Lions and Tigers and Bears - OH MY!

[jewels]

hello,
Ok don't laugh...............but I have this really unrealistic fear of bears.
Once a year we rent a cottage in northern Ontario, Canada - where there are of course black bears.
I LOVE going! I LOVE the outdoors and nature but this bear fear immobilizes me. I won't hike or go for walks because of the chance of an encounter.
I suppose my REAL fear is a loss of control! I fear anything that I cannot control and that could possibly harm me.
At the cottage any twig snapping sound that I hear I turn around - heart pounding. At the campfire at night I am a mess. On year I drank too much to help me relax and ended up a sick as a dog. But that night my panic was so bad I had to refrain myself from getting in the car and leaving.
I have NEVER had a bear encounter. I think bears are beautiful. I love animals - but heck they could hurt me or my loved ones.
Once camping in a tent (in bear country) I did not sleep for 3/4 days we were there. One night I hear a huffing noise and I thought that was it . of course all was fine.
Friends and family make fun of my fear - I CAN laugh at it (when I am not scared) I get bear figurines as gifts etc...lol
Ugh!
Sometimes I am so weird!

[ladyK]

Hey Jewels:

Or should I say Thwellma...lol.  Well I have the same fear but not only bears, cougars are the ones I'm afraid of.  I always make a ton of noise when in the bush.  Brilliant idea to scare away bears but does not work on cougars.  I live in beautiful British Columbia and I'm afraid to walk in the bush.  I've become an expert at reading animal "poops".  If I see poop from a bear or a cat of some sort, I'm outta there!  Which makes it very hard because I love to camp.  Have you ever seen a bear open up a car...peels the doors off like a tin can!  Sorry I'm probably scaring you  more!  Bears will run away from humans especially if you make noise...I whistle my head off, bouncing the sound off the mountains sure that all the bears are running away and the cougars are moving in for the kill!  So don't be afraid of bears, be aware of the cougars, up in trees, and the woods should be a safe place for us both.

Talk to you in the chat room, Louise (ladyK)

[gloomy]

Its natural for humans to have a fear of wild animals its an innate survival mechanism.  I think you have obsessively homed in on it and it has become a bear phobia.  I live in England and we are pretty short on threatening animals lol.  However, I have a nasty spider phobia so know how you feel.  I just think its another marvellous aspect of severe anxiety.

[jewels]

Hey Louise!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Ok you win! Cougars would be scarier to me too.
Eek I don't know how you live with these things lurking about.
I may need extra meds at the cottage this summer just to get by.
Yes you heard me ---- I am off that cushy fence - and have been on Effexor for a week. I feel pretty good too. But hey - no worries --- I can still see you and wave at you from where I am. 

Jewels

[ladyK]

Hey Jewels:

Well I'm glad the meds are working for you.  I'm still on the fence! lol  See you in the chat room

ladyK