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Who managed to get rid of fear. How to get rid of fear and anxiety - advice from psychologists and useful techniques. How to get rid of fear

It is possible to cope with a phobia on your own, but it is better to consult a psychotherapist. The main thing is not to let this process take its course and not try to avoid solving the problem. In order to overcome your fear, you should realize that in most cases all phobias are groundless and meaningless. It is important to learn to believe in yourself and your strengths, to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. In order to think less about a phobia, you should devote a lot of time to your favorite pastime, hobby.

You can try to face your fear. However, not everyone will be able to overpower themselves and use such a radical method. During a panic attack, you should breathe properly, be able to relax the muscles of your face and body, think about positive things. To get rid of fears, one should not resort to drinking alcohol, drugs or coffee, as this will only lead to excitation of the nervous system.

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General concept of pathology

Obsessive fears are distinguished by the fact that a person understands the meaninglessness of the phobia, but continues to be afraid. This phenomenon most often occurs in childhood and can haunt a person for life.

There are several hundred obsessive fears. Among them are the fear of heights, society, spiders, enclosed space, illness, intimate relationships, communication, and others. Such phobias are often uncontrollable and bring a lot of problems to a person, as it interferes with establishing a personal life, getting a job, communicating with friends and family.

Phobias can be classified based on the situation, specific object, age, symptoms, sex of the person. To date, scientists distinguish 4 groups of main phobias:

1. Zoophobias are fears that are associated with flora and fauna.
2. Social phobias involve the fear of everything that a person faces every day.
3. Agoraphobia - fear of open space. It can be doors, windows.
4. Fears that cannot be attributed to the previous categories. These include health-related phobias, fear of the dark, closed spaces, and many others.

Signs of obsessive fears

Phobias can be easily recognized by the following symptoms:

Feeling of difficulty in breathing, spasm of the throat.
Greater heart rate.
Feeling of weakness, faintness.
Numbness of the whole body.
Feelings of dread, intense fear.
Tremor throughout the body.
Urge to vomit, indigestion.
The body "does not obey" the person.
The person feels as if he is "going crazy".

The presence of a phobia can be said if at least 4 of the listed signs of obsessive fears are present.

Men's fears

In the modern world, there is an opinion that men are not prone to excessive experiences, and they are practically not afraid of anything. However, this point of view is erroneous, since representatives of the strong half of humanity also have many fears that men are trying to overcome:

1. The most common phobia for men is the fear of being alone. They are afraid to lose their soul mate, to be left alone, abandoned and useless. However, most men will never admit it because they don't want to look pathetic.
2. Fear of new relationships. Unlike women, who can easily plunge into new feelings, men try to hide their emotions, worries and tears. They try to control themselves so as not to fall in love again and lose their priceless freedom.
3. Fear of looking feminine, as in men this is associated with a weak character, humility and humility. If he at least once noticed feminine traits in his character or behavior, this fear will always be present in the mind of a man.
4. Fear of the subordinate. Many men love to gossip about "henpeckedness". If a young man noticed that his friend is completely subordinate to his other half, then this will cause a storm of protest. Therefore, men do everything possible not to find themselves in such a situation, showing their most masculine traits.
5. Fear of the loser. Every man wants to achieve material well-being and financial independence. Therefore, if he understands that he has failed in something, then he immediately enrolls himself in the ranks of losers. The positive side of this fear is that this phobia makes men become stronger, reach new heights, overcoming difficulties and obstacles.

It is hard for a man to overcome fear on his own, no matter what it is connected with. He will need outside help. However, he must understand that all fears are based on subjective factors and the characteristics of the man himself.

Most male phobias formed in childhood or adolescence. For example, if a young man was rejected several times by women, then this fear will remain with him for life. If there is a fear of meeting the opposite sex, you must immediately warn the girl about it. In most cases, such sincerity in the behavior of a man disarms the ladies. He can get acquainted with girls as much as necessary until he begins to feel comfortable in the company of a lady. A smart and tactful woman will help in this case. It all depends on the willpower and character of the man. Indeed, in order to overcome their fear, someone needs a delicate treatment, and someone needs a tougher approach.

Often getting rid of fears in men occurs with the help of alcohol. This is one of the biggest mistakes, because under the influence of alcohol you can only aggravate the situation. In order to overcome your fears, you can use other methods, such as hobbies, hobbies. It will help to cope with the problem of active rest, visiting clubs, going to the cinema. Physical activity can help you recharge your batteries and strengthen your spirit. It is better to give preference to such mobile sports as tennis, football, kickboxing.

Women's phobias

The difference between typical female phobias and male phobias is that they are not specifically related to one object, but represent a whole series of interrelated fears.

stay alone

This is due to the fact that a woman is afraid not to get married and sit up "in girls." Married women are afraid of adultery and being abandoned by a man, even if there are no serious reasons for that. Gradually, this thought becomes obsessive and develops into a serious phobia, depression develops. The reason for the appearance of such fears is a woman's inferiority complex, self-doubt and low self-esteem.

The fight against this kind of fear must begin with self-love. We must believe that every person deserves a good life and a respectful attitude towards himself.

Lose beauty, old age

This phobia is inherent in successful and self-confident ladies. However, over time, they begin to think about the fact that time is moving inexorably forward. The best solution in the fight against this fear will not be expensive plastic surgery and creams, but a healthy lifestyle, rational nutrition, active sports and positive thinking.

The phobia of old age most often begins to manifest itself in women over the age of 50 and is associated with its place in society and the family. This may manifest itself in the fact that they incorrectly indicate their age in social networks, profiles. Another option for the manifestation of a phobia is that a woman begins to dress out of age, while she looks ridiculous and funny. Women do not want to retire, take care of their grandchildren, referring to their social employment. Correction of this phobia should begin with awareness of one's "I". You need to learn to recognize and accept your age, along with its positive and negative qualities, to know the value of your years.

fullness

Fear of fullness can have quite dangerous consequences. Trying to look like models from glossy magazine covers, women go on radical diets, which leads to anorexia and disruption of the functioning of all organs and systems.

