Unreasonable Feelings of Fear: Hidden Causes and Effective Methods of Combating. Constant feeling of anxiety: what to do? Recommendations from a psychologist

It is common for a person to experience anxious thoughts, which are accompanied by insomnia and anxiety. If you are in constant emotional tension, which turns into... panic attacks, this means that there is a malfunction in the nervous system and help is needed. He has been studying how to get rid of fear and anxiety forever, understanding the importance of the issue. What types of fear exist, what causes of anxiety within oneself do psychologists identify? This knowledge will help us live in peace and harmony and teach us how to manage our emotions.

Definition of anxiety

This is an emotion that is expressed in a whole gamut unpleasant feelings and sensations. The most common negative emotions, according to psychologists, are jealousy and envy. However, experts call anxiety the most destructive and destructive emotion.

This is an uncontrollable fear of upcoming events. Sigmund Freud defined anxiety as fear without a specific reason.

Important! According to statistics, mental disorders are the most common psychological pathologies.

Anxiety is divided into two types:

• normal – an anxious state occurs periodically and does not affect life;
• pathological – negatively affects the quality of life, accompanied by severe symptoms.

Often, an anxious state manifests itself in people with a rich imagination, when a person is worried about future events. In a state of anxiety, a person obviously predicts failure and foresees danger for himself.

This condition is accompanied by certain symptoms:

• becomes more frequent;
• sweating increases;
• arises itchy skin and dizziness;
• children become whiny and fussy.

Important! It is especially important to recognize anxiety and children in adolescence. If a teenager uses the expressions “somehow uneasy” or “restless” in his speech, pay attention to the child’s psychological state.

Anxiety increases gradually and reaches its peak in the evening, motor activity a person is trying to suppress aggression.

Neurotic anxiety

It is human nature to exaggerate the threat. In psychology, such a condition is classified as chronic; a person is constantly in a state of internal conflict, he is torn apart by contradictions. As a result of the condition, neurological disorders develop and vital functions deteriorate.

Personal anxiety

Psychologists call the state of personal psychological feature– a person experiences anxiety even in situations that do not pose any threat. The man is in constant voltage, most events are perceived as potentially dangerous.

Anxiety and fear - what are the differences?

Anxiety, panic and fear are related, however, not the same feelings.

The definition of fear in psychology is an immediate reaction to real danger, circumstances that pose a threat. It is necessary to understand that the psychology of fear is significantly different from anxiety emotionally and biologically. In a state of severe fright, a person is excited and focused on finding a way out of the current situation.

Anxiety in to a greater extent focused on future circumstances. We are talking about premonitions associated with upcoming events.

Important! Anxiety and fear are preventive in nature - they report possible danger and force a person to avoid this danger. However, in most cases, anxiety occurs when no danger threatens.

To practically understand the essence of the two concepts and the difference between anxiety and fear, let’s look at an illustrative example. A man is walking down the street and a dog jumps out at him. The first feeling that arises is fear. If a person is walking down the street and imagines that a dog is jumping out at him from around the corner, this is anxiety.

Panic is a totality physical symptoms, which are aimed at fighting or fleeing from a far-fetched, non-existent threat. A panicky state is accompanied by a rapid pulse, sweating, and thoughts associated with death arise. Psychologists note that in such a state, a person’s thoughts and feelings, which can cause fear and physical malaise, pose a great threat.

Psychology of fear

Two neural connections are responsible for fear and control. The first one regulates the main emotions and is characterized by a quick reaction, accompanied by a large number of incorrect actions. The second is characterized by a slow but clear reaction. The first connection provides a quick response to a potentially dangerous situation, but often the alarm turns out to be a false alarm. Second neural connection allows you to correctly see and assess the situation, the degree of threat, and choose the right solution.

If fear is provoked by the first neural connection, the second connection, which is able to distinguish between real and unreal dangerous sources, is automatically blocked. When a phobia develops, the second neural connection does not function correctly, and the person experiences uncontrollable fear.

Concepts of fear, its causes

Psychology identifies human fears as one of the most powerful negative emotions; they can be short-term or long-lasting. Most often, the condition is accompanied by emotional and physical discomfort, while fear is a signal for a person to protect himself.

Fear is accompanied by rash actions and severe anxiety, a condition called a panic attack. Everyone experiences fear differently, depending on their psycho-emotional state, characteristics of upbringing. Timely identified cause that provoked fear will allow a specialist to quickly determine further actions aimed at eliminating the pathological condition.

