scared help: I’m not really sure how this can be helped, but I’ll ask anyway. - Help.com

I’m not really sure how this can be helped, but I’ll ask anyway.

I have a horrible phobia of birds. Small birds are okay, like the pigeons on the street, but big birds really make me scared. There is however one kind of bird that makes me so scared that I cry and shake when I see a picture of one. And please don’t laugh I’m being serious, I am deadly petrified of dodo birds. I really have no idea why and I know how stupid I’m being because they’re extinct and they can’t do me any harm but no matter how hard I try or how many times I tell myself I’m being ridiculous I still cry, even in public. They had a model in the museum and I broke down and had to leave. My parents laugh it off when I tell them, because I don’t think they realize how bad it is. It’s now come to a point when I don’t even have to see one to be absolutely terrified and I’ve started to have nightmares. I really need help, any suggestions?

This open post was written 1 year ago | V/U/S: 296, 5, 5 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post


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Anonymous #
1 year ago (8 minutes after post)

Sorry mate I think you’re trolling. Why not fear of dinosaurs as well?

BTW the Dodo was hunted for food. Must have been a real tasty bird. I reckon it tasted like duck, but I’ll never know.

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Tyffani_Raquel offline Verified User (1 year) Long Term User Shouts: 22 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year ago (11 minutes after post)

Therapy? It’s not uncommon to have irrational fears….I’m terrified of stairs…i freak when I have to go up and down them…i get really dizzy and can’t walk….my teacher is terrified of birds and clowns so don’t worry…if you really wasn’t it to stop tho…therapy might help…i hope you get well

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Blue Simian offline Verified User (2 years, 6 months) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year ago (14 minutes after post)

A phobia cannot be intellectually willed away because the underlying cause is not intellectual in nature. The cause of your phobia is something deeper in your subconscious and you need to find what that is. Find a therapist or psychologist that specializes in phobias.

Alternatively, you can try things like gradual immersion therapy, wherein you expose yourself to the phobia a little at time (maybe a picture at first) and examine your reaction. Why do I feel this way? What is it about this that is making me feel this way? Do not berate yourself or try to force yourself to feel a certain way. Simply examine, as best you can, any feelings that arise. As you become more and more accustom to looking at the picture slowly add more detail, maybe start with a simple drawing, then move to a more detailed one, then maybe go to a stature or something of that nature.

The idea is to introduce the phobia inducing item in small doses in an environment that you can control.

The power this has over you is in your mind, and you can slowly but surely regain the control your subconscious mind has acquiesced to the phobia.

Just remember, little by little and bit by bit you will regain control of this. Keep at it everyday.

Good luck to you.

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wil offline Verified User (5 years, 8 months) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Unknown Location | 1 year ago (2 hours, 8 minutes after post)

Or you can try the Flooding technique. Lock yourself in a room with models of Dodos and stay in their until your fear subsides.
Thing is, you can’t be afraid forever, your cognitive processing won’t allow it.
It’s the faster way of dealing with a phobia, but you have to be totally committed to it. If you leave the room before your fear subsides, you’ve probably made things worse.

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tarawoodside9 offline Unverified User #
An Unknown Location | 1 year ago (11 hours, 17 minutes after post)

Thank you all, except the guy who thinks I’m trolling? (I’m not sure what that is…?) I didn’t actually think I’d get a reply but hopefully these things will help. :)

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