Despite the name, this technique destroys anchors for any strong experiences (including positive ones): fear, hatred, love, delight, happiness, surprise, etc.

1. Creating a powerful resource anchor.

The Operator helps the Client access powerful positive experience(s) and anchors this state. The anchor must be Kinesthetic.

While performing the technique, the Operator holds the positive anchor. The client should feel quite comfortable while watching the film. If not, add resource states to the same anchor.

2. Dissociation.

a) 1st stage.

The Operator invites the Client to remember 2 events (in the form of slides on the screen): one before the event when the Client more was in the resource ( black and white slide) and after, when he came to his senses and already was in the resource ( color slide).

a) 2nd stage.

Invite the Client to mentally stand behind himself, sitting in the cinema and looking at the screen. You can watch from the last row of the cinema and from the projectionist's booth.

• If you notice that the Client has difficulty dissociating, then you can anchor him to a state of dissociation.

3. Quick viewing of a black and white film.

While in the 2nd stage of dissociation, the Client watches a black and white film starting with slide number 1 and ending slide number 2.

• The entire film is in black and white, except for slide #2 – it’s in color!

The client watches the film several times, each time increasing the viewing speed. After this, this procedure is repeated until the Client learns to do everything very quickly.

4. View from back to front.

Being in the 2nd stage of dissociation, the Client very quickly watches a black and white film, from slide No. 1 to slide No. 2 (Fig. 3)

after which it is associated with color slide No. 2. After association with slide No. 2, the Client quickly experiences (associated) all events backwards to fronts from slide number 2 to black and white slide number 1. Having reached to slide number 1 The client immediately goes into the 2nd stage of dissociation. After this, the screen goes dark.
Viewing order:

The client goes through this process several times until he succeeds quickly enough.

5. Check.

Invite the Client to think about the former source of the phobic reaction and calibrate his physiology. Do a behavioral check if possible.

6. Adjustment to the future.

Invite the Client to imagine a possible meeting in the future with the source of the former phobic reaction or to think about the possibility of a similar situation arising and find out his options for behavior in this case. Obtain from the Client accurate sensory information about “criteria of caution”: how he will understand when a situation is safe and when he should be careful and careful.

Comments.

PHOBIA: Insurmountable obsessive fear; a condition characterized by such unmotivated fear.

Fear and phobia.

A phobic reaction is an example of “instant” learning. It can be described as quick creation stable anchor ( conditioned reflex). I saw a spider - I got scared - now I get scared all the time.
Fear is more like gradual learning. At first, a person learns to be afraid a little (the beginning may not even be a specific situation, but an “assumption” about such a situation), then more and more. In the end he may have quite an intense experience. In the process of fear formation, internal dialogue (Hell) usually plays a large role.
For example, a man was walking home in the evening and said to himself (Hell): “Now I’m walking along a dark street, and they might attack me.” Then he could begin to imagine how this could happen (VK + AK). Over time, he was able to pay attention to news reports and newspaper articles. Returning another time he might think
Please note that the Rapid Phobia Cure technique can work with both phobias and fears.

Names for phobias.

Many fears and phobias have beautiful scientific names:

agoraphobia - fear of open space;
acnephobia - fear of acne appearing on the skin;
apeirophobia - fear of infinity;
arachnophobia - fear of spiders;
bromhydrophobia - fear that others may notice a bad smell;
winephobia - obsessive fear of drinking wine;
hydrophobia - fear of water;
Glenophobia - fear of a doll's gaze;
intimophobia - fear of turning off lighting fixtures;
cancerophobia - fear of getting cancer;
keirophobia - obsessive fear among hairdressers, fear of cutting the client;
claustrophobia - fear of closed spaces;
xenophobia - fear of the unfamiliar;
mysophobia - fear of pollution;
microphobia - fear of small objects;
nyctophobia - fear of the dark;
teniophobia - fear of becoming infected with worms;
theophobia - fear of God, God's punishment, God's intervention in fate;
Harpaxophobia - fear of robbers;
hipengiophobia - fear of responsibility;
photophobia - fear of light;
Ereithophobia - fear of blushing;
Eichophobia - fear of saying or listening to good wishes.

Environmental screening and secondary benefits.

Only the pattern of change is described here. As with any technique, you need to find out the intention and secondary benefits of behavior and help the Client find other ways to implement them.

Education.

