Tonitrophobia: Fear of Thunder and Lightning

We’ve all been through a bad thunderstorm before. They can be scary for everyone, but for those who suffer from tonitrophobia it can be a nightmare. Thunderstorms can cause them to have anxiety attacks and to feel emotionally and physically sick.

Tonitrophobia is the excessive fear of thunder and associated lightning. Other names for this phobia include tonitruphobia and brontophobia. Tonitro and Tonitru are Latin prefixes that mean thunder. Bronto is a Greek prefix that also means thunder.

When I was younger I would cry every time there was loud thunder. I don’t cry anymore, but I really hate being alone during a bad storm. When I hear of a storm coming and I know I’m going to be alone I get extremely anxious. Storms don’t bother me too much (unless it’s a tornado), when I’m not alone.

Are you afraid of thunder and lightning?

Facing Phobias

My mom has been in the hospital for almost a week now and I've been staying here with her so I haven't really felt like writing. Since I've been here I've had to deal with one of my biggest phobias-Claustrophobia.

To put it simply I despise elevators and I've had to use them a million times already. They're small and I'm afraid I'll get stuck in one. Actually just today someone did get stuck in one. That doesn't help my situation at all. Taking the stairs doesn't help much either-They just prolong the period of time I have to deal without having windows to look out.

Another thing that is bothering me here is that my mom's room is tiny. It drives me crazy at night when the door is closed. I feel like I can't breathe. At least there's a big window though. There's no way I could handle it if there wasn't.

How do you deal with your phobias when you have to deal with them head on? Do you run or do you find a way to deal?

Let me known your thoughts on this and hopefully I will be back to my regular posting schedule soon.