Addressing your fears and phobias through an emotional experience
Emotional experience is one of the ways to work on your fears and phobias, given the strength of the perceived fear scale is 1-4 out of 10. It ranges from slight discomfort to butterflies in the stomach and accelerated heartbeat. For example, you may be afraid of big animals due to past incidents or have zoophobia, cynophobia, or megalophobia.
Simply avoiding such situations can cause emotional repression - in a much more effective way, you can also introduce yourself to the subject of their fears indirectly, for example, by walking Llamas, going for Bunny Yoga, or to spend time with cows after milking. Giving yourself a controlled exposure, under the care of an experience creator, one can start overcoming fears, have a better emotional balance, and achieve emotional wealth.
In the case of claustrophobia, which is the irrational fear of confined spaces, you may wish to choose a submission emotion, to find experiences like to be restrained for an hour, going for a blindfold dance, letting someone play with you, getting suspended with ropes or sit in a confined place under the care of your chosen experience creator. Having done it through an emotional experience, you will be confident your creator will take of you, letting you process emotions such as fear, vigilance, and apprehension.
Arachnophobia or fear of spiders can be addressed via a controlled exposure, under the case of a patient creator, who will talk to you, answer your questions, and let you touch some species, so your fear will reduce its intensity.
Pedophobia - fear of children - can be addressed via an emotion-provoking experience in different ways, for example, by spending time with children in a game manner - children who are used to strangers and with whom you can have a conversation - this may help you or your loved one to overcome pedophobia and change their view on children.
Fears and the emotion-provoking experience
Emotion-provoking experiences let people deal with emotions via emotional regulation. It is, however, essential to note that not all fears and phobias should be addressed here on the emotions market due to our creators not being medics or therapists. Here we work with senses and emotions to enlighten life.
Exposure therapy
Addressing fear through an emotional experience can be achieved through a process known as exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a commonly used therapeutic technique that aims to reduce fear and anxiety by gradually exposing individuals to the feared object or situation in a controlled and safe environment. Here's how it typically works:
Identify the fear: The first step is to identify and define the specific fear or phobia that needs to be addressed. This could be anything from a fear of spiders to fear of public speaking.
Establish a hierarchy: Once the fear is identified, the next step is to create a fear hierarchy. This involves ranking the feared situations or objects in order of increasing difficulty or anxiety-provoking nature. For example, in the case of a fear of spiders, the hierarchy may start with looking at pictures of spiders, then gradually progress to being in the same room as a spider, and eventually touching a spider.
Gradual exposure: Starting from the least anxiety-inducing item on the hierarchy, the individual is gradually exposed to the fear-inducing stimulus or situation. This exposure can be done in various ways, such as through visualization, pictures, or real-life encounters, depending on the availability and feasibility.
Emotional experience and relaxation techniques: During the exposure, the individual is encouraged to fully experience the associated emotions and physical sensations of fear. This process helps them confront their fears directly and learn that they can tolerate the anxiety without any actual harm occurring. At the same time, relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, can be taught to manage anxiety and promote a sense of calmness during the process.
Repetition and progression: The exposure is repeated regularly, gradually progressing to more challenging items on the fear hierarchy. Each successful exposure reinforces the understanding that fear can be managed and gradually reduces the anxiety response associated with the feared stimulus.
Support and guidance: Throughout the process, it's essential to have the support and guidance of a trained therapist who can provide encouragement, reassurance, and help with coping strategies. They can also tailor the exposure therapy to the individual's specific needs and ensure the process is conducted safely and effectively.
It's important to note that exposure therapy may not be suitable for all individuals or all types of fears. It's recommended to consult with a mental health professional who can assess the situation and provide appropriate guidance based on the individual's specific needs.
6 Steps to overcome fear and anxiety
Controlling fear and anxiety is not an easy task. But you can do it by building your skills through emotional experience. Here we have rolled up six steps to help you overcome fears and phobias.
Pay attention to what you feel:
The first step to dealing with fear is to notice how you feel. Not everyone is an expert in talking about their emotions. However, identifying your feelings is the first helpful step. For instance, do you feel any trouble in your head or stomach? Try to diagnose your emotions. Hence, it is important to practice reading as a physical cue and not get carried away.
Face your fear:
Facing your fear is a challenging task. If you always try to avoid those situations that scare you, you will not be able to do things that you want. If you can't test your fears and reduce your anxiety, you won't be able to figure out how to deal with them. Getting into this pattern tends to increase anxiety problems. An excellent way to overcome anxiety is to expose yourself to your fears.
Take a breath:
You might be confused about how taking a deep breath could help overcome anxiety. So, don't be overwhelmed; here is the answer to your question. When you breathe, your parasympathetic nervous system activates, which helps you to reduce the fear. Meditation and breathing are relaxing techniques that deactivate your body's stress response.
Recheck yourself:
After following the above steps, now again examine how you feel now. Should you go for a walk? Should you remove yourself from your current situation or seek help? Hence, in this way, you can give yourself a chance to choose the response that is most appropriate for you.
Handle your biological need:
While performing any activity, your body produces so many physiological sensations. For example, you may feel fluttering sensations in your stomach. Try to diagnose what your brain is demanding. Do you feel hungry? Well! Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and drink a glass of water. Try not to drink coffee and an excessive amount of tea.
Treat yourself:
In the end, give yourself a little treat. If you've completed that difficult call you dreaded, for example, reward yourself with a massage, a country walks, a meal out, a book, a DVD, or whatever else makes you feel good.
Conclusion:
To overcome a fear, you must face it head-on, but you must do so in a healthy way that will help you move past the fear and not damage your mental health. But if you feel that you may not be able to manage your anxiety problems all by yourself - that's okay.
If the above steps don't work (or they feel like too much), visit the emotion market. We are not medics or therapists, so we cannot deal with complex cases. We offer many emotion-provoking experiences, so you can choose what you like.