What is the difference between fear and phobia? Difference between fear and phobia. Effective techniques for getting rid of irrational fears

In modern times, fears, anxieties and phobias are a common phenomenon that most people experience at some point in their lives. They spare neither children nor adults, influencing the well-being, thinking and behavior of subjects, regardless of their degree of education, social status, and cognitive potential. Treatment of fears and phobias is carried out by psychologists and psychotherapists. Despite the mechanisms of formation and the similarity of experiences of a person experiencing fear, anxiety or phobia, these phenomena have significant differences.

Meet the neuroses and neurotics

Neurosis is based on a psychopathological reaction to a traumatic situation from which there is no way out and no possibility of resolution.

There are no severe mental disorders in these conditions, but all aspects of life are significantly affected. The predominance of a low emotional background affects professional skills, self-realization and lowers the degree of “weather in the house.”

A person partially loses the ability to adapt to society. He begins to limit himself in many areas of life. A neurotic person is prone to merciless self-criticism, self-examination, and repeated replaying in his head of a traumatic situation in which he is “stuck” like a broken record.

A feeling of powerlessness and despair sets in. Groundless anxieties, obsessive states and other neurotic reactions begin to overcome. Next come psychosomatic disorders. The patient realizes the abnormality and painfulness of his condition and passionately wants to get rid of it.

A neurotic state can occur in any member of society, regardless of the strength and stability of his temperament.

How a neurotic personality is formed and its characteristics:

What is the biological significance of fear

– this is an important factor, which, with its obsession, creates a lot of problems for a person. It does not allow you to discover your capabilities and achieve your goals in your career, study, and even in your personal life. To get rid of the feeling, you need to work very hard on yourself and find out the nature of this feeling, find out what fear is like.

As for the “healthy” feeling, in acute moments, in a situation when fear arises, a person mobilizes all his strength and begins to take more active steps. Sensing danger, the body releases a large amount of adrenaline, which in turn stimulates the flow of oxygen and beneficial elements to muscle tissue. There is probably no person who is not familiar with the unpleasant, pressing sensation in the pit of the stomach. And with this condition, a person’s skin turns pale. Why? It's simple, blood from the skin is directed to the muscles, carrying with it “supporting” substances. This allows a person to quickly make an adequate decision in moments of danger.

It is by overcoming this feeling of fear that a person can discover new talents and opportunities. At the same time, he manages to feel the difference between unpleasant situations and calmness, and the latter allows him to look at life through different “eyes.” Life becomes brighter, more beautiful and happier.

1. Scientists distinguish two types of rhinestones: subconscious and neurotic. The first is real, since it serves as a signal about impending danger and stimulates the body to concentrate internal reserves.
2. Neuroticism can arise without any reason or reason. Persons with this pathology live in constant fear and prepare only for a bad outcome of events. They live in constant anticipation of misfortune. It is worth noting that the neurotic type of fear is psychosomatic, that is, both mental and physical. Physically, the condition is reflected by a strong and frequent heartbeat, intermittent breathing or lack of air, tremors of the arms, legs, head, diarrhea, dry mouth, and cold sweat.

Causes and risk factors

A neurotic disorder can arise both under the influence of the environment and due to the personal characteristics of a person. But the underlying cause of neurosis lies in the discord between desires and needs and the possibility of satisfying them.

The causes of neuroses are divided into external and internal:

• external - this is the environment in which a person lives, the social circle that has surrounded him for years;
• internal - these are the characteristics of the character and emotional-mental level of a person, his upbringing and the conditions in which he grew up and formed his personality.

External causes of neurotic disorders:

• the frantic pace of life, in which there is no time to relax, so as not to leave the “distance”, to keep up with other “marathon runners” running to the finish line;
• a social circle that is often unsatisfactory and even causes an abyss of negativity;
• life collapse: job loss, unpaid debts, living on credit, or not life at all - but basic survival;
• loss of family, friends;
• death of relatives and friends.

Internal reasons:

• very extended experiences over time about a situation that a person cannot change;
• physical or mental stress when performing important work;
• the race for success, in which the “racer” clearly loses;
• prolonged and thorough suppression of negative emotions;
• serious illness;
• uncontrollable fear of death.

