Unnatural irrational fears. Irrational fears of wounded pride. Psychologies: Anxiety and phobia - are they related to each other?

(psychiatrist)

Phobia: manifestation, distinctive features

Maria Barnikova

A phobia is an intense fear that worsens when certain situations approach and/or occur, is beyond the control of the person and cannot be explained logically. Pathological fear is a persistent, constant and lasting change in the emotional sphere of a person, in which the individual experiences intense anxiety about a large number of a wide variety of problems and events. Often the feeling of fear is not tied to a specific real situation, but [...]

Phobia– intense fear, aggravated by the approach and/or occurrence of certain situations, not under the control of the person and not amenable to logical explanation.

Pathological fear- a persistent, constant and lasting change in the emotional sphere of a person, in which the individual experiences intense anxiety about a large number of a wide variety of problems and events. Often, the feeling of fear is not tied to a specific real situation, but exists in a fictitious “fantasy” world, trying on a reason that has minimal similarity.

Manifestation of phobia

A person with pathological anxiety is almost constantly captive of his fears; he rarely feels safe or feels calm and peaceful. It's like he's balancing on a blade.

Characteristics of a person suffering from phobias

A person susceptible to phobias begins to resort to “avoidance” behavior, deliberately not visiting certain objects and not performing certain types of activities. A person suffering from phobias cannot normally perform official duties due to increased irritability, difficulty concentrating, constant worry about the effectiveness of their activities, and the impression they make on colleagues. The desire to get rid of increasing, constant, exhausting fears forces one to narrow the range of hobbies and interests to a minimum, abandon plans for the future, and limit social contacts.

Signs of a phobia

The name "phobia" comes from the Greek meaning " phobos- horror, fear. Modern definitions of the term “phobia” are very diverse. Summarizing the most authoritative definitions, we can clearly highlight main diagnostic criteria for phobia:

• obsessive and irrational nature of fears;
• clarity and clarity of the plot of fear;
• intensity, intensification and persistence of the course;
• maintaining a critical attitude of the patient towards his fears.

Spread of phobias among the population

Prevalence of phobias in the general population according to Sartorius And Rouillon hesitates within 2-9%. According to information Karvasarsky, And Polyakova phobias are present in 15 to 44% of patients. The main age of people suffering from phobias: from 25 to 45 years.

Structural analysis of the concept “phobia”

Almost every person in some life situation experiences a certain amount of anxiety and natural excitement. Anxiety and fear are a normal reaction of the body to real non-standard events, and it does not necessarily promise the emergence of long-term psycho-emotional problems. While a clearly formed, chronic, inexplicably strong disorder is classified as an anxiety-phobic disorder ( otherwise it’s a phobia).

Phobias in connection with other mental illnesses

Phobias are present in many mental illnesses. Most often, fears are companions of various forms of neuroses. According to the study Karandasheva, “allies” of hysteria - 14 types of phobias, with obsessive-compulsive neurosis, 13 types of fear were observed, and neurasthenia is accompanied by 4 types of phobias. Therefore, phobias are traditionally described within the framework of obsessive-compulsive neurosis. Also, according to the classification Gannushkina phobias are present in the asthenic clinic (),. Research Nabiulina show that phobias are observed in depression ( read more about depression), epilepsy, schizophrenia, psychosis, organic diseases of the central nervous system: infectious and vascular origin, various tumors, traumatic brain injuries.

The difference between fear and phobias

According to the teaching A. Svyadoscha, natural fear, unlike phobias, does not depend on certain situations or existing ideas of the individual. Fear - unmotivated, meaningless, short-term reaction aimed at a really existing threat with its cessation after the disappearance of the negative factor ( read in detail about).

Development of the theoretical basis of the concept of “phobia”

More recently, the traditional study of phobias took place within the framework of consideration, which is a manifestation of a thinking disorder. Some forms of obsessive phenomena were described as early as 1617 ( the work of the Swiss physician Felix Plater). Russian scientist I. Balinsky in 1858 he put forward his version of defining these states. Phobias are phenomena in the psycho-emotional sphere, which are characterized by fears, worries, and attractions that arise and are “imposed” against the will of a person. Despite maintaining self-criticism towards such conditions, the individual often cannot get rid of fears on his own.

Most modern scientists identify three main classifications of obsessive states, dividing phobic (fears),obsessive (thoughts) And compulsive (actions) syndromes.

The systematic study of phobias began in 1871, after the publication of the work of a German psychiatrist and neurologist Otto Westphal. In the description, the author indicated that pathological anxiety emerges in a person’s consciousness against his will and does not affect the intellect in other aspects. He noted that the basis of the phobia is a disorder of thinking. French psychiatrist Benedict Morel put forward a different theory, believing that the cause of phobias is a violation of the emotional sphere. The classification of phobias as various phenomena of the mental sphere not only reflects the likelihood of the multifaceted nature of the disorder, but also causes a number of difficulties in their study.

