home Audience 4 How to get rid of fears (phobias), obsessive anxious thoughts? How to get rid of feelings of fear and anxiety - features, effective methods and reviews How to remove your fears

How to get rid of fears (phobias), obsessive anxious thoughts? How to get rid of feelings of fear and anxiety - features, effective methods and reviews How to remove your fears

Where do ours come from? fears?

For what reason do they slow down activity and destroy goals?

What do people fear most? And the most important thing: how to get rid of fear?

All people, starting from childhood, are literally saturated with the most different fears. They are initiated by parents, friends, teachers - the closest circle. And over time, the person himself, without realizing it, begins to fear almost every decision and step he takes.

Feelings of fear and anxiety has such strong power over a person that it can either become the engine of his development, or, on the contrary, paralyze him on the way to achieving his goal.

And understand, meet “face to face” with your fears is a big and serious step towards curing fear. In order to get acquainted with what frightens, to find out what underlies fears, it is necessary to touch upon one important topic, without which the concept of “fear” will not be fully disclosed - the topic of needs.

Needs are something without which no person can survive. It is the needs that drive a person, force them to learn new material, leave the zone of psychological and physical comfort, master skills, subtleties of communication, and explore territories. There is no person without needs, which is why it is important to know, take into account and satisfy them in a timely manner.

How are needs related to fears? The most direct. The need for something is a need, a feeling that without what you want and need you cannot survive. And if you survive, it’s not as comfortable as you would like.

Needs are directly related to the desire to live and be recognized by this world. And the risk that needs will not be met gives rise to a persistent feeling of fear and anxiety.

Ideally, needs should be met in a timely and complete manner. In this case, the person will feel comfortable, feel healthy and have the opportunity to move even further - beyond the border of satisfying needs.

Navigation for the article “How to get rid of fear and learn to live life to the fullest”:

What exact needs are we talking about?

There are 2 main groups of needs:

biological – this group includes the need for biosurvival;
social– the need for communication, high-quality emotional contact, adequate socialization, receiving and understanding new information.

I propose to dwell on each group of needs in more detail.

Simply put, this need is expressed in the desire to live. Receive timely food, clean water, feel safe, feel healthy. Biological needs are laid down quite early - in infancy. Normally they are saturated up to 3 years.

So, if in childhood a person did not experience prolonged hardships in the form of hunger, cold, and did not constantly encounter situations that threatened his life, he grows up with the inner conviction that he will always have something to eat, where to live, and how to earn money.

He is fundamentally confident that all these are natural living conditions for him, he needs to work for them, but there is no need to fight for them. As a result, such a person can engage in his development, career growth, relationships without feelings of fear and anxiety and not be afraid that he will not have enough resources.

If for some reason the physiological needs were not satisfied, for example, the family lived on the brink of survival, in constant need or danger, the parents constantly experienced a feeling of fear and anxiety, then the child grows up psychologically “hungry”: dissatisfied with what he has , and constantly fearing for their survival.

Growing up, such a child directs his activities exclusively to accumulation and preservation of what he has accumulated. It becomes almost impossible for him to strive for something new, since everything new implies cancellation, loss of the familiar, and a person who is not even sure that he will have enough “food and water” cannot allow this.

Accordingly, the fear that controls a person at the level of biological needs is biosurvival or fear of the finite.

This fear is directly related to a person’s fear for his life and health, with the fear of death.

It's no secret that every person wants his life to last as long as possible. And even if he is not completely satisfied with the way he lives, the need for survival takes first and foremost place on the scale of priorities.

Which is understandable, because life itself gives hope for positive changes, for improving the existing situation. That is why even the most desperate person is inclined to hope for the best - that “everything will be fine.”

On the one hand, this life-affirming message gives faith in a bright future, but on the other hand, in a certain sense, it deprives a person of activity, since this “will” depends not so much on himself, but on the external situation - people, events, opportunities that will bring changes .

The feeling of fear and anxiety associated with the biological level, it would seem, should activate its movement and development (after all, to live, you need to move). But in fact, this type of fear rather leads to stagnation. Because the naive belief “in all the good things” that will come by itself, coupled with the reluctance to part with accumulated goods, only further fixes in a person the fear of losing what he has.

Such “good” can be a familiar way of life, extra pounds and health problems, stereotypes that have developed over the years, familiar places and people from whom no external danger emanates, but there is also no development. The craving for the familiar and the desire to preserve the familiar by any means is a passive form of manifestation of the fear of the finite.

The active form of biological fear arises during periods when and if life is in real danger. But since modern man lives in a relatively calm world, his feeling of fear and anxiety for his own life has transformed into fear lose what you already have.

As a result, this made a person dependent and unfree. With such an attitude towards resources, he is forced to regard any of his steps as a risk of losing: money, food, housing, relationships, his usual life. As a result, a person psychologically becomes heavy, overweight and greedy, which instantly affects the state of his consciousness, body, and emotions.

First of all, try to notice its manifestations and recognize that it exists. How is it possible to see the fear of the finite in oneself? For example, you are afraid to take an extra step into something new, no matter what it concerns - work, relationships, travel, change of regime - anything.

It is fear that whispers to you that if you spend time and attention on something new, for example, decide to learn a new skill, change your place of residence, announce a search or even change a job, partner, life priorities, then you will not have enough to this is time, energy, effort, money, your loved ones will turn their backs on you, etc. As a result, such fear leads to the fact that you leave everything as it is.

Do you recognize yourself? Would you like to understand what to do with it? I propose to do a psychological exercise aimed at working through and cure fear final:

If possible, make sure that no one disturbs you.
Have paper and pen ready.
Write down everything valuable in your life. What you are afraid of losing: money, food, relationships, housing, work, usual way of life, etc.
Think about how real and justified your fears are.
Think about it - what can you do now to insure yourself against a possible loss? Learn a new skill? Get an extra job? Optimize an existing schedule? And so on.
Now think about the side of the issue that is beyond your control, for example, you can be a good employee, but if a crisis happens in the country and your company goes bankrupt, you will not be able to do anything about it, which means there is nothing to worry about. And further in the same vein.
At the same time, even these cases have the opportunity to be influenced: maybe it’s time to learn a new profession so that no crisis can knock you down? After all, even where you seem to have no control over the overall process, your part of responsibility always remains - so use it for your own good!

It is advisable to do this exercise several times. As you carefully and intelligently go through all the points and find the answers, your fear of the ultimate will gradually begin to dissolve.

Which is understandable - after all, from a passive observer awaiting your fate, you have retrained into a person who wants and can act, and action - active and purposeful, as you know, helps to get rid of fear, not allowing it to grow and absorb your vital energy.

Social needs are the needs for communication, quality emotional contact, and new information.

Social needs are expressed in the desire to communicate with others like oneself, to establish high-quality emotional contacts, to be connected with others, to love and receive love, recognition and support.

This need begins in early childhood and is ideally satisfied until about 7 years of age. Full saturation is directly related to the mother’s ability to accept and love her child with unconditional love.

It is necessary to make a reservation that the ability to love unconditionally, to a very large extent, is inherent in women, while men predominantly love for something - for their actions, deeds, for their readiness to act.

And, despite the fact that unconditional love is one of the most natural manifestations of a mother’s relationship with a child, it is laid down by nature so that the mother does not abandon the child in the most difficult period of his life, in fact it turns out that this type of love is extremely rare .

