How Exactly Did I Get Over My Childhood Fear of Thunder?
What sort of psychology principles would apply to my experience? That's what I'm asking for.
These are the general details...
-I began staying home by myself everyday after school around late 2nd grade or early third grade year. Before this, I actually rotated through several different baby-sitters.
-Two ways I coped with the anxiety at home: "Caving in" (staying still, hiding in tight places, underneath blankets, and so on) or "Negotiation" (I would talk to the storm itself).
How I Got Over It...
I actually got over it in one day and the sequence of the events are pretty strange. During the afternoon just before the storm hit, as a class we were reading about a story of a young boy's fear of lightning and thunder. I didn't take the short story seriously. I thought it was long, boring and most of all utter B.S. as a matter of fact.
The storm reached its peak during school dismissal, I'm suppose to take the school bus home and my bus number happened to be one of the very last to arrive. Throughout the entire time of waiting and waiting, I finally broke down and cried around two other classmates that rode the same bus as me and my third grade teacher. I admitted in tears that I didn't want to spend another day all alone at home after school with the thunderstorm for who knows how many hours, and I was very embarrassed. Surprisingly the two kids didn't give me hard time for it, one of them was sympathetic which didn't give me much comfort and the kid who would usually tease me left me alone. My teacher consoled me with a guarantee that by the time I got home the thunder would cease, and she was right. I was so happy and relieved by the time I got home, and was hardly phased by the rumbling of thunder since then. I actually started looking forward to them.
I don't get it, how did I just get over it in just one day?