ok for my entire life, i dont know why, but i've had major issues with mother nature. Earthquakes, thunderstorms etc. I think they slightly most ridiculous is the Thunderstorms, I love rain but once thunder and lightening get involved I can't handle it. It scares the living crap out of me, not sure why and when it started but hi its goin on right now, and I was wondering for any of you that are on now or soon what you, or you think i should do to keep calm, because at this moment right now, I think i'm either going to cry, throw up, or very well both. Not make matters worse (yes i'm about to say this) my mommy is in new york, and its 4 am so i can't call anyone

Well, I could try to offer some help. First of all, do you live in a place where there ARE a lot of mother nature things: earthquakes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, etc? If you do, one of the more important things for right now until you can afford a place of your own is to accept that they are going to happen no matter what. You can't control where or when they are going to occur. I live in a place where we get thunderstorms a lot, that's it.

I LOVE thunderstorms. But that's because I understand them. They do scare the shit out of me when I am sleeping and they creep up right on us and unleash their nastiness nearly right over my head, but it only scares me for a little bit. I find it quite exhilarating- kinda like how I would feel on a big roller coaster or something.

So, I can help you with that fear I think. Thunderstorms are easy to tell how far away they are. As soon as you see a flash of lightning, start counting- One Mississippi, Two Mississippi, Three Mississippi, Four Mississippi, etc. If you get to four or five, then the storm is a mile off. Anything more than that, and its farther away. THE STORM CAN'T HURT YOU if it is more than a mile away. It takes the thunder sound 4.8 seconds to travel one mile. Light travels much faster then sound, so that's why you see the flash first. Count each time you see lightning. Chances are the storm is in the distance quite a ways.

However, if you count less than 4 between the lightning and thunder and the thunder is quite loud, then the storm is less than a mile away. But it still doesn't matter. The chances of you or your house getting struck by lightning during a storm is very slim- and if your house does get struck, it should have some sort of lightning protection on it, like a lightning rod or something that directs the lightning to the ground.

If it makes you feel better, stay in a room that has few or no windows and then just think that someone is shooting off fireworks or something in your backyard. It's not the same, but it might work. Otherwise, just sit where you are and KEEP COUNTING the lightning/thunder. More often than not, the storm will pass very quickly overhead so it is out of harm's reach again.

If you can do that, then see how long you can sit in front of a window with no curtains drawn and watch the lightning for its beauty. Listen to the peal of thunder and see how many times you can hear it roll or listen for the "electric crack" thunder that seems to pause before it finishes cracking. If you can find the beauty in something so horrible it won't be so scary anymore.

Thunderstorms used to scare the shit out of me too for a few years until one year I just kinda.... understood them more. The same can apply for anything of mother nature. Understand it and you will come to fear it less. Good luck!!

Well I live in southern california, and we havea tendancy to have more earthquakes than thunderstorms. I think this is one of the firsts since i was like 7 or 8.
Anywho thanks for your advice:) Hopefully, if theres another thunderstorm anytime soon, I'll feel better about it:)

I watched the news and they said these thunderstorms which happened all over san diego county are remnants from hurricane emily:-P and may continue until maybe monday. lets jsut hope they dont when my mom is coming home, or at three thirty in the morning.
I think one of my main problems was i was basically alone, there were two other people in the house, but they were sleeping, and my mom is away, so that didn't help, but i found that when i had a couple friends online to talk to, i felt a bit better.
Thanks a lot:)

Ah... Southern California... yeah... definitely more earthquakes than thunderstorms. See, I live in New England, so we don't have earthquakes. I've never felt one before to my knowledge, even when I visit my grandparents in southern cali. My dad says there was one at night one time when we were sleeping- just a minor one though. Since I have never experienced one, I am deathly terrified of one. My biggest fear would be to be in California on a cliff by the coast during an earthquake with a forest fire raging behind me because I am afraid the cliff is going to crack off and fall into the ocean (I am afraid of unsecure heights) and then the forest fire will prevent any escape or rescue. I know, kinda silly, but its one of my fears.

I would think though, that since you live in a place where there are a lot of earthquakes that you would be more or less used to them. I'm sure they are quite unsettling though when they do happen and would scare you even though you know what it is, especially if you were somewhere trecherous, such as on a tall cliff by the coast :p.

I'm glad to hear you made it safe and sound from the thunderstorm. I hope that nothing too scary happens where you are anytime soon. But just remember- researching and understanding what is happening at the time Mother Nature rears her ugly head can help you to overcome your fears a little more and be able to tolerate what is happening a little bit better. And yes, friends do help, too. I hope your mom can make it back safely without any weather delays or anything (having a T-storm in CA is freaky). I'm sure you'll be glad to see her. :)

If you ever want to chat (cuz there is a thunderstorm or something, or even just because you want to, you can IM me if you have AOL Instant Messenger at jKfbadGirl212 or Yahoo at RogueQueenRobin or MSN at horsemistress@hotmail.com :)

I would think though, that since you live in a place where there are a lot of earthquakes that you would be more or less used to them.
yea i should be but really i've only felt about two. the first one i felt was when i was about 7 i think it was the 1994 earthquake, the really big one, and it was pretty close to us, AND i was ina waterbed lol. I remember our neighbors coming over, listening to a handheld radio (the electricity went out) and nibbling on graham crackers. the other one was when i was in 7th grade (whoa 7s! ;-)) and it awsn't big at all, jsut wierd, the house wasn't shaking, just sort of swaying, and i threw up ha. But anyones we've had since, i've been able to sleep through. Just the prospect of the ground, which is supposed to be the most stable thing of all, moving under me is a bit sketchy in my book;-)
Thanks for everything:) You have been added to my buddy lists:)

I know exactly what you mean about "Just the prospect of the ground, which is supposed to be the most stable thing of all, moving under me is a bit sketchy in my book;-)" It's the fear of the "unknown" kinda. You fear it happening but then once it does happen you are still scared a little, but at least it is happening. Its a scary thought- one i've had nightmares about when I was in CA when I was younger. Until it happens, I am going to be afraid of earthquakes. So I share how you feel. :) You are lucky then to have only felt a few earthquakes. And therefore I can understand why you'd feel a little scared of them- cuz you really haven't experienced enough of them to really be used to it.

Again, it's no problem.... it seems we share common fears kinda... and what better way to ease them than to talk about them with others? :)

~*Robinwyn*~

Florida is very generous when it comes to storms. I'm deathly scared of tornadoes more than anything. I keep repeatedly having dreams of tornadoes hitting my house. A couple of weeks ago, I heard that a tornado was headed right for us. I was shaking and I actually thought I might cry. Turns out it was like, 15 miles away. With these back to back hurricanes that we're having, its not fun. Wherever there are hurricanes, there are tornadoes. I'm also scared of trees falling on our house. Yeah, you're definately not the only one.

I USED to be scared of a lot of things. Thunder was a big one. it would make me jump and I had to lock myself in my room. I eventually grew out of it. Phobias are not rational, so for the most part there is no rational way to get you un-afraid. But perhaps you can figure out WHY the thunder and lightning scare you. What exactly are you afraid will happen?

I don't think I have any fear anymore, of anything. this may sound corny or whatever, or if you are religious, or at least believe in a higher power. I think somewhere along the line, I came to accept that everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand it. And, if the higher being up there deems it to be "my time", or feels the need to take someone I love, then that is their will. So, i am not really scared about anything. i sometimes worry about people, like if someone is driving in the pouring rain, but I don't get anxious about it.