+30
Save

What personal fears have you conquered?

8 years ago by 90boss with 40 comments

Join the Discussion

  • Auto Tier
  • All
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
Post Comment
  • Nospine
    +9

    Driving!

    Two years ago I took some driving classes, but they didn't turn out very well because of various things (two them being that they simply didn't give me good enough lessons and the instructors didn't take it kindly when you made mistakes ).

    I ended up fearing cars and the road for a long time until I decided that enough is enough and took classes, though, at a different place this time. The instructors were really nice every lesson (they didn't shout at me for making mistakes or anything like that). Last week I took the driving exam and passed!

    Now I have my official driver's license and couldn't be happier that I defeated my fear of driving! Yay!

    • RedditExodus (edited 8 years ago)
      +2

      I started to fear people driving towards me at intersections after I almost got T-boned. Weirdly enough after I was rear ended I didn't really get anything from that (maybe because I and my two passengers came so close to death/paralysis that first time).

      Edit:

      "Green doesn't mean go, it means you can go" from the advanced drivers course I took as a kid. It means make sure you check to make sure everyone else is stopping and not going to mutilate you when they run the red light.

  • Zeus
    +6

    Moving my foot after it falls asleep. Seriously! I used to wuss out and not move it until the paralysis had passed. Ohh, it feels weird, waah. But then I saw Kill Bill. Oh yeah, you know what I'm getting at. Now when my foot falls asleep, I look down and say: "Wiggle your toes," and fight my way through it.

    • RedditExodus (edited 8 years ago)
      +2

      Woah, woah, calm down there, Zeus. It's wiggle your big toe, don't go crazy on us and try to do more than one at a time.

      • Zeus
        +1

        Back off, man! I can do it...

        • RedditExodus
          +1

          Oh, god! Someone call 911, he's gonna do it!

  • NerfYoda
    +6

    I used to be absolutely terrified to be in the same room as a gun, even if it was sitting unloaded on a table with nobody around it. I've since learned how they work and how to shoot them. They're not so bad now. Gun people on the other hand are still a pretty scary bunch.

  • Smiley (edited 8 years ago)
    +4

    The fear of talking to people! :D

    I've always been the awkward shy type at school and would always be afraid of what other people thought about me. I stayed quiet for quite some time until I realized that I care way too much about how others see me! From then on I slowly stopped being afraid and worked my way into the friendly social butterfly that I am today! :D

    My tip for anyone suffering from being too self-conscious is just to smile and laugh at how ridiculous you are for being afraid of such a small thing. It might not be a solution but it sure helped me a lot! :)

    • RedditExodus
      +2

      I was like this with asking people out.

      OK, so I'm still like this but I only learn by trile and error.

      The error part really sucks.

  • Nerdbiscuit
    +4

    Roller coasters. I can't get enough now.

    • RedditExodus
      +2

      Don't ever ride a wooden one.

      I felt like I was being shaken to death.

      If I did it again I would probably get adult onset shaken baby syndrome.

      • racerxonclar
        +2

        Dude... the wooden ones are the best :D

      • drunkenninja
        +2

        When I was younger I was terrified of the upside down ride (especially rollercoasters), as I got older I really started enjoying all the rides... except for the wooden rollercoasters, for some reason I just feel very uneasy when I'm on one, and the shaking and creaking makes it even worse.

        • RedditExodus
          +1

          I did it once and I will never do it again.

          If someone holds my family ransom and all I have to do is ride the wooden rollercoaster I would have a hard time. 50/50 on that choice.

          40/60.

      • Nerdbiscuit
        +1

        I even like those. :P

  • Fuyu
    +4

    I think I've recently gotten over my fear of vomiting. A few months ago I got severe food poisoning, and I've always got really anxious about throwing up before, and would always cry and be "done for the day" of anything afterwards, but this time I threw up and was fine, albeit a bit shaky. And then I continued to throw up until the next day when I was immediately sent to the hospital by the campus clinic. At that point I was more annoyed and irritable from lack of sleep (and my homework I couldn't get done!) than anything. I've always thought I was a person who kept his cool in stressful situations, and I'm glad to know that the one situation that could have kept me down is now a nonissue.