Several skills are required to perform this technique:
The first skill is the skill of multidimensional dissociation.
The second skill is associated living of events in reverse order.
The third skill is rapid association into a visual image and rapid dissociation from it.
The second skill also requires the ability to dissociately view events backwards.

• Although, perhaps, associated re-experience of events can be learned in another way.

Multistage dissociation.

First, the Client learns to dissociate from unpleasant experiences. In principle, this does not have to be a two-stage dissociation - there can be one, three, or six of these stages. The Operator calibrates the Client’s state and selects such a number of dissociation stages so that the Client is in a sufficiently (as far as possible in this situation) comfortable state.
Sometimes it is useful to add "management metaphors": e.g. last stage The client becomes a projectionist who controls the film and can turn it off at any time. Alternatively, you can first sit the Client in front of the TV, then he mentally stands behind him with the remote control for the VCR or

DVD player, and on TV a film about a “problematic” situation is shown. In any case, the Client at the last stage of dissociation will have a “control symbol” (VCR remote control, film projector control buttons), and he must control the showing of a film about a problematic situation.
Apparently, multidimensional dissociation is necessary for strong negative experiences. If you are working with not too intense negative or positive experiences, one-dimensional dissociation may be sufficient. In any case, this is primarily determined by the Customer's calibration.

Breakdown pattern of a strong anchor.

The goal of this pattern is to destroy a strong anchor. Other anchor failure patterns (collapse, re-anchoring) seem to work poorly with “strong” anchors. Moreover, this pattern can be used not only to destroy phobic reactions, but also anchors to any other intense experiences: fear, falling in love, rage, etc.
Actually, the pattern itself is described at step 4 of the technique: the client “jumps” into the frame when he is already doesn't experience problematic experience, quickly re-experiences the problematic situation backwards, until the moment before it starts, then dissociates.

Demonstration.

