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  1. Overcoming Fears

    March 9, 2012 by JayWegner

    Overcoming FearsFeeling scared or frightened is a natural reaction drawn out when faced with fear triggers like snake, spider, height, etc. Whatever the trigger is, the initial and normal reaction is that of feeling afraid. But fear can be abnormally disruptive. To some, fear lasts a short time. To others, it can be unusually long.

    A friend of mine told me that when she was pregnant she used to have this weird episode when she would feel very scared walking alone at night even if there are a lot of other people around. She didn’t and could not understand what was happening to her at that time. She got edgy towards the end of the day when she’s done with her class (she’s a teacher) and home bound. She would constantly ask a co-teacher to walk with her from the school until she has gotten a cab. It was very difficult for her and the worst part is she did not know why.

    When her fear became too disruptive for her that it limited her movement even in school, she was advised to seek professional help. The initial assessment was that something bad happened to her in the past (which she couldn’t remember) that triggers the onset of fear every time she’s set to go home. After a series of consultation and therapy, it was found out that when she was about 5 years old, she almost got lost when she and her father took a stroll in the nearby park. She apparently enjoyed walking around the park she completely walked one step too far off the park. And she could hardly remember her way back. Luckily, a neighbour spotted her walking aimlessly and took her home. She recovered from the traumatic experience and shock but her subconscious retained pieces of the incident which is triggered whenever she walks alone.

    If my friend did not admit to herself that something is terribly wrong with her and did not consult with a professional she would have been kept in the dark not understanding why she feels that way. Her life would have been terribly affected and disrupted. Her psychologist was able to dig up the source of her fear and eventually got her to overcome it.

    My friend shares below how she managed to overcome her fear with the help of her psychologist.

    • Fear recognition : One must be able to determine if the fear is still within normal level or degree. If the fear consumes and eats you up in a way that disrupts your normal activities, it probably is something else. A deeper analysis will reveal a trigger.
    • Once the trigger is identified, one should slowly condition the mind that feeling afraid is not doing you any good and that it has to stop. It will take time but in the end you should be able to face your fear (whatever it is)
    • Learn some relaxing and calming exercises and activities. This will get your mind off the fear somehow. If you are feeling edgy, find a distraction and stay with it for a while.
    • Try to focus on positive thoughts and memories. Don’t invite negativity as it will just hasten the onset of fear attacks
    • Depending on what triggers the fear, find creative ways to release emotion. If you fear a person, get any picture and vandalize or deface it as a way to vent out your fear and that such fear cannot destroy you but it’s the other way around. It is you who will defeat fear.

    There are of course other ways of overcoming fear. What is important is to take the first step and understand the fear and how it is affecting your life and have strong resolve to fight and overcome it. The process is long  and sometimes difficult but you know you are on your way to recovering from fear.

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  2. Phobias 101

    February 22, 2012 by JayWegner

    Phobias 101How many of us are afraid of heights? How many fear the ocean? Still how many among us feel trapped in an elevator even if there are only a few persons sharing the lift?

    One time or another, we have experienced some kind of fear or phobia : of snakes, of a crowd or audience, of boarding an airplane, etc. We can not explain why we have such fear or what triggered that. All we know is that, the fear seems to consume us that we are rendered helpless when faced with these triggers.

    PHOBIA

    A medical definition of phobia states that is a kind of nervousness disorder but it is different than anxiety. A phobia is an unreasonable fear of something. It could be  an animal, a surrounding or certain environment setting, a situation or circumstance, etc. When fear is uncontrolled, extreme  and inexplicable, it is considered a phobia. If one experiences an inexorable anxiety which prevents him/her from functioning normally if faced with the fear triggers, one is considered phobic or suffering from phobia.

    THREE CLASSIFICATION OF PHOBIA

    Extreme fear or phobia is classified into three types  - SOCIAL ANXIETY DISORDER, SPECIFIC PHOBIA and AGORAPHOBIA.

    • SOCIAL FEAR or PHOBIA is the fear of social humiliation or discomfiture. This happens when one faces a crowd, audience or other people and fear attacks on the thought of getting embarrassed or judged in front of them. When one displays extremely low self-confidence when faced with other people, phobia sets in at the  mere thought of embarrassment or humiliation. Speaking in front of an audience or crowd or even a small group of people is an activity next to impossible.
    •  SPECIFIC FEAR or PHOBIA is the anxiety felt over animals (snakes, mice, spiders, dogs or specific situations or environment conditions such as fear of high places, flying, water, darkness, illness, etc. The object of their fear triggers the attack of panic and terror.
    • FEAR OF PUBLIC OR OPEN SPACES is the terror felt when one goes out of a secure place or a comfort zone. One panics at the thought of being in an open area with a lot of people in it and having the great trouble of getting out. The most extreme translation of this phobia is choosing to just stay at home where it is the only place in the world considered safe and protected.

    SYMPTOMS OF PHOBIA

    Phobia may present itself in many different ways. People display it in various degrees which could be a simple uneasiness or mild nervous attack or an extreme anxiety attack or serious severe panic episode.

    There are tell-tale signs or physical symptoms evident in phobic persons. They include:

    • shortness of breath
    • extremely fast heartbeat rate
    • dizziness
    • abnormal quavering or severe trembling
    • agitation
    • respiratory problems (breathing difficulty, tight chest)
    • troubled tummy

    Most people suffering from phobia attacks also experience inexplicable anxiety or panic feeling. Near passing out or fainting when fear attacks, having an overwhelming desire to flee or run away are also  common symptoms of a person with phobia.

