Phobias you have gotten over/overcome

[Foxy Socks 2,602]

One of my large phobias I had until just a few months ago were spiders and arachnids. I used to be so terrified of them that even the smallest ones made me run and hide in another room. Let's not even talk about the larger ones.

 

Not too long ago, I decided to learn more about them. I eventually decided to pick up some harmless arachnids that I was freaked out by, harvestmen/daddy longlegs:

 

These things scared me the most where I live, and are pretty big, but harmless. I managed to pick one up, and I learned that they weren't that scary at all; they were cute.

 

Pretty much I got over my arachnophobia, and love spiders, often looking at them or holding them. How has anyone else gotten over a phobia?

[Flutterstep 47,313]

You'll scare most people off with that photo 

For some reason as a kid I was scared of going on rollercoasters that had loops. I have no idea why because I went on wooden ones all the time. It was only when I forced myself to go on one with one loops I came to realise how...surprisingly underwhelming it was. Now I go on all sorts of crazy rides 

[Twilight Karamel 131]

I went from disliking all spiders to sorta liking the slightly bigger ones that are furry and such after meeting a person that had on named "Couch Potato" and it would just chill on her shoulder and watch tv with her and curled up in my hand and all that. They're like weird tiny puppies to me now.

[Techno Universal 2,575]

Well I apparently did have a phobia as a child of going to the cinemas but I got over it when I was a seven year old!   

[Messy Mane 9,033]

I had a phobia of spiders when I was like 6,and a year later I put my hand in a tree hole not knowing it was full of spiders.As soon as I saw them crawling all over my arm I quickly shook them off my arm,and It turned out that I didn't even get bit or anything.After that I feared spiders less and eventually I was never scared of them anymore.

[Retro*Derpy 3,201]

I used to have a phobia of thunderstorms when I was a child. Eventually came to liking them, except when I'm trying to sleep

[StormBlaze 992]

spiders. Well I still freak out if they touch me or run towards me, but i dont scare on sight anymore and i am capable of removing them from the house - had to "man up" somewhat with spiders as the husbando really has a huge phobia of them. 

Big spiders are still an issue, i have to retort to the hoover to remove them - My grandma always told me it was unlucky to kill spiders, but sometimes is just have to. Like a few weeks ago, a massive spider appeared on the stairs =/ locked Denz in the living room whilst I hoovered it up. Had to ensure Denz that it would not climb back out by vacuuming the carpet in general. Extra precautions. 

the other fear was just being normal socailly and coming out of my comfort zone for everyday things. But i think this is more of an anxiety thing. 

[Gabriel 560]

So many people have a phobia of spiders heh, never got it myself since I think they look more adorable than anything. Even have a few tarantulas as pets. 

Anyways, onto the subject! I used to have thalassophobia when I was younger, (the fear of sea/sea travel to the ones unfamiliar) but I got over it once I got more interested in marine life. Learning from the stuff there really helped me to ease my fears and nowadays I could even manage something like scuba diving in the open ocean!

[PinkieShadow 4,057]

I'm afraid of Americans
I'm afraid of the world
I'm afraid I can't help it
I'm afraid I can't
I'm afraid of Americans

David Bowie

When I was a foal I think thunderstorms and spiders was the most scary and phobia like.

Now days I like the thunder and I realize that a spider is not going to hurt me (not where I live).

So today only People scares me, sometimes a lot.

 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,163]

Spiders were my biggest fear for a long time, but thanks to a good friend I'm more okay with them. Granted I'm not entirely over them, but as it stands, I'm better than I was.

Also, the fear of being watched from a dark corner or space still gets me sometimes...

[PoisonClaw 8,172]

I used to be afraid of the dark to the point of needing to keep the hallway light on at night. Right up until a few years ago, where I actively tried to overcome said phobia with great success.

[Snow Frostflame 3,568]

I use to have a ridiculous fear of speaking to people... and when I say ridiculous I mean I was terrified to speak to anyone I didn't know, which made life rather difficult at times. Then I got a job where I was forced to speak... working with your team was the best way to do anything, and if you didn't communicate you'd have a hard time. Now I'm able to start and hold conversations, I've even gotten a bit bold.

