I was diagnosed with PTSD years ago while my most recent diagnosis is 'unspecified phobic anxiety disorder'. I can't afford therapy at the moment as I lost my job due to all my health difficulties..

My biggest problem right now is that I'm scared of pretty much everything. As a very young child, I went through something where I was sure I was going to die, but no one ever helped me work through this which I think skewed my perception of fear - it's like, whenever I'm scared, I'm sure I'll die. And because dying would be the most horrible thing ever, I'm scared of and avoid everything 'just in case'.. To keep myself safe.

I thought I'd start this thread where we could share our experiences of things/situations/people/anything that scares us but where we have, in fact, been safe.. I feel this would really help me.

So, I'll go first.. I've been afraid that someone's going to hurt me during the night, but this has never happened. No one has ever attacked me, I've been safe. Part of this has also been the fear of someone breaking into my home which also has never happened. In my childhood home, we even sometimes forgot to take the key out of the lock at night and still, never had any problems.

I'm also afraid of driving. Mostly, I fear I'll hurt someone else, or that someone I love will hurt themselves. But nothing has ever happened, we've always been safe. While I'm an insecure driver, I'm also very calm and careful behind the wheel.

I've been dead scared of having to cry in front of people, but it's happened several times in the past few years, and no one has ever had a bad reaction. They all wanted to help me. I was safe.

I'll think of more, would love to hear from others as well!

[honeyB77]

I'm petrified of walking pass a group of men. I usually glance or scope up ahead, trying to gauge how many times I would have to cross the street before arriving at my destination.

I zigzag, false sense of bravado if it can't be avoided.

Daylight or not, my chest tightens up , difficulty breathing, bile forcing its way through my esophagus, light headed.

I'm safe. It's my neighborhood. Nothing is gonna happen. Nothing ever has.

[mindwrench]

When I started having severe anxiety attacks, I was sure I was going to die each time. I became of afraid of having anxiety attacks, which led to attacks over attacks. At the time I believed I was terminally ill, and the attacks were the final stages of the disease. I reluctantly went to a doctor and discovered extreme hypertension. I still have panic attacks, but I no longer think they will cause me to pass away which has lessened their intensity somewhat. I have several triggers for anxiety, and attacks, but the worst by far is the attacks themselves.

Thank you both for sharing your experiences!

I've been afraid of walking/cycling past groups of teenage boys, I fear they'll shout out profanities. But they hardly ever have, and the times they have shouted out something rude, I still survived. I've been safe.

I also became afraid of panic attacks, mostly because I didn't want anyone at work/anyone I don't know well see me having them.. But a couple of times, I called a friend who also suffered from them for support, and she was lovely. I was safe.

One thing I'm absolutely terrified of is having to give presentations in front of people, or even just having to say something in a group like, for instance, in school or at work.. While those situations have been majorly uncomfortable for me (blushing, sweating, voice shaking, feeling ashamed..) I've still always survived them. I've been safe..

[mindwrench]

I've always been terrified of public speaking. I used to start vomiting right before Christmas pageants or other things where we were supposed to sing on stage in front of the parents. I got expelled from school a few times when teachers were determined to make me read in front of the class.

I really appreciate the courage it must take for you to speak in front of people given your fear of it. If somebody stands me in front of a crowd to speak, I'll pretty much lose the ability to breath at all.

[Nimitri]

I'm so afraid of going to the doctor or making blood exams because I think I'm going to get diabetes or cancer or something horrible that will destroy my life.

Making presentations make me feel horrible. Right now I have to make a presentation with my kids for their parents. It's the beginning of the semester, it's very easy yet I can't stop thinking that I'm going to fail and lose my job and not find anything else because this is the only thing I had found in over a year.

I'm terrified of being poor. Of working 12 hours a day to live below poverty line, stressed and sick, without being able to sleep, having severe stomach-ache, diabetes, and pressure problems, with no money to pay for my therapy of my medicines and not being able to help my mother (if she isn't dead already). Just even reading about poverty problems in America stress me out and even writing this make's I want to curl and cry for this probable but unlikely future.

[setfree29]

I am afraid of cash registers and working them. I never have and am interviewing for jobs that require cashiers. I am afraid I won't be able to work it right and everyone in line will be staring at me. Then comes the stomach problems and lightheadedness.