SilkRoad
Lay the coin on my tongue
- Joined
- May 26, 2009
- Messages
- 3,932
- MBTI Type
- INFJ
- Enneagram
- 6w5
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
I’m wondering if NFs may be particularly prone to phobias. There have been some discussions about anxiety disorders, etc in this forum but maybe not particularly phobias (though is a phobia considered an anxiety disorder?)
I’m a 30 year old female and I’ve had what I’d call low-level fears of flying, thunderstorms, and sudden loud noises for most of my life, but lately they seem to have blossomed into full phobias. I’ve just started having cognitive behavioural therapy sessions for the flying aspect particularly, which is the first time in my life I’ve talked to a psychologist or had therapy, so it feels a bit weird…though the psych is very nice and I think it may help (too soon to tell.)
I had a bad flying experience last year (emergency landing due to a bird strike, and then a flight with lots of turbulence) and since then I’ve had a lot of anxiety before flights, feeling ill, predicting bad turbulence in my mind, feeling frightened for no reason during a smooth flight, that sort of thing. It really sucks because although I have always been at least a slightly nervous flyer, I’ve always been well able to cope with it, until now. The thunderstorm thing, and sudden loud noises generally (like gunshots, even fake ones at the theatre! Though gunshots in films don’t bother me generally), have always been with me too but lately again they seem to be worse. Obviously, the prospect of flying and thunderstorms together is particularly bad…
Besides the trigger experience of the emergency landing, etc last year, I have had quite high stress levels for at least a couple of years and I get the feeling this has exacerbated these fears. But it is distressing to find that what used to be relatively minor fears are getting worse. Especially with flying…I hope the CBT helps, but if it doesn’t or this gets worse, it could seriously affect my life. I live far from my family and many friends, and I love travelling. Not being able to get on a plane is not really an option.
I suspect that NFs may be sensitive to phobias because we are sensitive generally…maybe it’s the violent crashing in of things that make us anxious, into our delicate inner worlds…?
I’d be interested in any insights or experiences…
I’m a 30 year old female and I’ve had what I’d call low-level fears of flying, thunderstorms, and sudden loud noises for most of my life, but lately they seem to have blossomed into full phobias. I’ve just started having cognitive behavioural therapy sessions for the flying aspect particularly, which is the first time in my life I’ve talked to a psychologist or had therapy, so it feels a bit weird…though the psych is very nice and I think it may help (too soon to tell.)
I had a bad flying experience last year (emergency landing due to a bird strike, and then a flight with lots of turbulence) and since then I’ve had a lot of anxiety before flights, feeling ill, predicting bad turbulence in my mind, feeling frightened for no reason during a smooth flight, that sort of thing. It really sucks because although I have always been at least a slightly nervous flyer, I’ve always been well able to cope with it, until now. The thunderstorm thing, and sudden loud noises generally (like gunshots, even fake ones at the theatre! Though gunshots in films don’t bother me generally), have always been with me too but lately again they seem to be worse. Obviously, the prospect of flying and thunderstorms together is particularly bad…
Besides the trigger experience of the emergency landing, etc last year, I have had quite high stress levels for at least a couple of years and I get the feeling this has exacerbated these fears. But it is distressing to find that what used to be relatively minor fears are getting worse. Especially with flying…I hope the CBT helps, but if it doesn’t or this gets worse, it could seriously affect my life. I live far from my family and many friends, and I love travelling. Not being able to get on a plane is not really an option.
I suspect that NFs may be sensitive to phobias because we are sensitive generally…maybe it’s the violent crashing in of things that make us anxious, into our delicate inner worlds…?
I’d be interested in any insights or experiences…