ANXIETY DISORDERS: FEAR OF LOSING CONTROL
This is the third most common fear. Our lack of understanding of the disorder accentuates this fear. We feel so much has already happened which we haven’t been able to control, and every day seems to bring with it new symptoms and new fears. We can’t help but feel the time will come when we will lose control completely. People fear they will faint, have an attack of diarrhoea, lose control of their bladder, be sick or literally lose control. Most of these symptoms are a result of the fight and flight response. The more we fear them, the more we turn on the adrenalin. Losing our fear of them turns it off. I will discuss how to in chapter eight.
Loss of control over body
We can feel as if we may lose control of our bowel or bladder, or that we will be sick. Nausea can become our constant companion, and if we look at all our symptoms it is no wonder. Our body does feel as if it is out of control.
When we imagine these events happening, we also imagine our embarrassment and humiliation. Naturally, this only increases the fear.
Again, I rarely meet anyone who has had these fears realised, although people speak of their ‘close calls’. When we learn panic anxiety management skills we can take back the power over the fear and anxiety and turn off the fight and flight response.
Literally losing control
This fear can be terrifying. People interpret it to mean they may act uncontrollably and hurt themselves or others. They don’t.
The fear of losing control completely comes from the loss of control we have already experienced. The harder we fight to get control, the more we lose control. Not over ourselves, but over our life.
I have never heard of anyone losing complete control over themselves. Again, if this was going to happen it would have happened with the first attack. It will not happen in the future. Recovery means letting go of the control we are fighting so hard to maintain. Letting go of this control means we gain control. Being in control means we will lose the fear of losing control completely.
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