How Can I Stop Being Afraid of Thunderstorms?

As with most fears and phobias, the key to overcoming a fear of thunderstorms, or astraphobia, is to face it head on. Instead of shying away from thunder and lightning, do as much as you can to learn about how storms work and seek to expose yourself to as many as you can at every given opportunity. It may be hard to begin with, but your fear and anxiety should diminish with time.

Instructions

• 1

  Read up on statistics and facts about thunder and lightning storms. Immerse yourself in information about how dangerous thunder storms are and what the likelihood is of you ever being harmed by one. According to the National Weather Service, around 70 deaths a year are caused by lightning strikes in the United States. The odds of you being struck by lightning in any one year are 1 in 750,000. Although you may find it distressing to read about the consequences of being hit by lightning, doing so will desensitize you to your fear.

• 2

  Assess the thought processes behind your fear. When you find yourself exposed to a storm, use what you've learned during your research. Even if you only use this knowledge to take action to lessen the chances of being struck by lightning, it should go some way to reducing the anxiety you feel when faced with thunder and lightning. Also take the time to think about the rationality of your fear. ff you're in a fully enclosed building or a metal topped vehicle, it's highly unlikely that you'll come to any harm, so analyze what worries you so much.

• 3

  Expose yourself to storms. Instead of hiding under a duvet with a pair of headphones on when you hear a storm approaching, face it. Open the curtains, turn the lights off and watch. Although this may be tough at first, the more you do so, the less anxiety and fear you'll feel the next time a storm comes along.

• 4

  Learn relaxation techniques to use when you find yourself in the middle of a storm. Practice deep breathing stress relief exercises or take up chanting, yoga or tai chi. Although these won't directly address your fear of storms, they will allow you to cope better when you're confronted by one while you're working towards addressing your phobia.