The causes of fear can be obvious and hidden, but in most cases obvious reasons are not stored in memory. The situation is more complicated with hidden reasons that have deeper roots. Among the main ones, psychologists identify:

• childhood psychological trauma;
• excessive parental care;
• moral.

There are also reasons that formulate and develop independently. They are triggered by a feeling of rejection, depression, and constant loneliness.

The effect of fear on a person

To talk about the impact of fear on a person, you need to understand how this emotion affects us. On the one hand, any fear destroys and suppresses, preventing you from living and developing. A person who is afraid becomes weak and weak-willed. However, this emotion also has another side - by overcoming the fear within ourselves, we become stronger and receive a charge of energy. Eastern wisdom accurately conveys the essence psychological state- He who conquers himself becomes powerful.

Psychologists believe that there are no fears that cannot be overcome. There are faint-hearted people who are unable to find the strength and resources in themselves to cope with fear. The easiest way to overcome fear is to find support, a person who is experiencing the same problems. Together you can do much more than alone. It is preferable to look for a like-minded person who is more experienced, otherwise you will have to drag your partner along with you. Grow in all areas, because the more you know, the easier it is to overcome subsequent fear. Try to consciously expand your own comfort zone.

Important! To overcome fear, you must first of all learn to protect yourself from negativity. To do this, you need to be alone and imagine that rain is flowing on you from above, washing away dirt and fatigue.

How to get rid of fear and anxiety

First of all, you need to understand that every person is capable of overcoming fear and it is not so difficult. The main thing is to set yourself a clearly formulated task - how to stop worrying and become happy - and follow the recommendations of psychologists. Self-regulation and expert advice will help you:

1. Determine the cause of your worries and learn not to hide, but to boldly admit your fear. This is important because it will help you create a further action plan and follow it.
2. Learn to relax. Constant feeling Anxiety is mentally and physically exhausting, so it is especially important to rest and relax in order to restore energy and wasted strength. Walk on fresh air, do yoga, take warm baths, listen to music.
3. Discuss your condition with a loved one you trust. Quite often, after a confidential conversation, the attitude towards a negative emotion changes - it becomes calmer, it is possible to soberly assess the situation.
4. Write down your thoughts and feelings on paper. If you do not have the opportunity to talk with a loved one, keep a personal diary where you write down all your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. By rereading the text, it is easier to understand the causes of anxiety and fear.
5. Smile more often. Make it a rule to bring humor into your life, watch more comedies, read jokes, do it in the company of friends. Laughter allows you to forget about problems and overcome fear.
6. Don't sit idle, find a hobby, favorite hobby, elementary - clean the apartment. A person who is not busy with anything inevitably has dark thoughts that do not allow him to relax.
7. It is unlikely that you will be able to constantly keep your worries and anxieties under control; set aside a certain time for them, for example, 15-20 minutes every day. Give free rein to your imagination, but don’t analyze the emotions, just experience them. When the allotted time is over, return to your usual activities.
8. Don't allow yourself to go back to the past and failures. Remember, the past has already passed and the future will be completely different. present.
9. Engage in visualization - as soon as your imagination starts to draw scary pictures, switch to something good, imagine only a positive outcome of the situation. Psychologists note that positive visualization influences life circumstances and allows you to radically change them.
10. To overcome fear, you don’t need to “feed” negative emotions. This primarily concerns impressionable people. Avoid watching crime news and horror films.
11. Talk to people more. You can't be alone when you're feeling anxious. Go with friends to a movie, a concert, play sports. Give preference to live communication.
12. Mantras and affirmations help overcome fear. You can use ready-made texts or write your own.

How to make an action plan

A psychologist will tell you in detail and clearly about how to deal with fears within yourself. There are situations when it is impossible to cope with anxious feelings on your own, then you need to. Sometimes the problem lies so deep that only an experienced psychologist or psychotherapist can get to it. A specialist will help you understand the causes of anxiety and tell you how to deal with fear and panic.

Important! Special sedatives should only be prescribed by a specialist; you cannot take them yourself. It won’t overcome fear, but it will help ease the condition. folk remedies– valerian, chamomile, mint, motherwort, lemon balm.

If you are overcome by worries and anxieties, do not be shy about them. Accept and admit your imperfection, in this case it will become much easier to overcome fear. All people are afraid of something and many manage to overcome their fear, and if one can do it, then so can another. Turn your worries into a positive direction, because most have achieved success through fear, which forced them to move forward, overcoming difficulties. The topic - how to get rid of fear and anxiety - is very broad. The main thing is that these negative emotions can be made your allies.

Watch the video to learn how to overcome fear.

People often experience unreasonable attacks of fear and anxiety. In this state, it can be difficult for a person to concentrate on fulfilling his responsibilities at work or school, because he always expects trouble. He is haunted by a feeling of imaginary or real danger. However, it is possible to regain peace of mind. Advice from an experienced psychologist will tell you how to get rid of fear and anxiety.

If a person wants to get rid of anxious thoughts, he first needs to understand the causes of anxiety and understand the mechanism of its occurrence. There are several factors that influence state of mind the individual and his mood. Can be transmitted to humans inner restlessness his relative. Young children are very attached to their mothers. If a mother is overcome by a feeling of fear, an anxious mood is also transmitted to the child.

Why are feelings of anxiety and fear dangerous?

If fear or anxiety arises due to real danger or unpleasant situation, then after a certain period of time the individual’s condition returns to normal. When the threat disappears, the person returns to his normal life, behaves calmly, great mood and nothing disturbs his soul.

There are situations when no visible reasons to be afraid of something or worry about something. However, a person is tormented by frightening thoughts, he is in an excited state, constantly waiting for terrible news, and is afraid of the people around him. This condition cannot be called normal.

Emotional stress affects an individual's health. His hands begin to tremble, then trembling appears throughout his body, his pulse quickens, his sweating increases, and his blood pressure rises. Subsequently, this condition leads to the development of If they are not treated on time, a person may suffer from some kind of bodily disease. After all, all diseases, as we know, are caused by nerves.

You can try to get rid of causeless anxiety and fear on your own. The advice of a psychologist will help in the fight against anxiety and worry. They will teach you how to act correctly in those moments when anxiety and a feeling of fear overcome.

Methods for dealing with fears and anxiety:

1. Find the cause of internal anxiety.

You need to take a close look at yourself and those around you, to understand what exactly caused the disturbing thoughts. It is important to analyze your past. Remember when the feeling of anxiety arose for the first time, what events influenced its appearance.

1. Accept your own fears, do not deny the fact of their existence.

You can cope with an anxious state if you do not ignore the problem and do not hide from it. If an individual realizes that he is afraid of something, he will begin to look for the cause of his fears. Later he will think

1. During a panic attack, try to shift your thoughts to another topic.

You can’t dwell on bad and destructive conditions. Anxious thoughts need to be driven away from yourself. When scary ideas come to mind, you need to switch to something fun. Recall funny joke or an incident from life.

1. Learn to relax.

Excitement always takes away a person’s mental strength and energy. You can restore them if you learn to relax. Can be accepted hot bath, read a book, watch a funny comedy movie, listen to calm music. Breathing exercises, affirmations, mantras, meditation, yoga, and a walk in the forest or park help restore mental balance.

1. Discuss your condition with a loved one.

If disturbing thoughts haunt you, you can tell your friend about them. It is important not to keep your guesses to yourself, but to speak out and tell your interlocutor about your problems. Usually, after a sincere conversation, a person feels better in his soul and calms down.

1. Write a story about your fears on a piece of paper.

If a person cannot understand the reason for his anxiety, he can write about his condition on paper. After some time, carefully read and analyze what you have written. As a rule, when a few days pass and a person returns to his notes, he realizes how unfounded his fears were.

1. Smile several times a day.

Even if you don’t want to laugh and there is no reason to enjoy life, you still need to smile. Laughter triggers a reaction in the body, which subsequently leads to a feeling of happiness and lightness.

1. Always be doing something.

If you do nothing and just sit idle, you will constantly be tormented by sad or frightening thoughts. You can get rid of them if you do something. For example, clean the apartment, read a magazine, talk on the phone with friends. You can go for a walk in the park, go on an excursion to another country.

1. Surrender to your fears for 30 minutes every day.

Getting rid of disturbing fantasies is not so easy. Thoughts that frighten the soul constantly plague a person, no matter what he does. Throughout the day you need to drive them away from you. And in the evening they need to be given free rein. You can come up with the most terrible outcome to a frightening situation. Then suffer and cry for about thirty minutes. Then calm down, watch a funny movie and drink a cup of tea with mint and lemon balm.

