The impulsive phobias or impulse phobias They are based on the fear of harm. They have to do with ideas of loss of control that entail physical or psychological harm to loved ones or that affect oneself.
Thus, it consists of the fear of following an impulse that can have very negative consequences.
The individual protects himself from these intrusive ideas of loss of control with behaviors or thoughts (compulsions) focused on mitigating the anxiety that the originating ideas cause.
Impulsive phobia, a variant of OCD
Many mental health specialists consider impulsive phobia as a variant of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). However, this can also be presented independently.
In any case, what defines it is the intense fear of one’s own impulses.
How to identify it?
These are the main clinical features that define impulsive phobia:
- Intrusive appearance of non-rational thoughts about being carried away by impulse and losing control.
- The content of this thought anticipates aggression, which may be directed at oneself or at others.
- Being assaulted by these thoughts causes a state of intense fear and anxiety.
- The subject performs preventive behaviors to prevent the original disturbing idea from becoming a reality.
What impulses are the most frequent in this type of phobia?
The most common thoughts of people with this diagnosis are hurting their loved ones, jumping off the balcony, crashing their car, getting run over, etc.
When you try to erase these thoughts with all your might, the anguish skyrockets.
This disorder is based on a dissonance between what the person thinks and what they want, so that the person fights against himself to control his thoughts in an exhausting way. Over time, anxiety and depression usually appear.
How to overcome this disorder
To deal with this problem and start to overcome it, you must follow the following tips:
- Think that irrational thoughts and images, even those related to harming others, are normal and relatively frequent. You shouldn’t be scared.
- Reflect on where that fear of harm comes from. Your thoughts alert you to the risk of skipping those values.
- Analyze your mood and why you are in this state. Maybe you are in a phase of exhaustion or overload.
- Do your part to improve that mood. Follow a healthy lifestyle (good eating habits, rest, etc.).
- Lean on your environment, family and friends. Express yourself and try to distract yourself.
- Face the problem, it’s the only way to solve it.
- Ask for help.
Impulse phobia treatment
Treatment guidelines for this disorder are similar to those used for . Psychotherapy should be aimed at ensuring that the person:
- Understand the cause of the problem and how it works.
- Assess and identify solutions tried to solve the problem that have not been successful.
- Promote the solutions tried that work best.
- Understand how your mind works and, more specifically, how your disorder develops.
- Get out of your thoughts. A thought does not necessarily imply a subsequent negative action. It also does not increase the probability of its occurrence.
- Recover valuable aspects of your life that you have left aside because of this disorder.
- Prevent relapse and consolidate the psychological strategies you have learned.
These are the ones that have been shown to be most effective in treating impulsive phobia, according to various studies.
If you suffer from this disorder, it is best to address it as soon as possible to get rid of it.
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