What to do if a person is afraid of communication. You will learn ways to overcome your fear of communicating with people.

The fear of communicating with people is called social phobia. In the presence of this disorder, a person in some cases cannot communicate with people at all, and in other circumstances he experiences severe discomfort only when making new acquaintances. This condition necessarily requires correction, since it makes life much more difficult for people.

Problems in communication can prevent an individual from socializing, finding his place in society, or occupying a certain niche. Achieving financial independence and career success will also be problematic. Fear of communication is a difficulty that requires attention. If you simply close your eyes to a problem, it will never solve itself. Only with effort can you truly achieve a satisfactory result.

Most people experience some anxiety when speaking in public, and this is completely normal. It is important to constantly work on yourself to overcome the fear of communicating with people. In cases where significant efforts are made to get rid of a phobia, positive dynamics are noted over time. It is only important not to focus on the problem, but to look for possible ways to solve it.

Manifestations

Social phobia has several symptoms. These manifestations cannot go unnoticed and therefore, as a rule, are striking. What should you pay attention to? What behaviors should be noticed as early as possible?

Feeling alienated

Social phobia is often expressed in the so-called feeling of alienation. Such a person feels unnecessary, superfluous and alien everywhere. He does not understand that his own attitude towards himself spoils everything. The feeling of alienation reinforces a person’s sense of worthlessness, and this has a very negative impact on personal development. Subsequently, it will be very difficult to cope with constantly arising fears, to overcome shyness and a feeling of hopelessness.

In fact, if people began to be attentive to themselves, many problems could be avoided. The feeling of uselessness leads to the fact that a person gradually begins to reject himself and does not allow himself to open up in matters and activities that are of a certain importance to him.

Shyness

Fear of interacting with people leads to the formation of extreme shyness. Such a person usually remains silent, tries not to attract attention to himself, and is afraid to once again voice his own voice. The phobia only gets worse over time. That is why it is so important to solve the problem as soon as its presence becomes obvious. Difficulties in communication do not allow an individual to build relationships, make new acquaintances, or achieve their goals. Shyness always goes hand in hand with low self-esteem.

Incoherent speech

Fear in communication becomes visible and noticeable when a person tries to speak out loud in front of someone. He often answers inappropriately and does not know how to behave in society. Incoherent speech and stuttering lower self-esteem to an even lower level. Sometimes it seems to him that other people do not show interest in him, which is why he withdraws even more into himself. Incoherent speech occurs only due to great emotional stress, the inability to independently build a dialogue, or find common topics for joint conversation.

Inappropriate reaction

It lies in the fact that the individual does not react quite adequately to current events. From the outside it may seem that a person is overly susceptible, vulnerable and touchy. In fact, there is emotional instability. On this basis, there is a high probability of resentment arising out of nowhere.

A person who is afraid to communicate constantly feels that others are talking about him, laughing at his mistakes and failures. This kind of phobia forces a person to avoid close interaction and new contacts that could be useful.

Causes

Certain reasons are necessary for the development of social phobia. Nothing just happens without any apparent reason. Most often, the fear of communicating with people is formed under the influence of one or more provoking factors.

If in the process of individual development a person constantly hears offensive statements or reproaches addressed to him, then there is a great risk of really becoming convinced of his own stupidity and failure. Simply because criticism is repeated many times, there is no opportunity to refute a negative opinion from the outside.

When considering the question of how not to be afraid of criticism from others, you need to begin to take into account your own opinion. The more a person believes in himself, the more stable his psyche will be. Criticism will not affect you if you are firmly convinced that you are right, respect yourself and approve. Only an eternally insecure person allows himself to be manipulated by others and believes that he is not worthy of any benefits.

Peer ridicule

Individuals who have experienced negative attitudes from others in the past will undoubtedly find it difficult to build trusting, sincere relationships with anyone. And the point here is not at all that people come across bad people. The problem lies precisely in the inability to value one’s own personality and to open up to one’s desires.

Peer ridicule, especially when it comes to adolescence, can ruin anyone's life. As a result, people stop believing in their own prospects, do not notice opportunities, and do not appreciate their own personality.

