What is fear? Fear is a sensation, just like many others we experience. Bliss, sadness, jealously, irritability etc. It's something we experience when our specific person feels threatened. This is followed shortly after by fight or flight. I believe many people who experience fear flee because we don't want to face with what terrifies us. Many of us don't have to face it; we are given the option to step away from it. This unfortunately isn't always the case. People need to understand why they're afraid (the cause) and how to overcome this particular handicap.
I've given a lot of thought into what terrifies me. I've thought about death, pain, millipedes, tapeworms, disease, expired foods, undercooked meat, losing sight, hearing, limbs. None of these really scare me more than heights. I become paralyzed with fear when it comes to thinking about being on a ledge of a tall building. I've had dreams of falling off of the second floor of my house since I was younger. I think a lot of this has to do with riding the Tower of Terror when I was younger at Disney's amusement park. I was eight years old and my sister took me on it. It absolutely horrified me, they don't strap you in as tight as other rides and it was a long continuous drop in a small enclosed space. I have never enjoyed amusement parks after that time and to this day will not go on a rollercoaster or anything that spins or drops. I pretty much just avoid all amusement parks. I think some people love the feeling of letting go and having no control, but I can not stand it. Not too long ago my boyfriend took me to the top of the parking garage near the campus center at IUPUI and wanted me to stand in the window and look down to help me overcome my fear but I wouldn't do it, I just got extremely pissed off.
From everything I've ready about fear of heights, the one thing people have said to do is get used to being up high. So I have broken down this into little steps.
Step 1- Go to the parking garage at IUPUI and stand in that window and look down. Maybe 10 minutes or more.
Step 2- Go to the Hyatt hotel downtown and ride the completely glass elevator all the way to the top floor, stay there, and look down for maybe ten minutes or more.
Step 3- Ride a hot air balloon (if available)
Step 4- Go to an amusement park and ride a roller-coaster.
I know if I associate this fear with something I love, it will make it much easier on me. I was told once to somehow bring music into my fear of heights. I'm still evaluating this.
As far as the reaction from the class, I think that most people will think my ideas are a reasonable way to face my fear. I'm sure I will be given some input about this situation that I did not consider as well as some ideas to add to the list. I may even get a whole new perspective on the situation and completely change my formula.
No comments:
Post a Comment