To get rid of this phobia, you should realize the value of your health. Instead of fasting, you can start to adhere to a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle. This will help you maintain your weight.

Before childbirth

Fear of motherhood, which includes the fear of childbirth, pregnancy. A woman has a fear of childbirth, she is afraid of pain and death. This phobia is typical for women with an inferiority complex. The negative aspect of this fear is that it is accompanied by disruption of the autonomic system, adversely affects the process of conception, the course of pregnancy and childbirth.

Worrying about the child is an integral part of the manifestation of maternal care. But we must not allow natural feelings to develop into a phobia that can affect the state of the woman's nervous system. You need to realize that childbirth lasts only a few hours, this is negligible compared to a whole life ahead. Modern medicine can provide a relatively comfortable birth (with the use of epidural anesthesia) and guarantee 99% that everything will be fine with a woman. The main thing is to call an ambulance in time at the first contractions. You need to read less stories on the Internet and tune in to the positive, since each birth is individual. If girlfriends or sisters had severe, painful and lasted a day, this does not mean that you will have the same. There are many reverse examples.

Insects, amphibians

The reason for the appearance of such fear lies in childhood. In order to get rid of the obsessive fear of insects, spiders and snakes, you need to look fear in the eye: pick it up, touch it.

driving car

The fear of driving a car is related to the fact that a woman is afraid of getting into an accident, damaging the car, violating traffic rules or being ridiculed by other road users. This fear does not need much correction. The fear of the road and cars goes away by itself after a woman acquires driving experience over time. You can improve your skills on training grounds or not very busy tracks.

Public opinion and condemnation by other people

Fear occurs most often in notorious and insecure women. In order to get rid of it, you should set clear priorities for yourself, realize that your own happiness does not depend on the opinions of other people.

Types of phobias and methods of getting rid

Any person can have one or more phobias that affect his character, behavior and attitude towards certain things.

Type of phobia	How to get rid?
Claustrophobia is the fear of closed spaces. Manifested by attacks of panic fear at the time of being in a closed space. It can be an elevator, a car. This group of fears includes the fear of the crowd.	It is necessary to try to communicate more with people who have already managed to overcome fear. You should not avoid crowded places and cramped rooms, since it is impossible to get rid of this fear in absentia. If an attack of fear arose in an elevator, then you need to focus your attention on some object, for example, buttons
Gerontophobia - fear of one's own aging and fear of communicating with older people	Doctors say that people who have their own point of view, who are difficult to piss off, and who do not give in to a melancholy mood, look good and retain their youth longer. Replace bad habits with good ones, think positively
Trypanophobia - fear of injections, syringes, injections, which is caused by the poor quality of medical care, the negligent attitude of doctors towards their patients	To avoid a panic attack, do not watch how the health worker does the manipulation. You should distract yourself with something, for example, listen to music, watch an interesting video
Aerophobia - fear of flying	Fly as often as possible. Each successful landing will leave a trace in the subconscious mind that flying in an airplane is safe. You need to buy tickets from a company that has a good reputation. When buying a ticket, you should opt for the middle row away from the window. Do not drink coffee before takeoff. Better eat a mint
Dentophobia is the fear of going to the dentist. People suffering from this phobia go to the dentist in extremely rare cases.	In order to alleviate the patient's condition, dentists recommend that all manipulations be carried out in a state of sedation. Before visiting the dentist, you should think about the fact that modern medicine has a large number of new painkillers. You can chat with loved ones who have recently been to the dentist, and nothing happened to them. It must be remembered that even the most severe pain in a person is erased from memory after 3 hours.
Insectophobia - fear of insects, especially ants and bees	When meeting with an insect, you need to breathe deeply, try to relax and even smile. You can develop a program for yourself that will help get rid of this phobia in a few months. To do this, you first need to learn how to be in the same room with an insect for up to 3 minutes. Then do not be afraid to approach a distance of 2-3 meters. After that, you need to overcome your fear and not be afraid to watch the insect for 1 minute. It is necessary to learn how to cover the animal with a jar or bucket tied to a long stick
Herpetophobia is the fear of reptiles. This fear is not rare. He is mainly associated with lizards and snakes.	The best way to get rid of this phobia is hypnotherapy. In order to cope with fear, you should learn as much interesting information as possible and read about reptiles.
Agraphobia is a phobia of sexual harassment. Signs of this fear are rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dry mouth, increased anxiety	If the fear of sexual harassment prevents you from living, communicating normally with the opposite sex, then treatment by qualified specialists is recommended. In the process of therapy, methods such as suggestion, conversations, hypnosis are used.
Autophobia is a pathological fear of being alone. The feeling of fear arises in situations where a person is left alone, trying to occupy himself with something, but this is to no avail.	It should be realized that it is impossible to be in communication with people all the time. Loneliness is quite normal. You need to find an occupation that will not give you the opportunity to be sad. It could be a new job, hobby, hobby, pet.
Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces. It can be large squares, deserted streets	You should relax, close your eyes and imagine how a person comes home and crosses the threshold of the house, continues to move around the apartment with slow steps. If at any stage there is a feeling of discomfort, you should start the journey all over again. It should be understood where the “anchor point” is located, what makes a person stay at home. The size of the point should not be more than 1 cm. When a person finds this place and feels comfortable there, one should move further until the fact that the comfort zone is created only by the person himself and no one else is realized
Algophobia is the fear of pain. The reason for the development of this phobia is the pain experienced earlier in an unpleasant situation, for example, in a fight.	You should do auto-training 3 times a week, study relaxation techniques such as yoga, acupressure, taijiquan. During a panic attack, you should take deep breaths and exhale with your stomach.
Spectrophobia - fear of mirrors and reflection	You should overcome yourself and stand in front of the mirror during the day, start saying pleasant words to yourself, the room, the mirror. You can invite someone close to you to help

You can not wait until the process goes into a more severe form. If you miss the moment of the beginning of the development of fear, then it will be impossible to overcome it on your own.