Bad experience

Any negative experience in the past can cancel out a good attitude towards yourself and people. Even after many years, past events influence our present. A person who has been bullied before will never be able to communicate so serenely again. He will constantly expect a trick, thinking that a new friend, for example, will definitely betray him. Unfortunately, such a perception of the world greatly affects the quality of social interaction and prevents the individual from feeling needed and in demand.

Ways to overcome

How to stop being afraid of social interaction? Are there really effective methods to combat the manifestations of uncontrollable fear and extreme self-doubt?

Nothing helps overcome shyness and fear of communication like public speaking. For a closed person, such an event may seem like real torture, but it is necessary to go through it. Overcoming a difficult obstacle will give you strength and make you feel confident in yourself. A sense of self-worth and significance will come later. Public speaking, when a large audience of people listens to you, will help you cope with despair and give you strength to further fight shyness.

Self acceptance

The fear of communication is incredibly constraining. In such conditions, a person cannot feel truly significant and accepted by others. It always seems to him that people are laughing at him or deliberately trying to offend him. Self-acceptance begins with the conscious intention to make your wildest dreams and fantasies come true. As soon as a person ceases to be afraid of some mythical danger, it leaves his life. The tension subsides, because it’s only scary as long as you’re hiding.

Personality development

The desire to adapt to other people in everything is a dead end. It doesn’t lead anywhere and certainly doesn’t help you make new acquaintances. Building relationships with people is always difficult, but this is no reason not to even start trying. When thinking about how to get rid of social phobia, you should take into account the fact that until you understand the value of your own personality, nothing will really work out. Having accepted your strengths and weaknesses, you can develop, make plans and strive for their implementation. When a person finds support within himself, he becomes spiritually strong and invincible.

Thus, social phobia is a serious problem that prevents an individual from developing, implementing existing plans, and noticing new opportunities. Freeing yourself from the fear of communication is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. It is necessary to make significant efforts in order to love yourself and recognize the right to make mistakes.

Despite the fact that man is a social being and cannot survive without society, despite the fact that from childhood he is surrounded by people with whom he studies, many never master this skill. And the need to communicate causes them such fear and gives them such mental anguish that they become recluses so as not to once again subject themselves to painful trials. “The only true luxury is the luxury of human communication,” wrote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. But it is not available to them.

Fear of communication arises for various reasons. Some people have this mental disorder - social phobia. For social phobes, at the mere thought of the need to “go out in public,” their hearts begin to pound furiously, their hands and voice tremble, they break into a sweat, feel nauseous, turn red, turn pale, or fall into a stupor. Psychotherapists treat social phobias by prescribing psychotherapy sessions or medications.

People with an inferiority complex also experience this fear. Someone once deprived them and instilled in them the idea that they were not beautiful, smart and good enough. Since then, they are afraid to be in the spotlight, so as not to become the subject of general discussion and, as it seems to them, a laughing stock. Their communication is mainly a narrow circle of friends, where they feel like fish in water.

People experiencing depression also avoid communication because they lose interest in everything that is happening around them and withdraw into themselves.

It is curious that the cause of fear of communication and social phobia is considered not only to be excessive sensitivity and weakness of character, but also excessive demands on the child or overprotectiveness of adults, as well as the communication paradox of double bind - a double message. The theory of this paradox was developed by the British-American scientist Gregory Bateson. The child, the victim of a double message, is given conflicting instructions by his parents and punished for not following them. He is invited to talk, but then criticized or ordered to shut up. Parents express love with their words, but their nonverbal behavior says otherwise.

I'm not the only one...

Hollywood actress Kim Basinger suffered from fear of communication. It's hard to believe, but in her youth she wore baggy clothes so as not to attract attention to herself, while other girls walked around in bikinis. And at the Oscar ceremony, she was speechless, although she had been rehearsing her performance for a week. Her fears subsided only after treatment with a psychotherapist and the birth of her daughter.