This is where the awareness of the need to become a loving mother, both for yourself and for your child, comes into play. And satisfy the need for unconditional love and quality emotional contact.

The less unconditional love there was in childhood, the more A person becomes emotionally unstable as an adult. The feeling of fear and anxiety, self-doubt, doubts about one’s own abilities intensify, a person begins to experience unaccountable anxiety about any reason, any communication, every choice made becomes difficult for him.

At the same time, a person is always missing something/someone: food, clothes, people, events, novelty, etc. Against this background, a claim to life is formed, a feeling that everyone “owes something.”

But the stronger the claim, the less those around them are willing to put up with the demands put forward to them. As a result, this further isolates a person from society. And resentment, demandingness, and greed for other people’s attention and time stick out even more.

An unsatisfied need for high-quality emotional contact leads to self-doubt, to doubts in one’s own abilities, a person begins to experience an unaccountable feeling of fear and anxiety for any reason, any communication, every choice made becomes difficult for him.

All of the above ultimately activates social fears.

Social fear is associated with life in society, with the desire to be accepted by society, recognized and loved. It is in society that a person learns about what he should believe in, what laws to live by, what to find good and evil for himself and what to conform to.

Social fear is the second most important, it arises from about 7 years of age, from the moment when the child learns about the basic rules of life and the group in which he lives, about what he can and should do and what he cannot do.

The basis of social fear is the fear that a society that is significant to a person will turn away from him, making it clear that with his desires and goals he will be inappropriate and unnecessary. As mentioned above, social fear originates from the dissatisfaction of the need for quality emotional contact.

To cure fear before society, to overcome self-doubt and eliminate the feeling of being out of place in society, it is important to first satisfy a social need. How? Having learned to build high-quality emotional contacts. And to do this, first and foremost, understand what exactly is important, valuable, interesting for you and... look for and find like-minded people in this.

After all, what is quality emotional contact? This is the same closeness and support that arises between two or more people. And you can gain and build this intimacy in adulthood on the basis of common interests, goals and values.

Do you feel like there are (few) close people in your life? In this case, start by looking for them where your deepest interest lies. Even if not immediately, over time, you will find people close in spirit and activities with whom it will be possible to strike up friendships or even love relationships.

It is precisely such relationships that will create a stable platform for satisfying the need for quality emotional contact. And they will help replace the feeling of fear and anxiety with the feeling that you are not alone, that you have someone to turn to, someone to communicate with, and with whom to share common values and interests.

Asking yourself this question , you can find the answer by doing the following exercise, which will help you realize yourself outside of social stereotypes and related experiences:

Reflect and write down all your social fears (loneliness, poverty, devaluation, rejection, etc.)
Think about what is your “worst fear” (WF), for example: your loved ones will turn away, you will run out of strength, opportunities will be closed to you, no one will ever love you, etc.
Next, look back at your life and think - are you already living under the influence of this fear? Maybe in your life there are already no people, situations, opportunities that you are so afraid of losing, and therefore stop being afraid and it’s time to go out and start looking for them?
Now look into the “eyes” of your SSS and say “I’m not afraid of you, I will succeed!” What will it give? Realizing what you fear most in your life makes it possible not to be afraid of smaller and more immediate fears, which gives you the strength to act!
After you do this exercise several times, it will become obvious to you that there is NOTHING to be afraid of, which will untie your hands, make you freer and stronger.

And one more thing that helps to cure fear of society and satisfy the need for quality emotional contact is to set yourself the task of recognizing yourself.

What you are talented in, how you can earn money, what your interest is. And through this, understand that your main resources are not in the outside world, but in yourself. And the more resources you discover in yourself, the less reasons you have to cling to your environment and the more chances you have to get rid of the fear associated with people.

To this end, I propose to do one more exercise aimed at understanding your own strengths:

If possible, make sure that no one disturbs you, prepare paper and pen, and take time for yourself.
Write down 10 people you admire in a column - these can be any people: from your neighbor in the stairwell to Mother Teresa.
After the list has been compiled, to each name add the qualities that you admire in these people, anything you like: appearance, kindness, fortitude, special abilities, etc.
Set the list aside for a while (up to 1 day), then return to it, look through it and, if desired, add/delete certain qualities.
When you can say with confidence that your list is ready, look at this: a) what qualities you wrote down the most (in terms of quantity); b) what qualities come first on the list.
Now get ready for the main thing: you have all these qualities! It’s just that they may not yet be realized and discovered by you. A person cannot see and appreciate anything in others that he himself does not have. This means that the main task is to understand this and begin to develop
Do you admire the way authors write their books? It is very likely that you have a similar gift - try to embody it. Do you like your manager for his charisma and non-trivial approach to life? This means that you also have similar qualities, they just haven’t been revealed yet. Etc.

In the same way, you can make a list of people who seem like “negative heroes” to you. And through them, understand what is bad and uncomfortable in you. This is how the projection mechanism works, which says the following: all the qualities that you have, but which for various reasons are not yet obvious to you, your psyche transfers to the world around you.

And you can see them by looking at other people and the emotions they evoke in you. There is an emotion (negative or positive, associated with this or that quality in another person), which means you also have the quality.

The most important answer to the question " how to get rid of fear“—recognition of oneself. As you approach this knowledge, you begin to better understand the world around you, the laws by which society lives, the reasons for your failures in it, and ways to build a dialogue with society of a quality that will help you realize yourself in the best possible way.

As already mentioned, fears accompany a person throughout his life, over time becoming his usual companions. It is fears that strengthen the boundary between consciousness and body, between you internal and external, between your “I” and the “I” of the people around you.

The less a person understands himself, his desires, needs, real and potential capabilities, the less chance he has of curing fear of any level - biological or social.

The unwillingness to look inside oneself and solve one’s own problems gives rise to self-doubt, distrust of life and, as a result, fear of it. Whereas self-knowledge, on the contrary, sheds light on the situation, allowing you to get closer to its positive resolution.

Therefore, if you seriously study yourself, you will become ready to heal your fears, work through them - on your own or with a specialist - and let go. And a brighter, more voluminous and beautiful world will open before you, in which life will become much calmer and better for you.

If you have any questions about the article:

Fear is a negative emotion that is inherent in all people. Fear is a defense mechanism that is designed to protect a person from possible dangers. For example, the fear of snakes tells you not to approach dangerous reptiles, and the fear of heights helps you not to fall down.

Feeling fear is as natural as feeling happy or sad. However, it's all about the power of emotion. Fear in situations dangerous to physical or social well-being is normal. It helps you find the strength to solve the problem, become more cautious and careful. It’s another matter when a person experiences strong fear for no reason or suffers from negative obsessive thoughts. Fear interferes with normal social life and has a number of other negative consequences:

· A person is under constant stress, which depletes his mental strength and reduces his resistance to disease;
· There is a tendency to develop mental illnesses – neurosis, psychosis, personality disorders;
· Relationships with significant people are disrupted, families are destroyed;
· The normal way of life is disrupted - due to fears, a person may stop leaving the house.

According to statistics, phobias and obsessive thoughts are among the most common disorders. They affect about 20% of the population. Moreover, women are more prone to developing obsessive fears.
The tendency to develop phobias and obsessive thoughts develops in people of a special character. They are distinguished by anxiety, suspiciousness, impressionability, low self-esteem, and a tendency to creative thinking. It has been noted that increased anxiety, and with it the tendency to develop fears, is inherited.

