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PHOBIA LIBRARY
Read up on fear, panic and phobia to get a general overview of phobias and trauma and fear management. Learn mindfulness based self care principles and exercises for managing phobias from my books on trauma and self care.
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Fear | Function | Thought | Treatment | Coping
For Help See: Fear in the Brain | Fear Dictionary
Fear | Function | Thought | Treatment | Coping
For Help See: Fear in the Brain | Fear Dictionary
THE LIBRARY TOPIC HOME PAGES
Introduction to Trauma, Fear and Phobia
Part 1: Defining Fear and the Fear Response
Part 2: Emotional & Cognitive Functions of Fear
Part 3: Maladaptive Thought Processing
Part 4: Professional Therapy & Mindful Self Care
THE PHOBIA COLLECTION DOWNLOADS
Browse Collection of Phobias by Topic
Download Collection of Phobias
Download Dictionary of Fear and Phobia
Download Self Care Guides for Coping
Introduction to Trauma, Fear and Phobia
Part 1: Defining Fear and the Fear Response
Part 2: Emotional & Cognitive Functions of Fear
Part 3: Maladaptive Thought Processing
Part 4: Professional Therapy & Mindful Self Care
THE PHOBIA COLLECTION DOWNLOADS
Browse Collection of Phobias by Topic
Download Collection of Phobias
Download Dictionary of Fear and Phobia
Download Self Care Guides for Coping
PART FOUR - TREATMENT
TREATMENT OPTIONS
MINDFUL SELF CARE
Learn the cognitive treatment options for self care centered in mindfulness, common defense mechanisms, boundaries, stressors, and strategies for coping with anxiety and panic for fear
TREATMENT | THERAPY | SELF CARE
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TREATMENT DIRECTORY
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PROFESSIONAL THERAPY OPTIONS
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Therapy Options
SELF CARE: Defining What It Really Means
Core Elements of Mindfulness
RELATED SELF CARE GUIDES BY KAIROS
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PROFESSIONAL THERAPY OPTIONS
Make the Best of Professional Therapy
Search for Medical Professionals (external)
Therapy Options
- Cognitive Behaviorial Therapy (CBT)
- Exposure Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Online Therapy Fact Sheet
SELF CARE: Defining What It Really Means
Core Elements of Mindfulness
- Meditative Mastery of Breath Control
- Repetition Fuels the Power of a Mantra
- Principles of Mindfulness Meditation
- How Mindfulness Rewires Your Brain
- Cognitive Benefits of Mindfulness
- Mindful Self Care is Self Compassion
- Strategies to Practice Mindfulness
- Tips to Master Mindful Living
- How We Cope With Stress
- Armed With Self Defense Mechanisms
- Defining and Enforcing Your Boundaries
- Dealing With Stressors and Triggers
- Combat Strategies for Anxiety and Panic
RELATED SELF CARE GUIDES BY KAIROS
View All Downloads
ALL CONTENT PROVIDED BY MY BOOKS ON MINDFUL SELF CARE FOR TRAUMA AND FEAR
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SELF CARE
How We Cope With
STRESS
The beauty of self care centered in the meditative practice of mindfulness. Learn mindful coping mechanisms for managing anxiety, panic and fear.
Mindfulness practice is self care for the health and well-being for the mind, body and soul.
PRACTICE CHANGES BRAIN STRUCTURE
MINDFULNESS PROMOTES HEALING
Mindfulness practice is self care for the health and well-being for the mind, body and soul.
PRACTICE CHANGES BRAIN STRUCTURE
MINDFULNESS PROMOTES HEALING
WEBSITE DISCLAIMER
Author is not a Medical Professional.
Find a Medical Professional
Self Care is not a Substitute for Therapy
it works in collaboration with professional treatment
Author is not a Medical Professional.
Find a Medical Professional
Self Care is not a Substitute for Therapy
it works in collaboration with professional treatment
MINDFUL SELF CARE DOWNLOADS
THE MINDFULNESS GLOSSARY
Promote a Mindful Approach to Self Care
Guide to Learn the Principles of Mindfulness
Companion Glossary of Mindfulness Terms
Collection of Mindfulness Poetry by Kairos
Understanding and Coping With Stress
Guide to Learn the Principles of Mindfulness
Companion Glossary of Mindfulness Terms
Collection of Mindfulness Poetry by Kairos
Understanding and Coping With Stress
POSITIVE COPING METHODS
Coping means to invest one's own conscious effort, to solve personal and interpersonal problems, in order to try to master, minimize or tolerate stress and conflict.
