Fear of storms--Please help!!

[scoopyfrog]

I hsve a pretty bad fear of storms, and by pretty bad I mean stuffing all 11 of our pets into a shower stall and sitting there with my knees knocking until the storm has passed. We live in Oklahoma, so around this time of year there are lots of tornadoes out there. I don't want my heart to feel like ice every time I hear the word tornado. Help!

[dasniu]

hmm.. there are some medications that help with this..

[Sunnydog]

I was in Hurricane Katrina. I used to be scared of storms but after being in that, I no longer am.

I look at it this way. If I am meant to die in a storm/tornado. Sitting in a bathtub or hiding in the closet isn't going to save me, so no sense in being scared. Cautious yes, one should always be cautious but being scared and too afraid to move is worse. You want to be able to think clearly so if something does happen you can get yourself out of a bad situation. I now have a tendency to go out on the patio or just watch out the window during a bad storm. If I am aware of whats going on I can deal with it better. And I get to see some awesome lightning displays.

[Sunset-Guardian]

Well, the normal tactic to get rid of your fear is to live through it. But, what I suggest, is to start out slow and do what you would do on a nice, clear day, but inside. Just listen to the rain, as it's supposed to have a calming affect. If you don't mind the rain and the occasional thunder, look out the window at the weather. Once that stops bothering you so much, step outside and watch/feel the rain.
Tornado's would bother anyone, but it's a natural thing and can't be stopped. Just remember that there isn't a tornado every time a storm occurs.

[WolfWhisperer]

Well I remember in 1999 there was a huge hail storm. Killed hundreds of the school next door to my old house. The hail was the size of tennis balls. Plus it damaged hundreds of homes in Sydney

[Slushie~♫]

I know how you feel...there been a flood warning over here today. D=

[Boomhauer]

Awwww, Munchkinkitty.... Life long BFF.... Storms are nothing to be scared of! JUst stay inside, go into a closet, shower stall, etc, bring a book and flashlight/lantern, and get lost in the land of where Meggy reads Percy Jackson and Bluestar into the land of Narnia to help Finn and Wayne find Dumbledore. Ignore the sound of lightning/wind... Or watch 'The Beach' over... and over... and over... and over...

[Lyrical]

When I was little there was a tornado and I was so traumitized by it. I was scared of storms up until I was eleven, but I eventually grew out of it. Most people do grow out of fears, it just takes time. If you ot your neighbors have a celler, I'm sure you would feel really safe in one. Also, as someone said, there are medications.

Oh, and Slushie, it flooded where I am too! I didn't get to see any of it because my I was stranded in Ohio because of it but my grandmothers house flooded.

[Shadow]

hmm.. there are some medications that help with this..

I personally disagree-- medicine (medicines like these, as far as I know, are made from a combination of depressants and anti-depressants, which is never a good thing) helps with things like this in the short term, but ultimately can make things worse long-term. Any behavioral problems or anything related, IMO, are best left to naturally fix themselves. The drug companies are after your money. >.<

My younger sister used to be terrified of thunderstorms (one time we were in NC, and there was a tornado warning there, which frightened her too), and my family used to make up stories for her, that would cheer her up. It could be related, or unrelated to the storm.

Try distracting yourself. Don't think about it. Maybe draw, or watch TV (if the power is working :3). You'll naturally overcome this fear after a while.

[Forest]

^Agreed: Medications should only be used to solve a problem serious enough that you can't solve on your own, and you need chemical help. Fear of storms may be overcome after a period of time, and it's easy to occupy yourself with other things.

I used to be deathly afraid of tornados and would get so nervous that I could hardly breathe, and the weird thing is that it isn't geographically possible to have a tornado where I live (Combination of hills and the fact that I'm surrounded by two lakes on either side, and a peninsula)

I found that filling my time with things to do kept my mind off it. It might be hard, but if you head down to a safe area and do something you enjoy, the nervous feeling will go away. I also grew out of my fear, so you may too ^_^