IRRATIONAL FEARS

Irrational fears make for great conversations. People will laugh at you, yes at you. Or, they may laugh with you since they have a similar fear. Or they may just look at you, sip their drink awkwardly, and walk away. Then they would probably gossip about you but at least you're the topic of conversation.So what is rational and irrational fear? Rational fear is a reaction about a real threat where we have to protect ourselves. Irrational fear is something we fear, even though there is no direct link or threat to us. I do not think I would be wrong to say that just about everyone I know has at least one irrational fear, for me I have a few things (I hate admitting this but maybe admitting it is halfway towards solving the problem) but not all of them are irrational, well in my mind they are quite rational.  

  1. Alright here it goes: I’m Cleisiophobic – {Fear of being locked in an enclosed place} I think a lot of people are; which may or may not make it less irrational.  I work at a local grocery store in the meat room where we have a walk in cooler and freezer.  I'm not so bad with the freezer b/c the door actually stays open but the cooler door has a tendency to slowly close.  I'm absolutely TERRIFIED that someone will close the door and turn off the light. I can feel the panic rising just writing this post. I can hear my heart beat pounding in my head, my breathing becomes rapid, I start to shake, the tears are ready to burst forth and there’s an overwhelming feeling that things are crashing in on me.”

The most effective way to overcome a phobia is by gradually and repeatedly exposing yourself to what you fear in a safe and controlled way. During this exposure process, you’ll learn to ride out the anxiety and fear until it inevitably passes. Thanks guys for your help with this one.

 2.  I also hate driving on highways {just called a driving phobia}. I usually take the back roads, even if it means a few minutes longer of a drive. I use to find myself clenching my teeth and my knuckles would turn white I’d be holding the steering wheel so tight. Over the last few years I have made progress with this one. When my son started working @ Tim Horton’s which is located on a busy highway and if I wanted the car I would have to drop him off. I still get anxious and grip the wheel a little too hard but I do it.

  3.  I absolutely can't sleep at night without some sort of blanket covering me. It can be over 100 degrees in my room, but I'll still need a sheet or blanket on me or I won't be able to sleep. Not just on my arms or just on my legs. It has to be completely covering me, except for my head. When I was little, I used to feel like there were monsters everywhere at night, and the only thing that could protect me from them was to have something hiding me.

4.  I don’t think I have Agoraphobia {Fear of crowds}, but do hate a crowded room. I'm sure that everyone has a different reason why ~mine is not hearing that well and I confused and very agitated with all the different conversations going on. I usually just avoid them whenever possible.

The thing that all these irrational fears have in common is that if I choose to believe them, they restrict me. They stop me from fulfilling all the potential I have inside of me. Having these fears reminds me that I am not perfect, that I am still human, and that I still have the creativity needed to be who I am now. Without these fears, life would be pretty boring. 

Does anyone else have any irrational fears? How did you develop the fear?