Living with phobias

Be it standing on the top floor of Bashundhara City or spying on a spider high on the bathroom wall, or even avoiding your relative's unusually small lift— deep down you know you are afraid. These fears that feed on you are phobias, which have names and their strange games.

The mind is your little factory where your phobias fiddle with your nerves. To understand phobias in general, we need to understand that it is possible to discover fear in a completely new form, but it does not have to be constant, especially with conscious efforts and support to overcome it.

Some of the most common phobias related to creepy crawlies are arachnophobia, the fear of spiders; ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes; katsaridaphobia, the fear of cockroaches.

"Cockroaches are the most difficult living beings in my home that have managed to survive since the existence of dinosaurs and I don't know how to get rid of them!" says Taslima Khatun, who is greatly disturbed by flying cockroaches.

Terrified of riding a rollercoaster? Or shopping at New Market and Gausia? Do you dread the fact that you might never learn to take your loved one on a romantic boat ride? You might have what is known to be acrophobia (fear of heights), enochlophobia (fear of crowds) and aquaphobia (fear of water).

"It usually starts with the utter curiosity to see how it feels to stay so high up the ground and within a split second, that curiosity disappears as my entire body starts to shake," says Kazi Nayeer, who would rather walk up the stairs than take a see-through lift. Glossophobia, which is known as fear of public speaking, is one of the common phobias amongst students and amateur musicians.

Be it the fear of insects, animals, or a phenomenon that would not seem so terrifying to others but is heart-wrenchingly traumatic for you, there might be ways to overcome these fears that refrains you from taking chances. However, do not hesitate to take baby steps and move away from your fear. Deep breaths and brave hearts all the way!

Photo: Collected