The best way to overcome a fear... is to confront the thing that scares you. Do you agree?

Question

If a person is paranoid about walking along side a row of bushes for fear that someone may jump out and attack them... the best way to overcome the paranoia is to walk along side a row of bushes and notice that they are not being attacked.


If a person is shy... the best way to overcome the fear of talking is to communicate with people... and notice that even though they may get ridiculed at times for things they say... no one is dying over it.


What are some of your thoughts regarding ways to overcome fear?

Answer 1

Oh, you are sooo right. There may be exceptions, when the fear is due to a real peril. Like it would depend just where that row of bushes is and has anyone been attacked there.

Your second paragraph is unarguably true, knowing that does not always make it easier. I think it comes down to when the drive to overcome becomes stronger than the fear.

Answer 2

I think confrontation only works if the confrontation experience is positive. I think changing your experience in fearsome situations helps you overthrow those fears. Once you've gone through a fearsome thing without fear and insecurity, you realize have no reason to be scared again. But if you confront your fear, and it overthrows you with fear again, you will still be afraid. I think it can take a few good positive experiences to really overcome fear, and one negative experience can make you relapse back into fear again. Some people have fear of something they don't understand or know, in this case I think they should gain knowledge of the thing they fear.

One way that I learned to overcome fear was priority-oriented confrontation of my fear. In some serious instances we must overcome our fears for more important things. I was afraid of my own family's new dog (I was bitten when I was four) and one day I came outside to see some old friends who came by and my mom let the dog loose. Worrying more about making a huge fool of myself, I had the confidence to stand out there while he ran all around me. I was so surprised that I could do it, and it was a positive experience because he didn't jump on me or bite my head off. I think the same kind of priority-oriented confidence could arise when a small child is stuck in a burning building. All those fears dissapear and the higher priority takes over.

Answer 3

I believe you are right but in some way, but in the same time i would like to add that you must insist in overcome your fear, i doesn't work even if you past the test once. I wanted to confront it and i did not once but many but nothing change....

As an example, i am afraid of deep water and I've tried to change that, i almost drown twice in my life trying to test my fear and challenge the situation, and it never worked. I come to admit that i will never be able to swim in deep water, i am okay as long as i can feel the ground under my feet, the fear never change.... How do you explain that?
So, i guess it works in different ways and situations.
Is anybody else who may have a fear that you could never overcome? Please, feel free to share your experience.

Answer 4

It sure seems like it, but some's fear are too powerful to "confront it". But you can build up to it. if a person is shy they could start by talking to 2 friends and 1 stranger, then next time 1 friend and 2 strangers, and eventually later on a whole group of strangers.

I tried to overcome my fears by trying not to have any fears. Eg, when I was scared of the dark, and ghostly apparitions I thought I saw, I told myself it was ridiculous, and what could Ghosts do?
I thus overcame that phobia, but developed a fear of ALIVE PEOPLE. You know the ones that could ACTUALLY hurt you!
Trying to overcome that now, but I think at some level you think "oh well it sure beats phobia of dust" and learn to live with your mild phobias

Answer 5

I used to have an anxiety attack every time I had to do any public speaking. When I presented my Master's project I decided I would just go ahead and have the thing and then get on with my presentation. I've never had an anxiety attack again. I was far more afraid of having the anxiety attack in front of 80 people than I was of presenting.

I don't think there is a better way of dealing with a fear than facing it..

Answer 6

Yes and No.

The two things I am paranoid about is Shark and Spiders.

I think I have finally gotten over my fear of Sharks when I went to the Aquarium few weeks ago. But it has taken me almost 7 years to get over it.

And for spiders, that is another case. I don't think I would ever get over that fear. Whenever I turned a page and if there's a Spider in the pix, I would froozed up!! So in my case. It doesn't help!! HAHA!

Answer 7

I've faced my fears by shutting down my brain (so to speak). If i think about something, then the fear overwelms me, if i block it out, i just charge forward. For instance, going into a burning building with an air pack and mask....just let the training take over. Or going on a high building or ledge and looking down. Or going on an extreme roller coaster. Or skydiving. It also helps to yell, that clears your brain of other thoughts....like yelling 'GERONIMO' when skydiving. Once you've done the act, its a rush and you want to do it again.

Answer 8

i think the confrontation method works best if it is an irrational fear. but i also think it is only one of many tools for overcoming fears. none of which are ironclad solutions. probably most the time we need to use more than one method to work the fear out

Answer 9

Yes, and try to work on it to overcome the fear.

Answer 10

YEAH I AGREE WITH YOU,BUT TO TELL YOU TRUTH SOME FEARS ARE SO DEEP ROOTED IN YOUR MIND THAT EVEN HEARING THE WORD THAT TRIGGERS IT,ACTIVATES THE FEAR ,LISTEN I EVEN READ A CASE ABOUT THE SUBJECT
AND THEY HAD TO PUT THE PATIENT IN HYPNOSIS,SO SHE COULD WORK OUT HER PHOBIAS,ITS IN A BOOK CALLED;
MANY MASTERS ,MANY LIVES(BY BRIAN WEISS) ITS ABOUT
HOW HE FOUND THE ROOT OF HER PATIENT PHOBIA
PLUS HES A PHD IN PSYCHIATRY'S,INSTRUCTIVE!!!