Reply #3: I had this happen to me. I had a terrible fear of spiders. One day while driving...

[FedUpWithIt All]

i realized a spider was crawling down a web an inch from my face. My gut wanted to panic but my mind calmly went through all the reasons i could not, driving with kids in the car. I asked myself,"what is really the worst that can happen if this spider gets on me?". I realized that the spider crawling on me was not the worst possible scenario. It was crazy, like something snapped and i turned my attention fully back to driving and ignored the spider. I never saw it again and was none the worse for wear.

Since, i am able to hold (most) spiders. I can pick the non furry ones up and carry them outside. I can calmly deal with the big and ugly ones instead of jumping and screaming and running out of the room. I have tried to use this same type of thinking with other worries, fears and concerns. The thoughts are sometimes out of proportion to the reality and trying to keep things in the correct context can be very healing.

I also think that the process of actually overcoming a fear is more important than being free of the fear. Knowing and believing it CAN be done is valuable.