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According to WHO, half of the adult population of the Earth suffers from fears that interfere with normal life. Thus, 40% feel tension during every air flight, 22% - during dental treatment, and 12% develop phobias - sudden and paralyzing fears: for example, a person simply cannot board a plane or go into a doctor’s office.

Nervous trembling, a feeling of complete insecurity, horror grip some of us in front of an airplane, in front of a closed (or open) space, alone or when it is necessary to speak in public... These emotions - uncontrollable at first glance - poison everyday life. But they are not fatal - a phobia cannot be controlled, but you can get rid of it or significantly weaken its influence.

Alarm failure in the body

Let's imagine a situation in which a car alarm goes off. Someone opens the car and a sound is heard - loud enough to be heard, but still not deafening to the human ear. The alarm works as long as it needs to be noticed, but the owner can turn it off. A faulty alarm will become inconvenient and useless - it will go off too often, sound too loud and for a long time...

Fear works in a similar way. It also signals that something is going wrong. Natural fear draws our attention to danger. Painful fear, like a broken alarm system, is excessive, unjustified and meaningless.

“It often manifests itself in “strange” behavior at the most unexpected moment,” explains cognitive psychologist Alexey Lunkov. “A person can become “numb” during a harmless conversation or run from the room after noticing a spider on the wallpaper...”

“It is impossible to explain the strength of this fear, nor to suppress the fear in oneself,” says psychotherapist Margarita Zhamkochyan. “And uncertainty always increases panic.” A person is driven by an irresistible irrational desire to get away from a frightening situation or object and even talk about it. This panicky, unrelenting fear leading to irrational behavior is a phobia (from the Greek “phobos” - horror).

Childhood fears

A phobia in an adult is a problem that requires help, but in a child it is a danger to his development. “Children learn something every day, and painful fears deprive them of the opportunity to learn new things,” says psychiatrist and psychotherapist Elena Vrono. Phobias can appear at an early age, but more often in adolescence. If a child complains of fears, you should not shame him or laugh at him. There is no need to look with him in the closet or under the bed for the “monsters” that frighten him. “Support him, play with him,” advises Elena Vrono. “And it’s better to find out the reason for his fears with a specialist.”

How do we react: passively or actively

Fear is the body's natural reaction to danger - real or imagined. In itself, it does not create a serious difficulty for us; on the contrary, it allows us to react intelligently to a dangerous situation. Thus, a professional climber behaves cautiously at high altitude, but his fears do not prevent him from moving towards his goal.

All natural fears force us to act actively, but phobias are passive: a person does not look for ways to get rid of his fear, he is simply afraid.

“At this moment, rational fear gets out of control, feelings and emotions are no longer controlled by consciousness,” adds Alexey Lunkov. - A phobia is an obsessive painful condition that is not associated with real danger, but occurs whenever a person is faced with a frightening situation. At the same time, his whole life is subordinated to one thing: “If only I don’t have to face this.”

Most often, phobias are associated with animals, natural elements and phenomena (depth, height, darkness, thunderstorm...), transport, blood and wounds, social situations (looks, judgments...) and being in public places. There are many phobias related to the body: fear of suffocation, falling, fear of nausea...

Phobias and gender characteristics

There are twice as many women suffering from phobias as men. Researchers studying human psychology at different stages of evolution believe that this state of affairs has developed largely due to the traditional distribution of responsibilities.

American sociologists Tacott Parsons and Robert Bales put forward a hypothesis according to which many gender differences are explained by the “instrumentality” of male behavior and the “expressiveness” of female behavior.

Hunting, cattle breeding, fishing - once the main activities of men were associated with risk and danger, but irrational fear would make them simply impossible. A woman, a keeper of the hearth and a teacher of children, on the contrary, had to be very careful and pay attention to the dangers that threatened the death of children and family.

This distribution of gender characteristics, as well as the characteristics of raising boys and girls, was preserved in most societies.

“As a result, modern girls are very susceptible to the fears of their parents and loved ones, they recognize the emotions of others more subtly, and are more easily infected by fear,” says Margarita Zhamkochyan. “In addition, modern parents are tolerant of their daughters’ fears and encourage their sons to not be afraid of danger.”

On the other hand, men’s desire to cope with difficulties on their own influences statistics: women suffering from phobias are more likely to seek help, while many men prefer to endure and do not come to the attention of specialists.

Relaxation and the “stimulus ladder”

Irrational fear causes muscle tone, which is why it is so important to be able to relax. “Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy helps those who suffer from phobias to master relaxation methods - meditation, auto-training,” says Alexey Lunkov. - Then the client, together with the psychotherapist, makes a hierarchy of situations that worry him: for example, with arachnophobia, the weakest stimulus may be the word “spider” written on paper, and the strongest stimulus may be a spider sitting on the palm. By gradually moving along the “ladder of stimuli” from the weakest to the strongest (with the help of a specialist or on your own) and using relaxation techniques when encountering something that frightens you, you can tame your fear.” Some arachnophobes, for example, at the end of therapy even decide to... kiss a large tarantula spider on the back.

