How to Overcome Fear of Threats

It can be difficult not to think about all of the threats that people face. Stories of plane crashes, carjackings and murders are on the front pages of newspapers, and we continue to hear about these threats when we watch television or listen to the radio. If you are afraid of a specific threat, overcoming it can be challenging; but it can be done if you take specific steps to combat it.

Instructions

• 1

  Put yourself on a news diet. The news is geared towards garnering viewers, and networks tend to focus on threats because they know people tune in when they are afraid of an event such as bad weather, widespread flu or a rising murder rate. The news offers a distorted view of events. Plane crashes are always covered even though more people die in car crashes on a yearly basis. According to the Joseph T. Nall report, fatalities from plane crashes have actually decreased, but you would never know this from watching the news. If you are trying to overcome a fear of a threat, watching the news can be counterproductive, as it can reinforce your fears.

• 2

  Evaluate the threat in a logical way. If you view flying as a threat because you are afraid the plane will crash, gather statistics about plane crashes. With most threatening things, whether it is lightning, a poisonous snake or being the victim of a carjacking, statistically you'll find that it is not likely to happen to you.

• 3

  Confront the threat directly if possible. If you are afraid of people laughing at you as you give a presentation, the best thing to do in order to get over your fear is to give presentations presently. Avoiding the threat can make it grow larger in your mind, which creates more fear and avoidance.

• 4

  Desensitize yourself to the threat. With systematic desensitization, a technique invented by behavioral scientist Joseph Wolpe, you begin by exposing yourself very gradually to the threat you fear while simultaneously practicing relaxation. A first step might be viewing a picture of a snake very briefly with a trusted friend who understands your fear. Then you might look the picture on your own. Next you and your friend might visit a zoo and pay a visit to the reptile house. Each step takes you one step closer to confronting your fear. This method does not help with the fear of some threats, such as the fear of carjacking, as systematic desensitization is fortunately not possible in such an event.

• 5

  Do not focus on the threat. Sometimes when people are afraid of a threat, they spend a lot of time reading about the threat and researching it. Other than discovering that the threat is not likely to occur in your life, this habit is counterproductive, as it further focuses your mind on the threat, which makes it loom larger in your daily life.