Fear is a basic emotion. It is also necessary for our survival. In our modern world, survival is different than what it was for early man, many eons ago. Modern man is relatively sophisticated. But fear is still necessary. Fear drives us and motivates us. So fear can be a good thing. Fear can also be a bad thing. As a bad thing, fear can and does paralyze us, so that we can not do anything. Such as, being frozen with fear. This is generally not a good thing.
We all have fears. They are called phobias. Fear is part of being human. The thing is, how do we deal with fears. Or, can we deal with fears? There are many. Some are rational, some are irrational. Some people are better at this than others. It depends on many things. Personality. Emotional support. Family and friends. Confidence. Fear is a difficult thing to face, on your own. It is much easier, and better, if faced with another person, be it a friend or family member. This provides much needed moral support and enables you to better face the fear.
There have been many books written about fear. One in particular, "Feel the Fear and do it anyway", by Susan Jeffers, provides a step-by-step methodology for addressing and overcoming fears. It is very worthwhile and I highly recommend it.
Fears can be overcome, but only if the person with the fear is ready to do this, ready to take this step. There has to be a desire on the part of the person dealing with fear, to want to overcome a fear, in order to proceed with this. This provides the initiative, the necessary motivation that is required to overcome the fear. If it does not come from within, it will be much harder to overcome.
One of the best ways to overcome many fears is with the support, or encouragement of friends and family. Support groups also provide this. There is a support group for many, if not most fears, or simply for dealing with "fear" itself. And you can check anonymously, without asking anyone, by simply doing a search online. Check Google or yahoo for whatever you might fear, and see what you find. The results might surprise you!
A very basic thing in dealing with any kind of fear is also in the knowing that you are not alone in dealing with this. There will be others, many others, dealing with this. Of the six trillion people living on planet earth, you can be reasonably sure that there are others who share your particular fear! The key is in getting in touch with others who are similarly afflicted with the same fear. Now, knowing this, you are no longer alone. That is a big change in dealing with this. This should give you confidence. You now have someone, or some others, whom you can talk with about this. Share your fears and concerns. This in itself is progress! Support groups are instrumental in learning how to deal with fear, and in learning how to overcome fears.
