Complete Idiot's Guide to Conquering Fear and Anxiety

power. You may not know your enemy's name or face, but walk around shadowed by a vague uneasiness and sense of impending doom. Or you recognize yourenemy­lizards, public speaking, elevators, thunderstorms­but seem powerless to conquer it. Sitting back helplessly, as the fears take command of your relationships,your decisions, your actions, you sidestep through life to avoid bumping into a spider, an elevator, a math test, a boss, or a romantic interlude. You have somethingbeyond reasonable fear. You have a phobia.You may feel shame and embarrassment at being so "weak," as if something is profoundly wrong with you, and wonder why you can't just pull yourself up by yourbootstraps. But overwhelming fears don't discriminate weak from strong personalities, as John Madden and others illustrate.Like many, you might find it hard to share feelings so frightening and irrational, which is why less than one fourth of people receive treatment for crippling fears.Unfortunately, this can begin a downward spiral leading to a string of failures that can rob you of your health, livelihood and personal life.Yet, if you're one of those who did seek help, you may not have found it helpful. Going from doctor to doctor, you may have been one of those misdiagnosed as the"worried well," a hypochondriac or malingerer whose symptoms are "all in your head."Page 10In Your Head, Your Face, Your TummyNothing is all in your head. This is splitting the mind and the body into two separate entities­as if the mind were something "out there." Thoughts, feelings, bodilyreaction, outward expression and action intertwine. At any one time, fears comprise:Feelings:Fear, anxiety, worry or terrorDepression or other disturbing emotions