The tendency to develop fear is provoked by a number of changes in the body:

· violation of gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism;
· increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary system;
· disturbances in the functioning of the neurotransmitter systems (noradrenergic and serotonergic), responsible for the transmission of impulses between nerve cells.

From a neuroscientist's perspective, fear is a neurochemical process. Excitement occurs in the brain, which causes the release of norepinephrine and adrenaline. They have a stimulating effect on the nervous system and change the exchange of neurotransmitters (dopamine and serotonin). The mood drops, anxiety and fear arise.

At the same time, the person experiences an unpleasant pressing feeling in the chest, the heartbeat quickens, and the skeletal muscles tense. Spasm of peripheral blood vessels causes the hands and feet to become cold.
Do not ignore the presence of fears and phobias, as they tend to turn into mental disorders. You can deal with fears on your own, or contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Drug treatment of fears and phobias used when social therapy (self-help) and psychotherapy have not brought results, as well as in the development of depression. To treat fears and phobias the following are used:
· selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, venlafaxine;
· antidepressants: clomipramine, imipramine;
· benzodiazepines: alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam. They are used for a short course in combination with antidepressants.
· beta blockers: propranolol. used immediately before a situation that causes fear (flying on an airplane, speaking in front of an audience).

Only a doctor can choose the right drug and its dosage. Self-administration of drugs can cause drug dependence and worsen mental health.

Each psychological school has developed its own approach to dealing with fears. All of them are quite effective. Therefore, when you come to a psychologist with the question: “how to get rid of fears?”, you will receive qualified help. Depending on the technique, the process will take from several weeks to several months. However, according to the German Medical Society The most effective is behavioral therapy and the exposure method. At the same time, the person is helped to gradually get used to fear. At each session, the person is in a frightening situation longer and performs more complex tasks.

In the same way, you can get rid of fear yourself. In this article we will look in detail at self-help methods for various types of fears and phobias.

How to deal with obsessive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts or obsessions– These are unwanted involuntary thoughts, images or intentions that arise from time to time and cause negative emotions. Perceiving obsessive thoughts as your own is a sign of mental health. It is very important that a person understands that these are his thoughts, and not “voices” or pictures imposed by someone from the outside. Otherwise, psychosis or schizophrenia may be suspected.
Obsessive thoughts arise against a person’s will and cause him severe stress. It can be:

· frightening memories;
· images of illnesses, thoughts about infection with dangerous microbes;
· pictures of accidents that happen to loved ones;
· obsessive fears of harming other people (accidentally or intentionally);
· obsessive thoughts, when a person is forced to conduct dialogues with himself.

Obsessive thoughts are often accompanied by obsessive actions - compulsions. These are unique rituals that are designed to protect a person from negative consequences and relieve obsessive thoughts. The most common obsessive actions are washing hands, double-checking the condition of electrical appliances, and turning off the gas stove. If a person has both obsessive thoughts and obsessive actions, then there is reason to assume the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Causes of obsessive thoughts

Overwork– prolonged unbearable mental and physical stress, lack of rest.
2. Experienced stress(dog attack, dismissal from work), which temporarily disrupted the flow of processes in the central nervous system.
3. Losing the meaning of life, aimless existence, low self-esteem are accompanied by negative emotions and a tendency to fruitless reasoning.
4. Features of the brain. Mostly they are manifested by a violation of the metabolism of neurotransmitters - serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine.
5. Hereditary factors– the tendency to obsessive thoughts can be inherited.
6. Character accentuations. People with a sensitive, pedantic, astheno-neurotic personality type are prone to the appearance of obsessive thoughts.
7. Features of education– too strict, religious upbringing. In this case, obsessive thoughts and intentions may arise that are fundamentally contrary to upbringing. According to one version, they are a subconscious protest of the individual, and according to another, they are the result of excessive inhibition in the corresponding areas of the brain.
Obsessive thoughts intensify after a serious illness, endocrine diseases, during periods of hormonal changes (pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause), and during periods of intrafamily problems.

Ways to deal with obsessive thoughts

· Eliminate traumatic situations. It is necessary to give rest to the nervous system, if possible eliminate all irritating factors and avoid stress. The best solution would be to take a vacation.
· Stop fighting obsessive thoughts. Accept the fact that they sometimes come to mind. The harder you try to fight obsessive thoughts, the more often they appear and the more stress they cause. Mentally tell yourself: “I forgive myself for these thoughts.”
· Deal with intrusive thoughts calmly. Remember that most people experience this condition from time to time. Do not take the thought as a warning or a sign from above. It is just the result of the appearance of excitation in a separate part of the brain. Studies have proven that obsessive thoughts have nothing to do with intuition. Nothing bad happened to people who saw frightening pictures of impending misfortunes. And those who were afraid of their intentions to harm others never carried them out.
· Replace obsessive thoughts with rational ones. Assess how unlikely it is that your fears will come true. Make a plan of actions that you will take if trouble does happen. In this case, you will feel that you are prepared for an unpleasant situation, which will reduce fear.
· Speak, write down, tell obsessive thoughts. Until a thought is put into words, it seems very convincing and frightening. When you voice it or write it down, you will understand how unconvincing and absurd it is. Tell your loved ones about your obsessive thoughts and write them down in a diary.
· Face your fear. Train yourself to do things that cause fear. If you are haunted by obsessive thoughts about infection, gradually accustom yourself to being in public places. If you tend to analyze your statements and blame yourself for them, communicate more with people.
· Learn relaxation techniques. Yoga, autogenic training, meditation, muscle relaxation help balance the processes of inhibition and excitation in the brain. This reduces the risk of the appearance of foci of neurochemical activity that cause obsessions.

How to get rid of the fear of death?

Fear of death or thanatophobia– one of the most common fears in the world. It is obsessive in nature, so it is quite difficult for a person to control it. Fear of death can occur at any age, and is not always associated with poor health. It is often experienced by teenagers and people 35-50 years old. However, in most cases they have no reason to fear for their existence.

The peculiarity of thanatophobia is that a person does not have the opportunity to face his fear face to face, to get used to it, as happens in cases of fear of spiders, closed spaces and other phobias. In addition, the person realizes that death is an inevitable outcome, which increases fear.

Causes of fear of death

1. Death of a loved one one of the most common reasons. During this period, it is difficult for a person to deny the inevitability of death and this leads to the development of fear.
2. Poor health. A serious illness causes a reasonable fear of death. In such a situation, it is especially important to restore a person’s faith in his own strength and recovery, so the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist is necessary.
3. Significant successes, achievements, material well-being which a person is afraid of losing.
4. "Hypnotization" by death. A large amount of information about death in the media, films, and computer games suggests that death is something ordinary.
5. Tendency to philosophize. When a person constantly asks himself the question: “Why am I living? What will happen after death?”, then thoughts about death begin to dominate in his mind.
6. Prolonged stay in a stressful environment, especially during periods considered to be crises: the teenage crisis of 12-15 years, the midlife crisis of 35-50 years.
7. Pedantic accentuation of character– people with this personality type are very disciplined, responsible and try to keep all aspects of life under control. But they understand that death is not under their control. This causes them a pathological fear.
8. Fear of the unknown. All people tend to fear the unknown and inexplicable, which is death. This is the reason for the development of fear of death in intelligent and inquisitive people who are looking for a logical explanation for everything.
9. Mental disorders, accompanied by fear of death: obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic fear of the unknown.

