From us to you

Phobia - more than just a fear

Whether it's a fear of heights, a fear of bugs or a fear of water – we all have them. We all have that fear of something. And though that something can be so small, so insignificant and so harmless, just the thought of it can make our hair stand on end.

Yesterday morning as I was heading to work I spotted a small insect next to my door. Running out of time, I stood in front of my door for five minutes contemplating what to do. If I just ignore it and leave, God knows where it will go by the time I return. What if I lose it and I find it crawling on me while I'm sleeping.

No, I just couldn't leave it there, especially not with my obsession with cleanliness. But there's no way I could kill it either, just the thought of squashing the little thing made my stomach churn. At that point I thought of a solution — I must trap it until I find someone to kill it. I took a plastic cup, turned it upside-down over the bug and taped it to the ground. Maybe it would even suffocate and my problem would be solved.

With peace of mind I headed off to work. Hours later I even forgot about this trivial incident. However, when I came back home I was in a state of shock. There was the cup, upside down with nothing inside. As I peered closely, a small hole was crafted on the cup. That little bug got away. For the next two days I couldn't help but imagine it crawling into my bed, the shower or the kitchen sink. It is then that I realised the impact that this tiny, creepy-crawly creature had on me.

We make our fears what they are. They can start out so small but can take over our lives if we let them, when eliminating them is just a simple step away — we just need to be brave enough to meet the challenge. Sweeping them under the rug or holding these fears inside us will only make these situations worse in the long run – as they always find a way back into our lives. So confront your fears, squash the bug in your life and you'll be a much happier person.