Archive for the ‘overcome fear’ Category
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Some interesting if not bizarre research just published shows how we readily regulate our emotions by having unconscious goals. The researchers examined people’s revulsion to pooing babies and found that women who wanted children (with no previous experience of pooing babies) were able to down regulate their emotional responses to poo better than women who had no wish to have children. They were also able to up regulate other emotions surrounding the yukky bits of childhood better than a control group.
We certainly find that people who really want to achieve something like public speaking or flying, tend to move faster through our processes tan those that are doing the course for some goal beyond the fear, for example, getting promoted or going on a particular holiday. If the holiday is important for the person learning to regulate their emotions they tend to find the process easier. However if the individual is learning to regulate their emotions because of the fear of the flight but doesn’t really want to go on the trip anyway this can take longer.
Reference:
Shidlovski, D., & Hassin, R. (2011). When Pooping Babies Become More Appealing: The Effects of Nonconscious Goal Pursuit on Experienced Emotions Psychological Science DOI: 10.1177/0956797611417135
Posted in Anxiety research, Emotion, Emotional Resilience Research, Fear, Fear of flying, anxiety, emotion regulation, emotional resilience, overcome fear | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Is humour a good strategy for coping with emotional events like anxiety and fear?
Are all types of humour equally effective methods of emotion regulation?
I was a police officer for many years before my academic career, and one of the things I always found striking with emergency service workers and later when I was doing research with disaster managers around the world, was their sense and recourse to humour, particularly in stressful situations. Occupations like the military, the police, fire and medical staff are renowned for their humour. This, most clinicians and researchers will tell you, is a coping mechanism for dealing with the stress and regulating their emotions and is a vital strategy in terms of emotional resilience.
However is the use of humour really an effective method for dealing with fear and anxiety and emotion regulation?
It would appear so, however not all forms of humour is effective. An interesting study to be published later this year in the Journal Cognition & Emotion by colleagues at the Department of Psychology , Stanford University looked into the use of humour (or humor if you are American) as an emotion regulation strategy.
They found that positive or good natured humour has an automatic, what is called ‘down regulating effect’ on negative emotions. In other words, appropriate good natured positive humour, funny stories and jokes do all reduce anxiety and fear and is a viable emotion regulation strategy.
They also found that negative mean spirited humour, such as laughing at someone or disparaging jokes at another’s expense for example have no effect in helping people in coping with negative situations, in reducing anxiety and fear and cannot be considered to be effective strategies for emotion regulation.
So if you are stressed, get funny!
Reference
Samson, A.C., & Gross, J.J. (2011) Humour as emotion regulation: The differential consequences of negative versus positive humour. Cognition & Emotion (To be published August/Sept 2011)
Posted in Anxiety research, Emotion, Emotional Resilience Research, Fear, anxiety, emotion regulation, emotional resilience, humor, humour, overcome fear | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
There is a fairly constant question / argument in the world of anxiety as to whether Psychotherapies or Cognitive Therapies like those we use on the Fear Course are better for dealing with the issue long term. This is also a question I am asked a lot by people. Here is an answer for SAD or Social Anxiety Disorder at least.
In a study just published* (July 2011), medical researchers from four university hospitals in Germany and the UK conducted a randomised controlled trial between the two types of therapy. They compared 254 patients who were randomly assigned to one of three groups for treatment:
- Cognitive Therapy,
- Psychotherapy
- A waiting list but no therapy as a control.
Each participant in the psychotherapy and cognitive therapy groups received 16 treatment sessions and the waiting list control only received one session with a therapist.
We measure success in terms of response rates. What we mean by that is that an individual responds positively to the treatment and by whatever measure (usually a recognised instrument or measure of anxiety), the individual experiences the symptoms reducing in a significant way or disappearing.
The response rates after 20 weeks in this study were as follows:
- Cognitive Therapy - 65.8%
- Psychotherapy - 42.1%
- A waiting list but no therapy as a control - 7.3%
After a year the response rates were:
- Cognitive Therapy - 68.4% - a slight increase
- Psychotherapy - 31.6% - a decrease.
- Those on the waiting list had by now received treatment as it is a bit unethical to withhold treatment for such a long time!
Clearly Cognitive Therapy is the best strategy for dealing with SAD or Social Anxiety Disorder and it has the best long term effect.
Reference:
Stangier, U., Schramm, E., Heidenreich, T., Berger, M., & Clark, D.M. (2011) Cognitive Therapy vs Interpersonal Psychotherapy in Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2011; 68(7):692-700. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.67
Posted in Anxiety research, CBT, Fear Course News, Medical Issues, anxiety, overcome fear | No Comments »
Saturday, July 9th, 2011
Does it matter if an individual trying to overcome anxiety, fear, depression and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and similar issues, has hope that they will recover compared to those that don’t?