The psychological coping mechanisms are commonly termed coping strategies or coping skills.
The effectiveness of the coping effort depends on the type of stress, the individual, and the circumstances. Coping responses are partly controlled by personality (habitual traits), but also partly by the social environment, particularly the nature of the stressful environment.
TYPES OF COPING STRATEGIES
Hundreds of coping strategies have been identified and classification of these strategies into a broader architecture has not been agreed upon but grouping has one small success.
Experts split the coping strategies into four groups:
problem-focused, emotion-focused, support-seeking, and meaning-making coping.
Further classification identifies four types of coping strategies:
Typically, people use a mixture of several coping strategies, which may change over time. All these strategies can prove useful, but some claim that those using problem-focused coping strategies will adjust better to life. Problem-focused coping methods may allow someone greater perceived control over their problem, while emotion-focused coping may sometimes lead to a reduction in perceived control (maladaptive coping).
Appraisal-focused coping strategies
Appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive) strategies occur when the person modifies the way they think, for example: employing denial, or distancing themselves from the problem. People may alter the way they think about a problem by altering their goals and values. For example, seeing the humor in a situation: it has been suggested that humor may play a greater role as a stress moderator among women than men.
Adaptive behavioral coping strategies
People using problem-focused strategies try to deal with the cause of their problem. They do this by finding out information on the problem and learning new skills to manage the problem. It is aimed at changing or eliminating the source of the stress.
The three problem-focused coping strategies identified taking control, information seeking, and evaluating the pros and cons. However, problem-focused coping may not be necessarily adaptive, especially in the uncontrollable case that one cannot make the problem go away
Emotional coping strategies
Emotion-focused coping is oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress.
Emotion-focused strategies involve:
The five emotion-focused coping strategies identified:
Emotion-focused coping is a mechanism to alleviate distress by minimizing, reducing, or preventing, the emotional components of a stressor. This method can be applied through a variety of ways, such as:
The focus of these coping mechanisms is to change the meaning of the stressor or transfer attention away from it.
Reactive and proactive coping
Most coping is reactive in that the coping is in response to stressors. Anticipating and reacting to a future stressor is known as proactive coping or future-oriented coping.
Social coping
Social coping recognises that individuals are within a social environment, which can be stressful, but also is the source of coping resources, such as seeking social support from others.
Humor coping
Humor used as a positive coping strategy has useful benefits in relation to mental health and well-being. By having a humorous outlook on life, stressful experiences can be and are often minimized. This coping method corresponds with positive emotional states and is known to be an indicator of mental health. Physiological processes are also influenced within the exercise of humor.
Using humor in coping while processing through feelings can vary depending on events and circumstance and individual humor styles. In regards to grief and loss in life occurrences, it has been found that genuine laughs/smiles when speaking about the loss predicted later adjustment and evoked more positive responses from other people.
It is also possible that humor would be used by people to feel a sense of control over a more powerless situation and used as a way to temporarily escape a feeling of helplessness. Exercised humor can be a sign of positive adjustment as well as drawing support and interaction from others around the loss.
Music coping strategies
Music as a coping strategy involves the use of music (through listening or playing music) in order to reduce stress and many of the psychological and physical manifestations associated with it. The use of music to cope with stress is an emotion-focused, adaptive coping strategy. Rather than focusing on the stressor itself, music therapy is typically geared towards reducing or eliminating the emotions that arise in response to stress.
If someone diagnosed with PTSD associates a certain song with a traumatic memory, it typically triggers a stronger stress/anxiety response than they would otherwise have otherwise experienced when listening to the song. Music can be especially memorable because of music's rhythm, beat, and/or memorable lyrics. However, associating music with psychological responses is not necessarily guaranteed to only bring up bad memories, because music can often hold psychological connotations to very happy memories.
Some studies have demonstrated that the use of sedative music or preferred sedative music cause a decrease in tension and state-anxiety levels of adult individuals.
The psychological coping mechanisms are commonly termed coping strategies or coping skills.
