I know there is already a similar topic to this but here I want to discuss my fears and my problems! I have alot of fears, and some are so silly people laugh at me....
I am afraid of the dark....I always hear footsteps come into my room when I'm alone in the dark and I don't like what I cant see.
I'm afraid of tornados and severe storms....especially tordnados, because they are scary looking and deadly.
I'm afraid of mirrors....I once read this book about a boy being trapped in a mirror and then coming out dead.
I'm afraid of having my window open at night....I hear strange noises from outside when the window is open.
I'm afraid of my closet...I always have to have the closet door tightly shut no matter what time of day.
I'm afraid of going into the basement alone...its cold and dark down there and scares me.
I'm afraid of going upstairs alone....especially my parents bedroom, cause I get this scary vibe from their room.
I'm afraid of crumbs and stains...if there are crumbs or stains on a table, couch or chair I will refuse to sit down.
I'm afraid of heights....I get dizzy when I'm up high.
I'm afraid of elevators....I always feel as if they are going to stop and not let us out, and I'd rather take the stairs.
I'm afraid of bees...a single bee will send me running away screaming and in tears.
I'm afraid of all bugs...any bug will make me scream.
I'm afraid of small spaces.....I'm claustriphobic.
I'm afraid of dirty napkins....if somebody has accidently used my napkin I will refuse to use it again.
I'm afraid of foods touching....I use a special plate because I cant stand foods touching or getting mixed together.
I'm afraid of using the same forks....I have to use a different fork/spoon for every single different kind of food
I know, pretty much all of those sound silly. I've tried to get rid of those fears, but I cant!! Any advice?
Well, some of the fears sound a little bit like manias to me, but I think you should be able to overcome most of them. I don't really have many fears, there are things which make me nervous, things that are manias, habits and tics, but as one large phobia I cannot stand to try to even think about, it is anything to do with anything
bad happening to my eyes or eyesight.
The Dark: I myself don't like being in pitch black because it makes me think I'm blind. I like having some small light on (like the mosquito killer light), or to at least see some lighter spot (a glow in the dark device, or the lamplight pouring through the window) just to make sure my sight has not yet left me. Of the dark itself, if it is a place I know, I am not afraid. If I feel nervous about it, I will just imagine the place like when its daytime, and remind myself its the same place.
If you are very scared of the dark, perhaps sometime at night, you may want to get up briefly, and take a torch with you and walk round your house (silently) at night, and see how long you can last before needing to turn the torch on. Remember to be calm.
Tornadoes, and severe storms: Well, I expect that if that really happens to you, it would certainly be a scary experience. However, where you live, if it not a natural-disaster propense zone, I think you will be OK. I don't think you need to be scared, just to remember what to do if one comes.
Mirrors: Well, people can't get trapped in mirrors. :>
As you can probably check out yourself, most mirrors are not much thicker than the reflecting glass itself, which all it does is make light bounce back off, allowing us to see what is before the mirror. It cannot do anything as trap anything inside. Anyway, you will probably need mirrors sometimes - when you brush your teeth, it is best to look at what you are doing.
Windows: There shouldn't be any problem with having the window shut.
Is it a window with, or without bars? If it doesn't have any, it is probably actually better not to have it open, because people could be able to break in. I myself like having the window wide open, it is too hot here to sleep properly without some air current.
Closets: A closet is... a wardrobe? Maybe if you don't like opening them, just remind yourself there is nothing in the closet except what was stored in there, and if it is always tightly closed - what else should be in there?
Going to the Basement, and upstairs: Going into an underground place alone probably does seem unnerving. Does it have a light? Do you have specific reasons to go down there? If there is a light, best to have it on. If you never really have to go down to the basement, then don't go, or ask your Dad if he wants to accompany you. If not, you could imagine you are going down with someone, and talk to them mentally, and it will give you the illusion that you are going down with someone else. Exactly the same with the stairs.
(Oh, this reminds me that when I was smaller I was ever so scared of escalators and had to get on with someone because they moved...)
Crumbs and Stains: That isn't really a fear. That is more of a 'mania'. I don't think you are afraid of the crumbs, but simply don't like them. Just get a piece of paper, and brush the crumbs in a little pile. Then you may either want to put the pile in the piece of paper and throw it away, or brushing it into your hand, and throwing away. Although me too, when sitting down at a table, I try not to pick the crumbed-up place.
Heights: Hmm... Most people have some vertigo. Perhaps just visiting high places which are safe? Going across a bridge, and thinking how nice the river below is, or going on a Ferris Wheel? Or maybe just going up some stairs and looking down. Vertigo is probably a naturally induced fear anyway, because after all, a human does not want to fall down and damage themselves.
Lifts: If it is claustrophobia - maybe its best not to take them unless you are going up an inhuman amount of floors. Other than that, you can try distracting yourself in an elevator if the journey makes you nervous. Just imagine anything, or remember what you'd been doing the day before.
Bees: Well, I say keep away from bees because they can sting you (even though I don't take much notice of this myself because actually, I quite like insects).
Bugs: I know plenty of people who don't like bugs. Some have been able to overcome it because they helped me catch this huge spider (actually, they only told me where it was, and provided me with a jar to put it in) and accompany on other bug hunts too. Still, most pests at home aren't really bugs that one should really get attached too, and are probably best to kill (no one wants cockroaches, or silverfish in their homes).
Dirty napkins: That is natural, and totally hygienic. Just get a clean napkin.
Foods touching: I don't like food mixing... But as for foods touching - it reminds me of this book about a boy with Asperger Syndrome (called the Dog in the night-time or soemthing like that) who had a few 'behavioural habits', and that was one of them. I guess you could just eat what is not touching, and miss out the mixed bits, as long as you aren't leaving too much.
Forks: I don't like using dirty forks for clean foods either. I just clean them with a serviette, and Voilá.
Another idea which could help a bit is this activity I read in a book called "the mind's eye". It is quite interesting, and I think it may help.
Summarised it says:
First of all, do not do this activity if you have had serious problems with your fear, or have needed lots of help with it (so, I can't do it with my 'eye fear' because that is exactly what I am afraid of).
Try to visualize yourself in a situation where that fear is present. Like vertigo - an expertise diver about to jump off the diving board. Try to imagine it, and when you start feeling nervous, exit the situation like you would from a nightmare. I think it could help a bit.
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They always say 'face your fears and overcome them', and I have many times read books about eye disease, and how most can be cured, and that is reassuring, but I can't face them properly because if what I am really afraid of is going cross-eyed, I can't do it.
