Phobias generally describe people’s fear of a certain stimulus. This can be of any type and also generates very different sensations and reactions . It could be said that some people develop phobias that affect them in a more intense way compared to others.

Fear is an emotional reaction, but it is also a primary survival and self-defense mechanism . All people will eventually learn to react to any danger they perceive, however some individuals may present difficulties in this ability. In these cases, an exaggerated and impulsive behavior develops, trying to avoid or flee from what is feared.

There is a wide diversity of phobias that until now have been identified, some of them are classified as strange or uncommon. These generally have their origin from the contact, visualization or mention of an object, person, situation, animal or action. This means that most of the cases it is an external agent that causes the fear reaction in the person.

But there is also another category of phobias that are related to personal aspects of the people who suffer from it. That is, these patients report feeling rejection, aversion or panic regarding an aspect of their own person.

Impulse phobias describe intense fear of one’s own thoughts . They believe they feel that some are unpleasant and that they are even intruders, the most striking thing about this phobia is the extreme fear of performing actions that are far from normal or ethically moral. These individuals feel out of control because they feel that their mental state is not stable. Below we delve into this topic.

What is drive phobia? 

An impulse phobia is defined as a type of psychological disorder characterized by fear of thoughts. This means that people who have been diagnosed with this condition are concerned about feelings, thoughts and impulses over which they feel they have no control.

According to what most people with this condition describe, they believe they are prone to unwanted actions . That is, they experience thoughts classified as “intruders”, which detail information and instructions to inflict harm on others or on themselves.

This is a phobia that undoubtedly draws attention because it is rare and is also related to the person himself. Considering that other typologies find the origin of fear in external elements, the impulse phobia limits the person to develop a normal mental pattern. Sometimes these people find it difficult to differentiate reality from the unreal, in addition to feeling that they are not capable of controlling themselves .

What are the characteristics of drive phobia? 

The main characteristic of impulse phobia is that it will occur in people who have already been diagnosed with OCD . Obsessive compulsive disorders happen that people are prone to anxiety.

People who suffer from this condition express fear of the possibility of traveling will be driven by an aggressive impulse . For this reason, it is common for them to try to avoid people in order to protect them, in the same way they will try to implement any measure that ensures that they do not commit significant damage to other people and themselves.

The fear of following an impulse and losing control is only part of this condition. It should be considered that this can occur in different ways in each person, so at first the diagnosis may be difficult because it can be confused with other mental disorders.

You should always have the help and perspective of a qualified psychology professional. Taking into consideration that impulse phobia is also a variant of OCD , this condition will always manifest itself with certain behaviors and characteristics that are described below:

  • The thoughts described as “trespassers” and “invaders” are the main concern of these individuals. Usually these thoughts are detailed information or instructions to perform actions that go against the will. Therefore you feel fear to follow this impulse and lose control.
  • These thoughts usually have a negative connotation, anticipate and describe the realization of an aggression of different types. This can be aimed at harming other people or attacking yourself.
  • Make a request to intense fear at the mere possibility of experiencing these thoughts. It is possible that these people begin to use resources such as self-medication and the consumption of alcoholic beverages, these cause a numbing and inhibitory effect that allows them to “not think ”.
  • The affected people carry out preventive behaviors, which guarantees them to avoid not bringing negative thoughts to reality.

What are your causes? 

The possible causes of the development of this mental condition are very diverse. Most experts say that it is more likely that people who already suffer from anxiety are more prone. The predisposition increases considerably when you have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Similarly, six describe that there are people who face difficulties in adapting to various social situations . Anxiety arises as an adaptive response mechanism but which in turn limits them when levels are too high. This is when they begin to feel out of control, consequently they experience changes in certain traits of the subject’s personality and developing obsessive thoughts.

What is your treatment? 

Impulse phobia can be treated through therapies and drugs . Pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments provide good results, however a prior psychological evaluation must be carried out to determine which is the most indicated.

In case of deciding to apply a pharmacological treatment, benzodiazepines can be used for short periods of time. Similarly, antidepressants tend to have more positive effects when dosing is controlled. Any selective inhibitor of serotonin reuptake, can drastically reduce the negative thoughts.

Psychotherapeutic treatments are usually applied through specific strategies that aim to make changes in behavior and cognitive processes. The patient will experience a reform in the perception of his own thoughts and feelings.

Phobias are generally treated with exposure treatment . In this way the person will have to face his fear directly in a gradual way. In the case of impulse phobia, this treatment is called exposure to obsessive thoughts. This is a variant of the same technique but in this case an attempt is made to limit the avoidance of one’s own thoughts.

Subsequently, a cognitive restructuring is carried out which makes changes in the interpretation of thoughts. Cognitive distortions are modified in order to generate cognitions and interpretations that are more functional and realistic. The patient is encouraged to question their beliefs to identify inconsistencies.

Website | + posts

Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *