Dear doctor,

I became aware of my fear as early as I became aware of my own self. I’m a grown up person who has a promising career, and I’m afraid that my fear will make me stray from the path to success.

Pigeons are to blame for my anguish. To an expert of your repute this might seem to be a mere trifle, but believe me, it is not the case.

Distance between pigeons and me is the crucial factor. As long they are not within my reach, everything is cool. Situation rapidly gets worse as the magical distance gets smaller. Nice and peaceful city bird – pigeon, loved by the old, and little children, in my eyes transforms into a bloodthirsty monster with a sharp beak and what’s even more horrifying, feathers.

I am not sure whether, in this cry for help, I should emphasize that I am not afraid of other birds, and that I find turtledoves, ducks, and parrots very nice. My attitude towards them is ever so normal.

I am very much looking forward to hearing from you.

Distressed female activist

response:

Dear Distressed Activist

Fortunately, this problem fits into the category of nice little problems that only contribute to your charm. Every one of us experiences similar minor difficulties in life. On the other hand, I am certainly not implying that you do not suffer greatly from a phobia that, at times, turns your life into a nightmare.

Here’s an explanation - sometimes your feeling of insecurity manifests itself in the presence of objects that pose no real threat to you. This happens because, due to some social restrictions, we cannot afford to hate the actual source of our fear. For example, we feel that openly expressed hatred towards your mother would be understood as a breech of social rules, although her doings endanger your personality.

In that case, a transfer of feelings, such as fear and anxiousness, can be developed. These feelings are transferred to some object or person that is close to your mother. For instance, if she likes wearing black clothes, your fear may include all black garments, or garments made of leather, and you might not even be aware of this process. Your relationship with your mother seemingly remains the same, but you begin to be wary of contacts with all persons who wear black clothes.

I recommend you to locate in your own consciousness when and in what kind of situation the r of pigeons first appeared. Try to guess what sort of disturbing circumstances could have initiated transfer of your fear to pigeons, and not to turtledoves. That will be the beginning of solving your small, but painful problem.

Besides, you can always resort to writing me another letter.

Yours Truly,

Dr. Fearless