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Can fear be cured?


Still Waters

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From theme park rides to horror films, science has long known how to toy with our most primal instinct. But can fear be 'cured', too? And to what end?

http://www.telegraph...r-be-cured.html

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God, I hope so!! I have a terrible phobia of needles and that fear is negatively affecting my health. To be able to conquer that phobia would potentially be a lifesaver!

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Fear is the strongest human emotion in my opinion, why would anyone want to cure it lol

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If it were possible to 'cure' some aspects of fear, like phobias for example that would be good. Otherwise to 'cure' fear could be dangerous in certain circumstances as it would block out our natural instincts that alert us to danger.

"There is nothing to fear but fear itself " - Franklin Roosevelt

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I cured my phobia when I was about 16. If your scared of spiders get a book with pictures of spiders and look at it every day. When you are used to that then start watching live ones. After a while you get used to them and they don't scare you. You have to have courage though, it isn't easy.

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Meditation is a good tool to combat fear I have found it very useful in my life. There are many types, pick one that suits you, although breathing techniques are best and a teacher is a good idea as with all learnt activities, but don’t let that stop you. The problem is; are you prepared to spare the time. You have to practice everyday, to be able to do it properly, its empirical. Here’s 2 vids about it some may find helpful and informing.

Vanessa Kettering P.H.D Meditation as a medicine

Transform your mind – Sharon Salzberg

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From my albeit limited experience, exposure generally gets you over a fear.

When what you're afraid of is so regularly there it becomes mundane then it's not something to be afraid of anymore.

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Dispite it being the worse movie ever - I love the quote will made

"Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real but fear is a choice.”

So true :)

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A life without the possibility of fear would be dangerous for everyone. As an example look up kids who do not feel pain. Sounds great right? Notice I said kids that's a big hint on how terrible it can be. Iirc most don't live past childhood.

Plus a world without fear would ruin a huge part of my enjoyment. I enjoy being afraid most times. Its entertaining. Thrillers would cease to exist and only gore would rule that genre. I'm sorry but I'd rather experience fear than nausea any day.

Well that's my pesos worth.

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I think they mean more like irrational fears than fear of....like pain, wild dogs, or Dane Cook

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Fear is the strongest human emotion in my opinion, why would anyone want to cure it lol

It limits what we are capable of in countless ways every day.

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I beat a fear of heights by challenging it. I heard about a dangerous hike up a popular tourist spot in Zion Canyon, knowing my intense fear of heights. I planned this trip for months, and got increasingly scared the more I studied and prepared for the event. I was really wondering if I could actually even do what I intended to. But when the day finally came, I had been having such strong intent to try my hardest no matter what the outcome (willing to turn back if I ended up in too severe of mental/physical danger), that nothing was to stop me from pushing forward with all the effort I had. It wasn't as bad as I though it would be actually arriving, but it was bad at spots. I got scared, off balance, and dizzy having to crouch in spots right next to a 1,000 foot drop. I was incredibly anxious and worried as I made my way. This would give way to relief, then confidence, then back to fear. Over and over, this repeated, until the top.

I enjoyed my success in fighting a fear at the top, took my pictures, had my picture taken, and started to make my way down. It was on my descent that I found what should have been the more scary part of the 2 way trip, every bit of fear had completely vanished from me. I was hopping from spot to spot with comfort and ease, amazed that this was me. People behind me commenting "he makes it look so easy" as they went slowly and nervously. I helped others to feel calm and comfortable as I passed them down as they went up.

I don't know exactly how I suddenly dissipated my strong fear of heights in an area of extreme height and dangerous footing, but all I know is that I had extremely strong honed intent to face my fear and do my best, and I did just that. And right after beating my fear, it disappeared.

Now it only disappeared for a day, mind you, as the next day I climbed a similar yet less sketchy height and was again scared, but on the way down again, I was less fearful.

So I feel from experience and an extreme display of it, that fear can be dissipated by facing it head on. But usually this is the hardest thing you will ever do. Is it ever.

