Unreasonable Fear
By terilee79720
@terilee79720 (3621)
United States
July 22, 2008 9:49am CST
Do you have a personal, unreasonable fear of something? Can you explain why you have such a fear? Can you tell us what that fear is? What do you intend to do about it? Do you have a remedy for your fear?
I'll give you an example and explain a personal, unreasonable fear of mine and how I dealt with it.
My husband said he enjoyed fishing. His idea of fishing was in a boat away from shore, so naturally, we bought a boat. At first, I was thrilled at the idea of having a boat. We could get out on the water and enjoy the lakes, having a real destination to go to on vacations.
Well, the first time we took the boat out, I realized how fearful I was that something could happen. My mind was filled with 'what ifs'. What if the boat sank, what if he fell overboard and I couldn't help him, what if our dog fell overboard and drown, what if the truck brake didn't hold and slipped into the water and sunk, what if we got stuck out on the lake somewhere and couldn't get back to shore. There were so many what ifs that each time we took the boat out, I was completely miserable and couldn't enjoy the trip.
I discussed this unreasonable fear in many ways and finally realized, as long as I did everything I knew how to do to insure our safety, I would most likely be okay. But, the fear never left me. I could never truly enjoy the boat or the water because of this personal, unreasonable fear I had. I had to learn to enjoy our boating trips as best I could.
So, do you have an unreasonable fear? How do you deal with it?
3 people like this
14 responses
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
22 Jul 08
i love to fish but am afraid of the water to. i can't swim. i do not go out in a boat unless it's someone i really trust not to act a fool on the water. i use to go w/my dad & felt safe. haven't been in a boat in years & probably never will again. i also don't like heights so i just stay away from them. i'm pretty much in the house most of the time so don't have to worry about things i'm afraid of.
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I wasn't so much afraid of the water. I was afraid of not being able to save my husband if HE fell in. And I was afraid of things that most likely wouldn't happen. Hence - unreasonable.......but I'm glad to say, we ended up selling the boat. lol
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
22 Jul 08
i'm sure that was a relief to you. if you are like me now you'll find something else to worry about. lol
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
22 Jul 08
Yes, I have a fear of the dentist. I can't stand the smells, the sounds, everything about it. I have been neglecting a problem with a tooth because I'm too scared to go. I have to though, or, I'm going to end up with with really big problems.
I'm also not too keen on being in crowds, so, I try to go to fairs and stuff at a time when I think it will be less busy. I don't let these things stop me from living my life, you just have to deal with them, it sounds like you're doing the same. Good for you. I think it becomes a real problem when we're so afraid of something, we start to avoid day to day things.
1 person likes this
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
24 Jul 08
You'll be happy to know that I made an appointment for August 5th. I'm shaking in my sneakers already.
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I used to be afraid of crowds too bonbon. It took a while, but I finally got over that. Now, go to the dentist.........lol
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
23 Jul 08
i have an awful fear of hurricanes. i cant swim and am disabled with my breathing at that. another reason i really should not have bought a house in florida! not much i can do about it. cant get away. no place else to go.
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I don't blame you bunny. I would be concerned about them too. Fortunately, we don't have that threat where I live. Just tornadoes. lol
One of these days, I would like to see Florida.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
22 Jul 08
Wow terilee, another thought provoking discussion. Actually I
do have an unreasonable fear. It has gotten a little better,
but it is still there. I used to barely be able to leave my
apartment without checking a million things a million times
to make sure nothing would catch on fire. I have a deadly
fear that my apartment will catch on fire with my cats in it
while I'm gone. It used to be so bad that I could just about
not get out in time to get the bus to go to work. There were
times that I actually got to work and returned home to make
sure I didn't leave the iron on which I didn't! That is also
and ocd (obsessive compulsive disorder). I no longer do that.
I still have that horrible fear. I have learned to stop the
obsessive checking though. So I know exactly how you feel.
1 person likes this
@LouiseKnittel (4764)
• United States
22 Jul 08
All those What If's, made me wonder if you and I are related! LOL I do this a lot too. I am always thinking of ways that things can go wrong!
