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Entry bubble Bee Brave: Conquering Fears and Phobias

By: Ginger | September 18, 2009 | Category: General

Bee pollinating a flowerThere are times when we all have to reach inside, find our courage, and do something that makes us scared or uncomfortable. I was fearful in water, but one day, I decided that I didn't want to be that way anymore. I started with water aerobics and worked up to swimming a mile. In overcoming this fear, I ended up experiencing some really cool things: swimming with whale sharks, watching a shark feeding frenzy while scuba diving, and night diving. I would never have had those experiences if I hadn't forced myself to confront my fear.

There is one fear I've never completely conquered. When I was 5, I was playing with a water pump on my grandparents' property. Wasps began to come out of the pump. The other kids ran away, but I stood there screaming, trying to cover the opening with my little hands in an effort to keep the wasps inside. My grandmother rescued me, but on that day, I developed a full-blown, over-the-top bee/wasp phobia that I've carried with me my whole life.

Over the years, my overwhelming bee panic caused me to get hurt. In an effort to get away from a bumble bee, I fell backwards down a flight of stairs. Once, a bee flew into the car as we drove down a country road. Fortunately, my screaming caused my father to slow down significantly, so when I jumped out of the still moving car, I was only a little scratched.

When I was a teenager, I was outside with my dad when a bee started buzzing around me. I started to panic, but my dad ordered me to be still. Something in his voice made me do it. The bee landed on me. It took every ounce of self control I had, but I sat there with my eyes closed, tears streaming down my face while the bee walked up and down my arm. My dad talked to me calmly the whole time and eventually the bee flew off.

Did this moment change me and make me unafraid of bees. No. I am still afraid of bees. However, this moment did help me realize that I could, with a great deal of resolve, control my reaction to them. Over the years, I have had plenty of opportunities to practice my skills in controlling my bee panic. Even today, when bees are near me, I get uncomfortable. I watch them warily, but I don't slip into hysterical fear.

If you, or someone you love, has a phobia, here are some resources that can help you:

Being brave isn't about NOT being afraid. It's about dealing with your fear and living your life in spite of it. I invite you to share your stories of conquering fear.

| View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: fear   ginger   phobia  

Comments (6):

blue comment bubble Posted by Yun-Mei Lin on September 18, 2009 at 05:43 PM EDT

Wow, Ginger, thank you for bringing up such a good point about fear and phobias: that it is ok to have the fear, but to learn to deal with it and control one's reactions to it.

I think this will help a lot of people who have been discouraged or worse who have been trying to "get rid of" their fears, to no avail. Most people have deep-seated fears for any number of good reasons. I used to love to play with caterpillars, until my mother told me they had a million little teeth and would bite me with them. Though I laughed her off, the next time I picked up a caterpillar and let it run around in my palm, what used to be a titillating experience for me instantly became horrifying. Though this is not trauma, nor was I injured, the fear came from somewhere, and no amount of work will get rid of it. However, learning to deal with it, is much more productive.

Thanks for all your great articles!

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blue comment bubble Posted by Karen W. on September 21, 2009 at 03:42 AM EDT

I went to fill a prescription for my depression today. They were out of the pills! How many people need to be on anti-depressants? Does that tell you something? Each day I listen to the news and feel more and more depressed. Our elected officials are bickerings like little children and don't even care about the people they represent! Our nation is now becoming a joke!
We have politicians who commit crimes and think it is their right. Why would any of us want to even wake up in the morning? Why would our government even care that a huge protion of the population can't afford to put food on the table much less pay for health care? Why is it so difficult to help those who need help and leave the others alone? If a family member has a job, they lose medicaid. If they stay home and let the government take care of them they get medicaid and no self-respect. Where does it all end? When will our elected officials decide they are Americans and not a political party? Why destroy our country from within? Do we not have enough enemies as from outside our borders?

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blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on September 21, 2009 at 07:18 AM EDT

Karen W., your comment doesn't appear to be related to my topic on fears and facing them, but you certainly have the right to express yourself. If you are interested, there is a better place to express you comments on this subject. The White House has set up a blog where citizens can share their comments and thoughts on all kinds of subjects. You might want to share your thoughts there.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on September 21, 2009 at 07:32 AM EDT

Yun-Mei Lin, thanks for sharing. I enjoy your comments. It is too bad that something you used to enjoy, now scares you. Children are very impressionable and I think fears can be imprinted on a person. The good news is that we always have a choice. When we are adults, we can determine for ourselves what is a healthy fear that will keep us out of danger and what is really a baseless fear. From there it is up to each of us to decide what to do about it.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Unknown on September 23, 2009 at 11:48 PM EDT

Very thoughtfull post on overcoming fear .It should be very much helpfull.

Thanks,
Karim - <A href="http://www.creatingpower.com">Creating Power</A>

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blue comment bubble Posted by Steve Murphy on October 25, 2009 at 10:36 AM EDT

Stress and anxiety can be found in just about any person. Although there is some people that will have stress and anxiety so much that they are not able to do anything at all. There are some symptoms for daily panic attack such as trembling, dizziness, breathing problems, and stomach pain. There are lots of people that go to the emergency room because they think that they are having a heart attack. Indeed these are very scary symptoms but they however are not life threatening at all.

To aid in gaining control of your panic attacks you should try to recognise what the triggers of your panic attacks. If you are able to do this it will give you some time to be able to deal with it coming on.

Relaxation methods can help you stay focused and can calm you too. Yoga, meditation, and some breathing techniques can help. When a panic attack starts you can react out of proportion and also out of reality. If breathing methods are practised you could remain calm and in focus, helping you stop a panic attack before it starts.

All intake of caffeine needs to be avoided this includes soda, tea, coffee, and diet pills. Panic attacks are triggered from the central nervous system and caffeine stimulates it.

Exercise needs to be a ritual. Exercise will release endorphins into your blood stream. These are hormones that help you reach an euphoric feeling, at also can be called a "runners high." Regular exercise can help you remain focused and relaxed.

Hopefully with using these methods of ways to control your panic attacks you will be able to gain some sort of control over them.

Eventually you should be able to <a href="http://61e30q4bwatgxlpoogw1hgkudz.hop.clickbank.net/?
tid=NUKE5.com">eliminate your panic attacks</a>


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