I had trauma around me from a very early age and even though I was physically well, emotionally those fears from time to time, became irrational.

Rational and irrational fear

So what is rational and irrational fear? Rational fear is a reaction about a real threat where we have to protect ourselves; and irrational fear is something we fear, even though there is no direct link, or threat to us.

Rational fear

Rational fear is something that we are consciously aware of. It comes from the human brain and is usually brought about by genetics. It's the kind of fear that keeps us alert and can be somewhat of a challenge.

We can be fearful of situations like being afraid of heights; or being afraid of sleeping in the dark. With this type of fear, you know you have fear but you also know you need to face that fear.

Irrational fears are unhealthy

An irrational fear is an unhealthy fear that is usually brought about by a traumatic experience, which eventually compels us to avoid certain situations. 'Irrational fear is also know as a phobia or unhealthy fear' that we may also be predisposed to through our genes and environment.

Give yourself time. Try to look at your fears objectively so that you can begin to see and understand why you may have those fears. If the fear comes from a traumatic experience, try to ascertain as much as you can about the experience.

There is always something to take

There is always something to take from our experiences. Traumatic experiences are usually one off experiences that never happen again, although that doesn't always stop us worrying that it may happen again.

Once we begin to understand more about our experience and we can rationale it, we should begin to look at our fears differently. It is only at that point that we can think about bringing change.