How to get rid of the fear of death

Fear of death is easier to cure if its causes can be identified. Psychoanalysis can help with this. For example, if the fear of the death of a loved one is a manifestation of excessive dependence on him, then a psychologist will help you become more independent. If fear is an excuse for not wanting to do anything, moving to a new place, getting a job, then psychocorrection will be aimed at increasing activity.
· Be philosophical about death. Epicurus said: “As long as we exist, there is no death; when there is death, we no longer exist.” No one will be able to avoid death, and no one knows why and when it will happen. It is pointless to try to protect yourself: do not go out, do not fly on planes, because such a lifestyle will not protect you from death. While a person is alive, he should concentrate on everyday problems, and not waste energy and time on fear.
· Believe in God. This gives hope for eternal life. Believers are less afraid of death. They try to lead a righteous lifestyle and believe that they will go to heaven, that their soul is immortal.
· Think about the future. Imagine what will happen after what you fear happens. This technique works if the fear of death is associated with the fear of losing a loved one. Imagine that the worst thing happened. For some period after the loss, negative emotions will be very strong. However, life will go on, although it will change. Over time, you will learn to live in a new way and experience joy. Such is the nature of man - he cannot experience the same emotions indefinitely.
· Live life to the fullest. The meaning of the fear of death is to remind a person that it is necessary to live life to the fullest and enjoy it. Focus on what is happening here and now. Try to improve your life, make your childhood dream come true (to travel abroad, find a well-paid job, jump with a parachute). Break the path to your goal into stages and implement them consistently. This approach will help you enjoy life. The more successes in life, the more satisfied a person is with life. These thoughts will replace the fear of death.
· Stop being afraid of fear. Give yourself permission to experience it periodically. You have already experienced the fear of death and you can experience it again. Thanks to this attitude, you will soon notice that the feeling of fear begins to come much less often.
With successful treatment, the fear of death is replaced by its denial. An inner confidence appears that a person will live forever. At the same time, a person recognizes the theoretical possibility of death, but it seems something distant.

How to get rid of panic fears?

Panic fears predominantly occur in the form panic attacks (panic attacks). They take the form of acute, sudden attacks of anxiety, which are accompanied by vegetative symptoms (rapid heartbeat, heaviness in the chest, feeling of lack of air). Mostly, a panic attack lasts 15-20 minutes, sometimes up to several hours.

In 5% of the population, panic attacks occur without a significant reason, 1-2 times a month. Sometimes such fear can be a reaction to a significant event (a threat to life, a child’s illness, a ride in an elevator). Most often, panic attacks occur at night.

Panic fear is accompanied by symptoms that indicate improper functioning of the autonomic system:

· increased heart rate;
feeling of a “lump in the throat”;
shortness of breath, rapid shallow breathing;
· dizziness ;
· pre-fainting, feeling of heat in the body or chills;
· inability to move;
trembling hands;
Numbness or tingling of the skin;
· sweating ;
· chest pain ;
· nausea ;
Difficulty swallowing;
· abdominal pain ;
· frequent urination;
· fear of going crazy;
· fear of dying.

In connection with such manifestations, panic attacks are mistaken for symptoms of a disease, often cardiac or neurological. Upon examination, these suspicions are not confirmed. In fact, all the painful symptoms of panic fear are associated with the release of adrenaline and overexcitation of the nervous system.
After experiencing a panic attack, a person begins to fear its recurrence. This causes him to avoid situations in which the panic attack first occurred. This behavior can significantly impair the quality of life, making it impossible to travel on public transport or go shopping.

Causes of panic fears

1. Unpleasant situations - flying on an airplane, speaking in front of an audience;
2. Anticipation of an unpleasant situation - a conversation with the boss, fear of a repeat panic attack;
3. Memories of stress experienced;
4. Hormonal changes - adolescence, menopause, pregnancy;
5. Psychological conflict between desire and sense of duty;
6. Difficult period of adaptation - moving, new place of work.
Psychologists believe that a panic attack, despite the fact that it is very difficult for a person to tolerate, is a means of protecting the nervous system. A person who has experienced a panic attack begins to be more attentive to his health, takes vacation or sick leave, and avoids stressful situations and overload.

How to get rid of panic fear

Don't try to avoid panic attacks. Accept that they may appear and be prepared for them. Realize that your sensations are the result of excess adrenaline. They can be extremely unpleasant, but are not fatal. In addition, the attack will not last long. From the moment you stop being afraid of the repetition of panic fear, its attacks will occur less and less often.

Breathing exercises against panic fear
You can quickly alleviate the condition during an attack with the help of breathing exercises.
1. slow breath – 4 seconds;
2. pause – 4 seconds;
3. smooth exhalation – 4 seconds;
4. pause – 4 seconds.
Breathing exercises are repeated 15 times daily and during a panic attack. During gymnastics, you need to take a comfortable position and consciously relax all the muscles, especially the face and neck. Such gymnastics acts in several directions at once:
· increases the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, which “restarts” the respiratory center in the brain, slows breathing and heartbeat;
· promotes muscle relaxation;
· switches a person’s attention, helps to focus on the present, and not on frightening images.

Persuasion and persuasion

Panic disorders can be successfully treated through persuasion and persuasion. The best option would be to consult a psychotherapist, but communicating with a loved one about a topic of concern is also quite effective. It is necessary to convince the person that his condition during panic is not dangerous and will pass in a few minutes. That the problems that concern him will be resolved over time and everything will be fine.

Treatment of panic fears is carried out by psychotherapists or psychologists of various directions, practicing psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy, and hypnotherapy.

How to get rid of the fear of the dark?

Fear of the dark or nyctophobia the most common fear on the planet. It affects 10% of adults and over 80% of children. If you are afraid of the dark, it is not the lack of lighting that frightens you, but the dangers that may lurk in the darkness. This happens because the brain does not receive enough information about the environment to analyze it. At the same time, the imagination is activated, which “completes” various dangers.
A person suffering from nyctophobia may panic when the lights suddenly go out. Fear of the dark can transform into a fear of the dark indoors or a fear of the dark outdoors. A person can rationalize his fears by finding various reasons and excuses.

Fear of the dark or fear of the night may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
· Accelerated heartbeat;
· Increased pressure;
· Sweating;
· Trembling in the body.
When fear turns into a mental disorder, the patient begins to clearly “see” invented images, and they move into the category of hallucinations.

Causes of Fear of the Dark

1. Genetic predisposition. For most people, the fear of the dark is inherited from their ancestors. According to statistics, if parents were afraid of the dark, then their children will also be susceptible to nyctophobia.
2. Negative experience. An unpleasant event that a person suffered in the dark is fixed in the subconscious. For example, a child was locked in a dark room. Subsequently, the lack of lighting is associated with the experience of fear. Moreover, it often happens that the original threat was invented and was the fruit of the child’s overdeveloped imagination.
3. Disturbance of neurochemical processes. Disturbances in the exchange of neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin) and adrenaline can provoke the appearance of fears. What kind of fear a person will develop depends on the individual characteristics of higher nervous activity.
4. Constant stress. Prolonged nervous overstrain (conflicts in the family, difficulties at work, sessions) disrupts the normal functioning of the nervous system. At the same time, fear of the dark can appear even in adults.
5. Fasting, strict diets. There is a theory that a deficiency of certain chemical elements disrupts brain function, which can result in unreasonable fears.
6. Fear of death. This phobia worsens at night and provokes a fear of the dark.