Trainer: - Who wants to get rid of fear? It is desirable that it be a strong enough fear.
Client: - I'm afraid of cars.
T: - How long have you had this?
TO: - About a year.
T: - Olya, how much are you afraid of them?
TO: - I try not to ride them.
T: - How did you get here?
TO: - Metro.
T: - So you are only afraid of driving cars?
TO: - Not so much to drive - I’m afraid to approach them.
T: - What about buses, trolleybuses, trams?
TO: - Everything is fine with them.
T: - Trucks?
TO: - Everything’s fine too.
T: - How long have you had this?
TO: - About a year.
T: - So, do I understand the situation correctly - you are afraid to drive and even approach passenger cars. And you want to change this?
TO: - Yes, I want to change that.
T: - How are you afraid of them? Do you not use them at all, or are you just afraid to approach them?
TO: - I’m afraid to approach them. (The trainer sets TO anchor I ^-). My husband drives me around in the car, but I don’t go near it myself.
T: - Fine. Look around. (Checks the anchor I-). Fine. Olya, first think about something pleasant. About something really comfortable. Feel it as much as possible. ... (Puts TO anchor I+) Great! Come back here to this room. (Checks the anchor I+). What was it?
TO: - I would call it comfort.
T: - Before you learn to treat passenger cars the way they really deserve, I would like to know what exactly is so dangerous about them? What should you be wary of?
TO: - Well. I... They might run you over.
T: - So you are afraid that a car might hit you? You know, I'm afraid of this too. True, this doesn’t stop me from riding them.
TO: - I understand in my head that you shouldn’t be so afraid of them. But I can't help it.
T: - Nothing, today you will deal with the relationship with passenger cars. You can choose an experience that suits you perfectly. But think about what else does the fact that you avoid passenger cars give you? What else do you get from this?
TO: - The first thing that comes to mind is that I may not learn to drive a car. And don't drive. My husband takes the children to school himself in the morning. And it takes me to the metro.
T: - And what does it mean to you – when your husband takes the children to school and drops you off at the metro?
TO: - Showing attention, caring. Yes, showing attention.
T: - So, you receive attention from your husband. And what else?
TO: - Since I try not to drive cars, I won’t get into difficult situation. Well, you know, I caught a car. But they took you to the wrong place. Raped. And so on.
T: - And what do you get from not getting into a difficult situation?
TO: - This is understandable - safety.
T: - So, you can use your fear of cars to get attention from your husband and to provide own safety? Is there anything else?
TO: - No, that’s probably all.
T: - Or maybe we’ll leave it like that then – there’s so much benefit?
TO: - Is it possible to leave the benefits and remove the fear?
T: - OK, let's try. As I understand it, you want not only to get rid of fear, but to learn how to determine the degree of danger of a particular situation?
TO: - Yes, probably so. When I'm afraid to cross the road with speeding cars or get into a car with a couple of healthy men, this makes sense. What if I'm afraid to cross the road? green light when the cars are standing still, it’s just stupid. Or get into the car with your husband.
T: - Well then. Let's get rid of fear first. And then we will select those behavior options that suit you best in specific situations.
First we need to make a short film. Take the situation when you were last afraid of cars.
TO: - When I came here, I was afraid to cross the street.
T: - Remember the moment before crossing the street when everything is still fine.
TO: - Yes, I’m coming from the metro.
T: - Take a photo: Olya is walking from the metro. That is, you see yourself from the outside. And let it be a black and white photo.
TO: - Yes, I did. Such a black and white photograph.
T: - Now think about the situation when you already I wasn't afraid. And do it color photograph this moment.
TO: - Yes. I enter the building.
T: - Amazing. Following. Surely you have a VCR.
TO: - Yes, I have.
T: - Imagine that you are watching a tape on TV that is being played by a VCR. There's a film about you on the cassette.
TO: - Yes, I did.
T: - Now imagine that you are watching yourself watching a movie to yourself. And in your hands you have the VCR control panel. You can stop the movie, play it faster or slower, forward or backward.
TO: - Do I see myself watching a film about myself?
T: - Yes exactly.
TO: - Yes, I did.
T: - Experiment with the remote control: you can play the movie faster or slower, stop it and even turn off the VCR.
TO: - I tried it.
T: - Now you will watch a film about yourself, how you walked from the metro here today. The film will be in black and white: it starts with a shot of you leaving the subway, then crossing the street, then entering the building. The last frame is in color. And most importantly, you will watch this movie quickly. I would say very quickly. So, put on the tape. (Plays and holds I ⁺ ). Now there will be an accelerated black and white film about Olya walking from the metro. And you watch yourself watching this movie on TV. Are you ready?
TO: - Yes.
T: - Launch it.
TO: - Yes, I looked it up.
T: - (Removes I+)How comfortable was it for you to watch?
TO: - Enough. But there was a little fear.
T: - What would help you feel more comfortable? Plus to this state (reproduces I+)
TO: - Perhaps self-confidence. And peace. Relaxation.
T: - Feel as calm as possible. Even, even more calm. (Installs I+). Shake yourself up, look around. Now feel confident. Just gigantic self-confidence. Colossal. (Installs I+). Okay, come back here. And, relaxation. You are completely relaxed. To what extent is this even possible? (Installs I+). Great. Let's see what happened. (Plays back I+). How do you like it now?
TO: - Wow. Fine.
T: - Let's go back to the film. Watch it a few more times, increasing the speed each time. At the end you have to look through it very quickly. You exited the subway, whack, and you entered the building.
…
TO: - Yes, I looked it up.
T: - (Removes I+)Was it comfortable enough for you to watch the film?
TO: - Yes, it’s quite normal now.
T: - Was the viewing speed high?
TO: - Yes very.
T: - (Plays and holds I+). Okay, watch the movie again at high speed, just backwards. You move with your back, cars are going backwards...
TO: - Hmm, funny.
T: - (Removes I+)First I will tell you, and then you will do the following. First, you quickly watch the film from the moment you leave the subway until the moment you enter the building. Then you mentally “jump” into a color photograph, where you go into the background, and you live this film in reverse order from the inside, in association. Mentally you move backwards, and you see how cars are driving backwards, and then you come up with your back to the exit of the subway... And then you jump out of the film back into yourself, with the control panel in your hands. And turn off the tape recorder. Are you ready? (Plays and holds I+).
TO: - Yes, I did it.

T: - Was it fast?

TO:- Not good.

T:- Do this as many times as you need to do it very quickly.

TO:- Now very quickly.