It is worth noting that people with the so-called “fine mental organization” are most susceptible to stress. People can be “thick-skinned”, protected by their incredible mental stability, like armor. And others seem to be already born without any protective cover. It is these people who are least resistant to stress who fall victims to neurotic disorders.

Risk factors

There are three main groups of risk factors for falling victim to neurotic syndrome:

• psychological;
• biological;
• social.

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Psychological factors are features of personality development, character, psycho-emotional reasons, level and depth of thinking, abilities and needs. These include:

• disordered communication, which can cause a lot of negative emotions, overexcitation, as well as conflict situations;
• complexion, which can be caused by excess weight and non-standard external data;
• impressionability, vulnerability, suspiciousness, instability of emotions;
• fear of death;
• traumas originating from childhood that can leave an imprint on a person and his entire future life;
• weak type of nervous system;
• gender - women are more often susceptible to neuroses;
• The most dangerous sign of age in terms of neurotic disorders is adolescence and the so-called “midlife crisis.”

Biological - organic or functional diseases of the central nervous system, inferiority of the vegetative-vascular system, a factor in the inheritance of certain pathological conditions; internal psycho-traumatic influence agent.

Social – human relations with society, professional field of activity:

• defeat at work;
• serious illness of relatives, or their death;
• conflicts at work;
• life collapse: debts, living on borrowed time, unemployment;
• disasters and natural disasters;
• lack of communication and sedentary lifestyle;
• existence in a “comfort zone”, impoverishing a person and depriving him of the fullness of life.

Definitions

Fear
Fear

– an internal state provoked by a real or perceived threat.
From the perspective of psychology, it is considered a negatively colored emotional process. Fear activates the body, awakening in us the desire to hide or run away. Acting as a basic human emotion, it depends on a number of internal and external, congenital and acquired reasons. This could be a feeling of rejection or loneliness, a feeling of imminent failure, awareness of one’s own inadequacy, etc. The main functions of fear are protective, signaling, searching and adaptation. Phobia
Phobia

– a symptom, the essence of which is irrational uncontrollable fear or excessive anxiety. Appears in certain situations or in the presence of a specific object. In psychiatry, the term “phobia” is understood as a persistent, obsessive, strongly expressed fear that defies logical explanation. As a result of the development of such fear, a person begins to avoid certain activities, situations or objects. For example, an individual suffering from aichmophobia tries to remove all piercing and cutting objects from their reach, so as not to injure themselves or injure others. Psychiatrists say that it is quite possible to defeat uncontrollable fear at its inception stage. However, if action is not taken in time, it will firmly take root in a person’s consciousness and begin to progress.

A set of symptoms characteristic of neurotic disorders

Neurotic disorder has diverse and diverse symptoms. But you can group them according to several criteria.

Emotional disorders, which include:

• sudden mood swings;
• irritable weakness;
• nervous tension;
• causeless anxiety;
• lack of confidence in yourself and your strengths;
• unmotivated aggression;
• boundless despair;
• constant anxiety;
• panic state.

Mental disorders:

• various phobic disorders;
• sleep disorders: nighttime insomnia and daytime drowsiness, “broken”, shallow sleep that does not provide relief, nightmares;
• obsessive hypochondria;
• decreased attention and memory.

Somatic and autonomic disorders:

• problems with appetite (appetite is either absent or develops into round-the-clock gluttony);
• disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract (constipation, diarrhea, flatulence);
• “chronic fatigue”, even if you don’t get up from the couch for a day;
• disorder of the cardiovascular system (rapid heartbeat, increased pulse, instability of pressure);
• disturbance of the nervous regulation of the body (sweating, tremors, double vision and darkening of the eyes, muscle twitching, dizziness);
• pain in the back, heart, stomach, headaches;
• decrease or disappearance of potency.

Modern classification of neurotic disorders

A modern view of the problem allows us to identify the main classes of neurotic disorders:

• anxiety disorders and phobias;
• neurotic personality disorders associated with stress;
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive disorder);
• loss of personal identity, or dissociation (split personality, the existence of multiple personalities in one person);
• conditions characterized by patient complaints that do not find objective confirmation (somatophoric disorders).