Three sources of phobias

How does a person acquire a phobia? “The basis of this experience is primarily biological,” says Alexey Lunkov, “since some people are genetically predisposed to panic fears. As a rule, they are hypersensitive and hyperemotional. From a psychological point of view, this innate feature can be enhanced or, conversely, extinguished by upbringing and events occurring in life.”

The development of a phobia is also influenced by the social factor: new realities of life, certain social situations also increase (or weaken) our susceptibility to exaggerated fears. Thus, today there are much more phobias associated with land or air transport, but we also travel and fly much more often than 20–30 years ago.

“Sometimes phobias arise as a result of severe fear, often experienced in childhood,” says Margarita Zhamkochyan. “Suddenness, for example, the barking of a dog, an instant response of fear... and a harmless animal is already perceived as a threatening monster.”

Healing by provocation

Our fears can be treated, sometimes unexpectedly quickly. What about phobias? This uncontrollable emotional overreaction occurs only in certain situations - just as an allergy becomes an immune overreaction in response to exposure to a specific allergen.

To free yourself from such dependence, you need to artificially induce a sudden fear reflex: consciously put yourself in frightening situations, getting used to them and gradually increasing the impact of provoking factors.

This technique is similar to the treatment of allergies: there is a gradual adaptation to the allergen and at the same time a decrease in sensitivity to it. For example, in order to stop being afraid of pigeons, you must first get used to the image of these birds in the photo, then accustom yourself to look at a pigeon in a cage, and then approach a flock of pigeons in a park...

The goal of psychotherapy is not liberation from a phobia, but the introduction of fear into a natural framework: it must become adequate and controllable. Often those who suffer from some kind of phobia begin to “fear the fear itself.” And “getting used to fear” exercises combined with relaxation techniques help you learn to accept it as inevitable. By ceasing to be afraid of your fear, you can begin to treat it more calmly - understand, react, overcome.

4 steps to stop your phobia

1. Don't give in to your fears. Excessive fears limit our freedom and can enslave us: “Don’t go out, don’t get close, don’t say anything about...” The more you obey them, the stronger they will become. Treat intense fear as an uninvited, trespassing guest and learn to understand what you want (to be free) and what the phobia wants (to enslave you).

2. Think about the reason for your fear and take action. It's always good to know where fears come from. But you shouldn’t devote all your time and energy to searching for reasons. Find the strength to confront the subject of your fear directly.

3. Learn to relax and meditate. Do exercises regularly during which you will train yourself to accept your fear. Project, for example, a frightening situation onto an imaginary movie screen - zoom in and out of the “image”. Look at yourself from the outside, not forgetting that you are in a calm and safe situation. Finish “watching” with the most routine action for you that you often do at home: start reading, wash the dishes, drink a cup of tea.

4. Don't stop trying. Excessive fears usually indicate increased emotional sensitivity. This quality is positive, and therefore you should not fight it mercilessly. Get used to situations that frighten you gradually, if possible, consulting a psychotherapist.

It is not true!

This technique is similar to a game, but the phobia is afraid of such games. A psychotherapist or friend who wants to help you let go of unconscious fear takes your point of view and tells you why you should be afraid, for example, of flying on airplanes. Try to convince him by asserting: “This is not true!” - and giving a counterargument to each of his statements. After several such conversations, your own feelings at the thought of flying will cause you a pleasant surprise: the fear suppressed by your own arguments will become much less.

"Understanding that healing is real"

Psychologies: Anxiety and phobia - are they related to each other?

Elena Vrono: In the modern world, there are many diseases that humanity pays for the development of civilization, and phobias are one of them. Life is becoming more and more stressful, and anxiety, as a natural defense mechanism, warns us of danger and forces us to act - to run or fight. Anxiety is necessary for survival, but it is, as a rule, what triggers the phobia mechanism.

We must understand that healing from a phobia is real. Psychotherapeutic assistance, drug therapy, and a combination of both are possible.

Here is one of the effective psychotherapeutic exercises: in a moment of panic, remember the state when you were happy, when you felt very good, pleasant, fun. Remember down to the sensations, down to the posture and try to immerse yourself in this state.

It is impossible to completely get rid of a phobia, but with the help of a specialist you can curb it, weaken its influence and achieve your own power over it - in this case, you can learn to cope with your fear and not let it prevent you from living your life to the fullest.

About it

Film "Fears and Phobias". Even the most harmless fear at first glance can develop into a phobia that will turn our entire life upside down. The British BBC film talks about the nature of our fears and how to overcome them.

Almost everyone has one or two irrational fears: for example, a fear of mice or a fear of an annual dental check-up. For most people, these concerns are minor. But when fears become so serious that they cause enormous anxiety and interfere with normal life, then they are phobias. The good news is that phobias can be controlled and eliminated. Self-help strategies and psychotherapy can help you overcome your fears and start living the life you want.

