I have a very bad ,and very real fear of thunderstorms.Have you delt with the same?Can you help me?

Question

i have lived in Louisiana all my life,and as im sure you know we have very wet weather all year round. . .I was in the 7th grade when one day after school my dad was outside grilling steaks.All of a sudden it got very dark outside and the wind picked up.I was standing at the back door watching my dad grab the food and move the grill,as he was heading to the door a tree up-rooted and fell on top of our patio covering almost landing on my dad.He ran inside with scraches on his head.That was the day that changed my life.We had recieved wind gusts off a tornado just right down the road causing the tree to up-root.I have been in two tornados since.Every time there is even a drop of rain outside I break down.I just can live with this fear anymore.If you have delt with this fear or know somone who has,please give me some kind of advice.What methods have helped you over-come this,even what meds.The only thing Im not willing to do is stand in a storm.Please any advice is welcome!Thank you!

Answer 1

Oh, I'm sorry for you. I dealt with it before. But I was not as in a bad condition as you. It started when I just saw a lightning bolt, followed by a cracking roar (The sound of thunder I STILL hate the most) and struck a coconut on the tree. It was like 5-meters away from me so you can imagine the frightening wonder of the lightning bolt and how LOUD that dreadful sound was! And Suddenly everywhere that was supposed to be dark (yes, it was night) just turned into morning for 2 seconds! And I sure swear I saw (halucination or not) a frightening figure beside the tree in that brief moment. But it's still the lightning, and the sound that freaks me out. Seeing the lightning bolt is a wonder, but brings fright and chill down my bones, and with the cracking thunder to boot,(the booms I'm OK with it) I fell on my knees, with my eyes wide open in fright.( Believe me, I have witness who told me this)

First, do you sleep with someone? Once I slept with my mom. Glad that she understood. When thunderstorms come when I am sleeping with her, I just said "I love you I love you" as if I'm in a blackout with my mom. After some time when I recover, I will realize how cute and silly it must have been, saying that all night long! Ah, and it tightens realationship between mother and daughter. lol. It quite depends if you want to sleep alone with someone or with a big bunch, laughing and chatting away the night or something. If you want to sleep alone, perhaps a boyfriend or girlfriend will be the best choice. Depends, you know.

Have a hobby? Try concentrating on it, or turn the fear into a tension while doing what you like. I draw manga( if you know what it means, it's Japanese art). I like to call it MY art instead, oh well, those are outta the topic. When those thunderstorms occur (Usually at the middle of the night, when the monsoon is here) I concentrate on my drawing, and draw a picture of fear, or with high tension and stress, and it turned out satisfying! The picture and my mood! And I read Harry Potter at midnight with one of the storms, The Order Of The Pheonix? I read the part where Sirius and others were battling, and wow! It sure was great! And I went to sleep despite of the storm. But my dear Sirius!!! No!!!! You're dead!?!

Your father seemed to be involved in your fear. He got hurt in a storm and resulted you being terrified of it. One, good for you, you love your father. Two, go find your father and tell him about it. This is important. Since he was hurt in it, he should advise you and assure you that he is OK. Even if you know he is OK now, your soul won't get the satisfaction until you get the words "I'm okay" from his very lips.

If you want to, during a storm/rain, stand out in the storm for a while and rush back to the house ( I know you'll want to :) ) Grab a close person and hold hands with him/her while standing out there and then go back. You can do this until you overcome your fear. And do lots of talking, about storms and stuff. It'll help.

You need family and friend (and boyfriend support?), lots of them. And be outgoing a little more on sunny days, it WILL help overcome a bit of your fear of being outside once if you are in a storm. I used to turn on the shower and listen to it, it sounds like rain. It helped me, but I doubt it'll help anyone else. Then try to think this way : Rain is a big body of water falling down in small quantities bit by bit, so be thankful not a whole sea of water is pouring on you like a tsunami. And either way if you are afraid of them or not, they still will end later, so try to be happy and relaxed. Tornado's are just some oversized gust of wind. But just don't go in it's way. And not all storms are destined to hurt your father or your family.

You could also seek help from your doc, he'll probably give you some meds that'll calm you down. And the psychologist too, try them.

