Isabel+R's+OpEd+Article

=**"Irrational fears, why do you haunt me so?" ** = =**By Isabel R. ** =

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Have you ever sprinted back from the bathroom in the dead of night, sure that something was right on your heels? Ever not been able to fall asleep because you knew something was lurking in the shadows? Ever refused to close your eyes because you were sure something was waiting to attack? Ever over analyzed the creaking sounds of your house?

I certainly have.

Irrational fears are, quite frankly, the bane of my existence. They’re completely illogical, yet they make my heart race like I’m running a marathon. And the worst part about them? I can’t explain their logic to myself because they have none. With normal fears I can at least rationalize my feelings: I’m afraid of earthquakes because I live in close proximity to the San Andreas Fault; I worry about being attacked in sketchy places because that’s not exactly uncommon; I think about crashing every time I fly because it’s a very real possibility; and I start shaking when I’m on an immobile and wobbling ski lift because I know that people have fallen before, including my mother. Even my old fear of fire wasn’t completely without reason.

But last time I checked, crazy axe murderers don’t lurk in people’s attics, monsters don’t hide under beds, evil doers and ghosts from the movies don’t exist, and sharks don’t live in dark swimming pools. Apparently though, my overactive imagination doesn’t take any of this knowledge into account. I check over my shoulder when I’m home alone at night, I leap back into bed when I return from the bathroom in the dark, I see the creepy twins from The Shining/Ramsley from The Haunted Mansion/Voldemort in the shadowy corners of my room, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t swim in my Grandmother’s pool alone without trying to avoid the sea monster I know is trying to grab my leg and pull me down.

Every time I face one of these irrational fears, my brain and my imagination do battle, and the latter almost always wins. For example, while washing my face every night…

[Closes eyes] I wonder if there’s someone outside. //No, I would’ve heard them open the gate.// But what if they opened it quietly? What if they come inside? //That’s ridiculous. No one’s outside.// What if they’re standing behind me right now, getting ready to attack? //No one’s outside. Calm down!// No but seriously what if they’re just standing there, staring down at the back of my exposed neck? They could have a knife! They could be waiting to stab me from behind while I’m defenseless! //No no, they don’t have a knife.// What about a gun? They could shoot me right now and I couldn’t stop them. What would my parents do if they heard a shot? //Well just call for someone. They’ll scare anything away if it’s here.// **Mom? Could you come here for a second? //No, I’m sure you’re fine, honey.//** //See, you’re fine.// But she doesn’t know if she can’t see! What if the person standing there is silently laughing because they’re getting ready to attack at any second!? //You’re right! You better open your eyes to make sure there’s no one there, even though you have soap all over them!// [Opens eyes –they begin to burn from exposure to soap –looks around suspiciously] Well, no one’s there. //See –I told you!//

Please dear imagination, stop terrorizing me.