- Adaptive (constructive) coping strategies that reduce stress.
- Maladaptive coping strategies increase stress and are therefore also described, based on its outcome, as non-coping.
- Reactive coping or the coping response which follows the stressor.
- Proactive coping, in which a coping response aims to neutralize a future stressor. Subconscious or unconscious strategies (e.g. defense mechanisms) are generally excluded from the area of coping.
The effectiveness of the coping effort depends on the type of stress, the individual, and the circumstances. Coping responses are partly controlled by personality (habitual traits), but also partly by the social environment, particularly the nature of the stressful environment.
TYPES OF COPING STRATEGIES
Hundreds of coping strategies have been identified and classification of these strategies into a broader architecture has not been agreed upon but grouping has one small success.
Experts split the coping strategies into four groups:
problem-focused, emotion-focused, support-seeking, and meaning-making coping.
Further classification identifies four types of coping strategies:
- Appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive)
- Problem-focused (adaptive behavioral)
- Emotion-focused
- Occupation-focused coping
Typically, people use a mixture of several coping strategies, which may change over time. All these strategies can prove useful, but some claim that those using problem-focused coping strategies will adjust better to life. Problem-focused coping methods may allow someone greater perceived control over their problem, while emotion-focused coping may sometimes lead to a reduction in perceived control (maladaptive coping).
Appraisal-focused coping strategies
Appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive) strategies occur when the person modifies the way they think, for example: employing denial, or distancing themselves from the problem. People may alter the way they think about a problem by altering their goals and values. For example, seeing the humor in a situation: it has been suggested that humor may play a greater role as a stress moderator among women than men.
Adaptive behavioral coping strategies
People using problem-focused strategies try to deal with the cause of their problem. They do this by finding out information on the problem and learning new skills to manage the problem. It is aimed at changing or eliminating the source of the stress.
The three problem-focused coping strategies identified taking control, information seeking, and evaluating the pros and cons. However, problem-focused coping may not be necessarily adaptive, especially in the uncontrollable case that one cannot make the problem go away
Emotional coping strategies
Emotion-focused coping is oriented toward managing the emotions that accompany the perception of stress.
Emotion-focused strategies involve:
- releasing pent-up emotions
- distracting yourself
- managing hostile feelings
- meditating
- mindfulness practices
- using systematic relaxation procedures.
The five emotion-focused coping strategies identified:
- disclaiming
- escape-avoidance
- accepting responsibility or blame
- exercising self-control
- and positive reappraisal.
Emotion-focused coping is a mechanism to alleviate distress by minimizing, reducing, or preventing, the emotional components of a stressor. This method can be applied through a variety of ways, such as:
- seeking social support
- reappraising the stressor in a positive light
- accepting responsibility
- using avoidance
- exercising self-control and distancing
The focus of these coping mechanisms is to change the meaning of the stressor or transfer attention away from it.
- Reappraising tries to find a more positive meaning of the cause of the stress in order to reduce the emotional component of the stressor.
- Avoidance of the emotional distress is distracting yourself from the negative feelings associated with the stressor.
- Emotion-focused coping is well suited for stressors that seem uncontrollable (ex. a terminal illness diagnosis, or the loss of a loved one). Some mechanisms of emotion focused coping, such as distancing or avoidance, can have alleviating outcomes for a short period of time, however they can be detrimental when used over an extended period.
- Positive emotion-focused mechanisms are seeking social support and positive re-appraisal and have beneficial outcomes.
- Emotional approach coping is one form of emotion-focused coping in which emotional expression and processing is used to adaptively manage a response to a stressor. Examples include relaxation training through deep breathing, meditation, yoga, music and art therapy, and aromatherapy, as well as grounding, which uses physical sensations or mental distractions to refocus from the stressor to present.
Reactive and proactive coping
Most coping is reactive in that the coping is in response to stressors. Anticipating and reacting to a future stressor is known as proactive coping or future-oriented coping.
- Anticipation is when one reduces the stress of some difficult challenge by anticipating what it will be like and preparing for how one is going to cope with it.
Social coping
Social coping recognises that individuals are within a social environment, which can be stressful, but also is the source of coping resources, such as seeking social support from others.