Researchers* in the US have found that there is a strong correlation between a patients level of hope midway through treatment and the level of success of the treatment. One of the unifying symptoms of these categories of problem is a sense of acute hopelessness. This research strongly suggests that having hope is a change mechanism for such issues. In short if an individual gains hope during the treatment process, even if they didn’t have it at the beginning, there is a strong likelihood they will overcome the problem.
However this should not be taken to mean that only people with hope can overcome such issues. Hope during treatment is according to this study, a significant factor but there is no evidence at this time that it a necessary one for recovery.
*Reference:
Gilman, R., Schumm, J. A., & Chard, K. M. (2011) Hope as a change mechanism in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, Jun 20, 2011, No Pagination Specified. doi: 10.1037/a0024252
Posted in Anxiety research, CBT, Fear Course News, anxiety, depression, overcome fear | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
A fairly well accepted treatment for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or winter depression is 30 - 60 minutes exposure a day to bright ‘Full Spectrum’ light (10,000 LUX) during the winter months. This has been found to be an effective method of dealing with this mood disorder.
A question that researchers at the University of South Carolina were interested in was whether such treatment would also be an effective for adults with high anxiety disorder. They tested the hypothesis with 33 high-anxious adults, exposing them to 45 minutes of bright full spectrum light every day for a period of four weeks.
They tested the subjects using a range of anxiety and depression indicators including blood pressure measures. There was no significant change in the individuals.
In short there is no evidence that bright light reduces anxiety.
Reference
Youngstedt, S. D., Kline, C. E., Ginsberg, J. P., Zielinski, M. R. and Hardin, J. W., (2011) Bright light treatment for high-anxious young adults: a randomized controlled pilot study. Depression and Anxiety
Posted in Anxiety research, anxiety, depression, overcome fear | 1 Comment »
Saturday, December 11th, 2010
I get a lot of thank you mail due to the job I do. I don’t get them everyday but certainly not a week goes by without someone dropping me a lovely note about how The Fear Course has helped them. Normally these are from people who have been on the live course or the online course. However I got the following from Jamila who had only signed up for our free help guides and hasn’t even been on a course at all:
“David, thankyou for your advice. I realise my problem with interviews is actually related to a medical condition . I am seeking medical help for this. thankyou again for your advice”
And the advice? In one of the emails I send out I list a series of conditions that can be confused with anxiety and as it turns out Jamila, when she checked with her doctor, had one of the conditions I highlighted. For me this is an excellent outcome and evidence of what I was talking about in my last blog. There are medical conditions that have anxiety as a presenting symptom. Solve the medical problem and the anxiety goes. Beware of any anxiety treatment that suggests you don’t need to see a medical practitioner. They don’t know without a proper examination whether it is a medical or psychological condition.
As a matter of principle I show all my clients a list of the conditions and symptoms and if they have any suspicions I strongly suggest they see a medical practitioner. 95% of our clients do not have a medical condition and The Fear Course works it’s magic as it was intended, however for about 5% of people who pass this way this is frequently life and lifestyle saving advice. The advice is so important I include it in all my free stuff as well.
Posted in Medical Issues, Staying safe, anxiety, overcome fear | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Does sex reduce anxiety? New research suggests that having sex might not only reduce anxiety but also reverse the effects of long term stress.
It is well established in anxiety research circles that people who suffered a trauma or are under adverse stress for any extended period of time are more likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders as well. It is also fairly well established that negative stress reduces the replacement and regrowth of cells in the areas of the brain connected to the regulation of anxiety (emotional regulation) and reduces the normal functioning of those areas (hippocampus and amygdala). In other words long term negative stress physically changes our brain and the way it functions making anxiety more prevalent and harder to control.
It has long been thought by neuro-scientists that the key to this appears to be a hormone called glucocorticoids also known as the stress hormone. Glucocorticoids or GC’s bind to glucocorticoids receptor which are present in just about every cell in the human (and indeed every vertebrate animals) body. GC’s are a major part of our immune system. When we are under stress the body produces more GC’s. Over production of GC’s have been linked to problems like Heart disease, depression, diabetes, obesity, immune dysfunction, learning disorders, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome to name but a few.
A new study published last month* looked at whether sexual activity
- reduced GC levels in rats,
- changed the functioning of the areas of the brain associated with anxiety regulation, and
- reduced anxiety driven behaviour in anyway .
The researchers from The Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University found that having sexual activity once a day for 14 consecutive days did not reduce the GC levels significantly. However it did significantly increase the neuronal functioning of the hippocampus and amygdala and considerably reduced anxiety driven behaviour in the subjects. So whilst it doesn’t reduce the CG level sexual activity does appear to stop many of the negative effects of increased GC’s in the system. In short sex reduces anxiety and minimises the effects of stress on us. But why if the GC levels aren’t reduced?
Exercise often has a positive effect on anxiety and stress as well, but only if the individual gets satisfaction from the exercise. In other words if we think something is enjoyable it will help, if not it won’t. GC’s work in a very complex way in some instances make things worse and in others make them better. It would appear that engaging in what an individual considers to be hedonistic or enjoyable may change the effect stress hormones has on us. It may be that we can reduce many of the effects of stress has on by engaging in things we find enjoyable, like sex.
