How to Overcome Your Fear of Riding Cable Cars

Is the fear of riding a cable car stopping you from getting where you want to go? Want to be able to save gas and commute quickly? Here is a step by step guide to achieve this by overcoming your fear of riding a cable car.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. The simplest way to overcome your fear of riding cable cars is through exposure therapy where you gradually expose yourself to your phobia more and more until you find yourself doing things that you would previously have found impossible to do. First sit down in a quiet place and mentally picture a cable car. If you are able to do this picture yourself riding a cable car. Try to ignore your fear. The idea is to concentrate on your phobia in a secure location so that your mind begins to associate the thing you are afraid of with security and comfort. Doing so will weaken your fear of riding cable cars when the time comes.
2. Next, if you feel you are ready, visit a cable station and watch the people getting on cable cars. If this makes you queasy, try to bring along a trusted friend or family member for comfort. Again, the idea is for you to build a mental association between your phobia and lack of fear. This situation should make you associate your friend with cable cars. Also, picture the people getting on the cable cars. If you get bored try to imagine that you are one of them. See yourself getting on the cable car. Imagine yourself getting out a few stops later without anything happening. This is a continuation of the mental imagining activity in step one.
3. Celebrate small successes and try not to focus on your failures. Fighting a phobia is a long uphill battle and you should be proud of any progress that is being made.
4. Talk to friends about your fear. Honestly try to find rational reasons why you are scared to ride in cable cars. Let your friends tell you why this is not reasonable. Tell yourself why this is not reasonable. Write it down for consolidation.
5. Gradually get more and more exposure to cable cars and thinking about cable cars till some day you get enough leverage over your fear to actually drive in one. As you continue to drive in cable cars, you will find yourself becoming more comfortable with the situation. Generally people are not scared to do things that they follow through with on a routine basis. Eventually you will over come your fear.

Tips & Warnings

• If you feel your fear is irrational and debilitating, it is best to seek psychiatric help.