I also had a fear of getting lost and would panic if we were away from home for a long period of time. I have no idea why, still baffles me to this day. Though some good came out of that, now I have a near perfect sense of direction. Very useful for when I'm traveling, or playing games like Minecraft.

[Narcissus 356]

I'm afraid of animals. I train myself to deal with it and now I can be around some of the less aggressive ones, but I still don't want to be around dogs.

[KatonRyu 1,034]

I used to be really afraid of dogs. Then my parents decided they wanted a hunting dog and got a puppy, and now I'm mostly over my fear. I still jump about five meters into the air when they bark but I can at least be around them without being terrified.

[Olly 1,012]

mostly OCD-related phobias like fear of certain thoughts, people, phrases, and words. problem is, every time I overcome one phobia another takes it's place

 

[Steve Piranha 29,480]

When my maternal grandfather died when I was 7 years old, I've developed a fear of death. Now, I've discovered things in life far worse than the inevitable death. Things so horrible that makes living a fate far worse

 

 

[ultrairongorilla 2,064]

I still have my fear of heights, but it's not nearly as bad as it used to be.

[Tricky42 61]

I was really scared of people when i was really small because of severe bullying. Got over it by training martial arts, and adopting an ego

[Tinkh_ 240]

I've always appreciated spiders, I mean been afraid of having them on me but not a phobia. I never understood that one.

 

I do have a phobia of ticks though, haven't gotten over it I can just tolerate it better.

 

The only ones I've gotten over are some social phobias, I'm proud of how much better I've gotten. Still a long way to go.

[Here No Longer 5,281]

• I used to have telephonophobia, a fear of making phone calls or receiving them. I still have it, but t used to be so bad that I would tense up before I could even dial. Got over that somewhat quickly during high school when I had to call my grandma to get a ride home after football games or concerts (I was in the band).
• I used o have acrophobia so bad I couldn't even climb the jungle gym without extreme anxiety and mortal terror. I still sort of have it, but nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
• I have some social anxiety as well, but it's progressively gotten better. Used to be so bad I could hardly talk to anyone, but usually when I did I embarrassed myself anyways.

[Nsxile 27,632]

Fear of spiders, thunderstorms and the dark are ones I've gotten over when I was younger.

[Lucky Bolt 35,109]

Honestly....I’ve never gotten over any of them. 

[DubWolf 17,566]

Best one I can remember is dogs; got chased around by one when I was young (a tiny one but savage-seeming  , more than that one though). There was this fluffy, old dog that was sleeping in his bed one day (visiting someone, in Chilpalcingo, Guerrero  ), I suppose that made me feel like not all dogs are going to chase you or harm me  .

Although when I delivered pizza, I was smart enough not to provoke or step towards larger, guard dogs .

[McFlurryMaddie 268]

Well, mine's kinda everyone's typical phobia (or maybe not..?) It's kind of a little of "Bathophobia".. Yep, ya got that one right-- THE FEAR OF DEPTHS, be it hallways, caves, extremely spacious rooms, etc. (more particularly, THE DEEP DARK CREEPY BLUE SEA  ... or ocean... or lake.. or pool... ehh.. you get my point..) Well, the story behind it was kinda minor-ish though, it was when I nearly drowned in a hotel's swimming pool at the age of 5. It was an extremely dreading experience for me.. Since then, I never swam in pools again (except the cute little ones that the water level is only above your ankle  but i guess they don't count as proper swimming pools?) up until I was nearly 12 years old, I had to went into a 2 METER DEEP pool to help my brother grab his floatie. Later then, he asked me to join him for a game of tag in the pool. It seemed sooo fun, I simply couldn't resist it! I grabbed my floatie and tip-toed into the depths of the pool. And my word, it wasn't that bad at all! tbh, I actually kinda regretted I was afraid of depths in the first place! Still, I kind of freak out each time I feel like my feet's not touching the pool floor, and I still haven't gotten over floaties (cuz I can't swim lul )  sooo... I wouldn't say I got over it, but I'd say I did anyways!  

Spoiler

My.. my.. lookie here! It's my BEST friend!

 

Edited June 4, 2019 by McFlurryHeart

[Lord Valtasar 12,704]

i used to have a fear of heights, though only for very high places, not as strong as some seem to have(i know some people who can't even climb a tree from it), but it kinda faded over the years, now i can work on scaffoldings on the 7th floor and not bat an eye