When a person lives with chronic fear it can be both physically and emotionally debilitating which is not conducive to a very fulfilling life. Often times fear can prevent a person from really becoming all they can be. Here is the killer for some. Sometimes the irrational fear becomes so intense that even overcoming the fear is fearful. When fear gets this intense, medical intervention may be the only thing that can help. However, basic fears such as speaking in public, fear of heights, and even fear of success can be overcame. ((Yes, there is such a thing as fear of success – when one fears to try something new, out of their comfort zone that would make a change in their life for the better has a fear of success).
Remember the bay and that mean old John Watson in fear conditioning? Well later in 1920, just as the baby was conditioned to fear mice, a scientist Mark Barad of UCLA did his own little experiment but without the baby. He first conditioned mice to fear a particular sound. He did this by playing a certain sound and then followed the sound with an electrical shock to the bottom of the mice’s cage. The mice quickly learned to fear that sound knowing that coming short after it they were going to get a shock of their life, literally. Well, after making sure the mice were successfully scared to death of the sound, Mr. Barad went on to do a little fear extinction. After a period of time of Barad playing that particular sound and not following up behind it with an electrical shock, the mice began to no longer fear the sound. Repeated exposure to what one fears will help one overcome particular fears as well as self-talk.
Over the weekend I hope if you are fearing something that is holding you back from accomplishing everything you would like to be that you take the time to look at the benefits of attending the Turning Point Seminar at http://www.theturningpointtickets.com/ on the 14th and 15th of November in Las Vegas. Sometimes are biggest obstacles in life are ourselves.
Have a great weekend!
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I took a speech class in college because I don't like to talk in front of crowds. It was agonizing to half to get up there every time. I thought it would get easier, but it didn't. I'm tempted to take another class like that to see if I have improved with age.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to this. Sometimes things scare me so bad I can hardly breathe. When it's all over I can look back at it and wonder why, but it doesn't change the initial fear. I really wish I could get over it.
ReplyDeleteFear of success is not so hard to understand. The more you do, the more they expect, the more pressure to perform. It can be a vicious cycle.
ReplyDeleteThere are several things I fear and I would like some help overcoming them. I doubt if I could make Las Vegas though. I'll have to see.
ReplyDeleteFear is one of the strongest emotions there is. It's also one of the hardest to overcome because fear is not rational. You can't explain it away.
ReplyDeleteThey may have got the mice over it, but then they are not rational beings. I don't know that it works that way with humans. There are some things I fear and repeating them over the last 30 years has not made them any better.
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