Prayer For A Chronic Phobia

[Cephar]

Hello

I'd like prayer on the matter of a dragonfly phobia I've struggled with all my life. It hasn't gotten any better and I am tired of it influencing my life and stealing the joy God intended for me. I am desperate for help, and chiefly because I have a child on the way. There is no way I can continue living like this, especially as a future mother. Or even to be useful to God in ministry.

Any insight and advice would be appreciated, too. Thank you.

 

[odiear3rd]

God Bless you. I Pray that you don't let this Phobia hinder your pregnancy. Lord, remove this extreme fear from her mind while she is carrying her baby. Don't let any harm come to her or her child.

 

[tealover]

I will keep you in my daily prayers. God bless you, and your sweet baby on the way.

 

[servant of Merciful Love]

I wish I could take this from you...I LOVE dragon flies!

Praying for your healing and peace, and for a healthy baby

 

[LoricaLady]

I have no advice but I know YHWH knows and has just what you need. Praying for Him to guide you to be freed from that phobia forever.

Well, I do have this one idea, maybe. This has worked with students I had who were afraid of the dark and I think I may have heard of similar techniques being used in therapy for phobias.

The idea is to kind of get closer & closer to the goal, to develop tolerance for what is feared. With children they were told one night to turn off the light for just 1 second, maybe the next night 2 seconds, whatever they felt comfortable with until finally they did not mind having the light off all night long.

With a dragonfly, I wonder if it would maybe help to start out with pictures of them. If that is stressful, just 1 second a day maybe. Then maybe some realistic looking kind of toy dragonfly kept in the garage or something. Again, just a one second look - then increase as you feel comfortable, eventually to the point of picking it up. Next stage maybe a dried, once living dragonfly.

Just some random thoughts. Don't know if that will help. But, again, I will pray for you to be freed from that burden however YHWH knows is best.

 

[Doc Savage]

I have no advice but I know YHWH knows and has just what you need. Praying for Him to guide you to be freed from that phobia forever.

Well, I do have this one idea, maybe. This has worked with students I had who were afraid of the dark and I think I may have heard of similar techniques being used in therapy for phobias.

The idea is to kind of get closer & closer to the goal, to develop tolerance for what is feared. With children they were told one night to turn off the light for just 1 second, maybe the next night 2 seconds, whatever they felt comfortable with until finally they did not mind having the light off all night long.

With a dragonfly, I wonder if it would maybe help to start out with pictures of them. If that is stressful, just 1 second a day maybe. Then maybe some realistic looking kind of toy dragonfly kept in the garage or something. Again, just a one second look - then increase as you feel comfortable, eventually to the point of picking it up. Next stage maybe a dried, once living dragonfly.

Just some random thoughts. Don't know if that will help. But, again, I will pray for you to be freed from that burden however YHWH knows is best.

This is very good advice; I know because it worked in my own life. When I was a teen i was terrified of snakes. The thing is, I hate being scared of anything so I decided to make myself get over it and did just as LoricalLady had her students do. I checked some books out of the library on snakes and every day I'd sit and just look at the pictures; I wouldn't touch them; not at first, because I was so scared of snakes a part of me was afraid that even the pictures would bite me. Eventually, I did work my way up to touching the pictures until that didn't bother me any more. Then, I was in High School at the time, I started going to the biology class and looking at the live snakes they had there. I told the biology teacher what I was trying to do and he helped me, first by just holding the live snakes so I could look at them closer; then holding them while I touched them, briefly at first, but for longer and longer until I actually held one. Finally, I took one of the snakes home with me, a Hognose snake, (completely harmless and kind of cool) to take care of it during summer break. Now I actually think snakes are cool.

The technical term, I believe, for what I did and for what Lorical Lady had her students do is called Systematic Desensitization. It might be better to wait until after you've had your child, no sense in adding more stress to what you're going through, but try it some time; taking it slow, and see how it works for you.

Good luck!

Doc

 

[SplendidTree]

Praying

 

[Stephanie7]

Father God there is nothing too great for You to overcome. Deliver this woman from her phobia and in Your Strength may she be released from it, In Jesus Name, Amen