T: - (Removes I+)Okay, now think about cars.
TO: - Well, cars are like cars.
T: - (Plays I- - no reaction). How do you feel now when you think about them?
TO: - Nothing special.
T: - Okay, now think about the following. Apparently there are a number of situations with cars in which you should be vigilant.
TO: - Yes, for example, when it even lit up " little green man“, you should look “is anyone driving?” Yes, and when you cross the street without a traffic light. And if I’m going to drive in a car, it’s worth assessing how safe it is for me to travel with this person.
T: - What will tell you that you should be vigilant? It should be something quite sensory.
TO: - I see a car or cars on the road. And in the case when I get into the car - the driver’s assessment. I have fairly clear ideas about who is worth traveling with and who is not.
T: - And what do you do when you see a car on the road? Imagine you are about to cross to the other side...
TO: - I feel... something like a warning. Some kind of excitement inside. And I begin to assess the situation.
T: - Imagine that you are going to catch a car.
TO: - I stand on the road. I raise my hand. The car stops...
T: - What is happening inside you at this moment?
TO: - The same feeling as when crossing the street - only more acute. And I clearly tell myself: “No!”, or: “Yes, you can.” Depending on who I see driving.
T: - And what are you doing?
TO: - If not, I wave and say, come on by. And if “Yes,” then I begin to negotiate with the driver. If I don't like something during a conversation, I can also say “No.”
T: - Okay, now let's think about driving a car.
TO: - I already thought. We have one car, so my husband will have the opportunity to show attention and take the children to school and me to the subway. But if I learn to drive, I can go on business.
T: - Are you satisfied with what happened?
TO: - Yes, it is quite.
T: - Thank you.

Answers on questions.

- Why should anchors be kinesthetic?
T: - Kinesthetic anchors are the most reliable in this situation.
- Why set an anchor for a phobic reaction?
T: - To test the effectiveness of the technique. If the phobia is destroyed, this anchor will also be destroyed. That is, there will be practically no reaction to the reproduction of the stimulus.
- Why wasn’t it immediately possible to install a very strong positive anchor?
T: - You set it strong enough. But this may not be enough. Then you add resources until the Client is comfortable enough to watch the film.
- Is it necessary to look for intention and secondary benefits?
T: - Certainly. The phobic reaction is protective. But the danger is not always proportional to the intensity of the reaction. But in most cases it is still worth being vigilant.
- What other experiences does this technique work with?
T: - Fears, crushes, irritation, delight and so on
- But delight is a positive experience?
T: - So what if a person likes this experience? It can be very harmful in life. For example, delight may simply be inappropriate in certain situations. Imagine a woman of about forty, delighted with any child that comes across on the road. This can greatly stress her relatives and neighbors. And herself too.
- Is multidimensional dissociation necessary in case of delight?
T: - Calibrated according to the Client’s condition. Maybe this is where you need three- or four-dimensional dissociation.
- Is the technique very different in the case of fear or phobia?
T: - Practically no different. The states in both cases are very close, and fear or phobia is history. If you wish, you can delve into the structure to understand how this thing works. But in the context of performing the technique, there will be practically no differences.

Most people suffering from phobias often realize that their fears are unfounded. That the plane is unlikely to crash, that the elevator will not get stuck, and that the dog will not attack them. Nevertheless, they are unable to control their reaction; they say something like: “It seems to me that if I do this, I will die.”

When treating phobias, psychotherapists focus their efforts on combating reactions that interfere with a full life. Treatment can use a combined approach, combining several methods - group therapy, hypnotherapy, immersion, behaviorist therapy, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization, reprocessing, and drug therapy.

Behavioral therapy suggests that it is possible to unlearn a phobia. Some scientists who are adherents of this therapy believe that phobic reactions can either be completely eliminated or their development can be inhibited.

Exposure therapy may be moderate or intense. During treatment, the patient is exposed to a phobic stimulus, which is shown in the picture or is located at a distance.

Immersion method- a more enhanced form of exposure therapy. This method is comparable to throwing a person who cannot swim straight into deep water.

Group therapy involves working not with one, but with a whole group of patients who are subject to hypnotic influence.

Desensitization through eye movements and reprocessing, also called the Shapiro method, which involves mental contact with a phobic stimulus, during which special eye movements help activate the brain and achieve the desired reaction on its part. This method helps to get rid of post-traumatic disorders and various stressful situations.

Drug therapy can also be used in the treatment of phobias. However, as an independent treatment, without the use of psychotherapeutic influences, pharmacological treatment is not effective. Typically, benzodiazepines and antidepressants are prescribed as treatment.

How to get rid of a phobia yourself?