- Communal coping is the collective effort of members of a connected network (familial or social) to manage a distressing event. This definition and the scope of the concept positions communal coping as an offshoot of social support.
Humor coping
Humor used as a positive coping strategy has useful benefits in relation to mental health and well-being. By having a humorous outlook on life, stressful experiences can be and are often minimized. This coping method corresponds with positive emotional states and is known to be an indicator of mental health. Physiological processes are also influenced within the exercise of humor.
- For example, laughing may reduce muscle tension, increase the flow of oxygen to the blood, exercise the cardiovascular region, and produce endorphins in the body.
Using humor in coping while processing through feelings can vary depending on events and circumstance and individual humor styles. In regards to grief and loss in life occurrences, it has been found that genuine laughs/smiles when speaking about the loss predicted later adjustment and evoked more positive responses from other people.
- A person of the deceased family member may resort to making jokes of when the deceased person used to....
- A person might also find comedic relief with others around irrational possible outcomes for the deceased funeral service.
It is also possible that humor would be used by people to feel a sense of control over a more powerless situation and used as a way to temporarily escape a feeling of helplessness. Exercised humor can be a sign of positive adjustment as well as drawing support and interaction from others around the loss.
Music coping strategies
Music as a coping strategy involves the use of music (through listening or playing music) in order to reduce stress and many of the psychological and physical manifestations associated with it. The use of music to cope with stress is an emotion-focused, adaptive coping strategy. Rather than focusing on the stressor itself, music therapy is typically geared towards reducing or eliminating the emotions that arise in response to stress.
- Advocates claim that the use of music helps to lower stress levels in patients, as well as lower more biologically measurable quantities such as the levels of epinephrine and cortisol.
- Programs have been repeatedly demonstrated to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in the long term
If someone diagnosed with PTSD associates a certain song with a traumatic memory, it typically triggers a stronger stress/anxiety response than they would otherwise have otherwise experienced when listening to the song. Music can be especially memorable because of music's rhythm, beat, and/or memorable lyrics. However, associating music with psychological responses is not necessarily guaranteed to only bring up bad memories, because music can often hold psychological connotations to very happy memories.
Some studies have demonstrated that the use of sedative music or preferred sedative music cause a decrease in tension and state-anxiety levels of adult individuals.
MALADAPTIVE COPING
See Also: Maladaptive Thinking
MALADAPTIVE COPING IS NEGATIVE
These are maladaptive strategies as they serve to maintain the disorder.
Adaptive coping strategies improve functioning, a maladaptive coping technique (also termed non-coping) will just reduce symptoms while maintaining or strengthening the stressor.
Examples of maladaptive behavior strategies include dissociation, sensitization, anxious avoidance, rationalization escape (including self-medication), and safety behaviors,
TYPE OF STRATEGY
Dissociation is the ability of the mind to separate and compartmentalize thoughts, memories, and emotions. This is often associated with post traumatic stress syndrome.
Sensitization is when a person seeks to learn about, rehearse, and/or anticipate fearful events in a protective effort to prevent these events from occurring in the first place.
Rationalization is attempting to use reasoning to minimize the severity of an incident, or avoid approaching it in ways that could cause psychological trauma or stress. It most commonly manifests in the form of making excuses for the behavior of the person engaging in it, or others involved in the situation the person is attempting to rationalize.
Anxious avoidance is when a person avoids anxiety provoking situations by all means. This is the most common method. Keep reading for more on avoidance.
Escape is closely related to avoidance. This technique is often demonstrated by people who experience panic attacks or have phobias. These people want to flee the situation at the first sign of anxiety.
Safety behaviors are demonstrated when individuals with anxiety disorders come to rely on something, or someone, as a means of coping with their excessive anxiety.
Low-effort syndrome or low-effort coping refers to the coping responses of a person refusing to work hard. For example, a student at school may learn to put in only minimal effort as they believe if they put in effort it could unveil their flaws.
These are maladaptive strategies as they serve to maintain the disorder.
Adaptive coping strategies improve functioning, a maladaptive coping technique (also termed non-coping) will just reduce symptoms while maintaining or strengthening the stressor.
- Maladaptive techniques are only effective as a short-term rather than long-term coping process.
- These strategies interfere with the person's ability to unlearn, or break apart, the paired association between the situation and the associated anxiety symptoms.