1. Forget past grievances, forgive your offenders.

There is no point in worrying about events that have already happened. You need to live in the present, and so that past grievances do not make themselves felt, you need to forgive your offenders and try to forget everything.

1. Correct the frightening situation in your imagination.

When terrible thoughts torment, terrible pictures are drawn in a person’s mind. Can you imagine another ending? dangerous situation. For example, worrying about health loved one, you can imagine that he eats right every day, takes care of himself, drinks healing drinks and medications that help him. In this way, you will be able to convince yourself of the meaninglessness of your own fears.

1. Communicate with people often.

Live communication eliminates any need to visit more often in public places, talk to people, meet and talk with friends.

If a person has no one to talk to, he can talk to himself. Thoughts expressed out loud are calming nervous system. The main thing is to make sure that no one hears them. It is important not to scare your loved ones with your condition. If you can’t find privacy in your home, you can go to a park or forest and scream and talk to yourself there.

Certain foods affect anxiety. For example, sweets, coffee, alcohol, black tea. If a person wants to regain a normal state of mind, he needs to exclude them from the diet. It is necessary to eat foods that, on the contrary, will calm the nervous system. These include, for example, bananas, they help relieve irritability and fall asleep. Chocolate, nuts, legumes are good for the nerves, sea ​​fish, poultry and even ordinary potatoes with beets. These products contain substances that have a positive effect on the body.

Help from a psychologist in dealing with anxiety and fears

Usually people cannot get rid of terrible fantasies that excite their souls and anxiety state. Obsessive thoughts do not leave a person day or night. They cause insomnia or scary dreams. If a person does not feel peace of mind or internal balance, he is anxious or scared, which means he needs to seek help from an experienced psychotherapist. For example, to a psychologist-hypnologist

Good news for those who struggle to cope with daily stress at home and work: there are available methods get rid of constant worry and anxiety. As first aid, the author of a new book on stress recommends using simple exercises acupressure. Changing our reaction to stress is also within our power; to do this, we need to understand the work of the adrenal glands.

Any stress that we attribute to our emotional state- for example, anxiety, low self-esteem or violent reaction - are actually related to our physiology. These so-called "false feelings" are caused by a deficiency in the brain chemical reaction, capable of maintaining resistance to stress. However, such conditions can be quickly corrected by changing your physiology.

I asked Harvard University integrative medicine specialist Dr. medical sciences Sarah Gottfried: How to stop feeling like a failure if you can't live every moment of your life like you're a superhero. She suggested a new mantra: “It’s my adrenal glands, it’s not me.” According to Gottfried, we should stop blaming ourselves and trying to jump in over our heads, and instead should “think about our biology.”

Stress and the adrenal glands: how does it work?

Up to 70% of people who report stress actually suffer from some degree of adrenal imbalance (the organs that produce the hormones that control your response to stress). Under conditions of chronic stress, our body goes through three stages, which are characterized by: to varying degrees adrenal imbalance and ultimately depletion.

At the first stage we accumulate extra energy to cope with stressors. After the first surge of adrenaline, the adrenal glands begin to secrete cortisol, which initially - and in small quantities - is a source of strength and endurance for us. In the right amount, cortisol helps metabolize food, fight allergies, and reduce inflammation.

But if the state of excessive arousal continues, the adrenal glands begin to secrete too much adrenaline and cortisol, replacing them with our neurotransmitters responsible for good location spirit, namely serotonin (a source of self-confidence and optimism) and dopamine (a source of pleasure). When cortisol chronically circulates in the body, it begins to stimulate inflammatory responses and can cause the very diseases it was originally intended to protect against. Accordingly, signs of disease or infection appear.

We no longer experience the “euphoria” associated with the adrenaline rush; instead of this appears Bad mood or even depression. Too much or too little cortisol can lead to decreased concentration and a feeling of being overwhelmed. We resort to external stimulants - caffeine, salty or sweet foods. We exhaust ourselves even more by playing sports, or, conversely, we stop everything. physical exercise. We're starting to feel chronic fatigue and irritation.

On last stage Adrenal imbalance causes such damage to these organs that they are no longer able to produce enough stress hormones. Every minor problem now seems like a global catastrophe. From now on, for example, when your son spills milk or your manager gives you a disapproving look, it is truly the end of the world for you.

Adrenal Fatigue: How to Avoid?

