what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
My biggest phobia and the one thing I am still trying to get over being afraid of is medication or anything foreign that may enter my body. I am so afraid of taking any sort of medicaiton even Ibuprofen! I am afraid that I will go into shock or have some sort of allergic reaction. I have never had a food allergy but I am so afraid for any sort of nut, fish, seafood etc... I think I will have an allergic reaction.
How do people get over their fears? I am trying really hard!
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
Oh, where to begin?! I don't have panic disorder- I have GAD and OCD- but all of the following gives me extreme panic attacks:
1. going to the dentist/cavities
2. taking any type of test
3. driving
4. waiting (such as waiting in the doctor's office, waiting for someone to pick me up, etc.)
There's probably so many more phobias that I have, but they're more likely completely OCD-related, so I won't mention them. By the way, I just started CBT, and I'm hoping this will help rid myself of my fears...
-GatsbyLuvr1920-
__________________
"Not everything that steps out of line, and thus 'abnormal,' must necessarily be 'inferior.'"
-Hans Asperger
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
My main "phobia" is emetophobia - fear of vomiting. This causes fear of being in places where I can't get out, fear of medication, fear of germs/contamination, fear of travelling... A whole load of stuff. I can't even watch someone put their finger in their mouth LOL.
Other than that certain social situations will make me panic, and definitely uncertainty about a situation or sometimes when I'm under time pressure (such as waiting in a queue but I don't know what I want to order or something.)
{REMOVED}I have recently consulted with my GP and I'm waiting on a referral!
__________________
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.
Last edited by ms_mod; 07-15-2005 at 03:18 PM.
Reason: Please re-read the posting rules as to why your post was edited, failing to follow this rule in the future will lead to banning. Thanks, Ms_Mod
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
I have a phobia of rats I freak out at the thought of them and If I see one I completly panic!!! I use to have nightmares about them. I know my basement is rat free but I still am afraid of my basement because I think there might be a rat down there.
I also just discovered I am clausterphobic. I had to have my first MRI and as soon as they put me in the tube I paniced and they had to take me out. Good thing they now have open MRI's which are a bit better.
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
I also am afraid of exercise!!!! I really want to exercise but I am afraid my heart will explode or something during it! ahahahaha..... phobias are really strange but I dont know how to go about getting over it!
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
Panic Disorder goes hand-in-hand with phobias as far as I am concerned. All's it takes is one panic attack at the wrong time or in the wrong place and a fear of that time/place can occur. We all probably know this.
Usually a psychologist will set up a hierarchy for you to work through. It's a behavioral task that you work on. Like if you had a phobia of the mall, you'd first drive by the mall a few times (or have a friends drive you by it). Then you'd park in the parking lot a bunch, then you'd walk up the the front doors, then eventually enter, etc. This takes time of course, and dedication.
Your original question seems tricky, the foreign substances because there isn't really a way to approach these substances like you can a mall. My best advice would be to try some of the things you are afraid of in very small amounts. Like if you are afraid of ibuprofen, smash a tablet into little pieces (not a liquid tablet though HAHA) and eat a tiny piece. Then go and relax and watch TV or whatever you like to do to "hang out." Then the next time you have a headache have a little tiny bit more... keep doing this and eventually I think you'll do fine. Same thing with food... remember that even if you are allergic to it, a tiny bit won't do anything irreversible to you. You might (but not likely) get an upset stomach for a few minutes, but chances are you aren't allergic, so you can increase the amount of food until you are eating a bunch of it!
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
Hi "not myself"
I have the same trouble, my fears are surrounded with getting ill, dying young. The thoughts of losing my partner are just too much to take. I wish that I could feel like I used to so desperately!
Hi "Itwontgiveup"
I have been told to use exposure to help with phobias, and I think it is definitely the way forward. I think you have made good suggestions....but how do you do that with a fear of not being able to control a situation ....as above??? Its not one you can practice with so how do you over come it?
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
mjewell,
I think the fear of vomiting (sorry I find the word "barf" so gross!) is treatable through the same sort of hierarchy as is described above. There are plenty of resources on the internet for treating emetophobia in the form of pictures/videos/sounds... (though I don't suggest you try it yourself.) And I'm sure if you seek treatment the mental health professional will be able to make use of these. There may also be some other areas of the fear you can treat... Such as going into hospitals, long car journeys, eating out in restaurants etc... (some stuff associated with emetophobia)
Hope you're ok
__________________
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell.
Re: what are everyones phobia's & what have you done to fix them?
Tiggerredz & mjewell:
Behavioral therapy is only one option among therapists. There are of course cognitive techniques (controlling/changing thoughts and ideas), meds to help, and of course classic psychoanalysis, among others. If the problem had to do with vomiting or fear of losing a loved one, I would suggest locating a therapist who specializes in talk-based therapy (psychoanalysis) because behavior therapy is limited in scope when there is nothing outside yourself to work towards. I would like to think that something like fear of vomiting has its roots somewhere in childhood... a traumatic event or series of events experienced as a young child perhaps.
This, of course, is just me thinking out loud. I don't know anything about any of you so don't take me too seriously, it's simply a thought.