British poet and singer Nick Drake was treated for social anxiety with antidepressants and died at the age of 26 from an overdose. Fans of his music say that shyness and inability to communicate with people and interact with the public were the reasons that he did not realize his talent at all, although he recorded three albums that are called masterpieces. During his rare concerts, he looked at the floor and did not even try to establish contact with the audience. One day it happened that he left the stage right in the middle of the second song, and soon he completely shut himself off from the world, almost never leaving the house.

The famous actor Jim Carrey, one of the highest paid comedians, managed to overcome the fear of communication. Now it’s hard to imagine that he was so timid that no one wanted to communicate with him. He says about himself that if it weren’t for working on his character, he would have remained an outsider.

How to overcome the fear of communication?

There is an opinion that it is impossible to completely get rid of social phobia. You can only smooth out its manifestations and adapt to living with it. Getting rid of the fear of communication is much easier. Need to:

1. Realize that fear of communication only causes problems

Every day we encounter situations where communication cannot be avoided. Does it make you feel hot because you need to call a doctor, a specialist, a teacher? In a week, speak at a seminar, and now you’re shaking just thinking about it? We have an alternative - to do nothing and remain in our own interests. Will the fears go away? No, but self-esteem will decrease significantly. Fear will be replaced by self-deprecation for yet another demonstrated weakness.

It is worth distinguishing between fear of communication and temporary reluctance to communicate. For example, it is simply necessary for the same; long-term communication tires them. But introverts, unlike those who find it difficult to communicate, are quite capable of realizing themselves as individuals. Unless, of course, the introvert is a social phobe.

Fear of communication paralyzes a person, makes him tense and constrained. Because of fear, the ability to think logically is lost, thoughts are confused, which means that he will not be able to give the correct answer or adequately respond to the situation. One failure will lead to the next, because he will be haunted by thoughts of failures, depriving him of self-confidence.

And he would prefer to remain in the shadows forever, so as not to attract anyone's attention. He will create a kind of shell around himself, from which he will watch how life boils around him.

No one wishes him harm, but they gradually stop noticing him, because he refuses all offers. He is not invited to fun companies, is not promoted, and is not recognized at meetings, because he tries to dress in such a way as not to attract attention.

And this is a dead end. And it will be especially offensive to realize years later that life has passed you by;

2. Relax and stop thinking for others

People who are afraid of communication are very... They were reprimanded, they were rude, they were discussed - and then they were forgotten about. But they themselves remember everything, for them it is a psychological trauma that they will experience for a long time. And this will be another reason to hide in your house for a long time, like a snail. Sometimes just a sidelong glance is enough for them to “decipher it” themselves, make mountains out of molehills, and come up with grievances.

They feel uncomfortable in public because they feel like everyone is looking at them and seeing how insignificant they are. And God forbid, a torn button or a stain on your coat? This is a reason to shy away from acquaintances and strangers, hide your eyes and mutter something unintelligible in your own defense. Yes, no one would have noticed anything if they had not attracted attention to themselves!

Nowadays it is difficult to surprise people with anything, and even if we do something unusual and out of the ordinary, the heavens above us will not open up, thunder will not strike and lightning will not incinerate us. “It doesn’t matter what others think because they will think something anyway. So relax,” wrote Paulo Coelho. Ultimately, everyone is primarily interested in their own problems;

3. Meet your fear halfway

It is impossible to learn something by studying only theory. The only way to get rid of the fear of communication is to go to practice, start communicating. And the more we practice, the sooner communication with strangers will become commonplace for us. They say, “Mastery comes with practice.”

We think through several options for “training” and get started. In each option, we need to not just talk to strangers, but create a situation in which we would feel awkward. This awkwardness needs to be overcome.

For example, we go into a large perfume store that we haven’t dared to go into before. We talk to a consultant, ask to see it, consider it, test it - and leave without buying anything.

Next time we go to an expensive clothing store, where middle-income buyers do not wander. In the same way, we consider things carefully and in detail, despite the obvious dissatisfaction of the consultants. We can even try on something, but not buy it and leave slowly, with a confident gait.