Examples of maladaptive behavior strategies include dissociation, sensitization, anxious avoidance, rationalization escape (including self-medication), and safety behaviors,
TYPE OF STRATEGY
Dissociation is the ability of the mind to separate and compartmentalize thoughts, memories, and emotions. This is often associated with post traumatic stress syndrome.
Sensitization is when a person seeks to learn about, rehearse, and/or anticipate fearful events in a protective effort to prevent these events from occurring in the first place.
Rationalization is attempting to use reasoning to minimize the severity of an incident, or avoid approaching it in ways that could cause psychological trauma or stress. It most commonly manifests in the form of making excuses for the behavior of the person engaging in it, or others involved in the situation the person is attempting to rationalize.
Anxious avoidance is when a person avoids anxiety provoking situations by all means. This is the most common method. Keep reading for more on avoidance.
Escape is closely related to avoidance. This technique is often demonstrated by people who experience panic attacks or have phobias. These people want to flee the situation at the first sign of anxiety.
Safety behaviors are demonstrated when individuals with anxiety disorders come to rely on something, or someone, as a means of coping with their excessive anxiety.
Low-effort syndrome or low-effort coping refers to the coping responses of a person refusing to work hard. For example, a student at school may learn to put in only minimal effort as they believe if they put in effort it could unveil their flaws.
Mindful Coping Strategies
This content is provided for informational purposes only. Author is not a medical professional. Talk to your doctor to determine what therapy is right for you.
Self care techniques are meant to supplement professional treatment not replace it.
PRIME DIRECTIVE OF THE LEARNING LIBRARY
Self care techniques are meant to supplement professional treatment not replace it.
PRIME DIRECTIVE OF THE LEARNING LIBRARY
BROWSE PHOBIA COLLECTION
Phobia collection is presented in eight themed parts
VIEW LIST INDEX or JUMP TO A PART
PART [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ]
PHOBIA COLLECTION BY TOPIC
common ~ abstract ~ ordinary ~ bizarre ~ catastrophic ~ psyche ~ icky - academic ~ knowledge ~ education ~ literary ~ art ~ music ~ religion ~ political ~ law ~ order military ~ war ~ discrimination ~ science ~ chemical ~ energy ~ time ~ numbers ~ technology ~ nature ~ environment ~ astronomy ~ weather ~ geography ~ people ~ family ~ community ~ anatomy ~ medical ~ disease ~ emotions ~ senses ~ sensations ~ movement ~ conditions~ love ~ relationships ~ sexuality ~ lifestyle ~ places ~ events ~ objects ~ clothing ~ tools ~ vehicles ~ home ~ cooking ~ food ~ entertainment ~ sports ~ recreation ~ toys ~ games ~ monsters ~ characters ~ spooky ~ nightmares ~ delusional ~ joke ~ fiction
DOWNLOAD PONDERING THE PHOBIA
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All the phobias in one download. Browse by both topic/subject and by alphabetized list
Download/Share: http://bit.ly/ponderingphobia
OTHER PHOBIA AND FEAR DOWNLOADS:
Dictionary of Trauma, Phobia and Fear
Self Care Guides for Fear & Phobias
Now Available for Download for Offline Reading
All the phobias in one download. Browse by both topic/subject and by alphabetized list
Download/Share: http://bit.ly/ponderingphobia
OTHER PHOBIA AND FEAR DOWNLOADS:
Dictionary of Trauma, Phobia and Fear
Self Care Guides for Fear & Phobias
Library articles provided by my series Healing the PTSD Mind and my series on mindfulness based self care Be Mindful Be Well. The books are written from a trauma perspective. Content applies to fear, phobias and panic. Learn self care treatments with mindfulness techniques.
BE MINDFUL. BE WELL.
Books copyright 2021 by By Kairos
BE MINDFUL. BE WELL.
Books copyright 2021 by By Kairos
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A SERIES OF BEAUTIFUL WORDS
Collection of Vocabulary Books, Sites and Resources
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Words are also posted on twitter under the hashtags #beautifulwords and #wordoftheday and shared visually on pinterest bulletin boards
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Content by Kairos ~ @kairosoflife
Homepage | Portfolio | Contact
Original content © 2021 Copyright, Kairos
