Fear and phobias are experienced daily. Several studies have shown that the most common fears are arachnophobia (fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and acrophobia (fear of heights). While many of us can relate to these top fears, there are hundreds more. Phobias such as aerophobia (fear of flying), astraphobia (fear of thunder/lightening) and agoraphobia (fear of open or crowded spaces) are only a few that people experience based on circumstanc es. For instance, its does not rain every day and most individuals do not fly daily. Reviewing techniques to reduce fear’s impact, I found a few mnemonics (memory aids) that may be helpful. The F-E-A-R System used by Dr. Pamela Garcy stands for Focus, Expose, Approach and Rehearse. This acronym first addresses when you experience a state of fear, an individual in distress needs to Focus rather than freak out. Mindfulness skills such as meditation, body scanning and mindful movement allow people to stay in the present. Here-a
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