How to Fight Fear

杨燕

人的一生當中会有这样或那样的恐惧，如果这些恐惧真的发生在我们身上，我们应该如何去应对呢？下面这篇文章将会给我们一些启示……

What are you afraid of？ Elevators？ Dogs？ Snakes？ Cars？ Airplanes？

If you have fears， you are not alone. Most of us are afraid of something - at least once in our lives. And not all fears are bad.

Some fears protect us. For example， you might run indoors or climb a tree if a dog were chasing you. Fear of drowning will keep a swimmer from swimming in the ocean if there is no lifeguard around.

However， there are certain other fears that may not protect you but may， instead， very much limit your lifestyle. If this is happening to you， you may have what is called a phobia1 - an overwhelming2 fear of some thing or situation. Such fear is often so all-consuming3 that you spend a great deal of your time and energy avoiding the thing that frightens you.

For instance， are you so afraid of dogs or cats that you shake at the sight of one？ Does the thought of going somewhere on an airplane make you feel ill？ Are you unable to visit a friend who lives on a high floor of an apartment house because you would have to take the elevator？

People who have phobias are usually so frightened of the feared object or situation that they try to completely avoid whatever it is that frightens them. And neither friends nor family can convince phobic people that most animals are harmless， that thousands of travelers fly safely every day， and millions of people ride safely in elevators several times each day.

So， what can you do to try to get rid of phobias？ There are specialists who have been trained to deal with phobic patients. Such specialists know how to help phobic people become less afraid. They teach phobic people how to deal with their fears and， eventually， overcome them.

For instance， suppose you're afraid of flying. Find out if a nearby airport has special seminars4 for people who are afraid to fly. Many airports do. How would such a program work？

First， a specialist will take your group to the airport to watch the planes take off and land. A representative from one of the airlines will explain how an airplane flies. Then your group will sit in an airplane that stays on the ground.

At a later time， you will go up in a plane for a very short flight， and then land. Over a number of sessions the time you spend in the air will gradually increase. And， eventually， when you're all prepared for it， the group will take a trip to another city.

Or suppose you are afraid of elevators， and you want help. A specialist will take a group of you to a high-rise5 office building. There， a technician will explain how an elevator works and will explain the many safety features elevators have. After first standing in an elevator on the ground floor， you will go up and down just one floor. Gradually， your elevator trips will be longer， until you can go all the way to the top and back without fear.

Such sessions teach the phobic person slowly that he or she can learn to control his or her fears， and even overcome them.

If you have phobias and want help， or know a phobic person who wants help， ask your doctor for help in finding a specialist.

你害怕什么？电梯？狗？蛇？车还是飞机？

如果你有恐惧感，说明你并不孤单，因为我们大部分人都害怕过某些事物——一生中至少害怕过一次。而且并非所有的恐惧都是有害的。

有些恐惧可以保护我们。例如，有一只狗在你身后追时，你会跑进屋里或爬上树。因为害怕溺水，游泳者在身边无救生员的情况下不会去海洋里游泳。

然而，也有一些恐惧非但不能保护你，反而会大大限制你的生活方式。如果这种情况正发生在你身上，那你可能已患上了恐惧症——一种对某事物或某种情形强烈的恐惧感。这种恐惧是相当劳神的，以至于你得花费大量的时间和精力来避免此类事情的发生。

举例来说，你是否很害怕狗或猫，一看到它们就会浑身发抖？是不是一想到乘飞机出行就让你感到不安？如果你的朋友住在公寓的高层，你是不是就打消了去拜訪的念头，因为你得乘电梯上楼。

恐惧症患者通常很惧怕这些让他们心惊胆战的东西或场景，所以，无论是何种恐惧，他们都尽量避免其发生。而且，无论是朋友还是家人也难以让他们相信，其实大部分的动物是无害的，每天都有成千上万的人安全乘坐飞机，每天还有上百万的人安全乘电梯数次。

那么，想要消除这种恐惧症，你又能做些什么呢？受过特训的专家能够帮助有恐惧症的病人。这些专家知道如何帮助患者减少恐慌。他们教这些恐惧症患者如何来应对他们的恐惧并最终克服它们。

举例来说，假设你害怕坐飞机，那就看一下附近的机场是否对飞行恐惧的人开设有专门的训练。许多机场都有这样的服务。这种课程是怎样开展的呢？

首先，一个专家会带领你们这个团队到飞机场去看飞机的起飞和降落。航空公司的代表将会给你们讲解飞机的飞行原理。然后，你们小组成员将坐上一架停在地面上的飞机进行体验。

这之后不久，你们会乘机进行一次短途飞行，然后着陆。经过反复体验，你们在空中的飞行时间也会逐渐加长。最后，当你们作好充分准备时，小组成员将乘坐飞机飞往另一个城市。

假设你因害怕乘坐电梯而需要帮助时，一个专家会带你们去一个高层办公楼。在那儿，技术人员会向你讲解电梯的工作原理，以及电梯的诸多安全性能。第一次站在一楼电梯里，你们只会上下一层楼。随后，电梯之旅会逐渐加长，直至你们能毫无恐惧地乘电梯到顶楼，再从顶楼返回一楼。

这样的短期学习课程能逐步教会恐惧症患者如何控制住内心的恐惧，直至战胜他们。

如果你是这样的患者或认识这样的患者，并且需要帮助的话，你可以请你的医生帮忙找一个这方面的专家。