Ergophobia: what is it and how to get rid of it?

Fear of the work process, responsibility, employment in a new place makes some avoid professional activities. Sometimes an unjustified exaggeration of potential danger begins, and then fear gradually develops into a phobia. To begin treatment, it is necessary to understand the causes of the horror of work.

An irresistible fear of doing work that requires certain skills, knowledge, abilities and professionalism is called ergophobia. The word is translated from Greek as “fear of work” (from the Greek ergon work + phobos fear). Sometimes it is called ergosiophobia.

Some believe that fear of work arises from elementary laziness. This is not true. A phobia from laziness is distinguished by an increase in inexplicable anxiety before completing an assignment because of the fear of doing something wrong. It greatly complicates the lives of people. But we should not exclude the possibility that some lazy people cover up their idleness with ergophobia.

Fear of work provokes serious mental disorders from the category of anxiety disorders. Their objects may be:

• panic horror, which before completing a task pre-programs a person for failure;
• an increased sense of responsibility for their activities creates a fear of finding a new job or makes it difficult to stay at your enterprise;
• the change of staff, management, if necessary, the transition to another organization is of great concern.

A phobia can manifest itself in the form of inexplicable slight excitement, as well as reach a panic attack.. Pathological fear most often rolls in waves.With the loss of chances to get a prestigious job, a person succumbs to panic, which sometimes leads the loser to a vagabond lifestyle. Ergophobia can cause alcohol or drug addiction. Man is gradually slipping into the social bottom.

Neurosis of obsessive states depletes the nervous system. Motivation for work is declining. There is a fear of loss of livelihood. Against this background, the employee ceases to cope with his duties. This condition is especially true for people whose professional activities are associated with a danger to health and life, and also, if necessary, the maximum concentration of attention.

Fear of work may arise in women and men who have work and have never previously worked in the workplace. Any psychological disorder needs a push. Appearance The following factors may serve as exaggerated excitement and strong worries about work.

• Most often, ergophobia is rooted in deep childhood. The inability to perceive criticism can be formed due to constant parenting and unfair criticisms. Merciless criticism of a mother or father often leads to mental disorders. Over time, guilty feelings for one’s own imperfection, fear of even the slightest mistake, develops into a fear of professional activity.
• Low self-esteem leads to self-digging, a tough analysis of actions, a negative conclusion, blaming yourself for all sins.
• The very first work often instills fear in a person. Insufficient knowledge, lack of experience, possible ridicule of others over probable failures scare him. The young specialist feels insecure: does he carry out the tasks of his superiors correctly, does he clearly follow the job descriptions.
• The device to a new place scares with its unknown. Insufficient knowledge of future job duties, doubts about one's own strengths and capabilities, fear of the new bosses gives rise to a sense of hopelessness. Sometimes the reason for fear may be the dismissal from the previous place of work on the initiative of the leadership, the reduction of the staff.
• Past negative work experience can also affect the degeneration of mild anxiety into an obsession syndrome. Refusal to find a job is deeply remembered and after a while appears as a phobia.
• A long work experience at a permanent place of business does not guarantee the absence of phobia. Self-critical and very responsible people are afraid that they will not be able to cope with the task by the appointed date. They are afraid to carry out the assignment at the wrong level. Sometimes systematic checks, daily reporting, and constant monitoring by the boss lead to a phobia of work fear. Aversion to work can be caused by horror at the cries of the leader.
• The fear to start professional duties after the decree arises from the fear of losing certain skills and abilities, the emergence of new technologies that were previously not possible to master. Often anxiety begins to torment due to possible failure, a potential sense of shame, if suddenly a person can not cope with the assignment.
• The resulting work injury raises concerns about a recurrence of the situation. Someone behaves more carefully, while the other begins to be afraid of the workflow.
• The cause of phobia sometimes becomes depression, sleep disturbance, mental or physical fatigue, side effects from medications taken.
• Ergophobia can result in poor team relationships.Fear of criticism, caustic remarks, insults, humiliations and oblique views makes staying in the workplace a penal servitude.
• There are people in whom ergophobia follows directly from sociophobia.

It is difficult for some to start activities at the enterprise after a long break, especially to go to work after the end of regular or maternity leave, a long illness.

Constant internal tension before performing his immediate duties, panic fear due to the likelihood of a call to the authorities, the fear of dismissal and loss of income turns a person's life into a complete nightmare. The quality of work performed is beginning to suffer. Experiences can be amplified due to the entrusted new business, which is characterized by increased complexity.

The phobic manifestation of the disease is observed at the mental and physical levels. It is difficult for a person to cope with psychological problems himself:

• exorbitant anxiety;
• expectation of negative events;
• loss of self-control and self-control;
• the desire to cry and hide;
• nightmares;
• uncertainty in their own abilities and capabilities;
• pessimistic view of the future;
• unreasonable self-criticism.