What are phobias

A phobia is an intense fear of something that actually poses little or no real danger. Common phobias and fears include fear of enclosed spaces, heights, highways, flying insects, snakes and needles. Although almost anything can cause a phobia, most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also appear in adulthood.

If you have a phobia, then you realize that your fear is irrational, but, nevertheless, you are not able to control your feelings. Even the thought of a dangerous object or situation makes you anxious. And when you face in reality what you are afraid of, horror, arising automatically, stuns you.

This experience is so debilitating that you begin to avoid it as much as possible, thereby causing yourself inconvenience or even changing your lifestyle. If, for example, you are claustrophobic, you may turn down a lucrative job offer because you need to ride the elevator to get to the office. If you are afraid of heights, you may prefer to drive an extra 20 kilometers to avoid a high bridge.

Understanding a phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It is important to know that phobias are common. Having a phobia does not mean you are crazy! It is also important to understand that phobias are effectively treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear no matter how out of control you feel.

Barbara's fear of flying

Barbara is afraid of flying. Unfortunately, she has to travel a lot for work, and this travel causes her terrible inconvenience. A few weeks before each trip, she begins to feel a knot in her stomach and constant anxiety. On the day of the flight, she wakes up and feels nauseous. As soon as she boards the plane, her heart is pounding, her head is spinning, and she begins to hyperventilate. It gets worse and worse with every flight.

Barbara's fear of flying is so severe that she finally told her boss that she could only travel by land on business trips. Her boss wasn't happy about this, and Barbara isn't sure how it will affect her job. She is afraid that she will be demoted or lose her job altogether. But it's better, she says, than getting on a plane again.

The difference between normal fears and phobias and irrational fears

In dangerous situations, feeling fear is normal and even healthy. Fear is an adaptive human reaction. It serves a defensive purpose by activating the automatic fight-or-flight response. When the body and mind are ready for action, we can quickly react and defend ourselves.

But in the case of phobias, the threat is greatly exaggerated or even completely absent. For example, it's natural to be afraid of a growling Doberman, but it's irrational to be afraid of a friendly poodle on a leash—which is exactly what people with dog phobias face.

Normal fears in children

Many children's fears are natural and tend to develop at a certain age. For example, many young children are afraid of the dark, so many ask to leave the lights on at night. This doesn't mean they have a phobia. In most cases they grow out of this fear.

If a child's fear does not interfere with his daily life or cause him much anxiety, then there is no reason to be alarmed. However, if fear is interfering with your child's social activities, affecting school performance, or disrupting sleep, you may want to see a qualified child therapist.

What childhood fears are natural?

According to the Childhood Anxiety Society, the following fears are common and considered normal:

0-2 years
Loud noises, strangers, separation from parents, large objects.

3-6 years
Imaginary phenomena: ghosts, monsters, darkness, loneliness, strange noises.

7-16 years
More realistic fears such as injury, illness, having to answer in school, death, natural disasters.

Types of phobias and fears

There are four general types of phobias and fears:

• Animal phobias. Examples: fear of snakes, spiders, rodents and dogs.
• Natural phobias. Examples: fear of heights, storms, water and darkness.
• Situational phobias (fears caused by a specific situation). Examples: fear of closed spaces (claustrophobia), flying, driving, tunnels and bridges.
• Phobia of blood, injections, injuries. This is the fear of blood, injury, disease, needles, or other medical procedures.

Some phobias do not fit into any of the four general categories. Such phobias include fear of suffocation, fear of cancer, and fear of clowns.

Social phobia and fear of public speaking

Afraid of having another panic attack, you begin to worry about ending up in situations where it will be difficult for you to escape or where help will not be immediately available. For example, you will begin to avoid crowded places such as shopping malls and movie theaters. You may also want to avoid cars, planes, subways, and other forms of travel. In more severe cases, you may only feel safe at home.

Signs and symptoms of phobias

Symptoms of a phobia can range from mild feelings of fear and anxiety to a full-blown panic attack. Generally, the closer you are to something you fear, the greater your fear will be. Also, fear will be higher if it is difficult to get away from the object of fear.

Symptoms of blood and injection phobias

The symptoms of blood and medical procedure phobias are slightly different from other phobias. When you encounter the sight of blood or a needle, you experience not only fear, but also disgust.

As with other phobias, you become anxious and your heart rate increases. However, unlike other phobias, this acceleration is followed by a rapid decrease in blood pressure, leading to nausea, dizziness and fainting. Although the fear of fainting is common in all phobias, this is the only phobia where fainting actually occurs.

When to seek help for phobias and fears

Although phobias are common, they do not always cause significant distress or greatly disrupt one's lifestyle. For example, if you have a phobia of snakes, it may not cause problems in your daily activities if you live in a city where you are unlikely to encounter them. On the other hand, if you have a serious phobia of crowded spaces, living in a big city will present a challenge.