We bargain at the market, ask to change money in a store, talk to a stranger, asking for directions, as if we were a stranger. Moreover, we do not approach an inconspicuous old woman, but choose the most unfriendly person in our opinion. In any situation, we speak loudly, look into the eyes, and behave freely.

A girl I know, who experienced fear of communication and overcame it, said that before calling, for example, a provider, she once wrote down everything she was going to say, and also thought through answers to expected questions in advance. Before the call, she took a long time to gather her courage: she was shaking, she stammered and could barely get the words out of herself. If suddenly she was asked an unexpected question, she would get confused and hang up. Having prepared an answer, the girl called back, explaining the forced pause in the conversation by saying that they seemed to be separated.

Her Internet was constantly disconnected, she was unhappy with her provider, but did not dare change it, so she had to call often. And after a while she suddenly realized that she was already used to talking to strangers. Now she freely communicates on the phone with anyone, without thinking through the conversation in advance. True, he still experiences some difficulties in personal communication.

“There is nothing complicated in life. We are the ones who are complex. Life is a simple thing, and the simpler it is, the more correct it is,” wrote Oscar Wilde.

Do you have trouble communicating with others? What is the reason for your behavior? Are you aware that you have problems making contacts? Fear of communicating with people is not something that can be fully called a disease. It's easy to get rid of a phobia if you put in a little effort and a lot of desire to become better.

Causes

Every effect has its own cause, and this must be understood. If you are faced with a psychological problem, then you need to think about what the true problem of your condition is. The fear of communicating with people can arise in a person’s soul for various reasons. Here are the most common ones:

• Dislike of criticism. A person does not want to communicate with others because he believes that they criticize his activities too much. And it doesn’t matter whether people’s opinions are objective or not. A person cannot admit that he is wrong, and it is much easier for him to hide in solitude than to flaunt the result of his activities.
• Embarrassment. Modesty is another reason for fear of communication. A person cannot talk to strangers because he is afraid inside. An explosive mixture of feelings of fear, fear of doing something wrong, fear of saying something wrong and fear of being ridiculed does not give the individual the opportunity to open his mouth.
• Mental stress. A person in whose life there is no certainty will be in an excited state. It is quite natural that such a person will not want to communicate with anyone.
• Fear of being ridiculed. A person with low self-esteem is afraid to talk to others for the reason that he does not want to be laughed at. It is more comfortable for such a person with low self-esteem to live in his own cocoon and not talk to anyone.

Problems from childhood

Almost all psychological problems of a person are laid down in him at a young age. A person may not even realize that his parents are crippling his soul. Often this happens unintentionally. Adults act as they think is right. They may not think that by their actions and words they are laying down a program with which the individual will have to live throughout his life. For example, the harmless phrase “don’t talk to strangers”, which is said 10 times a day, is deposited in the child’s mind. It is not surprising that, growing up, it is difficult for a person to meet people. After all, individuals have to overcome parental restrictions every time. How else do adults ruin the lives of children? They scold the kids for being too open, naive and friendly. Children begin to withdraw into themselves, and parents are quite happy with this. The child does not dangle under his feet, he can find something to do and enjoys spending time alone. This arrangement of things begins to scare adults only when the child becomes a teenager. But at this age the situation is already difficult to correct.

Manifestation

What does a person who suffers from a phobia of fear of communicating with people look and behave like? Manifestations of this mental illness are:

• Silence. A person who is afraid of others will remain silent. It will be difficult to get him to talk. If he agrees to answer questions, the answers will be monosyllabic. The person will not strive to build a trusting relationship and silence will not embarrass the person one bit.
• Passivity. In a company of cheerful and active people, a person who suffers from social phobia will be visible. Such a person will not show any activity. He will try to hide behind bright and open people.
• Speech defects. A person who is afraid to talk to others may stammer, stutter, swallow endings, or skip letters in words during a conversation. Such speech defects will greatly harm the hearing.
• Fussiness. An insecure person who feels out of place will constantly twirl something in his hands, look around, fidget in place, or shift his legs from one foot to the other. All signs of excitement will be perfectly expressed in his gestures.

