How do you handle true fear?

1. 59

   brewskitimeguyposted 12 years ago

   How do you handle true fear?
   
   I am not talking about a fear of bugs or snakes, but that fear of something that when you lay down at night stillis foremost on your mind.

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2. 0

   msorenssonposted 12 years ago

   Fear..if of death of the physical body, know that every body has to shed the body some time..
   
   if of something in the mind, then confront little by little to debunk it...
   
   if of alone ness..we are essentially all alone..
   
   if of old age, everybody ages...
   
   if of loneliness, even the rich, the powerful and the beautiful, they too get lonely, it is the First Noble Truth...the truth of suffering..
   
   In this world, as we live by contrast, to have joy, we must must also endure pains, whether we like it or not, we cannot have one without the other

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3. 62

   m0rd0rposted 12 years ago

   I know what you mean.
   
   I battled arachnophobia by exposing myself to it.
   
   I've put a big jar with a big spider and a cockroach beside my bed.
   
   I was falling asleep at evening and getting up in the morning with them greeting me.
   
   Took me 1 month to get used to feeding them without feeling shivers. (I was capturing house flies and they were sharing. Spider was sucking them and the roach finishing what's left with the empty carapace).
   
   Can't tell we grew fond of each other but I got the phobia out.
   
   Now I can hold a spider or a roach in my hand without feeling them repulsive and gasping "AAAAAH KILL IT!!! KILL IT!!!".
   
   The same is with all fears - you take them with you and get exposed to them.
   
   Soon you will find the strength to fight them or coexist with them.
   
   HTH.

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4. 62

   mintinfoposted 12 years ago

   All fears have to be confronted. That is how you become accountable and achieve peace within yourself. If the fear is of the unknown/darkness then that fear is manufactured by white noise radiation. It is Right brain over stimulation that forces ones mind to rely on information from only one or two of your senses, mainly sight and sound. Re-balance your psyche by doing some meditation or going on hikes to rediscover nature.

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5. 71

   KrisLposted 12 years ago

   I'm a a believer, so prayer helps me, but sometimes other things do to.
   
   Sending love, with or without specific prayer for a person I'm worried about, or worried I won't be able to help, can be good for me.
   
   I also turn compassionately to the part of me that is afraid, and try to comfort it.
   
   Reciting a memorized prayer or uplifting poem can quiet the mind . . . and so can thinking of something complex and nearly non-verbal, like a crochet or mechanical project.

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6. 61

   Dave Mathewsposted 12 years ago

   There is nothing in this world that I fear, nothing that frightens me.
   
   when I was about 10 years old, my dad quoted to me a famous saying from someone, I don't know who.
   
   The saying is: "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." Since hearing that, I've never feared anything, not anything of this world.
   
   As a Christian, I fear one thing, losing God's love for me.

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7. 60

   snigdhalposted 12 years ago

   A few months ago I lost a family member and since then have been battling the fear of death of my loved ones . Some days I'm ok and some days i'm a nervous wreck . My mind poses questions which people , information , faith have yet to answer satisfactorily . Maybe fear is not meant to be banished but meant to be lived with and still go on .
   
   Another technique I think that may work is to create and define an individual purpose . Don't let the your fears control you or stop you from doing what you need to . Play the what if game in your mind with your greatest fears and try to not spiral into negative emotions . Rationalize your thoughts .
   
   'Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that there is something else more important than fear ' - Ambrose Redmoon .

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8. 86

   SidKempposted 12 years ago

   This is a great question. I work with Loving Awareness and Self Inquiry, and I'll share a bit of that here. Technically, what you are talking about is not fear, but anxiety. Fear is the same feeling, but arises when there is a real and obvious cause for the fear. Facing a tiger or a rattlesnake, we want to run. That's fear. But if there is no clear and present danger, then we face anxiety, or stress.
   
   I think anxiety and stress are the deepest problems of Americans today.
   
   Since you mentioned feeling this at bed time, I'll give tips for dealing with anxiety at bedtime and insomnia:
   1. Starting about 2 hours before you go to bed, take in no new news. And do not face anything anxious. Rest, relaxation, and gentle exercise and breathing are best. If time doesn't allow that, then work on familiar work. If you are seeking entertainment, choose something nourishing, not thrillers or horror.
   2. Stretch well before you go to bed. Even if the fear is emotional, physical relaxation gets it out of the body so you can sleep. Breathe in, and tense an arm or leg, then breathe out, and release the tension.
   3. After all is done, and you are ready to sleep, lie in a comfortable position. On your back is best, side is second best. Breathe deeply. Silently, with the breath, say "gentle rest through the night." Breathe and hold this thought (or another nourishing, gentle, peaceful thought) with the breath until you drift off. If you slip up and start feeling anxious, no worries. Just come back to the breath and the gentle words.
   
   We all pick up so much stress during the day. Let's be sure to release it before bed!

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9. 60

   VisionInfinityposted 12 years ago

   A way would be to realize that you create the fear, and then no longer create it.

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10. 60

    Lisas-thoughts101posted 12 years ago

    I am not perfect at not being afraid. I get afraid but I pray. I ask got to take whatever issue it is and that his will be done. I try to remind myself that God loves me and only wants my good. That helps alot.

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11. 60

    KeithJKposted 12 years ago

    Fear multiplies over time, so fight it as soon as possible by mentally envisioning yourself overcoming it and then taking it on step by step.

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12. 37

    edhanposted 12 years ago

    My true fear is facing the unknown.
    
    It scares me when I think of it ... Our mind can create the most fearful thoughts and just thinking of it can be too frightening.

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