Fears and phobias: what they are, the main similarities and differences, treatment options

Every person experiences a feeling of fear from time to time. Some people are more susceptible to it, others less. Often, fear leads to anxiety disorder, which contributes to the formation of a phobia.

Fear is a natural beneficial human emotion that mobilizes the body's defense system and is designed to protect the individual from danger. During a strong fright, at a signal from the brain, adrenaline is injected into the bloodstream, the heart begins to beat hard, and blood pressure rises. In such cases, a person instantly makes a decision for action. The instinct of self-preservation works.

Biological fear arises from a potential threat and is directly related to the threat to human health and life. Any of us at some point in life is able to be frightened by the appearance of a snake, a spider, a dog, a needle prick, our reflection in a mirror, and so on. Such momentary horror is justified and controlled. But these same objects and phenomena can be the reason for the emergence of unmotivated fear.

Neurotic fears lurk in the depths of the subconscious of the individual. They do not pose a real danger to human life. Fear of darkness, disconnection of the Internet, confined space, work, mastering new technologies is difficult to explain to a sane person. Irrational anxiety arising from a meeting with some specific objects leads the individual to a mental disorder. This is how a phobia arises.

The overwhelmed emotions are similar with rational fear and phobia. The similarity is observed in some of the physiological reactions of the body to the experienced horror. In all cases, an increased heartbeat appears, sweating increases, and dizziness may occur. But not every fear is a phobia, which is a more complex condition. Fear and horror are part of the structure of the phobia, they are a part of it.

The difference is observed in the obsessive morbid state when meeting a frightening object of an ailing individual. The usual fear is momentary. It may not appear in the next encounter with the same phenomenon. The man was frightened by a cockroach that fell on him, but another time the same insect does not cause emotional shock. Phobia differs from ordinary fear by the pathological fear of cockroaches always. The person suffering from the disease experiences panic horror and discomfort at the sight of them all the time.

Rational fear differs from phobia in sensations and mechanisms. Unlike natural fear, anxiety disorders are characterized by the presence of panic attacks, leading to a person's loss of control over themselves. Often, the loss of composure when meeting with an object of panic uncontrollable fear overtakes an individual at a very inopportune moment, for example, when he is driving.

The formation of any phobia occurs in the presence of a biological and psychological predisposition. Impressionable, easily vulnerable people are more susceptible to this ailment. Often they cannot cope with their condition on their own.

A possible cause could be a biological factor. Phobia is sometimes inherited from generation to generation. Ancient people, for their own safety, used to hide from thunderstorms. This fear of them may manifest itself in the millennia. It happens that mental trauma is caused by the fact that in the presence of the boys their friend drowned. Stress regulates the work of genes, decreases or increases their activity.

The postponed stress is considered to be the social cause of the phobia. An attack by a dog or an aggressive cat, a snake bite, the death of a friend in a plane crash, the loss of loved ones can lead a person to anxiety disorder. A traumatic situation often contributes to the emergence of a phobia. The little girl, who first came to the village, was very frightened by the loudly hissing geese. Growing up, she could forget this episode, but the neurotic fear of birds and bird feathers remained for life. The woman in every possible way avoids objects that cause her panic fear.

In contrast to natural fear, the symptoms of phobia are characterized by persistence and persistence. The following somatic symptoms are often associated with uncontrollable fright:

• increased sweating;
• trembling in the arms and legs, and sometimes in the whole body;
• tachycardia;
• rapid breathing;
• a feeling of suffocation;
• chest pain;
• nausea;
• upset gastrointestinal tract;
• chills;
• hot flashes;
• dizziness;
• migraine;
• noise in ears;
• fainting.

Mental manifestations are observed:

• feeling of unreality of the surrounding world;
• depersonalization;
• fear of death;
• decreased concentration of attention;
• fear of losing control and self-control;
• irritability;
• strong tension.

A person can cope with natural fears and a mild form of phobia on their own. Short-term fear does not need treatment; it is the body's natural defensive reaction to a real danger. If fear turns into an obsessive state, causes discomfort, turns life into a continuous nightmare, it is necessary to take measures to eradicate it.

Affirmations, meditations, herbal infusions, relaxing baths are used for any fears and phobias. They help to distract from negative thoughts and set up positive emotions.

If you suspect a severe course of the disease, you should seek help from a qualified specialist. Only a psychologist or psychotherapist can diagnose the disorder.

Modern psychology has a sufficient number of effective methods. One of the most effective healing methods is called art therapy. Singing, playing music, sculpting, drawing make it possible to switch from a frightening object to your favorite creative hobby.

Mastering the techniques of self-hypnosis, a healthy lifestyle, playing sports perfectly help men cope with self-doubt and insecurity, get rid of phobias. Male fears are usually associated with the opposite sex:

• fear of sex;
• concern about a possible comparison with a former man of a lady of the heart;
• fear of an unplanned pregnancy of the second half;
• fear of earning less than a wife;
• horror of loneliness;
• fear of being abandoned;
• fear of wedding.

Complex treatment is necessary to relieve the main symptoms. It forms a persistent habit of responding adequately to frightening situations and controlling its behavior. There is not only a significant improvement in the patient's condition, but also the harmonization of his entire life.

Hypnotic sessions lead to lasting results. Putting a person into a trance state allows the hypnologist to make a soft and indirect suggestion, correct the psyche, and direct the patient's thoughts in the right direction. By the end of the hypnosis course, the anxiety dissipates, the phobia is replaced by a positive attitude.

Neuro-linguistic programming involves the collection and analysis of information about the manifestations of phobia, the identification of resources to overcome obstacles and achieve the necessary results. The most effective methods of NLP are the "swing" and visual-kinesthetic dissociation techniques.

Richard Bandler's method is aimed at the rapid self-destruction of strong experiences. It is based on observing oneself from the side. Multidimensional dissociation enables the patient to make a strong positive anchor for himself, create a film about his emotions, scroll it back and forth, and experience the state in reverse order. At each next level, dissociation decreases. Subsequently, there is a complete removal of all symptoms of the phobia.

The long-term effect is achieved when medications are added to psychotherapy. Tranquilizers control the level of anxiety. Antidepressants reduce feelings of anxiety. Antipsychotics stabilize the patient's behavior, relieve panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, aggression and delirium. Beta blockers relieve somatic symptoms.

You can learn how to treat phobias in the video below.