Types of fear

The fear of communicating with strangers cannot be called normal. If a person does not have self-confidence, then he may suffer from various types of fear. What are they?

• Anxiety. This is a mild form of fear that is felt more subconsciously than consciously. The person understands that she has found herself in an unpleasant situation, but there is no danger yet and there is time to figure out how to get out of the current circumstances.
• Fright. The person realized that she was in an unpleasant situation, and now all her efforts are aimed at somehow getting out of the situation.
• Panic. A person loses his mind and commits rash acts. Such a reaction can be a response to someone's action or to someone's words.
• Phobia. The stage of fear that lives in the subconscious. Phobias can haunt a person throughout his life if he does not bother to solve his psychological problems.

Is it possible to overcome fear?

What is the fear of communicating with people called? The phobia is called social phobia. Is it possible to fight it? Like any acquired mental disorder, it can be cured if the problem is detected early. A person who has realized that he is afraid to communicate with people should go to a psychotherapist. A specialist will help identify the cause of fear and eliminate unpleasant consequences. If you don’t have the time or desire to communicate with a specialist, you can help yourself. But in this case, you need to understand that a person will have to make more efforts to achieve a satisfactory result. And the older a person is, the more effort he will have to make. Changing yourself is not easy, because breaking and reshaping your consciousness is hellish work.

Increase your self-esteem

Don't know how to get rid of the fear of communicating with people? Who is afraid to communicate with others? Unconfident people. Are you one of them? Then it's time to work on yourself. Think about what your problem is and why you lack self-confidence. Does someone around you belittle your dignity? Then the time has come to say goodbye to this ill-wisher. Did your parents instill in you as a child that you could not achieve anything in life? Write down all your successes in a notebook and think: if you were able to achieve everything you wrote about, why can’t you fulfill the rest of your desires? There is nothing difficult or impossible in life. You just need to choose the right vector of development. Raise your self-esteem. It will help you understand that you are an interesting, smart and positive person. When you can realize these truths, you will be able to understand that the people around you will be happy if you become their friend or acquaintance. People with high self-esteem have nothing to fear from other people's opinions, so they easily make new acquaintances.

Gain experience

Are you looking for an answer to the question of what is the fear of communicating with people called? Psychotherapists called it social anxiety. People who cannot and do not want to make new acquaintances suffer throughout life because they are unable to communicate with others. How can such a problem be solved? Communication experience will help such individuals get rid of problems and phobias. The first thing you need to do is communicate more with your acquaintances and friends. By developing communication skills, it will become easier for you to communicate with strangers. When you can maintain a dialogue with your loved ones for a long time, begin to reach the next level. Make short conversations on public transport or in a store.

How to overcome the fear of communicating with people? The more you communicate, the better. Remember that passive communication experience is just as beneficial as active conversation experience. If you are still shy or afraid to talk, then listen to those who do it well. Learn from these people and you will soon be able to get rid of your phobia.

Take the training

Don’t you understand how masters of words communicate well and smoothly with others? To overcome a phobia (fear) of communicating with people, it is not necessary to go to a psychotherapist. You can attend specialized courses that will help you become more liberated. Experts will tell you how to behave, how to present yourself, and what and with whom you should talk. During practical classes you will be given the opportunity to master theoretical knowledge. Don't be afraid to change yourself. The worst thing is coming to the first lesson. After the first visit you will notice the result, and therefore will continue your training with pleasure.

Improve yourself

Fear of communicating with people occurs in those people who have nothing to talk about. If you consider yourself a boring person, then why should others think differently about you? You need to work on your self-improvement. Smart people are attracted to, respected and supported. It’s nice to talk to an interesting person; he can tell you something unusual or non-trivial. You need to become that person. It is clear that it is impossible to know everything about everything. However, try to constantly expand your horizons. Don't neglect current news. You can recognize them both from TV and from social networks. Don't limit yourself, be a versatile person,

Get out of your comfort zone

How to get rid of the fear of communicating with people? To get results, you need to start doing something you haven't done before. Are you sitting at home and want your life to change with the wave of a magic wand? You will have to make an effort to become better. Go more often where you don't go. For example, if you are interested in art, then visit exhibitions and meet new people there. Do you love construction? Sign up for a hobby club and go there. Make it a habit to do something every week that will help you get out of your comfort zone and get closer to your dreams.