We all experience this condition - from time to time. But if this is your normal lifestyle, your body may be at risk of adrenal fatigue. "A diet high in sugar and low content protein triggers stress reactions without us realizing it,” says best-selling author and nutritionist Julia Ross. Ironically, more than 70% of people eat the most junk food just to get rid of emotional stress. We could all do with getting our stress hormones checked so we know exactly where on the adrenal fatigue spectrum we each currently fall.

Instead of struggling through the thorns of stress or anxiety (and then beating yourself up for it), it's worth learning as much as possible about your physiology. You can do a saliva test using a test sold at a pharmacy, or take a blood test at any medical institution, where you will be helped to interpret the results. Then, using the medications prescribed to you, you can restore normal hormone levels in the adrenal glands.

Many experts recommend starting with nutrition - making the necessary changes to your diet and observing the improvements. Start with small but consistent changes in your diet (for example, a diet high in protein and gluten-free vegetables), take natural vitamins and supplements ( more vitamins group B and fish oil rich in omega-3 acids, for example), and also try natural herbs(such as rhodiola for concentration and balance; chamomile or passionflower to stimulate the “calming” parts of your brain).

Now I want to tell you some secret tricks that will instantly increase your self-confidence and reduce your anxiety levels.

4 quick ways to get rid of anxiety

One of the components of high stress resistance is the ability to pull yourself together and remain calm and confident, no matter what happens around you. You can do this with the following exercises.

What is the benefit of acupressure exercises, that is, pressing on biologically active points on the hands? Many nerve endings are concentrated at the fingertips. Putting your fingers in different combinations and holding them in that position for a specific time applies healing pressure to certain areas. nerve endings. These positions of the hands and fingers can stimulate the expression of various qualities (for example, fearlessness, confidence, a sense of power and peace) in the person performing this exercise, and can have a healing effect in the case of various problems with health.

In fact, you have the key to the internal medicine cabinet.

Exercise 1: Panic Switch Off Point

If you, like many other people, are nervous before... public speaking, use the following acupressure point, which I call the “panic switch off point.”

Hand position: thumb With your hand, touch the “knuckle” of your middle (third) finger. Then move your thumb toward your palm until you feel a “soft” indentation or small depression. The pressure should be moderate. By pressing this point you help regulate pressure and reduce anxiety.

Exercise 2: Confidence Point

To stimulate a state of confidence, try pressing the “confidence point.” By pressing this point you send a signal that reduces internal emotional stress, stimulating a state of calm. Place your hands in the appropriate position for at least 30 seconds before a speech, presentation, or any other time when you need a confidence boost.

Hand position: place the thumb of either hand at the side index finger between the first and second joint. Apply light to moderate pressure.

Exercise 3: Breathing technique to get rid of fear

You can train your body to let go of fear. Vigorous exhalations stimulate the PNS, promoting calm. I used this one breathing technique to get rid of claustrophobia, so that it would be easier for me to live in New York, where crowded subways and elevators are an integral part of life.

Breathing technique: Take vigorous inhalations through your nose and exhale through your mouth, concentrating on each inhalation and exhalation. As you exhale, forcefully throw your arms forward, as if you are pushing something away from you that you don’t like. Then, as you inhale, return your arms to your chest in a straight line, elbows pressed to your sides. Exhale sharply through your mouth, throwing your arms out again. Repeat one more time.

Hand position: connect the ends of the large and index finger and raise your arms in front of your chest, palms facing away from you.

Duration: Start by performing this exercise for one minute, gradually increase the training time to three minutes. When you do the exercise for the first time, you may feel a little dizzy—just stop if you feel any discomfort.

Exercise 4: Hand Positions to Encourage Solution Searching

For effective solution problems, you must be confident in your abilities and listen to your intuition. To activate the problem solving brain center, you can use next position hands This position helps you focus your attention on a point on your forehead that corresponds to the approximate location of your pineal gland and is located at the intersection of the left and right hemispheres. This point is access to “whole-brain thinking.” In some spiritual and physical yoga traditions, it is considered the “third eye”—the intersection of intuition and wisdom.

Hand position: connect the tip thumb right hand with the tips of the second (index) and third (middle) fingers. Place the "top" of this triangle about 2.5 cm from a point on the forehead that is about 2.5 cm above the point directly between the eyes. At the same time, connect the tip of the thumb of your left hand with the tips of the second (index) and third (middle) fingers in the same way. Place the “vertex” of this triangle about 2.5 cm from the point on your forehead that will correspond to your “intuition”.

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Discussion

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