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Have you ever successfully rid yourself of a major fear/phobia?

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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And how did you go about doing so?
 

Within

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I've grown out of one or two. Like a snake who sheds it's skin when it becomes to tight.
 

Lark

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I did once, I have a major fear of heights and I mastered it for a bit, it returned with a huge vengence lately though.

I dont know how I did, to be honest I believe it was adrenaline and traumatisation.
 

Tyrinth

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My phobia of bees is kind of cured kind of not so much... I really don't know how to answer about that one.

Oh... I did used to have a phobia of the dark, but now it's the direct opposite. I prefer the dark over the light. Hehe. It just kind of happened; I didn't really do anything.
 

Winds of Thor

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Yes, heights. I had enough of the fear and so made opportunities to overcome the fear of heights as possibilities presented themselves. I went riding on roller coasters, went cave spelunking down and climbed back up 100-foot, 80-degree rock inclines with water trickling down on me, walked on rock sediment ledges deep inside of caves with little to support me. And stood with face next to the windows and looked down at the top of the Sears Tower.

I'm cured now.
 

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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Yes, heights. I ad enough of the dear and so went in roller coasters, went cave spelunking down and climbed back up 100-foot, 80-degree rock inclines with water trickling down on me, walked on rock sediment ledges deep inside of caves with little to support me. And stood with face next to the windows and looked down at the top of the Sears Tower.

I'm cured now.
It's quite common advice to just face your fear. Glad you got over it.

I think if I were to face my fear like that, I'd have a heart attack. However, it's one that I really need to get over.
 

Winds of Thor

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It's quite common advice to just face your fear. Glad you got over it.

I think if I were to face my fear like that, I'd have a heart attack. However, it's one that I really need to get over.
I agree with your idea. I feel facing a fear can be a real thrill. (going with the thinking that there can be a fine line, if one so chooses to see this way, between fear and excitement).
 
I

Infinite Bubble

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I have Selenophobia, or fear of the moon. It's such an odd thing to have a phobia of. I've no idea how it emerged, it was there since I was a quite young. Haven't gotten rid of it, but has died down over the years.
 

Redbone

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I was very scared of the dark from about the age of 7 well into adulthood. I wouldn't sleep with the lights off. One night I just decided to turn off the lights. I didn't get much rest that night but I never needed to keep the lights on to sleep again.

I still have a major fear of spiders, heights and feelings. I don't think I'll ever get over the first two and I'm working on the last one.
 

RaptorWizard

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I'm afraid of not ever finding the sufficient freedom and achievement I must have to attain self-mastery. This fear is a driving force I draw upon to push myself beyond the normal limits to accomplish this great task. The great goal with this power is achieving infinite mastery of creation.

To say that in 2 words, become greatness. What I fear is failing to reach that level.
 
G

Glycerine

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Yes. Half the battle was trying to understand where it came from and then exposing yourself to the fear a little by little. A lot of fear comes from "psyching" yourself out and then the physiological reactions associated with it.
 

Magic Poriferan

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Oh, brother. Let's see.

Spiders.
Storms.
Heights.
Darkness.
Being alone.
Public speaking.
Wandering (fear of getting lost).
Food poisoning.

Usually it starts with something leaving me no way out. That in turn is the catalyst for me to make a wilfull effort to get over it, which I achieve by graduating, intentionally exposure to my fear.

That being said some just went away and I don't even remember how or exactly when. For some reason I just stopped worrying about food being contaminated. Getting over storms, that one is vague too. I used to be afraid of leaving the house by myself (being alone, getting lost) and I didn't get over that without the help of a psycholgist when I was 14-15.

Still to go? Deep water. Rejection.
 

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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Hmm...does anyone know exactly how someone would go about getting rid of a fear that is encountered daily and has recently become worse.
 

1487610420

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I come in contact (for lack of better words) with this fear every day. I am sort of facing it all of the time.

Break it down/take it apart rationally. Is it life threatening? Is it founded? It's an introspective process.
 

/DG/

silentigata ano (profile)
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Break it down/take it apart rationally. Is it life threatening? Is it founded? It's an introspective process.

Unfortunately I've been there and done that. Do you have any advice that I haven't heard before? Or perhaps one that's actually helped you?
 

kyuuei

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I had a fear of public speaking when I was younger.. I would sweat, shake, and mumble, and my heart rate felt like it was playing a drum solo on my throat.

Eventually, being forced to do it so much in school, it was just something I dreaded.. which made me annoyed and angry that I had to do it. Which motivated me to get up and get it over with by volunteering first (as I noticed that I could never remember who went first) and I realized that my fear was more freezing up and saying something stupid than it was of the people looking at me themselves. So, I got over it by practicing what I'd say before I said it. Not caring about the opinions of others made it a lot easier to get over that fear.

My fear of heights... I have a love/hate relationship with that. Few things get my adrenaline going more than heights do.. but the physical reactions I have to it are something I have been unable to control. Vertigo is something I get pretty badly if I am not in an airplane, and I've gotten dizzy and nearly fallen from a pretty extreme height during military training from the condition. Being up high is the most beautiful thing I can think of.. seeing everything from up there is amazing. If I could get over the urges to vomit, and the vertigo, and the weakness in my limbs, I think I'd be okay. I've rationalized it all day long, but without much success in application.
I suppose it helps some to rationalize it.. I CAN do things from up high. I can climb a ladder again, I can repel, do some indoor rock climbing, fly, and complete necessary army training. But the less safety features there are the worse it gets. I am unable to get to the top of the rope climb even though I am perfectly capable of doing it theoretically, and I cannot touch skydiving with a ten foot pole.. Roller coasters still give me trouble. I had to turn down an opportunity for air assault school. :shrug: It's a work in progress..
 
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