My daughter just had a total freak out because there was a moth in her room.A learned response from me as I have always been terrified of creepy crawlies,but that's just one in a long list of fears and phobias.

1.water.(swimming pool,ocean,lake,sea)

2.flying.

3.mice and rats.

4.cotton wool. ( the feel of it makes my skin crawl)

5.undercooked food.

6.earwigs.all insects.

The list goes on.

All these fears limit my life in some way,some come from bad experience,others are learned from my own mother.

What I'm asking is,how do other people cope with their fears and phobias?

Living with a phobia is challenging, to say the least. Here are some tips:

1-Discipline yourself to stop thinking ahead.
People with phobias tend to obsess over what could happen if they do that or this. Discipline yourself to think only about this moment.
If you think about it, we don't fear certain things because we don't obsess over what could happen doing those things. Learning yoga/ meditation techniques may help with this discipline.

2-Get to know your fear.
Approach it scientifically. Take notes in a notebook whenever you feel it surfacing. What causes it, what makes it worse or better, how long does it last... Understand your phobia as much as you can.

3-Take small steps to conquer it.
If you're afraid of elevators and won't go near them, try approaching one. Try to get closer each time. If you're afraid of social interaction, get a tutor to work on your social skills one on one. And then you can try something more adventureous when you're more comfortable.

4-Constantly take strides to work at conquering your fear. The longer it goes unattended, the more you become comfortable with 'status quo.'
Imagine your life as it could be and make it happen as best as you can. It will not be perfect (no one's life is perfect), but it will be better. And you will feel more in control.

Don't pass your fears to your children.

Sarah