How to get rid of the fear of the dark

· Find the reason for the fear. Try to remember the situation that caused the fear of the dark to appear. It needs to be imagined in detail, feel all the emotions, and then come up with a happy ending (I was locked in a dark room, but then my father came and took me in his arms). It is important to change your thinking to a positive one.
· Pleasant dreams. If the fear of the dark prevents you from falling asleep, then you need to relax, imagine yourself in a calm place, and conjure up other pleasant images.
· Behavioral therapy. The method of gradual habituation has been recognized as successful. Before turning on the light in a dark room, you need to count to 10. Every day, increase the time you spend in the dark by 10-20 seconds.
Fears and phobias can be treated at any age. You can get rid of them yourself, or seek help from a specialist. Patience and working on yourself are guaranteed to yield positive results.

Fear... You don't know how, when and why it took over your consciousness. Since then your life has become painful. You can't free your mind from negative thoughts, fear follows you everywhere. He lives in you, in your head. He is always with you. You would like more than anything to forget about him, but you don’t know how to get rid of the feeling of fear and anxiety for yourself or someone close to you, how to get rid of the constant panic fear in anticipation of something terrible. You are tense, tormented, exhausted...

And those nightmarish obsessive thoughts that create pictures in your imagination that scare you more than anything else? From these thoughts, cold sweat appears on your body, you are ready to lose consciousness. It's better to die than think about it. But thought is material, you remember this and are ready to kill yourself so that your terrible thoughts do not materialize, so that this nightmare from your head does not bring real harm to anyone. You resist these thoughts with all the strength of your consciousness, conduct meditations to get rid of fear - no, you won’t think about it, you won’t allow yourself! But from this you only enter colossal tension, unpleasant, painful - even your body begins to ache from this mental intensity. And your terrible obsessive thoughts - they creep into your consciousness with even greater force. How to get rid of bad obsessive thoughts and fears? After all, there must be some way, it can’t be that there isn’t!

How to get rid of fear of people, men, the dark, dogs... Fear comes in all forms

You know well what fear is - it is your longtime companion. He has been with you since childhood. Fear of the dark, chilling a child's soul. Fear of losing parents, fear of death. It's so scary to know from childhood that death exists and you have to die. Excruciatingly scary. You're so used to fear that it feels like it's part of you. Therefore, you have no idea how you can get rid of inner fear and uncertainty forever.

But what is happening now is unbearable! You can't live like that...

Yes, fear has always been with you, it only changed its appearance. Or didn't change it. The main thing for him is to live in your head under any pretext. You may be afraid of heights, water, snakes, insects, dogs - he doesn’t care by and large. You may seem funny to other people when you are afraid of germs on public transport. And it’s not funny for you - there are so many diseases in the world that you can get infected with! And be sick for a long time, and die painfully... You don’t know how to get rid of worries and fears in life, so you follow their lead. Don’t touch the handrails on the minibus; carry antibacterial wipes with you. You wash your hands a thousand times a day.

By the way, about diseases. Who can tell me how to get rid of the fear of getting sick? Sometimes you feel like you're sick. This has happened often in your life. You carefully monitor your body, your health... And suddenly you see that something has changed. You look for information about this on the Internet and find confirmation: yes, you are sick. Seriously. Looks like your song is over. How terrible it is to get sick at such an early age! You are only 20 (30, 40, 50...). Become disabled, lose your health, and even worse - die after a difficult struggle for life. And how afraid you are of pain, torment, of everything that has to be experienced - you are afraid to the point of pain in your heart. To tears. You can't sleep at night, you're so afraid.

You have already prepared for the worst, bought everything you need to take with you to the hospital and... the doctors did not confirm your diagnosis. They didn't find anything. You can’t believe it and go to other doctors! But even there they tell you that you are completely healthy! You cry with happiness, because you won’t die or become disabled! But... what was that? Hypochondria is one of the faces of your old friend FEAR. I would like to understand how to get rid of the fear of illness and pain, and what diseases there are - how to get rid of all fears...

A painful question: how to get rid of fears and complexes?

No matter what happens in your life, fear always makes its own adjustments. Even wonderful events are overshadowed by fear. For example, you are afraid of losing something. Something or someone.

If you are in love, and even mutually, and even happy, this happiness does not last long. Fear drags into your consciousness the thought that your loved one may stop loving you, abandon you, or cheat on you with someone else. Your fear helpfully paints pictures in your imagination, painful pictures of betrayal. There she (he) is with someone else, and it seems to you that in fact her (his) behavior is suspicious. She (he) pays little attention to you, at least less than before. Stopped loving (fell out of love)? You are tormented by jealousy, suspicion, and fear of abandonment. You throw up scenes of jealousy, sort things out, and your beloved (beloved) looks at you with round eyes in surprise and says that you have no reason to be jealous.

You see that you yourself, with your own hands, are gradually destroying your wonderful relationship, making it painful and painful. You are destroying your great love. And it’s always like this: first you don’t know how to get rid of the fear of approach, then - how to get rid of the fear of betrayal, and there is no end to this... Fear always guides you, lives with you, screams at you, makes you hysterical, is jealous of you...

Fear prevents you from living. It brings suffering to you and your loved ones. Get rid of fear! Make him leave your consciousness forever. Because it's possible.

System-vector psychology. How to get rid of fear and phobias

So, what is the technique for getting rid of fear?

Systemic psychoanalysis by Yuri Burlan helps to get rid of fears guaranteed and forever. Many people have already used this method and received excellent and lasting results, getting rid of a variety of bad conditions, including phobias, obsessive fears, and panic attacks.

How it works?

Systemic-vector psychology is the science of vectors, innate desires and mental properties for their implementation, which are indicated on the human body by erogenous zones. If a person is not aware of his true, innate desires, he will not realize them. Then the vectors (that is, the psychic hidden in the unconscious) are not filled, and the person experiences bad states.

You can try systemic psychoanalysis in action completely free of charge at the introductory online lectures “System-vector psychology”. To register for the training, go to.

Proofreader: Galina Rzhannikova

The article was written based on training materials “ System-vector psychology»

Aristotle

We all know the feeling of fear. It is characteristic of every normal person. And this, I must say, is a very useful feeling if a person knows how to control it. But when fear begins to control a person, his life turns into sheer torment, because this unpleasant emotion creates severe discomfort for him and limits his capabilities. Therefore, many people want to get rid of fear in order to live life to the fullest and enjoy it, as well as in order to realize their potential, which often remains unrealized for many people due to fear. In this article, friends, I will tell you how to get rid of fear, or rather, the negative feelings that it causes in us. I will help you transform your fear from your enemy to your friend and ally.

But before I tell you how you can deal with your fear so that you can take control of it and start benefiting from it, I would like to explain to you what the meaning of fear is and how it works. to smoothly lead you to the right thoughts. You and I understand that each feeling and emotion has its own purpose, which must be taken into account when working with them. Fear is a manifestation of the instinct of self-preservation, the task of which is to keep our lives safe and sound. A useful instinct, you see, but, unfortunately, it does not always help us, since with its help we perceive the surrounding reality too straightforwardly, and one might even say primitively. Therefore, it is necessary to connect the mind to this instinct, as well as to any other, in order to control it. Reason and instincts must work in tandem, then they will be of great benefit to a person. But the work of instinct without reason, alas, is not always useful and appropriate. Sometimes such work only works to our detriment. But the essence remains the same - we need instincts for life, they generally drive us, without them we could not live. Therefore, it will be better if they do not work quite correctly than not work at all. And fear, in any case, is useful, even if it is not entirely appropriate than its complete absence. But we need to understand how it works, then we can tame it. To do this, let's look at the meaning of fear.