I have a fear of Passengering in a car. I always Feel that the worst Can or will happen with Every car I see. I am always telling whoever is driving how to drive and what to do.. * I am sure that they All LOVE this very much!* LOL
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
23 Jul 08
Normally, louise, I'm not that way. That's why I called this particular problem unreasonable. I always try to look for the positive things but when it came to that boat business - I would just go nuttier than a fruitcake.........
I couldn't stop the what ifs.......
Thankfully - we ended up selling the boat, so I don't have to worry about it anymore. LOL
@shaktiestate (42)
• India
22 Jul 08
Initially,Unreasonable fear surfaces anytime anywhere.If it happens more frequently than the mind will "localise" it to specific locations and "restrict" the timmings when it will occur. I have such a unreasonable fear. Never mind what it is. It occurs mostly in the mornings while having a bath and between 7 am till 9 am. I do my best in diverting my mind to other silly or different things. Still I do not know if later in my life I could get overpowered by it and succumb to "panic attacks". My family doctor prescribes small dosage of "sleeping pill" but I cant take it during my work hours.
1 person likes this
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I understand a portion of fear like you describe. I have to make sure all the doors are locked properly and that I have the telephone right outside the shower - just in case. Strange isn't it?
@shaktiestate (42)
• India
23 Jul 08
Maybe it has something to do with water.Maybe during lifetime you were afraid of drowning or fear of water drowning you.. maybe..
@Wyldrose (1216)
• United States
23 Jul 08
I have a huge fear of water. I can't swim and if I get any water over my head, I panic. I don't even let the water in the shower spray over my head. Wierd, huh? Makes me wonder if I lived in some past life and was drowned or something. hmmm.. I have a few other fears, too. Some are just so ridiculous. Like bugs, for instance.. Mainly grasshoppers and crickets..ugh...I can't stand for one of them to touch me. If they do, I freak out. And slimy creatures like frogs and fish...I can NOT touch them...they give me the creeps. I love to go fishing but won't go out on a boat and I am just now getting used to touching a worm and putting it on my hook, but I will NOT touch the fish. I will walk the darn thing all the way down to the other side if I have to so my husband can take it off. I guess I don't deal with mine too well cause if one of those things touch me..I'm done..ughhhh
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
23 Jul 08
Unreasonable fears have a name, phobias and it is something which can never be explained fully simply because the reason for the fear is buried deep inside your psyche. If you believe in rebirth, often called reincarnation then it is a little easier to explain unreasonable fears or phobias. It might then be explained as something that happened to you in some past life which is imprinted in your mind. Cheers!!
@startstop123 (435)
• India
23 Jul 08
I too have a unreasonable fear in me which i think many times for the reason. 
I get feared of somethings which appear very silly to get feared of. These things i feared of are sometimes won't make me feared of. I think its very clear what I'm saying
. This is one of the important thing one has to discover in his life and personality.
@snowbitz (487)
• Philippines
23 Jul 08
I am very afraid of cockroaches i don't know why but every time i see one i just run away from it.And if accidentally it enters our house I can't seem to come near it and kill it.There was one time when it enters our house i get my slipper and try to kill it my mother was laughing because i could not bring myself to hit it.And there was this time also that i spray some insecticide to it and i did not stop until i killed it and guess what i wasted the whole can of that spray.
1 person likes this
To overcome your fear you must face it and fight it.
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@churchill1980 (764)
• Philippines
22 Jul 08
i have a fear with heights. but i tried to overcome it when i was in college. me and my friends used to go into high places and prefer to stay at the rooftop o the hotels when we have time to do it. at first i was really hesitant to do it, but when i experience the thrill it gives, i just love to do it on my spare time. thanks to my close friend and classmate who happens to work at the highest hotel we have in the city.
1 person likes this
@terilee79720 (3621)
• United States
22 Jul 08
I never had a problem getting up there. The problem is coming down! lol
@AdalieM (1134)
• United States
10 May 11
I am afraid of cockroaches.
I cannot stand them, just seeing one makes my skin crawl and I just want to run away like a scared rabbit.
I am not so sure why I am so afraid of cockroaches, I think it has to do with the fact that when we were poor, we lived in a house infested with cockroaches and they were big--three inches long 
I don't know how to deal with it, I just run instead of conquering my fear.
I don't know how to deal with it, I just run instead of conquering my fear.