Stressed? Anxious? Take sex once a day for 14 days. Come back and see me if the symptoms persist, we might have to increase the dose.
*Leuner B, Glasper ER, & Gould E (2010) Sexual Experience Promotes Adult Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus Despite an Initial Elevation in Stress Hormones. PLoS ONE 5(7): e11597. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011597
Posted in Definitions in Emotional Resilience, Emotional Resilience Research, anxiety, emotion regulation, overcome fear | No Comments »
Sunday, August 8th, 2010
 Most people fail job interviews before they even open their mouth because of something they could easily remedy.
About 90% of people come away from an interview kicking themselves because they know they should have performed better had it not been for their nerves and anxiety, and it is so easy to deal with, given a little know-how.
Calm and composed people outperform everyone else and usually get the job. 80% of the decision to hire someone is based on what the interviewers see and hear on the day and only about 20% is based on what is in your CV. When you think about it, the company has already made a decision based on your CV and application: who to interview. Now it is is down to how you come across.
In short success in a job interview comes down to three things:
- Do they see you as a COMPETENT individual
- Do they LIKE you, and
- Do they THINK you will FIT in?
Just think about (y)our perception of what a competent person looks and behaves like for a moment. I am willing to bet that perception does not include a nervous or anxious person. Competent includes being confident and composed with your subject area. Able to answer questions easily and showing you have easy mastery of your area
But how?
The Fear Course is proud to announce the publication of it’s first handbook:
The Fear Course Handbook: How to do a job interview without the nerves and anxiety.
The professionally produced 55 page handbook is clear, concise and very practical and will show you how to overcome your fear quickly and easily.
The content include:
- What confident people do that nervous people don’t but could, easily.
- The 5 things people eat and drink that actually makes them more nervous
- The ONE big mistake nervous people make that is an instant fail
- What to do when your mind goes blank during the interview
- A plan for the days before the interview, and
- A fear busting plan for the actual interview
Be the best you can be. Be calm, confident and composed at your job interview.
You can get the book in three versions:
The Fear Course Handbook: How to do a job interview without the nerves and anxiety: Download as an ebook from the site
The Fear Course Handbook: How to do a job interview without the nerves and anxiety. Download the book from Lulu
The Fear Course Handbook: How to do a job interview without the nerves and anxiety. Buy the published book Direct
Posted in Job interview nerves, anxiety, job interview anxiety, job interviews, overcome fear | No Comments »
Friday, February 12th, 2010
One of the things we show people on the Fear Course is the research into the connection between the food they eat and feelings of anxiety, including a couple of case studies we talk about on the course. Recently we have been doing some experiments with clients on diet and cooking methods. Here is a very brief summary of what we found. I will prepare a full paper and download it to the articles and notes area soon.
When we started the test the participants had a Fear Factor (FF) average score of 8.2 with a range of 7.7 to 9.6
The group who ate normally (No dietry change) had an average FF of 8 before the test and 8.1 afterwards.
The group who cut out all fried foods had an average FF of 8.1 before the test and 7.8 afterwards
The group who stopped eating refined sugar products, sweets, chocolate and other sugary foods AND drinks went from a FF of 8.2 to 6.4
The group who only stopped fizzy drinks reduced their FF 8.1 to 7.1
The group who cut out salty snacks, crisps, slated nuts etc. had an average FF of 8.2 before the test and 7.4 afterwards
Who ate raw vegetables only went from a FF of 8 to 5.9.
There were some other conditions (like stopping alcohol, caffeine, meat etc.) in the experiment which I will cover in the paper.
You can see our up to date Fear Course dates and locations here: http://www.fearcourse.com/
Posted in Emotional Resilience Research, Fear, diet and anxiety, emotional resilience, overcome fear | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 19th, 2009
What goes ha ha bonk? - Someone laughing their head off. (or should that be ‘lol bonk’ these days?)
Two aerials meet on a roof, fall in love get married. The ceremony wasn’t much but the reception was brilliant.
In 1979 Norman Cousins, a journalist published a book called Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient. In it Cousins describes how he suffered from inflammatory arthritis, a painful and debilitating illness. He also describes how with the aid of Marx brothers films he was able to reduce the pain and the inflammation, eventually returning to work.
So can humour or humor if you are American (you missed out the most important part of humor - u!) really increase our emotional resilience?
Does laughing help us overcome fear and reduce pain? In the next few articles (in http://www.fearcourse.com/articles-and-notes.html) and blogs I will review the evidence and have a few chuckles along the way.
Knock, Knock
Who’s there?
Interupting cow
Interupti..
MOO!
So thank moo for reading this blog - more soon. Lol, he he and ha ha.
Tags: emotional resilience, humor, humour, laughter, overcome fear
Posted in Emotional Resilience Research, emotional resilience, humor, humour, overcome fear | No Comments »
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