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Fears cant be cured, it must be conquered...mindset, mind over matter...

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Fear could also be a motivator though, we hear stuff all the time about someone in a bad situation get an adrenaline rush and like....i dunno, lift a Mars rover off their commanding officer who they insist call them mommy.

....I just watched Rocketman this morning, go with it

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God, I hope so!! I have a terrible phobia of needles and that fear is negatively affecting my health. To be able to conquer that phobia would potentially be a lifesaver!

I used to have fear of needles I used to have to get blood drawn on a regular to check my counts, I had a disease that made this necessary. The thing is I don't really have strong veins to begin with so each time they would have to try over and over to get a vein, I remember them trying at least 8 times once. But I no longer fear them, I fear the pain and anxiety that go along with them. Because after a while I developed some pretty thick scar tissue so every time they tried to get a vein they would have to go through the scar tissue. That pain is incredible, but yeah so I don't like needles I don't fear them but I don't like them either.

It limits what we are capable of in countless ways every day.

It also limits us from making huge mistakes

I beat a fear of heights by challenging it. I heard about a dangerous hike up a popular tourist spot in Zion Canyon, knowing my intense fear of heights. I planned this trip for months, and got increasingly scared the more I studied and prepared for the event. I was really wondering if I could actually even do what I intended to. But when the day finally came, I had been having such strong intent to try my hardest no matter what the outcome (willing to turn back if I ended up in too severe of mental/physical danger), that nothing was to stop me from pushing forward with all the effort I had. It wasn't as bad as I though it would be actually arriving, but it was bad at spots. I got scared, off balance, and dizzy having to crouch in spots right next to a 1,000 foot drop. I was incredibly anxious and worried as I made my way. This would give way to relief, then confidence, then back to fear. Over and over, this repeated, until the top.

I enjoyed my success in fighting a fear at the top, took my pictures, had my picture taken, and started to make my way down. It was on my descent that I found what should have been the more scary part of the 2 way trip, every bit of fear had completely vanished from me. I was hopping from spot to spot with comfort and ease, amazed that this was me. People behind me commenting "he makes it look so easy" as they went slowly and nervously. I helped others to feel calm and comfortable as I passed them down as they went up.

I don't know exactly how I suddenly dissipated my strong fear of heights in an area of extreme height and dangerous footing, but all I know is that I had extremely strong honed intent to face my fear and do my best, and I did just that. And right after beating my fear, it disappeared.

Now it only disappeared for a day, mind you, as the next day I climbed a similar yet less sketchy height and was again scared, but on the way down again, I was less fearful.

So I feel from experience and an extreme display of it, that fear can be dissipated by facing it head on. But usually this is the hardest thing you will ever do. Is it ever.

Again your not like everyone else, I guarantee you that if I climbed a mountain I would still be afraid of heights

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but what if you lived in a high rise for months? your constant being around the heights would eventually dissapate as you just became used to it.

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It also limits us from making huge mistakes

That doesn't answer the question you asked, though. I did.

Again you're not like everyone else, I guarantee you that if I climbed a mountain I would still be afraid of heights

Um, okay!

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but what if you lived in a high rise for months? your constant being around the heights would eventually dissapate as you just became used to it.

That's all it is. I don't think there's any need to defend this idea. It happened to me in the short term for a day after being exposed to and successfully completing this

http://www.lovethesepics.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Angels-Landing-Hiker.jpg

but then the next day I was fearful again. The more times I did it, or anything similar, the longer and more powerful it would stick. That's all it is; not reallymagic, though it felt like it to me.

He just seems to have a problem with me for some reason, and wants to disagree with anything I say, however irrational it may be.

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I have to also say I think fear is a choice. Fear is something you have when you can afford it. When you can't afford it, you won't have it. Not to say you still won't be scared to death, but you will be able to do things you were afraid of doing if you absolutely have to. Plus, we all pick different things to be afraid of.

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