How to Fight Fears

What are you afraid of? Elevators? Dogs? Snakes? Cars? Airplanes?

If you have fears, you are not alone. Most of us are afraid of something—at least once in our lives. And not all fears are bad.

Some fears protect us. For example, you might run indoors or climb a tree if a dog were chasing you. Fear of drowning will keep a swimmer from swimming in the ocean if there is no lifeguard around. Or you might be afraid to walk in dark streets at night. Such fears can be life-savers.

However, there are certain other fears that may not protect you but may, instead, very much limit your lifestyle. If this is happening to you, you may have what is called a phobia—an overwhelming fear of something or situation. Such fear is often so all-consuming that you spend a great deal of your time and energy avoiding the thing that frightens you.

For instance, are you so afraid of dogs or cats that you shake at the sight of one? Does the thought of going somewhere on an airplane make you feel ill? Are you unable to visit a friend who lives on a high floor of an apartment house because you would have to take the elevator?

People who have phobias are usually so frightened of the feared object or situation that they try to completely avoid whatever it is that frightens them. And neither friends nor family can convince phobic people that most animals are harmless, that thousands of travelers fly safely every day, and millions of people ride safely in elevators several times each day.

So, what can you do to try to get rid of phobias? There are specialists who have been trained to deal with phobic patients. Such specialists know how to help phobic people become less afraid. They teach phobic people how to deal with their fears and, eventually, overcome them.

For instance, suppose you're afraid of flying. Find out if a nearby airport has special seminars for people who are afraid to fly. Many airports do. How would such a program work?

First, a specialist will take your group to the airport to watch the planes take off and land. A representative from one of the airlines will explain how an airplane flies. Then your group will sit in an airplane that stays on the ground.

At a later time, you will go up in a plane for a very short flight (to nowhere), and then land. Over a number of sessions the time you spend in the air will gradually increase. And, eventually, when you're all prepared for it, the group will take a trip to another city. Or suppose you are afraid of elevators, and you want help. A specialist will take a group of you to a high-rise office building. There, a technician will explain how an elevator works and will explain the many safety features elevators have. After first standing in an elevator on the ground floor, you will go up and down just one floor. Gradually, your elevator trips will be longer, until you can go all the way to the top and back without fear.

Such sessions teach the phobic person slowly that he or she can learn to control his or her fears, and even overcome them.

If you have phobias and want help, or know a phobic person who wants help, ask your doctor for help in finding a specialist.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the passage mainly about?
2. What do people who have phobias usually avoid doing?
3. What does the sentence "There are certain fears that may very much limit your life style" mean?
4. What does overcoming phobias require?
5. Why is it good to be afraid sometimes?

(Keys.)