Don't beat yourself up

Fear of communicating with people occurs among those who think too much about upcoming events. Sometimes people work themselves up so much that they are overcome with fear, and they cannot open their mouth at the right moment. There is no need to worry on the eve of a crowded event. Just believe that everything will be fine. There is no need to beat yourself up and imagine the most tragic consequences of the event. It is better not to allow negative thoughts, then you will go into the meeting with a positive attitude. And in a good mood, you can overcome shyness. It's great if you can still find motivation to encourage yourself further.

Symptoms and causes of fear of people. Recommendations for the treatment of mental problems.

Phobia is a mental disorder that causes unreasonable fear and panic. The most unpleasant thing in this situation is that a person, even with a strong desire, cannot control his emotions and begins to behave inappropriately.

As a rule, people who have this problem, when confronted with their fear, begin to speak confusedly, lose orientation in space, or simply try to distance themselves as quickly as possible from the source that evokes fear and panic in them.

What is the name of a phobia - fear of people?

Anthropophobia is a type of social phobia, which is expressed by fear of people. Moreover, in this case, the sick person is terribly afraid not of an enemy or some evil person, but of absolutely all those who are trying to get closer to him. Most often, men and women suffering from this pathology have no friends and do not fit well into the team. They prefer to spend their time alone and even go out for food and medicine only as a last resort. Of course, this does not mean that such people do not go out into the streets at all.

They may go to work or sometimes go for walks in the park. But at the same time, they will do everything to prevent other individuals from encroaching on their personal space. That is, at the bus stop they will stand apart from everyone else, and when they come to work, they will immediately sit down in their place and will stop all attempts to communicate. Many psychologists believe that this phobia most often develops in childhood. The reason for its appearance is not entirely pleasant circumstances. This could be severe psychological trauma, violence, resentment towards someone, or even fear.

Having experienced all these unpleasant emotions and not receiving support from adults, the child simply withdraws into himself and begins to think that he cannot trust anyone in this life. If parents do not notice the appearance of such psychological problems in their child, then as an adult, he will definitely try to distance himself from people. With this behavior he will try to avoid stressful situations.

Fear of communicating with people, fear of talking - gomilophobia: symptoms and treatment

Homilophobia is a phobia that manifests itself as a fear of communicating with people. In this case, a person does not want to talk to unfamiliar men, women and even children, because he is afraid to formulate his thought incorrectly and be ridiculed by the interlocutor. This psychological disease can develop for many reasons.

This could be unfounded criticism from parents or grandparents, ridicule from classmates or peers, or an unsuccessful start to the most ordinary conversation. Also, the catalyst for the development of this condition can be an unsuccessful public performance, as a result of which the person heard a lot of unflattering reviews addressed to him.

Symptoms of homilophobia:

• Increased heart rate
• Dry mouth
• Problems with facial expressions
• Incoherent speech (mumbling)
• Redness of the skin
• Inadequate response to support

Of course, each person reacts differently to an unpleasant situation, so one may experience all the symptoms at once, while another may only experience, for example, problems with facial expressions and dry mouth. The manifestation of the disease largely depends on what stage it is at. The longer a person lives with this problem, the more violently the patient’s body will react to the stimulus.

As for the treatment of this pathology, psychologists advise starting to correct mental illness only after the person himself admits that he has problems. After this, he must gradually begin to learn to communicate with strangers. To begin with, this could be correspondence on the Internet, and then you can move on to communicating by phone.

Well, after the patient’s self-esteem improves a little, it will be possible to move on to more real contact, for example, you can try talking with people in a store, pharmacy or park. If you do everything correctly, then over time a person will understand that it is possible to communicate with strangers quite easily and the phobia as such will disappear on its own.