Friends, what do you think fear needs from you? I'll tell you what he needs - he needs your attention. This is the first thing he needs. Then, your fear needs your study and assessment of the threats that it, guided by the wisdom of evolution, informs you about. Attention, analysis, evaluation - your fear requires this from you. But not only. The most important thing that he ultimately needs from you is for you to make a decision and take action to implement it, thanks to which you will be able to neutralize the threat to your security, if it is relevant. Your fear wants you to take action based on its threat signals; it wants your reaction, either primitive, in the form of running or wanting to fight, or more intelligent, taking into account all the subtleties of the situation in which you find yourself. But in any case, there must be a reaction. Otherwise, signals in the form of emotions of fear will not stop. Agree, this is a very reasonable manifestation of nature - simple in its design, but effective in its effect on humans. If it were not for fear, you and I would have died out long ago. And thanks to him, we are careful and avoid many dangers and threats to life. Fear makes us value our lives.

And now I will ask you a very interesting and very important question, dear readers, taking into account the above - are you doing all the actions that your fear requires of you? I probably won’t be wrong if I assume that you don’t always do them, and not all of them. I'm right? That's why fear is a problem for you. This is natural for us, believe me. Many people don’t know how to listen to their fear, much less communicate with it, and I often don’t do this either, because I have no time. But, you know what, we need to do this - we need to listen to our fear, we need to hear it, we need to understand it and we need to respond to it. We need to be able to negotiate with our fear, otherwise it will not leave us alone. He will do his job until we take care of him, until we listen to him and take the actions he needs. Fear is responsible for our lives, and this is a very responsible job, which is why it is so strong. People, of course, can deceive nature by ignoring their fear using various methods, for example, through suggestions or through other specially evoked emotions. But why do we do this, why deceive nature, why deceive fear? After all, in doing so we are deceiving ourselves. We must understand that a person is afraid of everything that in one way or another threatens his life, that does not allow him to satisfy his natural needs. People are afraid of death, illness, hunger, poverty, loneliness, not being accepted by other people, they are afraid of missing out on something, not being able to do something, and similar things. People have many fears, and if you think about each of them, it turns out that most of these fears are completely justified. For example, is it possible to ignore the fear of everything that threatens our lives? I think it's impossible. We must value our life. But our life in this world is threatened by many things, and it is not always easy for us to satisfy our needs. And we must do this, because nature requires it from us. Therefore, fears will accompany us constantly, throughout our lives, in one form or another. We should give them a simple, understandable and pleasant appearance for us - we need to learn from our fears of vigilance and caution. But we don’t need panic and passivity, so we need to modify the fear that generates them.

How can you come to terms with fear? The dialogue with fear must be structured in the following way: it speaks, and you respond, or rather, act. But you must act - thoughtfully. Sometimes, however, there is no time to think - you need to either run or take other actions in response to fear. But often there is time to think and understand what is happening, so you need to think first, and only then act. What can fear tell you? What he should say is that he sees some kind of threat, which, judging by the multimillion-year experience of evolution, as well as from your own life experience, threatens your life and your interests. How can he tell you this? Naturally, not with words. With all due respect to a reasonable person, people understand words poorly, and often don’t understand them at all, no matter how hard you try to explain something to them, that’s just the way a person is. But in the language of life circumstances, through discomfort, through pain, suffering - it is very easy to communicate with a person. Thanks to this, a person at least begins to pay attention to the one who comes into contact with him in this way. And when fear wants to reach the mind of a reasonable person, it causes him discomfort in the form of mental and sometimes physical pain, it forces him to suffer, forces him to suffer, thus trying to explain to the person the importance of his message. Fear points a person to certain probabilities that can harm him and to the importance of certain cause-and-effect relationships that a person needs to take into account. Therefore, you need to find out how relevant the threat signaled by fear is and, if it is relevant, find an adequate response to it. Fear always has a reason, the only question is how serious it is. And if it is serious, you need to draw the right conclusions. For example, on the street at night - you were attacked and robbed or beaten, what conclusion can be drawn from this? The conclusion is simple - walking the streets at night is unsafe, and generally undesirable, since a large number of crimes are committed at this time of day. How many people in such situations draw similar conclusions and learn the lesson life has taught them? You yourself understand perfectly well that not many, despite all the power of human intellect. There’s nothing to say about other people’s experience; even fewer people learn from it. What, then, should fear do to protect a person from this kind of threat? Create discomfort for him, which will cause terrible inconvenience to the person when he tries to step on the same rake again. The language of fear is very simple - it prevents us from living peacefully when it sees that we are in real or potential danger. And until we deal with this danger, fear will not leave us alone.

To better understand the meaning of how fear works, put yourself in the place of the one who created a person, endowing him with different feelings, including the feeling of fear. Think about how you would solve the problem of teaching a person the ability to learn, at least from their own mistakes? How would you solve the problem of human security in order to protect him from various threats, both known and potential? Think about it, and you will understand that fear is not a problem, but a real benefit for a person. The problem is the fear of the fear rather than the event that causes it. After all, what is a person afraid of? What he does not understand, what really threatens his life and his interests, and what he invents and imagines for himself. Therefore, in order not to experience fear, you just need to understand the incomprehensible, protect yourself from a real threat, learn to defend your interests in order to satisfy your natural needs and sort out your thoughts so as not to be afraid of what you don’t need to be afraid of. It's so simple. But this is just in words, but in reality, in order to cope with fear, you need to be able to do a lot of things correctly. The most important thing is to be able to find the cause of fear in order to respond to it correctly. And this is analysis, reflection, assumptions, comparisons, evaluation, search and even inventing what is not there in order to understand what can be. Is every person ready to do such work? Does every person have time for it? In fact of the matter.

Thus, fear, as an innate quality, as a basic emotion, expects from us a correct, convincing response to its signals. Now let’s ask you another question, imagining ourselves in the place of the creator of this useful emotion - what actions of a person can convince us that he hears and understands us, that he is ready to take into account our signals and take the actions we need to protect myself? Think, if you were in a place of fear - what would you expect from a person? First of all, of course, a person needs to understand the essence of the threat that we are signaling to him through fear and develop an action plan to neutralize it, and then begin to implement this plan. Only in this case will he convince us - his fear - that he hears and understands us. A person can also avoid a threat - by moving away from it as much as possible, this will also require appropriate actions from him. Simply put, when faced with a threat, a person needs to make a decision - to flee or fight. A simple and clear rule. In some cases, you can still adapt to the threat so that it ceases to pose a danger to a person, you can join it in order to become part of it, you can even use it for your own purposes, using various methods. But for this you already need to be a more flexible, more intelligent, more competent person. Or, you can simply ignore the threat using self-hypnosis and thus muffle your fear. In general, there are different possible reactions to threats and all sorts of problems that make a person feel fear. But until a person finds the right solution that allows him to decide on the real or imaginary threat that makes him feel fear, we, being in the place of this fear, will not leave him alone. This is why fear is often so strong and lasts so long. People just don't work on it, so they are forced to test it.