If your phobia really doesn't affect your life, then you have nothing to worry about. But if avoiding the object, activity, or situation that triggers the phobia interferes with normal functioning or prevents you from doing the things you enjoy, it's time to get help.

Consider treatment for your phobia if

• The object of a phobia causes intense fear, disgust, anxiety and panic
• You acknowledge that the fear is excessive and unfounded
• You avoid certain situations and places because of the phobia
• Avoidance interferes with daily life or causes distress
• Phobia lasts more than six months

Self-help or psychotherapy: which is better?

When it comes to treating phobias, self-help strategies and therapy can be equally effective. What's best for you depends on several factors, including the severity of the phobia, your health insurance coverage, and the amount of support you need.

As a general rule, it's always a good idea to try self-help. The more you can do for yourself, the more controllable your condition will seem to you, and this is very important when it comes to phobias and fears. However, if your phobia is so severe that it causes panic attacks or uncontrollable anxiety, you may be able to get additional support.

The good news is that psychotherapy for phobias has a long history. And it not only works very well, but, as a rule, very quickly - sometimes in just one to four sessions.

However, support does not have to come from a professional psychotherapist. Having someone to hold your hand or sit with you when you face your fears will also be incredibly helpful.

Tip 1: Face your fears step by step

It is natural to avoid what you are afraid of. But when it comes to overcoming phobias, you instead need to face your fears. While avoidance may make you feel better in the short term, it prevents you from learning that the phobia is not as scary or overwhelming as you think. If you don't face your fears, you will never have the opportunity to learn to cope with and control them. As a result, the phobia becomes more frightening and more complex in your mind.

Exposure

The most effective way to overcome a phobia is to gradually and repeatedly expose yourself to the thing you fear in a safe and controlled manner. During this process, you will learn to push through the fear until it passes.

Through repeated experiences directly related to your fear, you will begin to understand that nothing terrible will happen: you will not die and you will not lose. With each exposure you will feel more confident and in control. The phobia will begin to lose its power.

Facing your fears successfully requires a plan, practice, and patience. The following tips will help you make the most of your exposure process.

Climbing the “ladder of fear”

If you've tried this before and it didn't work, you may have started with something too scary or overwhelming. It's important to start with a situation you can handle and work your way up from there, increasing your confidence and coping skills as you move up the ladder of fear.

However, support does not have to come from a professional therapist. Simply having someone to hold your hand or stand by your side as you face your fears can be extremely helpful.

• Make a list. Make a list of scary situations related to your phobia. If you're afraid of flying, your list (in addition to the obvious, like flying or taking off) might include booking a ticket, packing a suitcase, driving to the airport, watching planes at the airport and going through security, boarding the plane, and listening to what someone says. flight attendant as part of safety instructions.
• Build your ladder of fear. Rank the items on your list from least scary to most scary. The first step should make you just a little anxious, and not make you so scared that you refuse to try. When creating a ladder, it's helpful to visualize your end goal (such as being around dogs without panicking) and then write down the steps needed to achieve that goal.
• Go up the stairs. Start with the first step (like looking at pictures of dogs) and don't move on until you feel comfortable. If possible, stay in the situation for as long as possible until the anxiety subsides. The longer you expose yourself to something you fear, the more accustomed you will become and the less anxious you will be the next time you encounter it. If the situation itself is short (like crossing a bridge), go through it over and over again until the anxiety begins to subside. Then move on to the next step after you have completed the previous step without experiencing too much anxiety. If a step is too difficult, break it up into smaller steps or go slower.
• Practice. It is important to exercise regularly. The more often you practice, the faster you will get results. However, don't rush. Go at a pace that you can handle without feeling overwhelmed. And remember: you will feel uncomfortable and anxious when you face your fears, but the feelings are temporary. If you stick to the plan, the anxiety will go away. Your fears will not harm you.

Facing the Fear of Dogs: An Example of the Fear Ladder

Step 1: Look at pictures of dogs.
Step 2: Watch a video of dogs.
Step 3: Look at the dog through the window.
Step 4: Stand across the street from your dog on a leash.
Step 5: Stand three meters away from the dog on a leash.
Step 6: Stand about one and a half meters away from the dog on a leash.
Step 7: Stand next to your dog on a leash.
Step 8: Pet a small dog that someone is holding.
Step 9: Pet a large dog that is on a leash.
Step 10: Pet a large dog without a leash.

If you feel overwhelmed...

Although it is natural to feel fear or anxiety when confronted with a phobia, if you begin to feel overwhelmed and overwhelmed, retreat immediately and use the techniques outlined below to quickly bring your nervous system into balance.

When you are afraid or anxious, you experience a variety of unpleasant physical symptoms, such as a racing heart and a feeling of suffocation. These physical sensations in themselves can be frightening - and this is the main reason that makes your phobia so severe. However, by learning to calm down quickly, you will become more confident in your ability to tolerate discomfort and overcome fears.