Look at the environment and life from a positive perspective. If you imagine an unpleasant future, then the situation will only get worse.
Face the phobia eye to eye. The method is quite radical and quite effective. Although not everyone can dare to do so.
Ability to relax during a panic attack. You can start talking loudly, singing, laughing.
Breathe correctly. Convulsive sobs and sighs will not help to overcome an attack of panic fear. Breathing should be calm, even, deep and rhythmic.
Complete relaxation of the muscles of the body and face will help you calm down faster.
You can not use drugs, alcohol and coffee to overcome your phobia. This will only aggravate the situation, since these methods act excitingly on the human nervous system.

Special techniques for dealing with fears

There are many special psychological techniques that will help you overcome fear on your own.

1. Technique "face to face".

This technique should be practiced twice a day. For 10 minutes, you should think only about your fear, bringing yourself to the state of the onset of a panic attack. Its paradox lies in the fact that in order to get rid of fear, one must experience strong emotional discomfort. After a few minutes, the person begins to realize that there is no danger. You just need to calmly repeat those thoughts that caused anxiety before. This state must be maintained for all 10 minutes, otherwise everything will be useless.

This technique is based on the ability of the nervous system to quickly recover and stabilize after a strong emotional shock. After a few days of this technique, a person notices that he simply has nothing to fill these 10 minutes. He will begin to get bored, as the feeling of fear will gradually disappear. The stress system of the body will no longer react violently to the appearance of an irritant every time.

2. The technique of writing down your fears.

In order to overcome an obsessive fear in yourself, you can try the technique of writing down your phobia. It consists in the fact that during the day you need to literally write down all your thoughts that arise about fear from the moment the excitement began until it ends. You should not try to write everything in the form of beautiful sentences. You can just word for word as a stenographer at a meeting.

The essence of this method is that when fear passes from a person's consciousness to paper, it materializes, acquires features and, as a result, looks primitive and meaningless. After a while it will become uninteresting to write the same words, and the fear will gradually go away.

3. The technique of singing your phobias.

The technique of singing fear helps to get rid of obsessive thoughts. You need to sing exactly as they appear in your head. If a person sings, then he simply physically cannot remain in a stressful state. It is necessary to choose a short phrase and sing it to a simple tune for several minutes. As soon as the negative sensations begin to disappear, you must immediately switch your attention to something else.

4. Technique for changing the picture in the head.

This technique works well in cases where a person cannot convey his feelings in words, since they are only a picture that arises in the head. At the time of the appearance of fear, you need to imagine a picture that is completely opposite to your phobia. For example, if a person suffers from claustrophobia, then you should immediately imagine yourself in a large open field. If a person is afraid of some kind of illness, one must imagine oneself happy and healthy.

Do not be afraid to seek help from a specialist. It is necessary to distinguish between a psychotherapist - a doctor who deals with mild mental disorders, such as phobias, and a psychiatrist who treats serious illnesses, such as schizophrenia, and who can register the patient. Seeing a psychotherapist has no consequences. The doctor will not prescribe serious drugs, but will help to cope with the phobia with the help of conversation, suggestion, hypnosis.

Stress is caused by situations or events that disrupt the established order of things. Failures on a personal background, family troubles, misunderstanding between business partners, unloved work, nitpicking over the trifles of the boss, a lot of unfinished business are knocked out of the usual rut. With psychological, emotional stress, the nervous system is overstrained. Since it is possible to relieve stress and restore a comfortable state with the help of the adaptive functions of the body, in order to quickly overcome discomfort and manage stress, it is necessary to increase adaptive capabilities and develop stress resistance.

Types of stress

From English stress is translated as pressure, oppression, load.

Psychological or emotional stress takes a lot of energy and is often caused by problems in personal or family life, the illness of loved ones, the upcoming marriage, the birth of a child, etc.

Physiological stress is caused by heat, cold, thirst, hunger, etc.

In the event of unexpected events - natural disasters, changes in the social order, inflation - there is a so-called short-term stress. Often it is so strong that it causes a state of shock.

Periodic flashbacks of the shock experienced can cause long-term stress that disrupts emotional balance.

In the case of a significant information overstrain, the so-called information stress can occur. As a rule, overstrain occurs when you have to make a lot of important decisions in conditions of time pressure or irrational distribution of efforts. IT specialists, managers, human rights activists, drivers, students are subject to this type of stressful situations.

The need to relieve informational stress arises when information is unexpectedly lost due to a breakdown or freezing of the computer. In a number of applied areas, one has to constantly improve knowledge and study new computer programs. Regular overload of information, as well as an unfriendly interface of the program, cause long-term stress.

Eustress. A situation or event that is accompanied by a surge of creative forces, great joy, causes eustress. You don’t want to remove positive stress, even if there are tears in your eyes.

Regardless of the reasons, a positive shake-up causes an increase in activity and abilities, bringing the desired result closer. For example, eustress allows you to overcome adverse natural conditions and conquer a mountain peak.

Distress. A form of negative stress called distress is often lingering. It is necessary to relieve the stress of this type as early as possible, to eliminate the causes of the negative state. Otherwise, the defenses of the body suffer.

Fear is a common cause of negative stress. For example, an anxious excited state is observed when there is a threat to lose your favorite job, to be unfairly bypassed through the ranks.

stress symptoms

Under the influence of unsettling circumstances, the body mobilizes the potential to perform actions that are impossible to perform in a normal calm state.

Symptoms of stress do not depend on the form of manifestation and type of exposure. The physiological reactions of the body remain universal and are accompanied by:

anxiety to mobilize and adapt to change;
resistance to oppression with the help of adaptive capabilities;
exhaustion when the adaptive resource is exhausted.

In a stressful state, hormones appear in the blood:

adrenaline, which increases blood pressure, heart rate, the need for high-calorie foods.
cortisol, which contributes to the development of the stress response and is therefore called the stress hormone. Under the influence of cortisol, the body saves energy resources, increases the level of glucose in the blood, enhances. At the same time, cortisol reduces the activity of the digestive and reproductive systems.

Hormones mobilize, increase efficiency, make you respond to a stressful situation with the most effective concrete actions, even with the use of force.

