Fighting Fear: Stress management can help with phobias
What is fear?
According to Psychology Today, 鈥淔ear is an emotional response induced by a perceived threat, which causes a change in brain and organ function, as well as in behavior.鈥�
Almost everyone is afraid of something in life, whether it is heights, public speaking and even clowns.
During this time of year, with Halloween right around the corner, a lot of emphasis is put on scary things and creatures that go bump in the night.
But, once the holiday is over and the spotlight is no longer on fear, the fact remains that many people deal with phobias that affect their everyday life.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America says anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States. Forty million adults and 18 percent of the population have an anxiety disorder. Nineteen million people have a specific phobia, and women are twice as more likely to have a phobia than men.
Jeanne Brinker, RN, BSN, integrative health specialist at Highlands Hospital, says that fear begins in the subconscious.
鈥淪ome people are afraid of snakes and some people are afraid of dogs. That is a perception that you have,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hether it is real danger or how you perceive it, it is something that gets stuck in your subconscious.鈥�
These fears usually begin during childhood around the age of 7, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
鈥淚 had a neighbor that said, 鈥業 was afraid of dogs because my mother said that you need to be a afraid of dogs,'鈥� said Brinker. 鈥淚t was a seed that was planted in the subconscious. When you have something like that and it is something irrational and it causes you problems in your life, this gives you the opportunity and the chance to change your subconscious and rewrite your script.鈥�
One of the ways Brinker recommends dealing with anxiety related to phobias is through stress management.
鈥淭o remove something stuck in your subconscious you need to do the breathing (technique), guided imagery and hypnosis,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou and a therapist should write out a script together. It is guiding you into your subconscious and gives you the chance to change it.鈥�
The breathing technique that Brinker is referring to is a three-part breath that is used to move out of the fight/flight/freeze state to rest/relax/repair.
When the anxiety happens the person should inhale, through the nose, to the count of four and exhale to the count of eight through the nose. During the inhale, the belly should be expanded and the breath should be pulled up to the middle of the chest and up through the collar bones. During the exhale, the collar bone should sink, then the middle of the chest and finally back to the belly.
In the beginning, start with four breaths and work up to 10. Also, the breath should never be strained or forced.
With her clients at Highlands Hospital, Brinker will use a drum circle technique that brings people together from all different backgrounds, ages and lifestyles to assist with a variety of mental and emotional roadblocks.
She has witnessed firsthand how the release from anxiety and fear has positively affected these participants.
鈥淲e did a circle, once. We had an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old sitting side by side. It was two souls. It was just beautiful to watch. It cuts across all kinds of barriers. It is very non-threatening. It allows people to be who they are and it allows for healing to take place,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ealing is not necessarily the thing you can see. When you release an emotion that has been holding your heart and other people support you, that is huge healing. I can鈥檛 explain to you how beautiful it is.鈥