Haptophobia (aphenphosmophobia) - fear of people touching: symptoms and treatment

As you probably already understood, haptophobia is nothing more than the fear of being touched by people. At the initial stage, loved ones do not even suspect that some kind of problem is developing in their household. At first, this mental disorder looks more like a very strong love of cleanliness or simply arrogance. This opinion may arise due to the fact that literally after every handshake or touch a person runs to the bath and tries to wash off invisible traces.

Of course, those close to you perceive such behavior as disrespect, and against this background, once close people begin to distance themselves. In fact, the patient can treat his interlocutor very warmly, he just sees a threat to himself in every touch, and that is why he tries to get rid of traces of the touch.

Symptoms of haptophobia:

• Man avoids public places
• Takes a long time to gather your courage before offering your hand to your interlocutor
• Tenses at the slightest contact with a neighbor
• Always wipes his hands with wet wipes
• Unreasonable irritation and disgust manifests itself

This pathology, like any other phobia, takes quite a long time to be treated, so you should not expect that literally after the first session of psychotherapy you will be able to forget about your problem. As a rule, at the initial stage, a sick person has to attend group therapy sessions.

And after the psycho-emotional state has stabilized a little, it will be possible to move on to the so-called shock therapy. The essence of this treatment is that the person visits crowded places every day or goes to couples dance classes.

Fear of large crowds of people - demophobia (ochlophobia): symptoms and treatment

Demophobia is a pathology that greatly interferes with a person’s ability to live a normal life. If it worsens, the patient may generally refuse to go outside. Some patients suffering from this mental disorder claim that they are not frightened by the mere presence of people on the streets, but by the fact that too large a crowd of men and women can injure or even crush them. It is for this reason that they most often move along sparsely populated routes, trying not to approach companies that meet on their way.

Symptoms of ochlophobia:

• Complete disorientation
• Heavy sweating
• Incoherent speech
• Hand tremors
• Nervous tic

It is difficult to get rid of this pathology, but it is still possible. First, you will need to contact a specialist and undergo an examination. If the condition is very severe, it is likely that you will be prescribed medication support. If the mental disorder has not yet become very deeply ingrained in your subconscious, then literally after the first visit to a psychologist you can begin corrective therapy.

To begin with, the patient will have to go out in public for a very minimal amount of time (this could be a trip to the nearest store). When panic attacks become less aggressive, you can move on to the second stage, visiting parks, markets and shopping centers. And after the discomfort disappears in these places, you can go down to the metro.

Fear of looking people in the eyes: how to get rid of it?

Although this type of phobia causes minimal discomfort, it is still necessary to fight it. After all, if you do not look your interlocutor directly in the eyes, he may think that you simply do not want to conduct a dialogue with him.

Advice from psychologists:

• Exercise regularly. To do this, stand in front of the mirror several times a day and try to look at your reflection for as long as possible.
• Give yourself the right attitude. You must realize that a person’s look, even dissatisfied, will not particularly harm you.
• When communicating with a stranger, try to control your breathing and at the initial stage you can temporarily shift your gaze to the bridge of your nose.
• When walking down the street, never take your eyes off passers-by, especially if they were the first to start looking at you. This way you will train your tenacity of gaze.
• Train your peripheral vision. This will help you remain calm at all times, and you will be able to look into the eyes of your interlocutor for as long as possible.

Fear of strangers, unfamiliar people - xenophobia: symptoms and treatment

Until recently, xenophobia was considered a feature of character or mentality, so people with this problem were not considered sick. But recently, this disorder began to be considered a deviation, and psychologists began to try to correct the behavior of a person with such a problem.

Symptoms of xenophobia:

• Dislike of people of another nation or religion
• Reluctance to interact with people of different skin color
• Fear of confrontation with members of a certain group of people
• Panic when treating a person of a different nation or skin color

Perhaps xenophobia is the only behavioral deviation that is very amenable to correction. If a person does not have other mental disorders and his emotional state is normal, then in order to get rid of this problem he will need to attend literally a couple of specialized trainings or group conversations.