When getting rid of stress, it is imperative to expend energy in order to ultimately perform a super-action. Some spend their energy on mastering theoretical and practical knowledge, professional skills, others on developing muscles, improving fighting techniques.

If overcoming the obstacle is delayed, as the adaptive resource is developed, the following symptoms of stress appear:

inappropriate behavior, loss of self-control;
it becomes difficult to objectively assess the problem that has arisen;
the reasonable arguments of others are practically not perceived;
jokes cause offense, the desire to sympathize with the problems of others disappears;
do not want to follow the rules of business etiquette, communicate politely;
mood changes frequently
feeling powerless before external events;
appetite is disturbed, it may disappear or, conversely, gluttony occurs;
feeling of loneliness.

If for some reason it was not possible to relieve stress with specific actions, the hormones in the blood are harmful to health:

insomnia develops;
migraine appears;
heart starts to hurt;
manifestations become more frequent.

Often, negative stress does not have to be removed, it disappears by itself as soon as emotional susceptibility and tension decrease.

Constant nervous congestion leads to tension and the so-called clamp, which causes stoop, radiculitis, the function of the digestive organs is disturbed, and a nervous tic appears.

Why you shouldn't deal with negative stress

The vast majority are looking for and apply various ways to relieve negative stress. First of all, to cope with discomfort. But there are those who are sympathetic to this situation and practically do not attempt to restore the established order of things.

It turns out that for stubborn and purposeful people, a short-term negative stressful state gives a shake-up, helps to more accurately concentrate efforts in the chosen direction. In the end, they manage to achieve their intended goals. Without strong negative experiences, it would take many years to get to the result.

In addition, periodically experienced distress helps to feel the fullness of life in all its manifestations.

Development of stress tolerance

One of the important points of a job interview is to determine the applicant's reaction to a stressful situation. In some professions, this quality is required.

Applicants with high resistance to stress have wide prospects. It is much easier for them to reach professional heights, difficulties mobilize them. They are able to make the right decision in the most unfavorable environment. The vast majority of their colleagues in a similar situation will start looking for a way to relieve stress.

On the other hand, the daily resistance to pressure, the need to make decisions in conditions of uncertainty or lack of information, the willingness to take responsibility for possible errors dull the sensitivity. An employee with a reduced need to relieve stress becomes indifferent to the problems of others, which often leads to negative consequences in his personal life and professional activities.

The ability to stay in adverse circumstances for a long time, to overcome stress without compromising the results of professional activity, the health of others, one’s own well-being is determined by:

wonderful health;
volitional qualities;
temperament
upbringing;
character.

As a rule, even with the most brilliant individual data, you have to relieve everyday stress in one way or another.

Simple rules to prevent and relieve stress

Rule 1. The development of stress resistance requires the ability to avoid conflicts and stress. It is important to learn to understand the motives of actions, to take into account the emotional state of others. Make it a rule to respond to an unfavorable situation only after the analysis has been performed.

Rule 2. Spending significant personal resources to overcome intellectual, volitional, emotional pressure creates an enormous burden and tension. It is necessary to relieve stress, in one way or another to “let off steam”, because the negative destroys the body.

A great way to overcome stress is to switch jobs periodically. If the profession is intellectual, give the necessary physical activity, and vice versa.

Doing your favorite sport, this or that hobby, associated with a significant expenditure of physical strength, helps to fight stress. For example, independent construction on a suburban land plot, home improvement with hand-made products.

It is useful for representatives of technical professions to periodically turn to the world of art, visit theaters, concerts of their favorite performers.

Rule 3. Regularly maintain a supply of physical strength, find time for the necessary nightly rest, get enough sleep, follow a regimen, do not forget about a healthy, nutritious diet during the day.

Rule 4. To get rid of stress, you need to focus on a specific problem, and not an abstract general situation.

Rule 5. A lot of discomfort is caused by unfulfilled hopes. You should not expect a 100% result when it is impossible to completely control the situation. Otherwise, dealing with stress will be more difficult.

Rule 6. Before going to bed, knitting and playing solitaire help relieve or relieve stress.

How to relieve stress with exercise

It is possible to normalize the emotional state, relax or mobilize the body using a simple breathing technique:

Slowly breathe in the stomach to reduce the excitation of the nerve centers in order to relax more quickly. The chest is practically motionless.
In order to mobilize in a short time, to become capable of maximum results, breathe with the chest as often as possible.

Exercise 1. To relieve stress, relax, unfasten the trouser belt a little. Slowly inhale from the bottom of the body, sticking out the stomach. With a completely protruding abdomen, hold your breath for a few seconds, exhale slowly. After 3-5 minutes you will be able to relax.

Exercise 2. Inhaling with the stomach, count how many seconds it will take to inhale. Exhale twice as long. During the exercise, repeat to yourself: “It gives me great pleasure to talk calmly and confidently, I am calm and calm.”

Exercise 3. Often, intermittent, delayed breathing interferes with stress relief. Due to a violation of the respiratory reflex, there is not enough air. To normalize breathing, exhale completely and do not inhale as much as possible. Then inhale and exhale deeply several times. Then exhale and hold your breath again, so several times.

Exercise 4 to get rid of stress. Stand up, feet shoulder-width apart, straightened arms in front, palms on top. As you exhale, rise on your toes and bend in the spine so that your arms are directed vertically upwards. Imagine how with the exhaled air the body leaves the negative, negative emotions, fear, conflicts.

Exercise 5 to relieve stress. Feet shoulder width apart, arms extended forward. While inhaling, squeeze the brushes, slowly move to the chest. As you exhale, sharply throw forward, unclenching your fingers. Run 3-5 times.

Exercise 6. Push-ups. Position emphasis lying. Inhale and push out, exhale. Run 20-30 times.

Exercise 7. If time permits, it is worth doing one or another kind of fitness. A half-hour lesson significantly reduces anxiety, stimulates intellectual activity. A regular half-hour walk helps to get rid of stress.

How to relieve stress at home

To get rid of stress after a busy day, various means are used that prevent or relieve discomfort. Medical treatment of stress is prescribed by a doctor.