Being able to work with someone you trust is the fastest way to calm your nervous system and dispel anxiety. If you don't have a close friend to lean on, you can quickly calm down by turning to your sphere of physical sensations:

• Movements. Walk, jump, or lightly stretch. Dancing and running are especially effective for relieving anxiety.
• Vision. Look at everything that relaxes you or makes you smile: a beautiful view from the window, family photos, photos of cats on the Internet.
• Hearing. Listen to soothing music, sing your favorite tune, or play a musical instrument. enjoy the relaxing sounds of nature (live or recorded): ocean waves, the sound of trees, birdsong.
• Smell. Light scented candles. Smell the flowers in the garden. Breathe in clean, fresh air. Spritz with your favorite perfume.
• Taste. Slowly eat your favorite treat, savoring every bite. Drink a hot cup of coffee or herbal tea. Chew some gum. Enjoy a peppermint or other favorite caramel candy.
• Touch. Give yourself a hand or neck massage. Hug a pet. Wrap yourself in a soft blanket. Get some fresh air.

Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation are powerful antidotes to anxiety, panic and fear. With regular practice, they will improve the ability to control the physical symptoms of anxiety, which will seriously reduce the phobia. Relaxation techniques can also help you cope more effectively with other sources of stress and anxiety in your life.

Simple deep breathing technique

When you're anxious, your breaths are fast and shallow (called hyperventilation), which increases the physical symptoms of anxiety. Deep belly breathing will help relieve the physical sensations of anxiety. You will physically not be able to experience anxiety when you breathe slowly, deeply and calmly. Within a few short minutes of deep breathing, you will feel less stressed, out of breath, and anxious. You don't have to be anxious to practice this technique. In fact, it is best to practice when you feel calm. Then you will be able to strengthen the skill and feel confident and comfortable in performing the exercise.

• Sit or stand comfortably with your back straight. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.
• Inhale slowly through your nose to the count of four.. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move very little.
• Hold your breath for seven counts.
• Exhale through your mouth for a count of eight, pushing out as much air as you can by contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move as you exhale, but the other hand should move just a little.
• Inhale again, repeating the cycle until you feel relaxed and focused.
• Practice this deep breathing technique for five minutes twice a day.. Once you have mastered the technique, start using it when you are faced with a phobia or other stressful situations.

Meditation to relieve stress and anxiety

Meditation is a relaxation technique that can help prevent anxiety and also improve brain function. When practiced regularly, meditation increases activity in the areas of the brain responsible for feelings of calm, helping to quell fear and panic before they arise.

Learning to deal with unhelpful thoughts is an important step in overcoming a phobia. When you have a phobia, you tend to overestimate the horror of the situation you fear. At the same time, you underestimate your ability to cope with it.

The anxious thoughts that trigger and fuel phobias are usually negative and unrealistic. The following advice can help you “dispel” these thoughts from your head. Start writing down any negative thoughts you have about the phobia. Often these thoughts fall into the following categories:

• Predictions. For example, “this bridge is about to collapse,” “I will definitely be a fool,” “something will definitely happen to me when the elevator doors close.”
• Overgeneralizations. “I already fainted once when I was given the injection. I'll never be able to give an injection without fainting." "That pit bull lunged at me. All dogs are dangerous."
• Catastrophization. “The pilot said we were entering turbulence. So the plane will crash!”; “The man next to me coughed. Maybe it's swine flu. I'll get sick!"

Once you have identified your negative thoughts, analyze them. To get started, use the following example.

An example of a negative thought: “The elevator will break, and then I will be trapped and suffocate.”

Is there any evidence that contradicts this idea?
“I see a lot of people use the elevator and it has never broken down.”
“I don’t remember ever hearing about someone dying of suffocation in an elevator.”
"I've never been in an elevator that's broken."
“There are vents in the elevator that will keep the air from running out.”

Is there anything you can do to resolve the situation if it happens?
“I can probably press the panic button or call the phone to get help.

There is some error in the logic
"Yes. I'm guessing because I don't have any evidence that the elevator will break down."

What would you say to a friend with the same fear?
“I would probably say that the chances of that happening are very low because you don't see or hear about things like that very often.

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Each of us has undoubtedly experienced fear at some point. Most often, this is a completely natural feeling, because this is how a living organism’s desire for self-preservation manifests itself. However, often people are afraid of not some specific things that they observe or at least can imagine. There is a fear of something that the person experiencing it does not have a clear idea of, much less has not seen it personally; or it is a fear of ordinary objects and phenomena, but the person who is afraid cannot explain the reason.

The concept of “irrational fear” is defined in different ways:

• firstly, this is what they call mental disorders, characterized by an inadequate reaction to the perception of simple objects;
• secondly, this is the name given to the fear of the unknown, the unknown, the “supernatural,” which is inherent in seemingly mentally healthy people.

In fact, however, high religiosity, superstition, and confidence in the existence of “higher powers,” fate and fate are inherent only in those who have any mental or psychological disorders:

• schizophrenia.