As practice shows, if a psychotherapist manages to reach the subconscious of his patient, then he quickly develops tolerance towards representatives of different religious groups and foreigners.

Fear of old people - gerontophobia: how to get rid of it?

Most people associate old age with loneliness, health problems and a not very beautiful body. Of course, while we are young and full of strength, we think little about what will happen to us when we turn 60 and 70. But still, no matter how well our life turns out, by the age of 40 we begin to think more and more often about the inevitability of physical of death.

For some people, such thoughts become an obsession and they develop a mental illness called gerentophobia. People in whom this pathology progresses very quickly try to delay old age by all available means. Most often, they become regular patients of plastic surgeons, various types of healers and homeopaths. It seems to them that this is how they can prolong their youth and, most importantly, delay their death.

• Get cognitive behavioral treatment
• Do breathing exercises
• Relax a couple times a week
• Watch positive films and read books that do not strain your psyche
• Try to convince yourself that old age can also be wonderful.

Fear of fat people

• As you probably already understood, modern people are quite susceptible to various phobias. Moreover, some of us look for a problem where others cannot see it. For example, some people, for no apparent reason, develop a fear of overweight men and women. Most often this is manifested by internal discomfort, disgust and reluctance to come into contact with a person who is overweight.
• Now let's figure out what this phobia is based on. Since childhood, we have been forced to believe that only a thin and fit person can be considered beautiful. Therefore, if we see an obese person in front of us, it immediately causes negative emotions in us. Mentally healthy people calm down immediately after moving away from the object of irritation.
• Those same men and women who do not have a completely stable psyche, as a rule, become fixated on this and begin to avoid fat people. As for how to get rid of this problem, this can be done with the right attitude. You must remember that fatness is not transmitted by touching, hugging or kissing, so if you talk to a plump woman or just look into her eyes, then your weight will definitely not increase.

Fear of a specific person

• Fear of a specific person is a specific phobia that appears as a result of fairly strong negative emotional stress. You may see or even just learn about some terrible act committed by a certain man or woman, and your subconscious mind will begin to project this situation onto you, thereby causing panic fear of the one you often think about.
• It is for this reason that when meeting this person you will feel quite strong discomfort, which will manifest itself as increased blood pressure, dry mouth and trembling limbs. If you notice similar symptoms, then immediately seek help from a specialist. If you do not do this, it is likely that your phobia will progress and you may even end up developing paranoia.

Fear of red-haired people

The fear of red-haired people is nothing more than gingerphobia. In this case, a person develops panic fear simply because he sees red hair. The most interesting thing is that due to strong fear, the patient may not even understand the man or woman in front of him. The only thought of a person susceptible to such a disease is the desire to distance himself as quickly as possible from the source of irritation. Psychologists have not been able to fully determine what is causing this problem.

Some argue that this is due to the bright color of the hair, others say that the reason is the behavioral characteristics of red-haired people. But in order not to provoke this phobia, you must remember one thing - this disorder, like any other, requires immediate correction. Proper therapy will prevent the disease from getting worse and will relieve you of the problem in the shortest possible time. If you do not treat gingerphobia, it will develop into gingerism and then, along with fear, you will have a desire to cause some harm to the red-haired person.

Fear of drunk people

• This pathology, like most of our phobias, appears in our childhood. Most often, the cause of its appearance is the continuous drunkenness of parents or someone close to them. Scientists have proven that if a small child sees a very drunk and inadequate person in front of him every day, this creates a lot of negative emotions in him, which make themselves felt when he grows up.
• Most often this manifests itself as disgust towards people who drink. A person who has this phobia fears and hates them at the same time. As a rule, this mental disorder manifests itself as closedness, excessive suspicion and irritability. And most importantly, the patient will feel fear even if the alcoholic does not show aggression.
• If you want to get rid of pathology in the shortest possible time, then find a qualified specialist who will help you put your emotions in order. If you learn to block negativity at the very initial stage of its inception, then it is likely that you will stop reacting to people who drink.

How to overcome fear of people - social phobia: reviews of a clinic for the treatment of depression and phobias