Anxieties and phobias

Anxiety disorders and phobias are the most widespread manifestations of neurotic disorders. They occupy first place among similar states. Anxiety is being in constant anticipation of something terrible, some kind of threat to yourself or your loved ones. Phobia – has a specific object of application of one’s fears.

The main phobias are:

• social phobia - fear of people and their disapproval, fear of public speaking, in short - this is a fear of social contacts, social phobes prefer home privacy and peace;
• agoraphobia – fear of open spaces;
• claustrophobia – fear of closed spaces;
• Nosophobia is the fear of a possible disease.

All these fears have one thing in common: the fear of not getting help when it is vitally needed.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive neurosis is characterized by obsessive thoughts and ritual actions that bypass the will and desires of the patient.

There are 4 main groups of obsessions:

• obsessive doubts about one’s actions (is the light turned off, the iron or stove turned off, is the door closed);
• obsessive fear of contracting an infection (people wash their hands every 5-10 minutes, do not allow anyone to touch their things or clothes);
• obsessive images (the patient cannot get rid of the idea that some kind of misfortune has happened to his loved one);
• abnormal inhibition of a person who is subject to a combination of several obsessions at once.

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Dissociative neurotic disorder

Dissociative disorders include:

• complete or partial amnesia.
• a journey that a person undertakes while in a state of amnesia (dissociative fugue);
• anesthesia (impaired sensitivity);
• state of stupor;
• falling into a trance;
• paralysis or paresis.

Somatophoric and panic disorders

Somatophoric neurotic disorders are usually characteristic of hypochondriacs. Vegetative signs and somatics prevail over mental pathology.

Panic disorders take second place in the standings.

A panic attack develops suddenly, lasts several minutes and ends just as unexpectedly. Accompanied by vegetative-vascular symptoms (tremor, palpitations, heavy sweating and dry mouth).

So what's the difference?

The main difference between fear and phobia is that fear, being a reaction to a real threat, disappears after it has passed. A phobia is a physical and mental stress that a person experiences, even when he is completely safe. A person anxiously awaits a situation that frightens him, even if nothing predicts it. We all feel anxious from time to time when faced with difficulties and stress - for example, in exams. But when fear becomes long-lasting and begins to interfere with daily life, it becomes a serious problem.

Establishing diagnosis

The diagnosis is carried out by a psychotherapist. His task: to collect a detailed history and assess the adequacy of the patient’s mental state. In addition to an oral conversation with the patient, the specialist offers him one of the most effective questionnaires.

Usually they use Bakirova’s technique. Her questionnaire has 300 statements that you must either agree with or refute.

In the most severe cases, the Aaron Beck Depression Scale is used. Due to the huge number of disorders and their manifestations, it is quite difficult to make a final diagnosis.

Types of phobias

There is an even more simplified systematization of phobias, which includes the main ones:

1. Children's (these often include social phobia).
2. Adolescent (fear of space, nosophobia, thanatophobia and intimaphobia).
3. Parental – fear that something negative will happen to their child.

To determine the type of phobia, you need to answer the questions of a test created by a number of leading experts.

Interesting fact. The General Secretary, Generalissimo Joseph Stalin suffered from toxicophobia, that is, being poisoned. To be on the safe side, there were people on staff who sampled the food before the Father of Nations.

General approach to therapy

Treatment of neurotic disorders is carried out in two directions: psychotherapy and drug treatment.

Psychotherapy is the most important part of treatment. You should carefully choose a qualified specialist and select the right technique. Psychotherapeutic treatment includes:

• explanatory therapy;
• treatment using hypnosis;
• explaining to patients the essence of autogenic, calming training and subsequent mastery of its basics;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• family therapy.

Drug treatment is an auxiliary factor that relieves symptoms of anxiety, panic and depression:

• tranquilizers (Phenazepam, Diazepam) are prescribed for hysterical neuroses, phobias, obsessions;
• sedatives (Novopassit, Motherwort, Valerian) relieve temper and outbursts of irritation;
• antidepressants (Prozac, Zolox, Paxil, Cipralex) are prescribed for severe symptoms of depression;
• multivitamins are included in treatment as a general tonic and immune system stimulating agent.

