tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post6078421338244410288..comments2024-03-26T07:07:14.304-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: In Search Of An Antidote To FearTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-21353782480238708062012-06-13T12:41:16.622-07:002012-06-13T12:41:16.622-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Iklan Internet Murah Efektif Berkualitas Indonesiahttp://abas-kerja-online.blogspot.com/2012/06/iklan-internet-murah-berkualitas.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-90653251315162710692012-06-08T07:55:56.768-07:002012-06-08T07:55:56.768-07:00I'm totally with Floor Pie that having a plan ...I'm totally with Floor Pie that having a plan helps. Here's my story.<br /><br />I was afraid of being killed in a random act of violence. This was not a rational thing to believe- my city of ~200k sees only a couple of murders per year, but I couldn't rationalize it away. I didn't let the fear change my behavior, but it did use up a tremendous amount of my energy and interfere with sleep most nights.<br /><br />Then, when I was in my mid-twenties, I took a self-defense class for women. I signed up because my friend was going and invited me along, and I did not expect it to have such a big impact. But just knowing that if something happened and I was attacked, I could do something about it- I wouldn't just die- dissolved the fear almost completely.Allisonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-44523362036894110542012-06-07T23:06:28.225-07:002012-06-07T23:06:28.225-07:00So, about my own phobias and anxiety. Left uncheck...So, about my own phobias and anxiety. Left unchecked, it can take me to some very unreasonable and unhappy places. Willpower doesn't really work. Neither does seeking reassurance from other people (who typically are mired in their own phobias don't have patience for such foolishness). <br /><br />Instead, I've found it's actually more effective to engage the fear just a little. Check in with myself, gently.<br /><br />How likely is it that the thing I'm afraid of will actually happen?<br /><br />And if it <i>does</i> happen, what will I do? What's the plan? Sometimes it helps to come up with a plan. Small, manageable things that one can actually <i>do</i>. <br /><br />It's important to remember that anxiety isn't a conscious choice to be silly. It's a physical condition, no different from a cold or flu, targeting our weaker spots and triggering those fears into unreasonable action. <br /><br />Diet and exercise help. Self care helps. Supplements like Vitamin D and fish oil and a gentle dose of Vitamin Zoloft help me tremendously. <br /><br />If there's someone in your life whose anxiety seems like it's truly unhealthy for them, it's okay to gently suggest that they seek help from a therapist and/or antidepressants. No one should have to live their life that way...especially new parents.Floor Piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533240227865369012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-28365360668603808912012-06-07T16:44:53.037-07:002012-06-07T16:44:53.037-07:00Hiya, I am the queen of irrational fears when it c...Hiya, I am the queen of irrational fears when it comes to my children, sometimes to the point of it all being rather overwhelming, particularly with all that 'useful' information on the internet. During my recent episode my husband commented that my proposal was just a knee jerk reaction and I said i loved a knee jerk reaction cos it makes me feel like I am doing something. I was a lawyer before I became a full time mum, so you would think I would be able to add some rational thought to my processes.....<br /><br />I live in Australia and during summer I have no fear of sharks in the ocean, but would have sleepless nights if I thought the children had sunburnt cheeks <br /><br />So I guess with me its things that I feel I can/should control which worry me the most.....<br /><br />I keep a bottle of rescue remedy for this purposeClarenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-59235762132886375132012-06-07T15:45:22.196-07:002012-06-07T15:45:22.196-07:00Tom, don't forget that we also abandoned the &...Tom, don't forget that we also abandoned the "serve yourself" snack for the 2-year-olds and some parents chose to toss out any food that even briefly came into contact with a child's fingers. <br /><br />Also, when Mr. Black had the dreaded flu my daughter and I were not allowed at school. He was awfully sick for a few days and kept himself quarrantined in our bedroom. The kids and I didn't catch it even though none of us had been vaccinated and the kids did not have access to tamiflu.<br /><br />Those were the days. <br /><br />But we've all got our phobias. I'm going come back and comment on how I manage my own phobias when I have more time tonight...Floor Piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06533240227865369012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-83568114028986522542012-06-07T15:16:21.480-07:002012-06-07T15:16:21.480-07:00Meagan, We already had/have a common sense regime ...Meagan, We already had/have a common sense regime of hand washing and other measures, based on CDC recommendations, designed to reduce the spread of illness.<br /><br />This mom asked us to implement extra mandatory hand-washings. This was a 2 hour class, and had we done what she originally wanted, we would have had 6 mandatory hand washing times throughout the day (one every 20 minutes), with several other "events" that would have triggered additional hand washing. Given that studies show that young children touch their mouth or nose an average of once every 3 minutes, this would have meant some kids would have done nothing other than wash hands. We finally settled on adding one extra hand washing time plus increased adult diligence, and permission for her to skip working in the classroom (we're a cooperative). <br /><br />Given that the flu, when it did hit us, actually turned out to be a milder than normal one, and we all wound up catching it anyway, it was all a kind of kabuki.Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-68459224738641541352012-06-07T14:17:42.529-07:002012-06-07T14:17:42.529-07:00I'm curious about the extra measures she sugge...I'm curious about the extra measures she suggested? I mean, the chances of dying from flu (any flu) are slim, but the chances are higher for certain groups, and if non-ridiculous community efforts can reduce the risks, why is that a bad thing? I mean, 4 in a million is a very small percentage, but when you spread it across the country (population > 310 million), that's a surprisingly large group of unnecessary deaths. Then there are the less devastating but much more common results of the flu, like really miserable illness on the better end, long term health effects and community economic impact on the worse end. <br /><br />I agree that fearmongering is manipulative and annoying, but even if the chances of dying aren't high, it seems like preventing the flu is worthwhile.Meaganhttp://hadesarrow.com/blognoreply@blogger.com