Now let's put ourselves in the place of a person who wants to get rid of fear and ask the question - why do we, why, friends, do you need to get rid of it? What exactly is he bothering you about? And does it interfere? Maybe everything is quite the opposite, maybe fear is trying to help you, suggest a safer solution to this or that task, or, in any case, asks you to think about it? It all depends on what causes you fear. You need to study the nature of your fear to understand whether it is good for you or harmful. Understand that there is no problem with fear - there is a problem with a person’s misunderstanding of himself, with his misunderstanding of life and the world in which he lives. This misunderstanding itself is already a reason for fear. Thunder rumbles - the heavens are falling to earth - scary. A solar eclipse happened - the gods are angry, it’s also scary. Not knowing how to solve a problem, how to deal with a threat, how to get what you need, how not to lose what you have, all this also creates fear. Sometimes a person cannot even really explain what and why he is afraid, he simply feels fear that fetters him and does not give him the opportunity to live in peace - this, friends, is the fear of fear. Fear itself is just one of the warning lights that warns us of danger - this is information that needs to be accepted and understood, which needs to be studied in order to understand. We can ignore all sorts of potential dangers, of which there are a great many, so as not to go crazy with fear, fearing everything that could theoretically threaten us, but not reacting to the threat that fear is trying to notify us about is fraught with extremely negative consequences. consequences. So the instinct of self-preservation should be taken very seriously, it is a very important instinct. After all, it is mainly he who moves us. Only some people are guided by its highest manifestations, while others are guided by its lower ones, that’s the whole difference. You don't need to be brave to cope with your fear, you need to be smart to understand its nature and negotiate with it, that is, respond to it competently so that it does not cause you discomfort.

Working with fear always begins with studying its causes with the goal of their subsequent awareness. Often people experience unreasonable fear, seeing themselves as a threat in something that actually does not exist. Man is a suggestible creature, so you can frighten him, you can instill fear in him, you can make him fear something that does not exist, for example, some devils. And since you can instill fear in a person, you can also instill in him the idea of the absurdity of his fear, or the usefulness of his fear, or the meaninglessness of it. There are also threats that, although real, are so unlikely that they simply do not deserve too much attention on our part. For example, if I tell you that a meteorite can fall on Earth and destroy us all, should you be afraid of it? You, of course, can experience fear from such information, imagining the consequences of a meteorite fall, which can be told to you so beautifully that such a story will make a very strong impression on you and you will really be scared. But this fear is meaningless, since you are unlikely to be able to protect yourself from such a threat, so there is no need to focus your attention on it - you need to switch to something more important. Consequently, it is better to ignore this and other similar fears based on unlikely threats, deliberately depriving them of your attention, rather than reacting to them. This can be done in several ways, one of which, in the most difficult cases, is to carefully switch a person’s attention from some fears to others - more relevant and correctable.

When people who want to get rid of fear turn to me for help, I very carefully study and analyze the reasons that cause them fear, discuss them with them, and when relevant, help people find ways to get rid of the problems that cause them fear and threats. In some cases, I simply convince them that their fears are pointless when they really are, and switch their attention to something more pleasant and interesting, and if this does not help, then I switch their attention to other types of threats that give rise to them. new fears, which in turn replace, do not complement, but rather replace old fears, and which, most importantly, are subject to healing. Thanks to this work, I often manage to save people from very strong fears with which they live for years, and sometimes their entire lives. You, friends, for self-healing, to get rid of your fears, you need to start listening to them, studying them, analyzing them, and then looking for an appropriate way to react to the threats that cause them. You must prove to your fear that you have taken the necessary measures to protect yourself from the threats it tells you about. Or, if the threat is not relevant, you need to calm your emotions through logical reasoning so that the information coming to you from your fear in the form of strong negative emotions that cause you discomfort moves from the subconscious level to the conscious level. And when everything is clear to you - what kind of fear you are experiencing, why you are experiencing it, what you can do with it - your fear of fear will first disappear, and then the main fear. And I don’t recommend that you ignore your fear by awakening other emotions in yourself - replacing the emotions of fear, although I know that many people practice exactly this method of getting rid of fear. I advocate dialogue with nature, with instincts, with feelings and emotions, and not for confrontation with them.

So that you can understand even better how fear works and how you should respond to it wisely, let’s give you another interesting analogy. Imagine yourself as a king in some fortress, and imagine that your scout comes to you and tells you that he has noticed an enemy army that, with a high degree of probability, wants to attack your fortress. What are you going to do? Being a wise king, you will, firstly, thank your scout for his good work, and then begin to take measures to protect your fortress from the enemy, in order, at a minimum, to be on the safe side, and at a maximum, to prepare for a real battle. So, the scout is your fear, and the king is your mind. When you listen to those who warn you about a threat, even if it is not obvious, you are acting wisely, but when you ignore such warnings and even more so try to get rid of those who persistently warn you about the danger, so as not to experience discomfort and to do nothing, but continue to live your old life, staying in your comfort zone, then you... And you know what, friends - decide for yourself who such a person can be. In any case, if you experience fear, then there are two reasons for this - this is your lack of understanding of how to resist some threat, or your lack of understanding of the reasons for your fear, when you yourself do not know what and why you are afraid.

I can put it even simpler when talking about the role fear plays in our lives. A person is a machine, the efficiency of which, as well as its service life, depends on how well all its systems work. Fear is the security system of this car, but the mind, friends, is the passenger of the car - it is you. If you want to control your car, be able to process the information coming to you from its various systems [sense organs], otherwise the car will be controlled by itself, through external stimuli. Or rather, it will be controlled by external circumstances and other people. Whether your fear is relevant or not relevant in a given situation is up to you to decide. But, you must decide this based on well-founded conclusions drawn through your thoughts and reasoning, and not rely only on natural instincts that evoke certain feelings in you. If your fear tells you that heights are dangerous for you, since you can fall and die, then you, in turn, to get rid of this fear, must provide certain evidence that this situation, dangerous from the point of view of your instincts, is under your control. control that despite the obvious danger, you are able to protect yourself, are able to protect yourself from falling. You must explain this to yourself, then your fear will understand it. Otherwise, a completely reasonable question will arise for you: why, for what are you putting your life in danger? For the sake of sensations? For some dubious purpose? Do you really need these sensations, or is it perhaps better to experience other, less acute, but more reasonable sensations? Or, how much is your goal worth the sacrifices you are willing to make to achieve it? You must ask questions like these in order to have a constructive dialogue with your fear.

Studying, analyzing, understanding your fear is not so difficult if you take this task seriously. Anyone can handle it. But this takes time, and that’s exactly what most of us don’t have. You can delegate this work to specialists to save your time and avoid unnecessary mistakes. But don’t forget that you yourself are also able to cope with your fear, I’m telling you that for sure. Believe in yourself, in your capabilities, in your strengths, and take the time to study your fears, as well as to find solutions to counter the threats that your fears signal to you, and then you will get rid of any, even very strong fear, as a negative emotion that causes you great discomfort, and you will acquire a reliable ally and wise adviser in his person.

Today we will talk about another large group of psychological problems that require the help of a professional psychologist or psychotherapist - namely about fears and phobias, as well as anxiety. I will tell you what it is, why it occurs, what therapy is possible and what the prognosis is.