    Still deathly afraid of other people vomiting, though. I've actually recently been having nightmares about it for the past few days.

  • TheEnglishMajor
    +3

    I recently conquered a lifelong phobia of lizards -- the severely-crippled-me and impacted-my-daily-life kind of phobia.

    After a single session of cognitive behavioral therapy, I was able to hold a lizard in my hands and let it crawl all the way up my shoulder! (For context, I used to be nearly incapable of saying the WORD "lizard" or looking at photographs/cartoons of lizards, much less getting within a voluntary yard of one.)

    I'm still fighting some residual discomfort, largely because I'm now scared of potentially relapsing should I have a negative encounter with a lizard (rather than fearing the encounter itself), but this is the first time in my life I've been able to interact with nature or The Outside! And that's pretty damned cool.

    • RedditExodus
      +2

      Yay! Congratulations!

      your story is my favorite!

  • spaceghoti
    +3

    Well, there are spiders...no, still afraid of those.

    There's always heights...no, still afraid of those.

    How about dogs? Yeah, that one works.

    I used to be terribly afraid of big dogs. It started when I was very young and a ten-month old dog that weighed more than I did got far too excited to meet me and ended up clawing my back. I didn't get over the fear until I was older and big enough to sit on them if they misbehaved.

    • RedditExodus
      +2

      If it makes you feel any better about them, spiders are an excellent pest control.

      • spaceghoti
        +2

        It should, but it doesn't.

        • RedditExodus
          +2

          Yeah, I always try and convince myself that way but I hate creepy crawly things so it only makes it slightly better that they kill other creepy crawlies.

  • thraenthraen
    +3

    Crickets. I used to be terrified of them, had nightmares of them eating me alive, and would have panic attacks if I saw one. Then I was left to care for someone else's lizard, and I decided the lizard's need for food outweighed my personal fear/revulsion, and I fed it live crickets. It was awful, but it helped me grow past the fear. I'm fine around them now and even find them quite interesting.

    • RedditExodus
      +1

      They are pretty creepy and I hate when one sneaks in. I can never find those little hopping bas... Can we swear on here? I feel like I'm not supposed to but I to lazy to check ATM.

  • RedLantern
    +2

    As long as I can remember I've been afraid of heights and flying yet I fly at least four times a year

    • RedditExodus
      +2

      I take it you're one of those people who choose the aisle seat.

  • BucksinSixxx
    +1

    Heights. Took until a 5th grade field trip to a ski hill and I had to take the lift. Now I love them. Still terrified of ladders though.

    • RedditExodus
      +1

      How about open sided stairs like this?, because I know they sure do freak my sister out (sorry for the poor quality, I'm using my phone).

  • RedditExodus
    +1

    Needles.

    I used to have such a big fear of this but I guess the reason why I say I've "concurred" it is that I give blood regularly now (the biggest needle I've seen).

    I don't think I will ever get over the evil version of this fear though.

    Hooks. There were so many hooks holding them up...

  • PeopleShelf
    +1

    Roller coasters. During an 8th grade field trip I ended up riding the batman ride 5 times until the fear escaped me. I soon realized that I was more afraid of standing in line waiting for the ride, rather than the ride itself. I actually don't get a rush from riding them at all.

  • GeniusIComeAnon
    +1

    This was a long time ago, but dogs. When I was three I had a small dog jump up and latch onto my eyebrow. It held on for about 30 seconds. I was terrified of dogs for some time, but one day I just stopped being afraid. Certain breeds still make me a little nervous though.

  • Zephyrium
    +1

    My biggest fear was always more of a social one. Getting rejected it took me many years to get up the courage to ask someone out on a date. Once I finally did though it wasn't nearly as bad as i thought it would be and after i did the first time rejection became a non-issue, not because I wasn't rejected but because i wasn't scared anymore.

  • trotineta23
    +1

    Standing "face to face with a bear". I am still afraid of bears, but I managed to stand like less than a meter away from a cool brown bear.