Ergophobes have the following physiological symptoms:

• heart palpitations;
• lack of air;
• increased sweating;
• severe dizziness;
• migraine;
• nebula in the eyes;
• a sense of unreality of what is happening;
• fuzziness of thought and speech;
• general weakness, lethargy;
• nausea;
• shiver;
• blanching of the skin;
• numbness of the body;
• chills;
• hot flashes;
• fainting state;
• deterioration in general condition.

Wanting to hide his feelings and take control of inexplicable anxiety, a person can temporarily hide symptoms from others.

It is very difficult to overcome the disease on your own. The eradication of phobia must begin with the onset of the first symptoms. Modern science offers many interesting techniques for displacing ergophobia with positive emotions. Comprehensive treatment helps: autotraining, cognitive therapy, meditation, relaxation and medications.

Only an experienced specialist will help overcome the fear of work and adapt to existing realities. It is necessary to turn to a professional psychotherapist who is able to find an individual approach to each client.

The specialist who will not work for young ergophobes will increase their self-esteem and eliminate existing complexes. The efforts of the psychotherapist are directed towards the search for hidden childhood grievances, injuries and other causes of pathological self-doubt.

If a person has not suffered any suffering before going to work, then we are talking about acquired psychological disorders at a conscious age. This will require a change in attitude to the events that have taken place and the elimination of the established attitude towards excessive responsibility, unreasonable unrest or a traumatic situation.

A person can help himself by changing his attitude to fear. Autogenous meditation, conducted independently at home, helps to increase self-esteem and give confidence. It is necessary to come up with a favorable scenario for a situation that causes horror with only one memory of it. It is necessary to take control of the fear of work. It would be nice to enlist the support of loved ones.

An analysis should always be made of unpleasant events that have occurred. The search for errors of one's own behavior, which led to flaws, and their elimination should be accompanied by a belief in one's own strength and a positive attitude towards the future.

Negative thoughts about work should be avoided in every way, replacing with the memory of pleasant and useful moments of activity. It is advisable to throw all your fears associated with work out of your head, not think about them, but go into the future with positive emotions.

Contrast showers are a great way to deal with stress. Breathing exercises are available to everyone. It is necessary to inhale and exhale fully. Exhale breathing should be slightly delayed.

Exercise is a great distraction from negative thoughts. Psychotherapists recommend doing squats and push-ups.

Medication is strictly prescribed by a psychotherapist and under his supervision. It does not completely eradicate the problem. In addition, most drugs are addictive. If you cancel the drug phobia is returned.

It is necessary to treat the disorder with medications in the acute stage of the manifestation of phobia. Sedatives advised to normalize sleep. Antidepressants protect against the onset of severe depression. Tranquilizers prescribed for neurosis obsessions. Metabolic processes of the central nervous system stop nootropic drugs. To strengthen the nervous system, psychotherapists recommend the use of vitamins of group B.

There are special trainings that teach you how to work out your fears. Before that, you need to learn how to control your own emotions, bring your breathing back to normal, and fully relax.

Breathing exercises involve deep breaths and exhalations. At the moment of inspiration, it is desirable to imagine the fragrant aroma of a flower. During a prolonged exhalation, it is necessary to clearly visualize the process of blowing out a lighted candle, located about a meter away from a person.

Relaxation Techniques:

• acupuncture stimulates acupuncture points on the body, increasing vitality, as well as regulating blood pressure, hormonal levels and processes that occur in the central nervous system of a person;
• electrosleep activates the processes of inhibition in the cerebral cortex, which contributes to the normalization of the nervous system and relieve mental stress;
• manual relaxing massage through the perception of the skin and muscles leads to inhibition and complete relaxation of the central nervous system, which positively affects the activity of the whole organism.

Psychotherapeutic conversations, individual consultations and group classes are aimed at eliminating the fear of any type of activity.

Gestalt therapy increases understanding of the fullness and meaningfulness of life, helps to improve contact with the outside world and people around. Psychotherapists often use monodrama, called the "empty chair" method. The patient should imagine that a boss is sitting next to him. From time to time, a psychotherapist may intervene in communication with an imaginary leader with emphasis on something important, questions and directing the conversation in the right direction.

The strengthening of an integral personality image is followed by the development of the independence of the individual. Attention is focused on their own needs, the realization of their dreams and hobbies. It is necessary to realize that you should look for a job to your liking, at which the personality’s talent is fully revealed.

For some patients, the specialist suggests going through hypnotic sessions. The patient is introduced into a trance state for a short time. A complete shutdown of consciousness and activation of the subconscious corrects terrifying thoughts. The person is reprogrammed for potential success in work and the desire to work. The technique is suitable only for people who are amenable to hypnosis.

The hypnologist directs the psyche in the right direction. After completing the full course of hypnosis, fear gradually dissipates, ergophobia is supplanted by a positive attitude towards work. With the help of hypnosis, it is completely feasible to eliminate the manifestation of phobia and a complete solution to the problem.

A personal approach to every ergophobic sufferer accelerates recovery. The task of the therapist is not to harm the patient. After all, a person’s condition can develop into clinical depression. In this case, additional treatment is required.