Like KM, lately I noticed that quite a few of you people on Facebook are sharing fears, anxieties – Been there, done that!
You feel your mind is going, going, going… out!
More than half a century ago, in 1965 or 1966, I was a teacher in Asingan High School in Asingan, Pangasinan, my hometown. I had already finished my courses leading to a BS in Agriculture, major in Ag Education, at the University of the Philippines’ College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños.
I was happy teaching, but in fact, inside me I was ill-at-ease. I had difficulty sleeping at night. I was really troubled – every single time I saw a number, I would look at it as “13” or look for that number in any series of numbers. That was crazy! I know. It almost made me crazy.
How serious did my anxiety become? One afternoon, I was biking home with my teacher friend from the barrio next to ours, and then halfway, I felt so bad I had to stop and pleaded with him to accompany me back to the town proper of Asingan because I knew there was a doctor there who had some experience with psychiatry. Dr Vitug (I had forgotten the first name). When Dr Vitug saw me, he made me sit still and stare, just focus my eyes on one object at the top of the room. Then he asked me, “What are your thoughts right now?” And I said, “That I am dying, that I am going crazy.” He encouraged me to keep on talking, talking – which I did.
With my mind quieter, Dr Vitug gave me some tranquilizers, with the instruction to take one sleeping pill before sleeping. Guess what? I was thinking better now, so I told myself, I will postpone the taking of that pill until I can no longer stand it. And I did that every evening, postponing longer and longer my taking the pill – until I did not need any pill anymore to go to sleep.
Did you notice? In his clinic, Dr Vitug
made me confront the source of my fear!
The above image is from the article by Taboola, 11 March 2016, “5 Strategies for Confronting Fear[1],” Exploring Your Mind).
From another source, here is Robin Cartwright’s advice (23 September 2019, “5 Tips to Acknowledge, Confront, and Beat Your Fears[2],” Better Marketing):
1. Stop Dismissing It. You’re not abnormal or weak. You’re occasionally scared, that’s all.
2. Get Curious and Start Noticing It. For you it could be anything.
3. Put On Your Science Hat — Learn Why You Respond Like This.
4. Do Nothing Except Reflect, Calmly, in Those Fearful Moments.
5. Start to Confront Them.
I’m sorry I cannot explain some more. You will have to google for more information. To search, type this line (including quotes):
“confront the source of your fear”
That will give you many sources to learn from.
You owe it to yourself!@517
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