Fear of thunder and lightning

Normal, Weekender
Source:

The National, Friday 21st September 2012

Dear Friend,
Thank you for sharing your concern with us. What you are experiencing is quite common to many people. Friend, there are many factors why people respond to certain things the way they do.
What you are experiencing can be termed as a phobia which is, “An enduring fear of a clearly defined object or situation that interferes with a persons’ normal function”.
Although their feeling or emotion of fear is irrational, people with a phobia always try to avoid the source of their fear. Your phobia or condition falls into two of these: (1) Astro Phobia- fear of lightning. (2) Bronto Phobia-fear of thunder.
Researchers have found that phobias may not have an obvious cause. It could be a result from a combination of biological, physical and social factors.
BIO- it could be genetic-runs in the family
PSYC-it could be to do with brain functions
PSYC- it could be internal psychological, unconscious conflict
SOC-over protective parents and guardians can cause children not to handle such issues as phobia.
Friend we hope the basic information given of your condition has helped you identify your situation and brought you some understanding of what is happening to you.
Do you have any relatives in your older generation who had similar experiences? If so, than as explained it could be genetic. Sometimes it is related to how ones brain functions.
The brain processes what you feed it. In your case as you feed your brain with fear it results in you panicking when you anticipate the event (thunder and lightning).
Friend, think properly about this process. Your five senses capture what happens around your world. When you hear the thunder and see the lightning a message is sent through these senses to your brain.
Your brain thinks either to choose to process it appropriately or inappropriately. You choose inappropriate response which is to panic and have fear and anxiety. As years go by and you mature this process has developed into a belief system, it has become normal for you to respond as you do to thunder and lightning although it is abnormal behavior.
So what is abnormal in everyday life has become normal in your responses, now it has become a belief system. This belief system is wrong and needs to be challenged and corrected. Pause and ask yourself is everybody responding like you do? So, is your reaction rational or irrational?
Sometimes it is a psychological problem where you will have internal and unconscious conflict with yourself. It is also believed that when parents are over protective over their children, they tend to fear certain things or places. They lack confidence in facing up to everyday life issues.
Here are some suggested treatment-
1. Psycho therapy / behavioral therapy-this therapy educates a person about the nature of his/her anxiety disorder. For that matter we suggest you get some books relating to the above mentioned issue or disorder. There are some CDS on these issues, we suggest you enquire at bookshop or stores that sell them.
2. Relaxation techniques when mastered can be more effective than medicine in the long run.
3. Medicine: Psycho active drugs- as mentioned above, this is just for temporarily relief. These drugs just help you temporarily when fear or anxiety is anticipated. This can be bought through prescription by doctors at a chemist.
As you gather basic information of the problem you need to challenge your irrational thoughts or beliefs that generate fear. Slowly expose yourself to what you fear. Read about the problem and do something positive about it like sitting with family members and watching movies that have thunder and lightning scenes.
Our mind has a lot to do with what we believe and act out. When your mind is filled with fear of thunder and lightning it has already programmed how you will react. In other words you have already formed a belief system which is irrational. But because its already part of your life now, it is now normal for you to respond or react the way you do. The irrational thoughts cause you to feel depressed as you see there is no way out.
As suggested earlier you need to challenge your irrational thoughts about thunder and lightning.
Ask yourself, is your response adding value to your health? It will take time to adapt to new habits but your won’t learn the new things if you do not try or put an effort in to them.
Continue to seek help from your relatives.
We suggest that you visit a specialist at the POM General Hospital for specific assistance where ever needed.
May God grant you in His peace.


Your Friend
Lifeline