Sedatives, herbal preparations based on valerian, motherwort, mint help to cope with stress. To normalize sleep and fall asleep, a sedative collection is used. The greatest effectiveness of herbal remedies in the first days of use, they are not addictive.

The inclusion of foods rich in magnesium in the diet helps to prevent and get rid of stress. It also increases resistance to stressful situations, increases intellectual performance.

A lot of magnesium in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax, chocolate, cocoa. More detailed information is presented in the article "" of the website "The Power of Health".

Magnesium deficiency is indicated by:

increased excitability, a tendency to "break loose" over trifles;
frequent depression;
distraction of attention;
convulsions.

Sufficient intake of vitamin C relieves the severity of stress. Less high values reach blood pressure indicators, the level of cortisol in the blood turns out to be lower, it returns to normal faster. The sharpness of the subjective reaction to the exerted pressure decreases.

Eleutherococcus is used for mental or physical fatigue, nervous tension. The plant tones, enhances intellectual abilities. The effect comes quickly, lasts several hours.

Do not relieve stress in this way in case of increased nervous excitability, insomnia, sleep disorders.

It helps to cope with stress, reduce nervous excitement. Berries reduce blood pressure, are used for atherosclerosis, vasospasm.

Modified: 02/16/2019

Fear is an innate reaction caused by the environment. We come into the world almost devoid of fears. The only fear that belongs to babies is the fear of falling from great heights and the fear of loud sounds. All other fears appear later as a reaction to some events. And the main focus of all of them is the conviction that we do not have the ability to cope with our lives.

Every person should be able to overcome fears, otherwise he will not be able to get in his life to any, even the smallest height, not to mention the fact that or. There are many methods,. Below I will give a description of five very powerful ways, where, by putting into practice, each person can overcome any of his fears.

How to get rid of fear?

METHOD 1: JUST DO IT (JUST DO IT)

And in conclusion, I want to give you one warning. In the article I write that you are struggling with fear, but in reality in no case and never and under no circumstances fight with it. When you fight fear, it becomes even stronger and takes over your mind even more. When it arises, acknowledge and accept it. If you tell yourself that "I'm really scared", this does not mean that you are weak. Everyone is afraid of something, and only successful people have learned to act in spite of it. Masculinity is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in its presence without paying any attention to it. When you admit that you are scared, you can switch your thoughts to something else and take your mind off it. When you fight him, he starts to suck energy out of you, and this only makes him stronger. You destroy fear only when you completely ignore it and get distracted by something else.

How to get rid of fear

METHOD 5: COURAGE TRAINING

Our task is to learn how to get rid of any fears so that it does not interfere with us as soon as we make a decision or dare to do something. We will try to achieve the absence of intellectual fear. This will make us more likely to think clearly when it comes time to make a decision.

The first thing to realize is that the main problem is fear itself, not the object of fear. If we are afraid of rejection, then there is no benefit in fighting the fear by trying to reduce the number of rejections. People are so unable to cope with fear that they have reduced all situations below the plinth when it can appear. They don't do anything at all. And this is a direct path to misfortune.

So the first step is to identify the fear.

Imagine that courage training is the same as building muscles in the gym. First you work out with a light weight that you are able to lift. When it's easy for you to lift that weight, switch to a heavier weight and try to lift it. The situation is similar with fear. First you train with a small fear, then you switch to a stronger one. Let’s take the fear of public speaking as an example. You experience fear of speaking in front of an audience of 1200 people. First, gather your acquaintances, friends and speak to them. Speaking in front of 12 people is almost not scary. Next, gather 35 people and speak to them. If at this stage you suddenly have problems, you tremble, stutter, forget the words you should have said, get lost - practice with this audience until you get used to it, until you start to feel comfortable. And then move on to an audience of 60 people. Then 120, 250, 510 and 1100.

Let's look at other options. For example, you do not want to look stupid in front of the people around you and therefore you are afraid. To stop being afraid, you need to do this, and fear will disappear. Practice. Intentionally, in various situations, make yourself look like a real fool and laugh at yourself.

If you are a shy and reserved person, practice normal communication with people. Start by simply smiling at passers-by on the street. You will notice that people will also smile at you in return. Of course, you will also meet those who will consider that you are smiling at them, since you are smiling at them. Everything is fine. Then start greeting passers-by. Just say: "Good afternoon". Say hello to people. They will think that you are an acquaintance, but they will not remember you. Then try to make light conversation. While standing in line, strike up a conversation with someone on a neutral topic, like this: "I can't stand standing in lines" will immediately provoke a person to answer you: “Yes, I agree with you on this, but you have to stand and nothing can be done.” And the like. Start with any neutral topics of conversation, like the weather.

The point is to get used to overcoming small fears first, and then move on to big ones.

Briefly, this process can be explained as follows:

Figure out your biggest fear
Divide it into at least 7 small fears
Start practicing overcoming the smallest (lightest) fears.
If you are scared even before him, divide it into a few more small fears.
Overcome your fears step by step
Practice Constantly

In this way, you will learn to conquer any of your fears. If you do not practice for a long time, you will have to start again with slight fears in the future. Similarly, in the gym, if you haven't trained for a long time, your muscles have become unaccustomed to training with heavy weights and you need to start again with a light one. Fear will always be with you, and as soon as you stop training, it will take over you, and another time you will have to start all over again.

OTHER METHODS FOR OVERCOMING FEAR

There is one pattern - the better your opinion of yourself, the less fear you have. Your self-esteem protects you from fear. And it doesn't matter if it's objective self-assessment or not. Therefore, people with high self-esteem are able to do more than people with objective self-esteem.

2. Faith in God (Universe, angel, overmind..)
When you sincerely believe in something higher, you sincerely believe that this higher takes care of you, then it becomes not so scary. The darkness of fear seems to be evaporated by the light of this higher power.

3. Love
A man tends to overcome a very strong fear for the sake of his beloved woman. This also applies to mothers who, for the sake of their children, do everything they can and cannot.