What are fear and anxiety?

Firstly, fears and phobias are not the same thing. Fear - in terms of physiological processes in the body, it is similar to anxiety: it is the response of the central nervous system to threat and danger. This response of the nervous system is presented both in the form of body reactions (sweating, increased heart rate, muscle tension, nausea, trembling, etc.) and in the form of emotions (actually fear, anxiety, horror, panic, disgust, etc. .), as well as in the form of certain thoughts (“we must run”).

A very specific object for the appearance of fear: a dog

Fear is caused certain, a very specific object or situation that is threatening or dangerous. And if there is no object, but fear is present - that is, a feeling something like “it’s unclear what bad thing will happen” - this is anxiety, or a state uncertain threats or dangers. Everyone has different levels of personal anxiety - some are more relaxed, others are more tense all the time. I already wrote.

When the brain evaluates something as threatening, it stimulates the autonomic nervous system, which also causes the heart to beat faster, the adrenal glands to release corticosteroid hormones into the blood, etc., which is felt as anxiety or fear. When the threat has passed, the brain once again activates the autonomic nervous system so that it restores normal order in the body.

But sometimes, for certain reasons, the brain incorrectly perceives a threat or danger, namely, it perceives it when it actually is No. But the brain still keeps the autonomic system active, and the person still experiences severe anxiety. And so all the time. This is how it happens anxiety disorder.

People usually describe their condition like this: “I can’t do anything. I worry about everything all the time. I'm constantly worried that something will happen. I find it difficult to concentrate, and everything falls out of my hands. Even at work, I constantly worry that this condition will cause me to make mistakes and get fired. Because of this, I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing at all.”

In psychodynamic psychotherapy (psychoanalysis, etc.), it is assumed that anxiety disorder occurs when the defense mechanisms of the psyche cannot withstand stress and are overwhelmed by neurotic and moral anxiety, as well as when the existing defense mechanisms are weak to adequately withstand stress. We all come from childhood, so psychotherapists who support the psychodynamic model will look for the causes of an anxiety disorder somewhere in your childhood, for example, in the child-parent relationship, in overprotection, in punishment or excessive patronage of parents, etc.

Assumes that the anxiety disorder is triggered, for example, “It is imperative that everyone respects me” or “It is terrible when things don’t go the way we would like.” When a person encounters in life a large number of facts and situations that contradict his basic irrational attitudes, and the influence of these attitudes extends to more and more areas of his life, an anxiety disorder may develop.

A cognitive behavioral therapist will focus on working on maladaptive beliefs and learning to cope with stress. For example, a psychologist can teach a technique called ““, which helps increase self-confidence in dealing with stress. In addition, some time will be devoted to learning to cope with situations of uncertainty that make clients with anxiety disorders very fearful. Due to the fact that uncertainty is disturbing, the predictability of the outcome decreases, which, in turn, as a vicious circle, causes an increase in anxiety.

In addition to psychotherapeutic methods, your doctor may prescribe anti-anxiety medications.

Specific phobias: fear of heights, darkness, closed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of flying (aerophobia), etc.

But if the brain “chose and now prefers” a certain object as a threat and danger, for example, flying on an airplane, or spiders, or darkness, then a person may develop a specific phobia.

Fear of people and social situations, public speaking is called fear of appearing in public places - agoraphobia. There will be a separate story about them, because these two types of phobias are a little separate.

This, of course, is normal if you are afraid of something, for example, the dark or flying on an airplane. How do you know if you have a phobia or a natural fear of a dangerous object? A phobia is a strong and persistent experience and causes such stress that it affects personal, social or professional life. A person begins to avoid situations in which he may encounter a feared object. But some objects are difficult to avoid, so if you encounter them, a person experiences severe fear or panic. By the way, there are still panic disorders, which are often accompanied by agoraphobia - there will also be a separate discussion about them.

So, if your personal, professional or social life is in any way disrupted or altered because of your fears, if you understand that your fears excessive- that means it's a phobia. If you basically just like to talk to someone about a topic “Oh, how afraid I am of spiders, I probably have real arachnophobia, this is some kind of horror!”, and at the same time it does not affect your life in any sense - it is not a phobia.

Most people never address their fears because it seems easier to them to avoid frightening objects. Sometimes phobias go away on their own (especially if they started in childhood). But if the phobia began in adulthood, it will most likely persist and decrease only as a result of psychotherapeutic or drug treatment.

However, sometimes life turns out in such a way that you cannot avoid the object of your phobia. For example, you have aerophobia(fear of flying), and you need to make a career, where without regular business trips there is no way. What then? Then the choice remains: either quit your career or engage in aerophobia.

The second is more beneficial because cognitive behavioral therapy for specific phobias shows relatively rapid success rates of up to 95% of cases. At the moment, the most widely used and highly effective method for combating phobias is exposure method.

What are the types of phobias?

Exposure treatment for phobias

There are many varieties of this method, but at the moment it is the most effective and most effective for the treatment of specific phobias. Of course, provided that it is carried out by a professional psychotherapist and the client has the motivation to get rid of the phobia.

The essence of the method comes down to the fact that the client is “exposed” to the influence of the object that he is afraid of, but exposed in a special way, under careful control and discussion of what is happening:

gradually, from the least terrible to the most terrible;
constantly monitoring the client’s condition and discussing with him what is happening, what he feels, etc.;
the client’s conscious refusal to avoid avoidance tendencies, avoid fears and discuss them, the desire to overcome fear;
the psychotherapist also participates in the procedure as a model;
in parallel, cognitive-behavioral influence is carried out on dysfunctional beliefs and training (coaching) of the client in methods of normal handling of the object of fear;
the effect continues until the level of fear and anxiety reaches a maximum, after which it levels off for a while, and then immediately drops dramatically. At the next stage, the level of fear no longer reaches such a height. The point is that you need to consciously, under control, knowing ways to help, “endure” this impact several times - and most importantly, do not quit in the middle, because this “feeds” the phobia! - after which almost everyone experiences significant relief from the symptoms of the phobia.

According to research by the author of the OST (one-session treatment for specific phobias) method, Swedish psychiatrist L.G. Ost and his followers, such an approach to the treatment of specific phobias leads to a drop in the level of fear and anxiety in one three-hour session to at least 50%, and usually almost to zero. In the future, the client needs several supporting sessions, and, of course, the most important thing is the practice of the client himself in real life.

Other treatments for specific phobias

In addition to the exposure method and its variations, other methods are currently used to treat phobias, for example, desensitization, flooding and modeling.

In all of these methods, as well as in exposure, the client will confront the object of their fear (because this is the most effective way to get rid of it). In the first case, with desensitization, the client is taught simultaneously with the appearance of situations or objects that frighten them. Since simultaneous relaxation and fear are physiologically incompatible, it is believed that the fear response will be reduced.

During a flood, the presentation of frightening objects or situations does not occur gradually, and also without relaxation exercises. The client is taught to cope with fear immediately, without any special training.

In the case of using the modeling method, the therapist acts as a “guinea pig”, and the client observes the actions, reactions and state of the therapist from the outside. Subsequently, the client joins the therapist. Modeling is also partially used in the exposure method, as one of the components.

Summarizing all approaches to professional psychological assistance for anxiety or phobias, we can say that the most effective method of assistance is a controlled encounter between a person and the object of fear.