Topic : 04/11 What Are You Afraid Of?

I was also afraid of snakes for years.  I got tired of being afraid and started by holding the hand of my boyfriend and walking up to the snake tank at zoos.  Then, I'd advance to touching the glass.  The snake cannot get you if they are on the other side of the tank.  I also started to pet snakes when handlers brought them to malls.  I was finally able to hold a snake while at a fair.  I have a picture of me with a large snake wrapped around me and I'm holding it's head up.  Maybe it will help to take baby steps like I did.

I'll pray for you. 

I know just how you feel. I have the exact same fear, I've had it since I was a little girl. At first it was a fear of water, mostly a pool where I was afraid of being sucked down the drain...I still can't go too close to a drain on a pool, but it evolved to sea life in general, even fish scare me but it's mainly sharks, octopus, jelly fish, even dolphins, which I know are so nice. I also have a hard time taking a shower, I usually have to think of something else or sing while I am in there. My husband thought it was weird but doesn't question it anymore, he used to make fun of me. I have an overactive imagination and have to avoid any pictures or videos of sea life. Once I have seen the photo it will usually take a week or so for me to get over it and forget the image. So I avoid anything like that so my mind doesn't bring it up. I have a lot of knowledge on sharks and sea life but even with that my mind still goes crazy about it. I can never go to an aquarium  and even at a zoo I had to stay directly in the middle and go very fast, closing my eyes on most parts. Even dreams I have of such things affect me. I know these creatures can be harmless but I still have a fear that they will eat me or hurt me, but even just how they feel or look is just scary. I've worked really hard to move forward and do better with my fear, as long as I ignore the media of it and rationalize, but sometimes the rationalization doesn't help, I just have to give it time.

This is what happens when an untrained person tries to "cure" someone's phobia.

My sister is petrified to use a sewing machine (I, personally think she is just lazy and wants me to do her sewing, lol) and she spent years telling me about how she is afraid that she would "sew through her finger".

Well, I have a couple of great (and powerful) sewing machines, as sewing is what I do professionally, and one day, while she was visiting, I decided to prove to her just how safe it is to use them.

I showed her, in detail, how to thread the machine and set all the preferences, then I picked up some sample fabric and began to sew.

Well, I was so focused on proving to her that she would be perfectly safe, talking to her instead of paying attention to what I was doing, that I DID run my finger through, and the needle deflected off the bone and through the fingernail. My hand was then stuck in the machine and I had to ask her to get some wire clippers to cut the needle out. What a mess!!!!

Needless to say, he was hysterical through the whole event, and I am now the official and ONLY sewer in the family. Should've let a shrink handle her "rehabilitation".