Is it possible to cure phobias?

It is immediately necessary to clarify that phobic disorders are dealt with directly by a psychiatrist. There are several effective methods: behavioral, cognitive-behavioral methods, desensitization, hypnosis, various types of relaxation procedures, auto-training, Gestalt psychology. To choose the best method, you need to determine the severity of the phase during a personal conversation with the patient. If the doctor is able to correctly identify the causes of the disease and choose the most adequate and best treatment, then the result will be guaranteed.

The main principle is to develop in an individual the ability to overcome situations that cause phobias with ease. He must not lose composure when confronted with the object of irritation. Several such situations created will help consolidate the result of treatment. In order for a person to plunge into his fears, the doctor uses cognitive behavioral therapy. With its help, it is the natural methods of responding to an object or situation that causes fear that are completely restored.

Important: experienced doctors will never apply treatment without “equipping” their patient with a set of psychological tools to help cope with the disease.

As for medications, their use is indicated only for acute, advanced forms of the disease. At the initial and mild stage they are not justified. Doctors are in no hurry to use medications in patients also because of the formation of addiction.

Preventive measures

It is better to prevent any neurosis than to treat it. If possible, you should avoid any situations that pose a potential threat to mental balance.

This applies most of all to family relationships and raising children. It is in the family that children sometimes receive injuries that haunt them throughout their lives, and then they grow into neurotic personalities.

But it is unrealistic to foresee and prevent all stressors. Then, in case of psychological trauma, you need to find a competent doctor as quickly as possible. Several psychotherapeutic sessions will destroy the incipient disorder in the bud, and will not allow it to grow into a phobia or result in a panic attack.

The right way of life and the right way of thinking will never allow a person to reach the point beyond which a neurotic disorder begins.

The most common types of fears

Now let’s study what types of unrealistic, inexplicable fear there are, with which life becomes simply unbearable. A person suffering from the problem may even limit or completely refuse contact with people. Imagine that there are people who do not go to the dentist and refuse to leave the house for fear of getting into the center of a terrorist attack. And there are those who are afraid of cats, dogs, and refuse business trips for fear of flying on airplanes. Let's look at the most common obsessive fears.

Fear of loneliness

For various reasons - because of misunderstandings, quarrels, conflicts, resentments, unhappy love, a person tends to self-isolate. But over time, this situation becomes familiar. The social circle thins out, friends start new companies and the person is left alone. In order to somehow fill the void, out of fear of being completely alone, he makes acquaintances with anyone. This often leads to joining a circle of dubious and unpleasant people. Therefore, in order not to fall into bad company, try not to forget about your friends and loved ones. The clouds will dissipate, grievances will be forgotten and everything will fall into place. And remember, just in case, the golden proverb “An old friend is better than two new ones!” And voluntary loneliness undoubtedly leads to personality degradation and problems with the outside world.

Fear of change

We all understand that nothing lasts forever under the sun. Everything in this world changes, and progress does not stand still. With the advent of innovative technologies, fashion trends, and information advances, some people fear for their position. Some people worry that they will be left without work because they will not be able to curb the innovation. Another believes that innovation will negatively affect the environment, harm the upbringing of children, etc. People are also afraid of changes in the political system, afraid of revolutions, financial, educational, legal and other types of reforms. This cannot be said that fears are groundless, especially since a number of negative forecasts are gradually coming true. To reassure yourself, you need to remember that the planet is one for everyone and no one will be able to escape from its territory, even as a provocateur of unpleasant processes. In any case, there are forces that can resist the negative side.

Fear to trust

Fear of addiction

We are all part of society, and it is impossible to live outside of its laws, principles and traditions. Sometimes I want to get away from these shackles, but fear arises - will I be able to survive on my own? Will it be worse if I change the situation? And these fears also have important grounds. Our life is part of a complex interweaving of many lives, and every step we take will necessarily affect the life of another individual. In any case, if not now, then very soon. There is no need to create an artificial problem, since everyone is in the same “harness”, then this is how you need to walk. It’s not for nothing that nature works this way: one person starts to fall, and the other one will support him.