I dare to point out that any positive emotion helps you overcome fear, and any negative emotion hinders you.

fear, how to get rid of fear, how to overcome fear


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Fear is a natural and necessary emotion for life, or rather an affective state. Healthy fear ensures self-preservation. This is a sign of intelligence and fantasy, the desire to live. Justified fear, such as the fear of a fire due to an electrical appliance left on, is helpful. Like pain, it warns us of a possible or emerging problem. But what if the fear is out of control and interferes with life? Read on.

Like any phenomenon, fear can be viewed from two sides, positive and negative:

The negative power of fear is that, being uncontrollable or turning into anxiety, behavioral disorders and the like, it spoils the life of an individual.
The positive power of fear is that it provides development. From the fear of ignorance, schools appeared, from the fear of death and injury in road accidents, mechanics improve cars, the fear of poisoning makes us carefully process and store products.

The difference between fear and anxiety

Fear is an emotion that is closely related to another one - anxiety. Sometimes these definitions can be confused. However, there are 3 characteristics that distinguish between these concepts:

Fear is more specific, for example, there is a fear of heights. While anxiety does not have a clear outline.
Anxiety is a subjectively significant emotion. It is caused by things, values that are significant for a particular individual. Anxiety arises against the background of a threat to the personality itself, its essence, worldview.
Before anxiety, a person is often helpless. For example, if uncertainty causes anxiety during an earthquake, then a person cannot influence this.
Anxiety is a constant phenomenon, fear is caused by a specific situation.

Specificity of fear

We can distinguish between real and false fear:

The first we experience in critical situations. For example, when the car got into a snow drift and is about to roll over.
False fear - imaginary feelings about what did not happen (“What if I get into a skid?”). We need to fight against false fears.

When we experience fear, there is an increase in sensory attention and motor tension. That is, we observe more actively and are ready to quickly run (act).

Uncontrolled and unprocessed fears turn into phobias and anxieties, which provokes personality neuroticism.

Signs of fear

Signs of fear include:

anxiety;
anxiety;
jealousy;
shyness;
other subjective states;
uncertainty;
physiological changes;
avoidance of the object of discomfort.

Reasons for fear

Among the reasons are:

self-doubt and other disorders;
childhood psychological trauma;
constant stress and often recurring critical situations;
the instinct of self-preservation.

The last reason encourages normative fear.

As noted by V. A. Kostina and O. V. Doronina, fear can be hereditary. Moreover, women are more likely to have social fears, and men - the fear of heights. By inheritance, the fear of heights, darkness, fear of doctors, punishment, loss of loved ones is transmitted.

How dangerous is fear

With fear, a number of physiological changes occur in the body. The work includes the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal cortex. As a result of activation of the hypothalamus, corticotropin is produced. It in turn includes the nervous system and the pituitary gland. It triggers the adrenal glands and produces prolactin. The adrenal glands secrete cortisol. Along with this, adrenaline and norepinephrine are produced. Externally and internally, all this is manifested:

pressure increase;
increased heart rate and respiration;
opening of the bronchi;
"goose skin";
decreased blood flow to the organs of the digestive and reproductive systems;
pupil dilation;
the release of glucose into the blood;
fast burning of fats;
increased acidity in the stomach and decreased production of enzymes;
shutdown of the immune system.

That is, the body comes into tension and becomes at a low start.

In real danger, this allows you to think faster, see better, hit harder, run faster. But if the fear is imaginary and constant, then the body does not benefit from everything that happens to it at this moment. That is why, against the background of fear, psychosomatic diseases develop:

stool disorders,
bronchial edema,
dyspnea,
chest pain.

Thus, there is a vicious circle. For example, you are afraid of getting sick, but against the background of fear you get sick. In addition, the more often you experience fear (stress), the less you can rationally assess the situation, which results in chronic phobias.

Just don't say that now you have a fear of fear (that was not my goal). In any case, we'll deal with it now. Read on.

The most popular fears: description and solution

One of the most popular fears is the fear of death (of one's own or loved ones). This is the most controversial phenomenon:

On the one hand, it can reach such proportions that a person will close within four walls and simply rewind the allotted time.
But on the other hand, this is a normal fear that makes us look around when we cross the road.

The only way to deal with it is to accept it. All people are mortal. It makes no sense to experience death several times in your thoughts and darken yourself with this all your life.

Other popular fears include fear of others, of oneself, of time, of fear.

Fear of others

The basis of fear is criticism, moreover, yours in the first place. To overcome this problem, try not to criticize yourself, but to praise. It is human nature to project our shortcomings or problems onto others, that is, in people we notice and scold what we do not accept in ourselves. And, as it were, we play ahead of the curve until it is noticed here. That is, we are afraid that our shortcomings will be noticed. This also includes:

pickiness;
resentment;
revenge;
unpleasant character traits (conflict, deceit, dishonesty, avoiding problems, indecision).

If you notice this in people and are afraid to experience it for yourself, then you probably already experienced it in your face a long time ago. On the same basis, there is a fear of seeming ridiculous, falling under the evil mood of someone. Solution to the problem: show yourself what you want to see in others.

Fear of self

We are talking about the fear of one's own ailments, imperfections of the body, loss of strength and the like. For such a problem, the solution is to achieve harmony of the body, brain and soul. This is a very difficult and wide path. Simply put, this is getting rid of psychosomatics.

Learn to listen to your body and accept the fact that it is a system capable of self-regulation, if it is not interfered with by imaginary fears. Have you ever said: “I don’t understand how I could do this. Now I won’t repeat it on purpose”? Here is the answer.

Fear of time

Learn the principle of "here and now." Fear of the passing time is often accompanied by self-flagellation due to postponing something for later or to the will of fate. You need to learn how to act and take responsibility for your actions.

Get rid of laziness.
Embrace the principle of "everything has its time," but in the context of your fulfilling your life plan and creating favorable conditions, and not waiting for the intervention of external forces.
Scroll through the situations in your head before doing something in practice (of course, only with a happy outcome).

Fear of fear

First of all, learn to call a spade a spade. Not "I'm nervous", but "I'm afraid of something". Basically, it's about the fear of the unknown. Read about overcoming it in the paragraph “From fear to freedom” of this article.