These disorders are not as noticeable or expressive as “standard” mental or emotional illnesses, and this is partly dictated by political factors: those in power benefit when the mass of the people consists of uninitiative, incompetent and intimidated individuals, moderately educated and afraid of everything that they unable to understand. Therefore, people suffering from serious mental disorders are often declared “normal,” religion and superstitions are considered “the basis of national culture,” and the inadequate fears associated with them are considered the standard of behavior.

So from this point of view, the fear of spiders and the “fear of God” professed by believers are different manifestations of the same disease.

Cruel experiment

How do irrational fears arise? There is a well-known experiment in which a nine-month-old baby participated. The experiment was later dubbed cruel and inhumane, but it clearly demonstrated the reason for the inappropriate behavior of adults.

The child was shown various objects that were similar in appearance and pleasant to look and feel:

• Santa Claus beard
• a piece of cotton wool,
• white tame rat.

They even gave him a rat to play with. The baby really liked her, he became attached to her. After this, a metal object was loudly struck behind the child’s back as soon as it touched the rat. He was frightened by the sharp sound and began to cry. In the end, he began to be afraid of the rat - its very sight evoked associations with an unpleasant sound; but he had the same associations when he saw any white and fluffy object - in particular, the same pieces of cotton wool and Santa Claus's beard that he had previously liked.

It is known that the developed phobia remained with him later, when he became an adult. Outside observers are unable to understand why this person’s piece of ordinary cotton wool or white beard causes such an inadequate reaction; and the subject himself may not be aware of this - the fear is entrenched on a subconscious level.

A similar scene is described in Aldous Huxley’s famous dystopia “Brave New World!” From the very beginning, children artificially hatched from test tubes are divided by scientists into several castes, differing in mental indicators, and are intended for a specific type of work. And six-month-old children, who are destined to become “cretins” and do the most menial jobs, with the help of this technique weaned themselves from books. In the future, the “cretins” developed a persistent aversion to books, reading and learning in general.

Huxley, as you know, was the grandson of an outstanding biologist who, in particular, studied conditioned reflexes in animals; and the brother of two other biologists. So the writer, apparently, personally observed such experiments (but not on people).

What does the experiment on the child and Huxley's novel indicate?

The described experiment showed that irrational fears are based on life experiences experienced by the patient a long time ago, most often in early childhood. It is at this age that the child first tries to understand the world around him and identify patterns in it; and very often his brain makes mistakes - he perceives a random coincidence of circumstances that are in no way connected with each other as a stable pattern.

The first impressions of childhood shape a person’s psyche for the rest of his life, laying certain “programs” in the subconscious. Human behavior becomes automatic, and specific images are erased from memory. That is why an individual suffering from claustrophobia often cannot explain why he is afraid of closed spaces - only the subconscious “remembers” how his parents or older brothers locked him in a dark room in early childhood.

Of course, there are people whose “early childhood” lasts much longer, so they can develop irrational fears at any moment. In extreme situations (for example, during an accident), they can occur in almost any of us.

In our time, the formation of first impressions, including negative ones, is facilitated by the media, especially television. With their help, mass “programming” of the population is carried out. Any phobia can be deliberately “planted” into the brain of a small child (and sometimes an adult) and thus program his behavior in the future.

How to get rid of irrational fears?

Can be done in different ways. The most common method is systematic desensitization. It consists in the fact that the patient is gradually “brought closer” to the object of his fear, using techniques and. For example, if a person is afraid of cats, then he is gradually brought closer to them:

• first they show pictures of cats,
• then the video,
• then they offer to watch them from the window,
• bring the cat directly to him,
• let you touch her.

According to, with this approach, the conditioned reflex, which is the phobia, gradually fades away. A faster and more radical method is implosion therapy, but this technique cannot always be used. According to it, a person who is afraid of cats is immediately given an animal and left alone with it, despite protests and screams.

A patient experiencing irrational fears is able to cure himself if he tries the situation: do his emotions have anything to do with reality? Doesn't he live in his inner world, divorced from what is really happening around him? Violent fantasy, escape into an imaginary world is one of the reasons for the development of irrational fears, therefore, a good way of healing is “coming down from heaven to earth.”

Parents should monitor the mental development of their children from the very beginning. Irritating stimuli must be kept to a minimum, any hint of a phobia must be eliminated immediately: the child must be convinced that he has nothing to be afraid of. You also need to keep track of what films and cartoons he watches, what books he reads, what games he plays. But you shouldn’t forbid him anything, the principle is the same: you need to explain to the child that a film is just a picture, monsters and ghosts do not exist - and so on.

F. is an irrational fear, which can manifest itself in the form of fear of specific animate and inanimate objects, for example. fear of snakes (ophidiophobia); fear of a certain group or class of people (xenophobia, fear of strangers; androphobia, fear of men); fear of impending or anticipated events (astrophobia, fear of lightning; fear of school or exams) or fear, in essence, of everything imaginable. The following are some of the most commonly encountered phobias in the clinical literature:

Thanatophobia Death

An objective assessment of any fear is usually controversial as to the extent and under what circumstances the feared object or event poses a real danger. Two criteria, not related to the assessment of potential danger, differentiate phobias from rational, non-neurotic fear.