There is an opinion that phobias sometimes disappear on their own or in a situation where a forgotten trauma comes to mind. If a person is able to remember a traumatic situation, he can mentally remodel, “replay” the situation, with a more positive ending. Such work can give positive results in eliminating phobias. However, in a psychotherapist's office this may take significantly less time.

Any fear is more easily eliminated if the action of the phobic stimulus occurs frequently in a short time, rather than with a prolonged, extended effect. An experiment was conducted on mice, during which it was found that if a mouse is exposed to a stimulus 10 times in an hour, then fear disappears more easily and quickly than if the stimulus occurs 10 times within 10 hours. Scientists suggest that if this is true for mice, it will likely be true for humans.

Phobias often require treatment integrated approach using various methods. To get rid of fears you need psychotherapy - work with a psychologist. IN severe cases In addition to psychotherapy, medication support is needed.

It is highly not recommended to treat phobias on your own: uncontrolled use of medications and unauthorized use of psychotechnics can aggravate the condition. However, preventive methods can be used as self-medication - taking herbal remedies and extracts, practicing yoga, creativity, relaxation techniques and other methods that are not directly related to medical practice.

All methods of treating phobias can be divided into three categories:

1. Drug treatment.
2. Psychological impact.
3. Alternative and complementary methods.

Treatment of phobias with medications

The use of medications for phobic disorders is not the main method. This is rather an auxiliary measure. Medications are used mainly to relieve symptoms in the treatment of fears, phobias and panic attacks. Various groups of psychotropic drugs, antidepressants and a number of other drugs are aimed at eliminating somatic and psychological symptoms. A successful result and stable remission can be achieved only with strict adherence to the doctor’s recommendations and adherence to the medication regimen.

In case of neglect of medical instructions, in case of unauthorized interruption of the course drug treatment Symptoms and signs of the disease may not only reappear, but also get worse. Complications of the disorder and the acquisition of other psychological diseases are possible.

Tranquilizers

This group of drugs, including benzodiazepines, helps to successfully relieve strong autonomic manifestations of anxiety. However, long courses of treatment with these drugs can lead to persistent dependence of the body on drugs, which is subsequently difficult to treat. Even such mild tranquilizers as hydroxyzine, benzodiazepine and meprobamate should be taken only in extreme, critical situations, and the course of administration should not be long. The most effective drugs in the treatment of phobic disorders are diazepam, clonazepam, and Elenium.

Neuroleptics

Neuroleptics are used in the presence of severe behavioral disorders, with inadequate, violent physiological manifestations: panic attacks, aggression, suicidal tendencies, delusions and hallucinations. They block an intense nervous response to stimuli, the patient becomes calm, but at the same time inhibited, inert, and drowsy. Have heavy side effects, and therefore their use is justified only in severe, advanced cases and is permissible only as prescribed by a doctor. A long course of antipsychotics successfully relieves intense anxiety, prolonged depression and other manifestations of phobias.

Psychotherapeutic methods for treating phobias and fears

Psychotherapy methods are aimed at identifying the causes of a phobic disorder, eliminating them, rehabilitation, reducing anxiety, correcting inappropriate behavioral reactions, and mastering relaxation techniques. The following methods have been successfully used to treat phobias and fears:

• Psychotherapeutic assistance.
• Rational method of psychotherapy.
• Treatment of phobias using NLP (neurolinguistic programming).
• Cognitive-behaviouristic method.
• Treatment of phobias with hypnosis (including the Erickson method).
• Additional methods.

Psychotherapeutic assistance

This method of psychotherapy is based on the symbiosis of the patient and the attending physician: during the session they interact, exchange information, talk through experiences, simulate situations and work through them. Conditionally psychological assistance can be classified as follows:

• Psychological information.
• Adjustment (behavior, perception, intensity of response, etc.).

Psychological information is designed to give the patient maximum information about his disease, about the mechanisms of certain psychological processes in the brain, about ways to control his consciousness and psychological state. Thanks to such information from reliable sources, the individual begins to better understand the nature of his fears, and it is easier for him to identify the reasons for their development.

Counseling aims to provide the patient with practical knowledge that he can use in a critical situation or to treat an illness. Patients learn during consultations correct behavior at the moment of crisis (an attack of panic, intense anxiety in the presence of a stimulus), in atypical, unforeseen situations, they work on self-esteem, master techniques for managing their fear. That is, the doctor gives the patient recommendations that he can put into practice to correct anxiety.

