Topic : 05/27 What Do You Fear?

When I am afraid, I find that memorizing quotes like the ones below and saying them like a mantra helps me through a fearful situation. Bible quotes are especially helpful because they stir faith in me, and help me realize that I am not alone.  Bible verses can be claimed, and made your own. You have a right to pray to God, and let him know that you are believing in him to fulfil any promise made in the bible, I find Psalm 91 very powerful, and reassuring, and read it whenever I feel uncertain.

Frank Herbert's quote on the subject is also sound though, and full of wisdom. Using this method of dealing with fear helps me a lot.

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind killer

Fear is the little death that brings about total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see it's path.

Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

Frank Herbert, Dune Page 19

I find this little verse to be very helpful, because it is so short, and easy to remember no matter how afraid I am.

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

2nd Timothy, 1:7

From this we see that fear isn't a god given reaction, it is a temptation, and there is a choice to accept this gift of power, love and sound mind instead of fear.

Overall fear is the opposite of faith and trust. Fear is best fought with faith, and LOVE. "Perfect Love casts out all fear." Fear is the key negative emotion, which leads to every other negative emotion. Banishing fear is the biggest step towards a happy life, and it is an everyday struggle for everyone. Not everyone is afraid of the same things, but everyone struggles with some fears, either rational or irrational. This fear is the root cause of most of mankind's problems, Our worst behaviors are brought on by fear, and our best reaction is always to base our behavior and our feelings in love and faith. If you believe good things will happen to you, then usually that is exactly what happens, but if you are afraid something bad will happen, you defeat yourself before you even start.

We all wrestle with fear at times, and most of us have hidden fears as well as conscious ones. We lie to ourselves sometimes and don't admit our real fears, and then this symbolic representation phobia stuff comes out instead. In symbolism for example someone who is afraid of cats has problems with femininity, and spirituality, Spiders represent knowledge of something we don't want to know. They are symbols of the things we glance at in our minds and look away before seeing clearly. We all have those thoughts that we dismiss quickly because we cannot bare to examine them. Yet examine them we must. Inversely it may be the feeling of motion that stirs driving and flying fears... it could simply be a fear of movement... or progressing forward. I think this woman should ask what she fears. If I had ot guess, I'd say she fears getting old, or her daugthers growing up and abandoning her. She also fears some specific  task, responsibility or occurance, which she subconsciousy forsees and wants to duck out of, but she doesn't see it consciously. It isn't that her conscious mind is deliberately faking these phobias, it is that she can't deal with what she is honestly afraid of, and instead projects her fears onto less logical things, which anyone can dismiss as rediculous. In short I think she fears the passage of time, and the uncertainty of the future... possibly having to rely on her self once her support system is gone. Now that is a RATIONAL reasonable thing to be afraid of, but once she faces the real issue, it will no longer be that booggie man in the closet. IT will be something she can pull out and learn to deal with.

Kim

Goood Lord, (perhaps you should talk to him)  you counsel people and cant tell the dif, between panix/anx/agoraphobia and schizophrenia!?!?!?!?  This gal, tho showing paronia etc.and isolation (which is VERY common to those of us with anx. disorders/agoraphobia and depression) did not exhibit symptoms of schizophrenia!  And (uh hem) I do think the staff of the Doc Phil show would have taken that into serious consideration before putting her on a show gauged towards those of us with anx. disorder.

How woud I know this.....Im a tested tried and true agorahobic and NOT a schizophrenic who had a clinically dxed mother who was! Yes we all worry-sometimes to the point of paranoia, even those of us without any apparent or admitted dis-orders.  Go back to to your DSM-4, In fact Im suprised you left out bi-polar, she exhibed the signs of that more so thatn being schizo!

       f= fear

        e= evedinces

        a=  appearing

         r= real

            fear  is the evedinces of something appearing real.

            God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and of sound mind.

         whenever fear overtakes you, claim that promise out loud from God's word.  it will help. but, of couse you have to belive it.

Thank you for your understanding and encouraging words.  I had no idea until I came on this message board and heard from you that there were so many other people with this problem.  I really haven't disclosed what my phobias are, because this is the first time that I have been on any message board in my life, and I'm pretty embarrassed about it.  I have several of them and they interfere with my daily life.  I think about them hundreds of time a day and can't seem to make it stop in my mind.  I've tried several Dr's over the years, and several medications, but to no avail.  I can't take anti depressants because they make me suicidal.  I haven't flown for many years now, because of the panic attacks and I always feel clostrophobic and want to get off the plane.  I swear if they gave me a parachute, I would jump out.  I've heard that some people say that panic attacks only last about 20 minutes. I beg to differ, as I've had them last for several hours, and I not only feel like I'm going to die, but wish I would.  I'm a senior care giver part time, and sometimes that even scares me.  Having to see on a daily basis what it's going to be like when we're old and have so many other problems.  I have a horse, and used to show him, but had to quit 10 years ago because I couldn't do it anymore.  It really caused me a lot of grief.  Now I do trail ride, but I have to have everything I need in my saddle bags, including Xanax, toilet paper, water, and a snack.  I even carry a compass, and a whistle, in case I run into any bears.  One time I was riding in the mountains, and a bobcat jumped out onto the trail in front of me.  It scared the heck out of me and my horse.  Luckily, he took off the other way.  I've never ridden there again.  My horse is the only thing that keeps me sane with all of this.  I too have been watching Dr. Phil since the beginning, and am so glad that he broached this subject, as people usually don't understand how debilitating it is.  Thanks to the people who responded to my post, and I hope to talk to you all soon.  I don't really get on this computer very often, usually only to check my e-mail, but I will try to check in more often.  It's good to talk to other people who understand.  Thanks again.

You are a kick.  I wish I had your sense of humor.  I understand about phobias, I have some that are ridiculous also, and I'm embarassed to say what they are, but I can tell you that I understand that when you have a phobia of anything, even cotton balls, it's very real to you and you shouldn't be made to feel bad about that.  I too can make fun of my phobias and how stupid they are, but when it actually happens, it's not fun at all, and I wish that I would die, rather than go through it.  It's not only mentally hard for me, but physically hard also.  I don't have any suggestions for you on what to do, as I'm on here to find some answers for myself that I've been looking for for years, and haven't found yet.  Don't let anyone take away from you fear by saying that they aren't real.  I wish you the strength to find a way to cope with it, and I loved reading your post.  Thanks for the funny!