Neophobia: what causes it and how to get rid of it?

Not every person is calm about the changes in the usual way of life and quickly adapts to changing conditions. Changing established stereotypes can cause discomfort, severe emotional shock and lead to neophobia.

The fear of everything new is called neophobia (Latin Neophobia - fear of the new). It is inextricably linked to the fear of any change: moving, getting married, choosing a university, changing jobs, making an expensive purchase, mastering new technical equipment. Some people have a fear when eating unfamiliar products, unfamiliar food.

Not everyone is able to easily adapt to yet unknown life situations. The fear of change is based on a sense of self-preservation. People with this ailment experience unnecessary experiences, often withdraw into themselves, prefer to spend their free time alone, communicate little with others, try to avoid any dialogue, sometimes show aggression.

The state of fear of new phenomena and impressions is not considered a serious pathology, does not cause great harm to health, but its presence affects the quality of life. Unpleasant consequences can affect the implementation of a person's plans, the construction of a family hearth.

Fear of the new can manifest itself in different ways.

• Technophobia - pathological fear of innovative technologies, fear of acquiring the latest equipment, modern technology.
• Gnosiophobia - fear of new knowledge, unknown information.
• Futurophobia - fear of the future. Any thought about an upcoming event causes great discomfort.
• Ergasiophobia - fear of work, vigor, action and movement.
• Food neophobia - fear of eating a new dish. To some extent, this phobia protects a person from the likelihood of trying a poisonous product.

People with problems adapting to a new environment become neophobes. Experts identify external and internal causes of the onset of the disease. Emotionally unstable people are exposed to negative influences from the outside. Economic, social and political instability often contributes to the emergence of a fear of everything new.

Internal reasons arise due to the characteristics of the character of the individual, his personal qualities:

• inflexible nervous system;
• conservative views;
• unwillingness to leave the comfort zone;
• increased situational and personal anxiety;
• suspiciousness, suspicion, closeness;
• lack of self-confidence, inferiority complex;
• low self-esteem;
• negative past experience;
• strict upbringing;
• too high level of responsibility and diligence;
• underestimated level of claims.

In young children, neophobia usually manifests itself in fear of trying a new dish. It may be due to an increased sensitivity to a bitter taste or a middle ear infection. 2/3 of food fears are genetically determined.

The reasons for a child's fear of trying new food can be the preferences for certain foods that have developed by this time. For example, a child loves sweets. Feeling bitterness or sourness on the tongue, he refuses to eat for safety reasons. Negative experience of abdominal pain from eating not quite ripe fruits or previous poisoning may affect the child's further attitude towards unfamiliar food.

Subsequently, the baby begins to be afraid to try new dishes. Sometimes the child is frightened by the sight of an unknown product, the fear of using which can be accompanied by severe hysteria.

Meeting with something new and unknown can cause a person to feel from mild anxiety to panic attack. With an ailment, the following symptoms are often observed:

• choking, shortness of breath;
• shiver;
• cardiopalmus;
• increased blood pressure;
• squeezing or tingling in the chest area;
• dizziness;
• semi-conscious state, fainting;
• fog or ripples in the eyes;
• visual impairment;
• a feeling of unreality of what is happening;
• the presence of thoughts of death;
• insomnia;
• absent-mindedness;
• desire to hide;
• increased sweating;
• stiffness of some parts of the body;
• disorder of the gastrointestinal tract;
• nausea, vomiting;
• dry mouth;
• inability to articulate correctly.

It will help to distinguish from viral or infectious diseases that, along with the above symptoms, a person experiences a fear of something unknown. There is a fear of ending a new situation with failure, loss, and even success. A person may be afraid of ridicule, rejection, poverty, death, pain, disappointment.

Waiting for the birth of a child can also cause neophobia, especially during an unplanned pregnancy. Fear of an unknown future can lead to mood swings, a nervous breakdown and the desire to get rid of the child. Psychological manifestations are observed in persistent depression, increased anxiety and inability to concentrate.Symptoms can appear even with the thought of an upcoming change in life, regardless of what lies ahead: a change of profession or the purchase of a new refrigerator.

When diagnosing neophobia in children and adults, specialist help is needed. Toddlers most often have a fear of new food, so it is good to use not only the help of a psychologist, but also a nutritionist. Sometimes it takes several attempts to introduce a new product into the baby's diet. With age, the phobia gradually decreases and subsequently completely disappears. Some tips for parents:

• you should not force feed the child with food that he refuses;
• it is necessary to teach the baby the culture of food, talk about the benefits and harms of various products: food is not always used for pleasure;
• it is advisable to interest him with a story about the origin of the dish;
• it is necessary to explain to the child that sometimes food begins to like it not immediately, but after repeated use;
• you need to tell the little man various stories about the gradual transition of some unloved product into the category of adored food, while it is advisable to rely on your life experience;
• it is necessary to diversify the diet.

There are some effective therapies for adults. A psychotherapist or psychologist will help get rid of the fear of the unknown new and adapt to existing realities. Changing the direction of thinking, convincing yourself that future events do not carry any potential threat, contribute to the gradual eradication of the phobia.

To help oneself will require continuous work: meditation, relaxation, training. If a stressful situation arises, you need to drink a glass of clean water, it is advisable to rub the whiskey with ammonia. It is imperative to monitor your breathing: a slow inhalation through the nose and exhalation with a breath holding through the mouth is carried out in full breast. You need to breathe evenly.

It is necessary to mentally distract yourself from frightening thoughts, while you need to remember some pleasant events. Focused attention on the environment helps bring consciousness back to normal. A detailed description of objects, mental counting will help get rid of impending fear. You can relieve stress with any kind of exercise. Repeated squats help a lot. If possible, you should squeeze out several times.

Only an experienced specialist is able to select the appropriate medications. Tranquilizers and sedatives help restore the nervous system and reduce symptoms. While medications are a good sedative, the main problem is not always eradicated.

A psychologist will help establish the cause of this phobia, deeply rooted in the psyche. The specialist will analyze the current situation, open his eyes to the disadvantages and advantages of the coming changes. A person needs to realize all the advantages of the upcoming changes, as well as mentally prepare for overcoming possible difficulties. The patient's attention should be focused on finding constructive solutions, and not on past psychological problems. Designed to fight the disease:

• specially developed various psychotechnics;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• psychological trainings;
• hypnosis sessions.

The psychotherapist will be able to teach the client to relax in time, concentrate on his own state and distract himself from the outside world. These actions help to normalize breathing, pulse and lower blood pressure. Fear gradually recedes, a sober outlook on life appears, the ability to assess the current situation and overcome the difficulties that have arisen.