Firstly, F. have an obsessive nature. A patient with F. is often forced to get stuck on his fear to a much greater extent than is necessary under objective circumstances.

The second characteristic that differentiates anxiety from realistic fear concerns the mode of manifestation of anxiety. F. is usually accompanied by such a high level of anxiety that the patient finds himself immobilized, unable to act in an effective manner to reduce anxiety. There is no complete agreement regarding the differential diagnosis between phobic fear and generalized anxiety; this is likely to depend on the specificity of the object or event causing concern.

Causes of phobias

There is no single generally accepted explanation for the etiology of F. It is generally accepted, however, that the emergence of some phobias, unlike others, is preceded by specific events. These events are called precipitating injury or precipitating event; they may or may not be considered as a direct cause of F., depending on the theory. orientation of the psychologist making his judgment. There are three main models of F. - psychoanalytic, behavioral and cognitive.

Psychoanalytic model. Freud categorized F. as part of a set of symptomatic neuroses, which he called hysteria of fear (anxiety hysteria or Angst hysterie). This group also includes conversion hysteria. F. is an expression of repressed sexual fantasies, usually of an oedipal nature, in the fight against defense mechanisms designed to help contain these feelings.

Behavioral (social learning) models. F.'s explanations from the viewpoint. behaviorism or social theory. learning focuses on how an individual learns an inappropriate, fear-provoking response to an initially neutral or non-exciting stimulus. Three main paradigms are used: classical conditioning, operant conditioning and modeling.

F.'s etiology has been the subject of research. in one of the main experiments in behavioral psychology, which, even decades after the publication of the results, represents an important milestone in its development. John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner induced a phobia in Albert, an 11-month-old child, using the model of classical conditioning discovered by I. P. Pavlov in his famous experiments with dogs.

According to the operant conditioning paradigm, B.

F. Skinner, F. develop not only as a result of a random or even deliberate coincidence of stimuli, but also as a result of deliberate, voluntary actions in the environment and the consequences of these actions (reinforcements).

The modeling (observational learning) paradigm, developed largely by Albert Bandura, assumes that skills are, at least in part, learned through the perception of anxiety or irrational fears experienced by others, especially loved ones with whom there is an empathic connection. .

Cognitive model. The cognitive-dynamic concept of F., developed by Albert Ellis, differentiates and clarifies the thought processes involved in the disorder. Ellis argues that associations with the thought “this is good” become a person's positive emotions, such as love or joy, while associations with the thought “this is bad” become negative emotions, coloring painful, angry or depressive feelings. F. is an illogical and irrational association that connects “this is bad” or “this is dangerous” with things that in reality are not such.

Other explanations. Representatives of the existential movement Rollo May and Viktor Frankl view F. as a reflection of alienation, powerlessness and meaninglessness of modern life, partly as a consequence of industrialization and depersonalization. The representative of humanistic psychology, Abraham Maslow, considers neuroses, like neuroses in general, as a violation of personality growth, a collapse of people’s possibilities for realization. potential.

Some theorists pay attention to the physiologist. and genetic aspects of F. Edward O. Wilson sees in F. a trace of our genetic evolution. “In the early stages of human development,” writes Wilson, “phobias expanded the possibilities of human survival.”

Treatment of phobias. Supporters of the above theories use techniques and methods of treating F. in accordance with what they consider to be their cause. Psychoanalysts, considering F. a product of repressed content hidden under layers of psychol. defenses use free association, dream analysis and interpretation to peel back layers of defense and get to the core of the conflict. Then, through catharsis - a sudden emotionally intense release of repressed material - the patient will be able to overcome F. and recover.

Behavioral psychologists have developed an impressive array of techniques for treating F. The two most widely used paradigms are systematic desensitization and flooding.

Systematic desensitization is a form of classical conditioning in which fear-inducing stimuli are combined with inhibitory reactions, either in an imaginary (replacement desensitization) or in a real-life situation (in vivo desensitization).

Flooding is “a method of treating phobias by rapid exposure to a feared object or situation in real life, maintaining maximum tolerable fear until it begins to subside, then repeating exposures until the patient feels comfortable in the previously feared situation.” " Although this method is considered fast and effective, at least in the short term, its use is accompanied by inducing a high level of anxiety in patients, which some experts consider too high - and therefore potentially dangerous.

The process of rational-emotive therapy involves the psychotherapist communicating (often in a very effective, impressive form) to the patient about distortions in his thinking. This is similar to a psychopedagogical technique, and it is really aimed at making the patient aware of how illogical thinking leads to an illogical and phobic style of behavior.

All four methods - psychoanalysis, systematic desensitization, implosive and rational-emotive therapy - are highly effective. Empirical research data. confirm this, at least in comparison with the treatment of disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.

See also Anxiety, Personality Disorders