Psychological assistance involves both situational influence on the client and methodical step-by-step work with him. Situational, “shock” therapy is used during a psychological crisis. And long-term work is aimed at establishing contacts with others, social adaptation, to analyze your condition and behavior, develop psychological flexibility in certain situations.

Methods from various psychological areas are used to treat anxiety-phobic disorders:

• Psychodynamic (identification and work with facts and events repressed from memory).
• Behavioral (behavior correction and control over it).
• Existential direction (work is aimed at social problems).
• Humanistic direction (development of the individual’s abilities, use of inherent potential).

Rational method of psychotherapy

A rational method of treating phobic pathology is based on the formation of objective and logical thinking at the individual. Patients susceptible to phobic disorders are informed about the causes and triggering mechanisms of their fears and phobias, and about the nature of somatic symptoms. When a person realizes the mechanism of manifestation of somatic symptoms, she stops associating them with imaginary physical ailments, due to which anxiety decreases.

Treatment of phobias using NLP

Neurolinguistic programming is used to treat phobias based on the SCORE technique. This abbreviation stands for the following: “symptom, cause, result, resources and effect” and represents the stages of psychological work. The specialist, together with the patient, collects the necessary information, analyzes and checks it. This stage consists of three steps:

1. Information is collected about the symptoms of the phobia and its manifestations.
2. The patient sets goals for himself and determines what exactly the work will be aimed at.
3. The efficiency of work in the current period and its results are analyzed. If the current result satisfies the patient, if his assessment is positive, this becomes motivation to continue moving in the same direction. If the analysis reveals a negative impact of the achieved results, then the patient and the doctor return a step back to the previous stage and reconsider the tasks.
4. If necessary, the prerequisites and reasons for the formation of a phobic disorder are studied. If this is not necessary, it is recommended to skip this step.
5. It is determined what resources the patient needs to overcome obstacles and achieve the desired result.

This consistent methodology makes it possible to obtain the necessary information in a short period of time and analyze it, and then direct all efforts to achieve your goals. Neuro-linguistic programming gives high results in treating phobias. In some cases, one or two sessions are enough. The most popular methods for treating phobias are visual-kinesthetic dissociation and the “waving” technique.

Cognitive-behavioral method

Cognitive-behavioral therapy ranks first in terms of effectiveness in the treatment of phobias according to research by WHO and the US Department of Health. The many methods and techniques that this area of ​​psychotherapy includes makes it possible to select a universal individual complex that is suitable for a given patient, taking into account his personal characteristics and the severity of his illness.

The essence of this method is that the patient, with the help of a psychotherapist, determines which attitudes are destructive, negative and cause anxiety. Having subjected them to critical analysis, the patient asks himself compromising questions regarding these attitudes: “why did I decide that it will always be this way?”, “Who instilled in me the idea that everything that is happening is negative and there is no way out?” etc. Analyzing your answers, working through various options, the patient reorganizes his thinking in an optimistic way, tries to look for the positive in everything. Critical analysis allows you to either see the advantages in your attitudes, or replace them with others, positive and creative ones.

Thus, cognitive behavioral psychotherapy helps replace pessimistic thoughts and negative behavioral reactions that provoke anxiety with positive ones that create a favorable emotional background. The main thesis of this direction of psychology: the thoughts and actions of an individual determine his sense of self. Using this method, “erroneous” psychological programs are identified and destroyed through analytical and logical thinking, viewing objects from a different angle.

Treatment is based on the fact that, under the guidance of a psychotherapist, the patient simulates certain situations that cause anxiety, and learns to behave correctly in them, to respond to stressors in the right way. At first, such modeling occurs only in the imagination: the doctor and the patient discuss possible ways solutions to problems and choose the most appropriate one. After theory, they move on to practice, deliberately encountering stressors in real life and resolving the situation on the spot. With each session, the psychotherapist complicates the task and sets new goals for his ward. In this way, patient education occurs. He learns to react in a new way to the objects of his phobias, develops other models of behavior when interacting with them. The result of such training is a decrease in anxiety, calmness and adequate reactions when faced with one’s fears. Over time, complete relief from anxiety-phobic disorder is possible.

