Getting to Know Your Fears and Phobias
A person’s fear can hinder his chances for
development and for success. Fear in itself can be debilitating and can limit a
person’s ability to go through life in a healthy way. Sometimes, a person’s fear
can rule a person’s life and he becomes bereft of reason.
A person who allows his fear to rule his life
can be prevented from leading a normal life. The sad fact is that the person who
has the fear is not the only one affected, but also his family, friends, and the
people around him.
Fear can be healthy because it allows a person
to be on his toes and to be watchful of what is happening around him. A person
can actually make his fears work for him instead of against him. Then again,
this requires a lot of self-control and positive thinking.
A person’s fear can be caused by an event that
happened some time ago, or by a belief that he is not capable of dealing with
something or someone. There are fears that have a real basis, but most fears are
just the creations of one’s imagination.
Phobia is also a fear of something, but such
fear can be considered irrational. A phobia can be ridiculous and exaggerated
such as a person’s fear of cats or of water. Some people who have developed
phobias are aware that the fear is not based on rational thinking; but
unfortunately, they are not able to get hold of their emotions and rise above
their irrational fear.
Some people are quick to equate phobia with
insanity; but it is not fair to conclude that just because a person is phobic,
it means that there must be something wrong with his sanity. A person’s phobia
can sometimes be embarrassing, especially when he is not able to control such
fear. There are people who actually shiver and hide when confronted with their
phobias.
Phobias can be simple like the simple fear of
being in an enclosed area, or complex like the fear of riding an airplane. A
social fear can be manifested in the fear of public speaking or of being
surrounded by a crowd. Most phobias are characterized by panic attacks such as
when the person is confronted by his phobia and he is forced to come
face-to-face with it.
It is normal to be afraid because fear is
rational. However, a fear that becomes irrational and is already without basis,
is already called a phobia. It is no longer normal and can disrupt a person‘s
lifestyle.
A person who wants to get rid of his phobia
should not turn to doctors who dig deeper just to discover the root cause of the
phobia. Such an activity can be a waste of time because finding the underlying
cause of the phobia will not get rid of it. What is more important is to be
determined and strong-willed so that the person’s fears will no longer rule his
emotions. If a person can learn how to handle his emotions, then he can get rid
of his phobia.
| 
