fear and study it in depth. Become an expert on your phobia. In this manner, you are not only able to get rid of your own phobia, but you are able to help others get rid of theirs, too.

Incorporate into your daily life. This does not mean allowing the mice in your home to run loose. This would involve allowing your child to get a pet gerbil or a show-rat. This would be something like a thrice weekly trip to the pool, taking walks out on the open plains (acrophobia), or curling up with a good book in a cozy closet area (claustrophobia). Allowing the object of your phobia into your daily life allows you to view it under normal circumstances and it gives you perspective.

Getting rid of your phobias is very difficult. Allow someone else to be your safeguard and challenge your fears head on. If nothing else, facing your fears is character-building.

Sources:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4661503_face-phobias.html