Learn to overcome your fears and use them for good. There is no need to be ashamed of fear, but you need to overcome it and resist. The optimal method in this case is the “wedge by wedge”. It's important to face your fears. If in alcoholism treatment begins with the acceptance (voicing, recognition) of the problem, then the correction of fears begins with a confrontation.
When working with fears, it is important to understand that it will not work the first time. You must be aware that it will not be easy, but it will be worth it. In case of failure, prepare an alternative plan (people with fears are best at coming up with workarounds), but use it only as a plan B.
Pretend you're not afraid of anything. Imagine that you have to play a role on stage. After a while, your brain will believe that you really are not afraid of anything.
Fears about the future are the least justified. You create your own future, so pay attention to the present. Fears about him are much more justified. By torturing yourself with something from the future, you spoil your whole life. You exist, you don't live.
Accept the fact that our life consists of white and black stripes, sometimes gray. Troubles, difficulties and uncertainties will often appear. It is important not to be afraid to face it, but to be sure that you can handle it. To do this, you need to be the master of your life.
Most fears come from childhood. But, firstly, a child and an adult perceive the same things in different ways. Secondly, often fear or disagreements with a particular person are projected onto an object. For example, you have problems in your relationship with your parents, but you are afraid of the dark (you were once locked in a closet). Then there is only one solution - to let go or discuss grievances.
Have you noticed that fears are always directed to the future (even if they are based on the experience of the past), and fears develop through imagination? So why not redirect your forces, for example, to creativity? Learn to switch attention. Understand that working through future events that most likely will not happen, you spend real physical, intellectual and psychological strength. Don't you feel sorry for this?
Fear of the unknown is the most unjustified. You do not yet know the object (phenomenon) itself, so how do you know that you need to be afraid of it? Try it. Haven't been on a plane? Try it. And then decide whether you will be afraid or not.

I want to make a reservation that you can not rush into the pool with your head and neglect your safety. That is, living a full life without fear does not mean going snowboarding, getting hurt and remaining disabled. Living without fear means making decisions yourself and being responsible for them, understanding all the risks and possible consequences.

The body is able to heal itself. Your task is to bring him out of a state of eternal tension. And that's what relaxation is for. We are talking about conscious relaxation of the body, replacing negative emotions with positive ones. But once again I remind you that you need to get rid of only unhealthy fear.

Plan of Healing

To overcome fear, you need to consistently solve a number of problems.

Change faith in the bad (this is fear) to faith in the good. There is a recipe for everyone here: someone turns to nature, someone to spirits, God, their own old pleasant memories.
Next, find support in someone and give it yourself.
Learn to listen to your body and trust your intuition.
Find the root cause of false fear.
Make up your recipe for courage. These are detailed aspirations (desires) and ways to achieve them. It is important to describe not only what needs to be done, but also what you can do.
Refocus attention from the result to the process.

You can read about each of these points and how to do them in L. Rankin's book Healing from Fear. The paper gives practical recommendations on meditation, the search for inner strength, the development of courage. For each element (beliefs, courage, search for causes, etc.), a whole list of techniques with a description is presented. The author presented so many techniques in one edition that I think you will definitely find something for yourself there.

From fear to freedom

If you are still reading this article, then you are probably trapped in your own fears and are looking for a way to freedom. Right? Well, he is. Includes 5 items:

Exit from the unconscious. It takes more energy to avoid the risk than the risk itself. A person is driven by the thought “better reliability than regrets.” In order to step over this stage, ask yourself the question: is your comfort zone really the same for you? Imagine who you could be if it wasn't for your fears.
Getting out of your perceived comfort zone. At this stage, a person is driven by the belief that uncertainty is the only constant and clear in his life. That is, a person understands that he infringes on himself, but remains in the old place. At this stage, it is important to stimulate yourself with praise. You are a brave person and will be able to get out of your zone.
At the third stage, a person is not afraid of uncertainty, but does not look for it either. Doubt more, be curious.
The search for the uncertain, the unknown, the new. Learn to see possibilities.
Acceptance of uncertainty as such (in the concept of the world). Realize that anything can happen, but any event has a meaning.

The fifth stage is the final one. This is the very freedom without fears that you need to enjoy. However, this is the most unstable stage. Your freedom must be constantly reinforced and maintained by practice. Otherwise it is easy to lose it.

Emergency help

If fear caught you by surprise, then you can quickly find inner strength by switching attention. As you become aware of your fear, direct your attention to your most intense passion, desire. Focus on it. Want it so much that there is no room for fear. Even if the objects of passion and fear are from different "worlds". Convince yourself that you will quickly deal with what scares you, and then do what you want.
The second way to quickly overcome fear is to imagine what it deprives you of. Usually people evaluate only one side: what fear saves them from. Imagine how much fear stifles your potential, your individuality, originality.
Practice self-indulgence. Repeat daily in front of a mirror, “I am the master of my life. Everything that happens (both good and bad) depends on me. There is no place for fear, as well as meaning in it.
If the fear is clearly defined, then thoroughly study all its aspects. Look him in the face. Find the positives.
The most non-standard and categorical method of struggle is concern about the consequences of anxiety. This is a dubious way, but it exists. Imagine how the situation will worsen from your experiences (after reading this article, you know what your body experiences during a period of fear). Oddly enough, from the realization of "playing against yourself" you will calm down. But I must say right away that the method is not suitable for everyone. You can go into even more self-torture. Be careful!

Childhood fears

Despite the individual nature of fears (although, as we remember, they are not as subjective as anxiety), they are based on the actual need of age. Therefore, we can generally classify fears by age:

Up to six months - fear of sharp and loud sounds and movements, loss of support.
From six months to a year - fear of dressing up, changing habitual, strangers, heights.
From a year to two - fear of doctors, injuries, separation from parents.
From two to three years - fear of the dark, parental rejection, animals, loneliness, nightmares.
From three to seven years - fear of insects, water, heights, fairy-tale characters, misfortunes, disasters, fires, schools.
School period - fear of harsh sounds, death, physical violence, loss of loved ones. Along with this, social fears arise that persist in the future (fear of being late, not coping with the task, getting punished). If you do not work out these fears, then there will be a fear of not living up to expectations, of looking stupid; relationship problems.