    TREATMENT OF PHOBIA

    If a phobic person elicits severe distress manifestations to prevent him/her from a normal life, one should consult a medical professional on how to overcome one’s fear. As in any other disorder, treatment options are available according to the degree of phobia suffered by a person. If the fear is so intense and great that you are disabled to function normally, the phobia should be treated.

    Therapists have developed therapy programs which can be done by the affected person.

    Support group is always the first part of any phobia therapy program as this greatly helps the person to recognize the problem and agree to doing something about it.

    A therapy would always include challenge to face the fear and triumphed over it. This will initially be difficult because a phobic person always avoids his source of fear. But constant assurance from the support group that nothing harmful or bad will happen even if one is faced with his/her fear will get the phobic person to take that chance of finally overcoming his/her fear.

    Some therapists would also get the phobic person exposed or constantly faced with the phobia trigger. If the trigger is a snake, a phobic person would be seeing snakes a few times under a controlled setting just to have the feeling that the anxiety is baseless and that one should not be overwhelmed by the mere sight of these fear triggers. The phobic person’s degree of anxiety towards a fear trigger is reduced session after session.

    Therapists also developed relaxation techniques to help calm down the nerves when fear attacks. There are breathing exercises which help eliminate the build-up of tension or terror. Teaching the phobic persons techniques on dealing with unpleasant  thoughts or negative  ideas are also helpful in overcoming phobia. Focusing on building-up one’s ability to cope and deal with the fear rather than avoiding these negative triggers, will very much help people suffering from phobia to get over their fear and liberate themselves from the stressful condition.

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  3. Depression 101

    February 7, 2012 by JayWegner

    Depression 101Depression is a mental state or condition of an individual manifesting an unhappy disposition. This may be caused by a whole lot of factors including but not limited to: anxiety, despair, helplessness, loss of a loved one, lack of self-esteem, etc. Anyone who is rendered disabled by an abnormally long period of sadness is likely to suffer from depression.

    In order to determine whether a person is suffering from depression, one must be able to identify the symptoms or manifestations that go along with the disorder. Depression affects an individual’s temper, attitude and emotions. It is often manifested by extreme sadness, frustration and complete lack of concentration or focus. A depressed person may seem overly anxious, agitated or irritated, restless and even extraordinarily irritable. Persons who get overwhelmed with grief, life’s hardships are the likely candidates to having depression. Persons who display any of these symptoms for a prolonged period are most often than not,  diagnosed as depressed. The degree of depression may vary according to the manifestations and causes of such mental state.

    CLINICAL DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS

    Everyone goes through a certain phase of normal sadness. The depression may have sprung up from frustration at work, relationships, family, peers, etc. Feeling sad or unhappy is a phase that every normal person goes through and comes out of. However, if the sadness becomes overpowering or devastating and stays on for weeks or longer, then a medical/professional consultation is in order. Major depression is the most common type of clinical depression one suffers from, with the following warning signs to watch out for:

    • trouble getting sleep (onset of insomnia or sleeping disorder)
    • over-sleeping
    • harboring pessimistic thoughts or emotions
    • loss of appetite
    • over-eating
    • inability to concentrate or focus
    • forgetfulness or not remembering how to do ordinary or usual things or activities
    • excessive drinking of alcohol
    • very low self-esteem or confidence
    • feeling desperate and emotionally weak
    • lack of control of emotions (anger, over-happiness, irritability, resistance, defiance, etc.)
    • agitated looks
    • suicidal tendency
    • inability to cope with life’s stress and pressures

    There are other types of clinical depression which will be discussed in another article.

    OVERCOMING DEPRESSION

    Having identified that a person is depressed or suffering from depression, what is the next step? What are the treatments available? Are there ways to prevent it (if not yet on advanced stage) or cure it (if it already progressed to advanced stage)?

    In order to render the correct treatment for depression, it is important to evaluate and determine the causes of such depression, or what triggered this mental condition. It is wrong notion that depressed people are cured by just taking prescribed anti-depressant pills. A professional psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s evaluation and recommended treatment options may vary depending on the symptoms and behavior presented, causes of depression or depression triggers and the response of the depressed individual to the medications given.

    When depression is recognized to be present in a person, the first step to take is to seek professional help and have an initial consultation with a psychologist or psychiatrist to determine the extent or degree of depression.  A series of behavioral therapy may then be recommended to further help assess the best and suitable treatment option. If therapy is not enough to address the problem, medication will be the next option. Medication allows a certain relief or break from depressive state but comes with side-effects. The correct medication should be determined in order to minimize the resulting drawbacks.

    Other practical and simpler ways to combat depression include :

    • Creating a support-system group – this is an avenue to express feelings, emotions,  thoughts. A group ready to support and show understanding on what a depressed person is going through without feeling being judged
    • Changing way of life – altering routine activities with new and different activities
    • Participate and join in activities which enhance one’s emotional stability and ability to cope with normal life’s trials or pressures
    • Allow channels of communication – a repressed emotion kept for a long time inside the mind can translate later on to the onset of depression if there is no avenue for a person to channel his emotions, feelings, sentiments or thoughts.

    In the end, whatever professionally-recommended treatment options are taken, it is very important for a depressed person to get the feeling of being loved, understood and accepted and not feel being judged for his condition.

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