Suppress

Hi. I would appreciate it if you would read this through and tell me if it's okay. I also would like to know if suppress is fitting here or if you would prefer another word? Thanks.

Yes, I have always had a fear of birds. Once I was crossing a crowded square, a big pigeon landed right next to me, so I instinctively let out a big scream. People looked at me strangely. I tried to suppress my fear so that I wouldn’t attract more unwanted attention, but then another pigeon flew right past me, so I screamed again, even louder. I couldn’t help it. It was very embarrassing.