The good thing about the cognitive-behavioral method is that at the end of the course of treatment, patients acquire the ability to independently cope with feelings of fear and with unpleasant, unexpected circumstances. Subsequently, they not only overcome their phobias, but also improve the quality of their lives: personal and psychological growth occurs.

Treatment of phobias with hypnosis

Hypnotic therapy is one of the most mysterious methods of treatment, causing controversy and doubt. A specialist who knows hypnotherapy is perceived by many both as a doctor and as a healer who uses alternative medicine methods. However, official medicine recognizes it as effective and effective way psychotherapy that produces high results and long-lasting positive effects. With the help of hypnosis you can achieve successful and quick treatment phobias, although this method of treatment is used less frequently than traditional ones.

Hypnosis, figuratively speaking, “reveals” the patient, allows you to work with the unconscious directly, bypassing the mechanisms of its psychological defense. Under the influence of hypnosis, an individual abstracts from the reality around him and enters a state of maximum relaxation. This makes it possible to focus on the problem that worries him and identify a way to solve it. After this, the doctor suggests the necessary and correct settings to the patient.

A hypnotic trance is an intentionally created, short-term change in consciousness. Under hypnosis, the doctor fixes consciousness on the existing problem and on the attitudes suggested to the patient, while blocking his psychological defense and volitional self-control. Entering a hypnotic trance begins with maximum and complete relaxation, smoothly flowing into a sleep-like state. After the session, complete post-hypnotic memory loss is observed: the patient has completely no memories of the session and what happened during it.

Classic hypnosis treatment of fears and phobias should be carried out in rooms specially designed for hypnotic sessions: their atmosphere promotes maximum relaxation and comfortable immersion in a hypnotic trance. The Ericksonian method of hypnosis is most successfully used to treat phobias and fears. His techniques are designed specifically to take into account individual characteristics every patient. It works on everyone without exception - even on those who are not amenable to standard hypnotechniques and suggestion. Hypnotizability with the Erickson method tends to one hundred percent. The essence of the method is based on clearly defined principles, the main of which is indirect, soft suggestion. It leaves the patient’s consciousness the right to voluntarily choose: to follow the guidelines or not, whether they are logical, correct or not. Under hypnosis, the specialist gives compelling arguments and arguments in favor of the suggested attitude, smoothly leading the patient to independent choice. The installation chosen independently is the most effective, its effect is longer lasting.

The hypnotist's speech during the session is replete with indirect formulations. He gives analogies, comparisons, and uses metaphors in his speech. That is, the meaning of what was said is conveyed to the patient indirectly, leaving him the opportunity to “figure it out” himself, to guess and choose correct option solutions. Direct formulations, settings, orders are strictly not used. Straightforward, clear instructions are also unacceptable. The hypnotist gently and skillfully leads the patient to the right, but independent decision problems through psychological manipulation.

Another interesting feature of Erickson’s technique is the encouragement of the client’s denial. His resistance and rejection are approved by the doctor. In this way, the specialist switches the patient’s consciousness to cooperation, skillfully transforming any denial into the right direction. Thanks to this, the patient simply does not have the opportunity to reject what is being suggested.

Complementary and alternative treatments for phobias and fears

Treatment of phobias by a psychotherapist can be supplemented with some alternative ways treatment, including self-treatment. Among these additional measures, the following are particularly effective:

• Group trainings.
• Art therapy (drawing, modeling, vocal lessons or playing musical instruments).
• Meditation.
• Reading mantras and affirmations.
• Mastering self-hypnosis techniques.
• Healthy lifestyle, adjusting your diet and daily routine.
• Sports and active recreation.

Quick treatment for phobias

1. Creation of a powerful positive anchor “K+”. You can start a conversation with a client with anything pleasant and far from the phobia itself. It is useful to explicitly or implicitly provide the client with access to states of comfort, coziness, convenience, calmness, security, anticipation of something interesting and anchor them. All this can happen when creating the context of the upcoming viewing of some interesting film.

When you are completely sure that the client is in a resourceful state and that you can maintain this state throughout the entire technique, you can move on to the next step. The anchor is held throughout the entire technique!

2. 1st stage of dissociation. Ask the client to remember a moment before the events (in the form of a black and white slide placed on a movie screen) when he was calm and unaware of anything. Slide No. 1. Then ask the client to recall a moment after the events (in the form of a color slide placed on the movie screen next to the 1st slide) when he came to his senses and calmed down. Slide number 2. Information about what happened between these slides is temporarily omitted. Be careful and careful with your words while performing this technique.