Age fears are normative if the child does not drop out of life (sociable, open). They will pass on their own. But if the child avoids communication, is constantly scared and worried, then professional correction is needed.

Children's fears can be imitative or personal. In the first case - copying someone's behavior, in the second - their emotions under the influence of difficult situations.

In addition, fears can be short-term (up to 20 minutes), quickly passing (leave after a conversation), protracted (up to 2 months, even with corrective work).

Children's fears: what to do?

You can fight children's fears with the help of fairy tale therapy. As part of this, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with the book by R. M. Tkach “Fairytale Therapy of Children's Problems”. In the work one can find not only a description of the method, but also the material (plots) of the fairy tales themselves.

Do not shame the child for fears, but ask about them. For example, what he saw, and how it looked, what it came for.
Accept the child's fear and tell a real or fictional story of personal fear and overcoming it.
Do not close the child in a dark room for the sake of punishment, do not scare the child with Baba Yaga or the "evil uncle" who will take him away. This is a direct path to neuroses and fears.
Ask what the child is watching or reading. Discuss it together.
To overcome specific fears, use fairy tale therapy or ridicule of fears.

Ridicule involves the visualization of fear (on a piece of paper) with the subsequent addition of funny (for a child) elements to it.

I also recommend the book by S. V. Bedredinova and A. I. Tashcheva “Prevention and correction of fears: a textbook”. It presents many practical options for therapy with children to overcome fears. Listing methods here, I think, does not make sense. The manual describes puppet therapy, and art therapy, and a correction program, and much more (with indications and contraindications for each method, features of the implementation). The phenomenon of children's fears themselves is also described.

Results and literature on the topic

Fear is the echo of the animal in man, the primitive. Previously, this emotion was justified even when it was constant. But in the modern world, this prevents a person from living. The situation is even more aggravated if fear is intertwined with anxiety, shame, guilt and other emotions.

The danger of fear is not contrived. It not only creates psychological discomfort, but also destroys the body on a physical level. In part, the phrase “Whoever is afraid of something will happen to him” is true. And this is not about the supreme forces, the attraction of misfortunes and ailments. The point is that, experiencing fear, our body radically changes its work: there is an excess of hormones (with prolonged excessive influence, they provoke imbalance and intoxication, destruction of organs), the digestive and reproductive systems fade into the background, the activity of the cardiovascular system is gaining momentum . A person can actually get sick.

It is necessary to get rid of fear (I remind you, false fear). But only children's fears can go away on their own. Adults will have to consciously break themselves, rebuild their belief systems, challenge themselves constantly, make a plan of action.

I recommend reading another book: D. T. Mangan "The Secret of an Easy Life: How to Live Without Problems." The author reveals his own concept, according to which we are a complex mechanism that requires flogs to enable or disable systems. The book is a practical guide to restructuring your thinking, including getting rid of fears. For each problem, Mangan suggests using a unique password. These are the words to be used in difficult situations. And from them, supposedly, the situation will turn in your favor. I myself have not tried this approach, so I can’t say anything good or bad. But in my opinion, the very idea of the concept is interesting.

In the fight against fears, as in any business, the main thing is the beginning! You yourself will not notice how the fight will become easier. Gradually it will no longer be a struggle. Well, the result in the form of complete mental freedom is the highest reward. I wish you success in the fight against inner demons!

Canadian writer Joe Martino offers five ways to get rid of fear.

1. Scared? Move on anyway

The moment you need to act, fear reaches its peak and stops you. But if you overcome yourself and start doing what you have planned, in a matter of minutes there will be nothing left of him. So do not waste time thinking about how to get rid of fear - just take it and do it!

When you take that leap and face your fear, you will do exactly what the fear was trying to stop you from doing. Most likely, on this you will say goodbye to him.

2. Let go of the past

Sometimes we are faced with a situation that makes us remember past pain or failure. We have already gone through something similar, and the result was sad. But who said that this time we will certainly lose? Perhaps then we were not ready for the situation or we were just unlucky. This does not mean that you should give up trying forever.

When our eyes are turned back and we are afraid of repeating the failure, we are controlled by the past. But you are now a different person and are able to correct the course of events. Sometimes it's enough to make a few small changes - and what seemed difficult turns out to be easy. Either way, you will learn something. Let go of the past and don't be afraid to try again.

3. Stop looking for obstacles

“It's too complicated”, “I'm too tired”, “I don't have time”. How many times have these considerations caused you to turn down opportunities and not do something important? We invent obstacles so as not to admit to ourselves that we are simply afraid.

These excuses look convincing both in our eyes and in the eyes of other people. But in fact, the scale of the obstacle depends only on our assessment. We can see it as a barrier, or we can see it as a challenge. Do not exaggerate its scale, do not make an elephant out of a fly and move forward.

4. Try to avoid hasty judgments

Sometimes things don't turn out the way we would like. We get discouraged, we talk about failure, failure, bad luck. We see the future in gloomy colors, we do not know how to get rid of obsessive fears. And after days, weeks or months, it turns out that in the end everything turned out for the better. And it's worth reminding yourself of this.

When we lament that something unpleasant has happened, we do not take into account that the further development of events is still unknown to us, we still do not see the whole picture. In other words, do not judge the result prematurely and scare yourself with negative forecasts.

5. Don't get attached to the result, appreciate the process

Sometimes the fear of failure makes us put off something important until it's too late. Sometimes we are paralyzed by the fear that we will not have enough time to do something. In both cases, we will then worry, repent and regret the lost time and opportunities. Let's remember this and not repeat our mistakes.

Thinking about how to get rid of fear does not always increase our determination, sometimes it is just a convenient excuse for postponing things that scare us.

Better to act than not to act. Victory and defeat are very conditional concepts, they exist only in our head. After all, life is a journey and the process is more important than the result.