Know your problem
Find the source of the problem
Try to deal with the problem

Ok, good luck! My mom is calling me for dinner now! She gets a bit cranky if I'm late, you know.

Answer 2

I live in tornado alley and a tornado hit about 1/2 a mile from a gas station where we stopped and took shelter, so I know what you mean. The weather channel has this thing called "notify" when there is a tornado in your vicinity. The weather gives you clues to, when forecasters say "hale" you know those types of clouds occur when there is more possibility. Educate yourself to the best of your ability about how weather works, and then accept that you will keep an eye out for tornado or strong thunderstorm warnings and watches. My family laughs at me, I'm down the basement allot during the Spring weather. Better safe than sorry. Just do the things you can and after finding out a lot, just live. I really do rely on the weather channel, you can get a weather channel report on your computer. It alerts you when flooding or storms are around.

Answer 3

This is a real fear, not a phobia. My cousin was hit by lightning & will never be the same. He would have been better off dead. A tornado came through my back yard, tore the roof off of our shed, went to the railroad tracks less than 2 blocks away & twisted them up, tore the roofs off of some businesses right by the tracks. In short, I understand your fear & it is real. Stay inside. Stay with someone. Play soothing music, etc. If you can get meds to only take during a storm, fine. But be careful with meds. I have a lot of pain now, but I don't take mine unless I have a really bad day.

Answer 4

There was a time when I'd watch that tv and be so anxious when it would have even possible thunderstorms posted. Didn't matter if it were tomorrow, or three days from now. I worried and fretted and feared what was coming! Mom used to be so afraid that if she could see lightning way far off, she'd call me. Tell me it was coming and finally, after many years of going with her to relax her most of the time, I realized I'd become more afraid of them. Much more. We used to go to neighbors houses where they had sellars, or to the hospital where there was a fall out shelter. So many nights I would literaly be sick to my stomach. Mom's dad, my grandpa, and my husband, and an uncle finally decided that they'd build her a storm shelter. She began going into it less and less often. They built it right off her back steps, almost even to the ground, so she could take 3 or 4 steps and be in it. It got to where she hardly ever used it. Sometimes we can't get rid of fear. It's a God given response to help us be aware. But, God doesn't want us to fear to the point of making ourselves captive. If you can, little by little, set it behind you as much as possible.
But most of all.... ask God for His peace, and His safe keeping while the storms are passing. Ask for His wisdom for you to keep yourself safe. Know that He wants you to over come such intense fear. "For He hath not given you the Spirit of FEAR for fear hath torment.
Now, as far as medications.....xanax, only at these times, are wonderful. Especially if you put one under your tongue, it works much faster. But don't take them or your system will get ammuned to them. They are a medication prescribed for those who have "panic attacks." And yes, God has even given us wisdom to produce medidations. Or at least that's what I truly think about them. But, never abuse them. As with all things.....we can make things sinful when they shouldn't be. I hope this helps you. If you don't have a shelter, consider going to a place that you feel safer in while you are working on your anxieties.
Sincerely in Christ,
caring

Answer 5

well maybe this will help maybe it wont.. but its a fact..
being scared of the thunder is a waste of time.. if lightning is going to hit you it will hit you well before you ever hear the "THUNDER".. so basically if you hear it you know it didnt hit you.. maybe look at it that way...

various fears are generally irrational.. I know i have an odd one.. driving parallel to water (oceans, rivers etc) driving across em dosent bother me a bit (like a bridge) just parallel to it (like HWY1 in Big Sur fer instance) freaks me out but I deal with it, and i do it.. but I dont like it LOL

Answer 6

Guilt because everybody has fear and guilt will eat you alive for the rest of your live and your going to wish you would just die and the worse fear is dieing so i hope you see how guilt would be woreser to live with. hope i helped

Answer 7

I'm not sure...but I pray to be able to. Here it is a page with a prayer, one of the shortest prayers: Jesus's
prayer, or the prayer of the mind/heart. We can say it with our mind...or, better(but we are not able to!) with our heart!

http://www.svots.edu/Faculty/Albert-Rossi/Articles/Saying-the-Jesus-Prayer.html

May God help you get rid of that fear!