3. 2nd stage of dissociation “B”. Invite the client to mentally stand/sit behind him, that is, to see himself from the back, sitting comfortably. (If you are performing the technique in the context of a movie theater, the client can imagine himself in the last row or in the projectionist's booth.) It is very important that throughout the rest of the work the client simultaneously sees both the screen with the slides and himself, comfortably positioned in front of this screen .

If you notice that the client has difficulty dissociating, you can anchor him to a state of dissociation.

4. Being at the 2nd stage of dissociation, the client watches a film about the events that led to the emergence of a phobic reaction, starting with Slide No. 1 and ending with Slide No. 2. Viewing conditions: black and white film, except for the last slide, and slightly increased speed. Next, the client watches the same film several times, constantly increasing the speed. When you understand that the client has learned to watch the film extremely quickly, you can move on to the next step.

Already at this stage, as the speed increases, you will be able to notice a change in the Client’s physiology, which can serve as your first option for checking the results of the work done.

5. Explain the procedure for this step to the client in detail before proceeding with it. Being at the 2nd stage of dissociation, the client watches very quickly a black and white film from Slide No. 1 to Slide No. 2. Then he associates with the color Slide No. 2 and quickly lives through all the events in the opposite direction to the black and white Slide No. 1. Having reached Slide No. 1, the client dissociates from the events, immediately falling into the 2nd stage of dissociation. After this, the screen goes dark. This procedure is then repeated until the client learns to do everything very quickly.

6. Check. Invite the client to think about the former source of the phobic reaction and calibrate his physiology. Do a behavioral check if possible.

7. Ecological adjustment to the future. Invite the client to imagine a possible future encounter with the source of the former phobic reaction or to think about the possibility of a similar situation arising, and find out his options for doing so. Get accurate sensory information from the client about the “criteria of caution”: how he will understand when a situation is safe and when it is worth being careful and careful.

1. First of all, understand and explain to yourself two points:

a) Most people acquire a phobia as a result of a single situation that was very dangerous or seemed so. The fact that it only took one instance, just one test, for fear to manifest itself proves that your brain is indeed capable of learning quickly and this makes it easier for you to master a new response.

b) The part of you that has protected you all these years by maintaining this phobia is an important and valuable part, and you want to preserve its ability to protect you in dangerous situations– however, having polished and strengthened this ability by updating information.

2. Access the phobia state (partially) by remembering, for example, the last time you got scared or what happened when you developed the phobia.

3. Dissociate yourself, as if “scattered” into three places.

a) Close your eyes and imagine that you are sitting in the middle of the cinema (first dissociation) and see a black and white slide with your image on the screen (second dissociation);

b) Now mentally go up to the cameraman’s booth, from where you can see yourself sitting in a chair in the hall and watching a black and white image on the screen (third dissociation). And clearly distinguish these three places for yourself.

4. Organize for yourself to watch a black and white “movie”.

Now you are, as it were, in a cameraman's booth, watching and listening to a black and white film of yourself, describing the very first or most unpleasant time you experienced this phobia. Watch and listen to this film in its entirety, from the moment leading up to this unpleasant event until the very end, when everything is fine again. Watch and listen, as an outside observer, as you go through trauma as a younger person - as if it happened to someone else. When you get to the point where everything feels good again, stop the movie, but keep your eyes open.

5. Create a movie review in reverse order.

Now enter (“jump”) into the last frame of the movie you just stopped and very quickly watch it backwards in color: for 2 seconds until the unpleasant events begin. Do what is described in steps 4 and 5 several times.

6. Checking and adjusting to the future.

Try to re-induce the phobia by asking, for example, what would happen if you were in that situation now? If the problematic reaction still persists, repeat the procedure, doing it faster each time, until nothing remains of the phobic reaction.

7. Conclusion.

Think about the fact that although you had both a phobia and psychotrauma, you have already come a long way from those specific situations when all this happened. So you simply didn't have the opportunity to learn from these situations. So when you meet similar situations in the future, exercise a certain degree of caution until you have learned them sufficiently to be safe.

In the above case, we used the technique of quickly treating phobias by straining our own imagination. However, since so many of us are far from doing well with this very imagination in the best possible way, below I present a much more “concrete behavioral” rather than imaginative treatment technique psychological trauma/ phobias.