Tag Archives: phobias

What Are You Afraid Of?

Fears are something most of us struggle with. Some of our fears are irrational and we don’t understand where they came from or how to deal with them. It might be a fear of sudden death, heights, spiders, darkness, and mice as some people have mentioned in the forum. Others may have some root cause in childhood or past experiences e.g. a fear of water after nearly drowning. The Bible tells us ‘perfect love casts out fear,’ 1 John 4:18. If we trust in the Lord then we should be able to seek His help in dealing with those fears … Continue reading →

Are You a Food Phobic?

Phobias come in many forms and having a phobia about food is no exception. A food phobic is more than a fussy eater, although that would be the tag generally attached to such a person. Food phobia has little to do with more well-known eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. So what exactly are the characteristics of a food phobic? Marcia Pelchat, a Philadelphia-based food psychologist states that a person with a food phobia dislikes the taste of certain foods to an excessive extent and avoids them wherever possible. This also applies to the texture of certain foods. … Continue reading →

Friday the 13th

When I woke up this morning, I realized it was (gasp) Friday the 13th! Okay, I am really not that superstitious (hope my computer does not crash as I write this), but thought I would share a bit of info about Friday the 13th with you anyhow. The Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute estimates that about $800 million is lost in business every Friday the 13th because people refuse to fly and conduct business as they normally would. Some people have friggatriskaidekaphobia. That is, they fear the number 13. Have you ever been in a building like a hotel … Continue reading →

Friday the 13th – TGIFT

What’s TGIFT and why do I use it? Because on days like to day I still say TGIF or Thank God it’s Friday, but I add the Thirteenth. TGIFT pushes away the fear of Friday the 13th and I’ve enjoyed this day most of my life. Instead of the bad luck you often hear about associated with this day, I’ve had good luck. Some of my luckier Friday the 13ths included a trip to a bingo night with my grandmother where I won a $1,000 and another where I received an award. The History Behind the Fear So what does … Continue reading →

Sex and Stress

Well, we all suspected that sex can reduce stress levels but now scientists in the UK have proven that the physical act of sex can reduce stress, bodily tension, and lower blood pressure. In order to successfully prove that sex actually does diminish tension levels, researchers were required to select an activity which was known to cause stress for the majority of people and use that as a benchmark against which the effects of intercourse could be measured. Human beings have many fears: spiders, snakes, heights, commitment. But polls repeatedly demonstrate that the greatest source of fear known to man … Continue reading →

Why Are Toddlers Afraid

This may seem like a stupid question, yet it is one that may confront a parent when they are coping with something that seems perfectly normal to them – yet it terrifies their toddler. So it’s important to understand why toddlers may feel fear. Your Experience is Not Your Toddler’s What may seem silly to an adult is not in the same category with your toddler. They are afraid of the dark because they cannot comprehend that light will chase it away. They may be afraid of strangers because of the differences in their voices and their size and their … Continue reading →

Help Your Child Triumph Over Irrational Fears

Our family was visiting a botanical garden, and Kyle was very unhappy. As we walked through the trails between the trees and blossoming bushes, he covered his ears and squinted his eyes, sometimes humming to himself. “He’s afraid of bees,” his older brother informed me. I was somewhat surprised. I’d had an inkling he didn’t like bees, but now I was seeing the real depth of his fear. A couple times on our walk, for no apparent reason, Kyle would shriek and duck in horror, as if aliens were attacking. Sometimes I saw the culprit “bee” (several times it was … Continue reading →