Neophobia: what arises and how to get rid of?

Not every person is calm about changes in their usual way of life and quickly adapts to changing conditions. Change of established stereotypes can cause discomfort, severe emotional shock and lead to neophobia.

Fear of everything new is called neophobia (Latin Neophobia - fear of the new). It is inextricably linked with the fear of any change: relocation, marriage, choice of university, job change, expensive purchase, development of new technical equipment. Some have concerns about eating unfamiliar foods or unusual foods.

Not everyone is able to easily adapt to still unknown life situations. Fear of change is based on a sense of self-preservation. People with such an ailment experience unnecessary experiences, often become self-conscious, prefer to spend their free time alone, have little contact with others, try to avoid any dialogue, and sometimes show aggression.

The state of fear of new phenomena and impressions is not considered a serious pathology, does not cause great harm to health, but its presence affects the quality of life. Unpleasant consequences can affect the implementation of human plans, the construction of a family hearth.

Fear of the new can manifest itself in different ways.

• Technophobia - pathological fear of innovative technologies, fear of acquiring the latest equipment, modern technology.
• Gnosisophobia - fear of new knowledge, unknown information.
• Futurophobia - fear of the future. Any thought about an upcoming event causes great discomfort.
• Ergasiophobia - fear of work, vigorous activity, fulfillment of actions and movements.
• Food neophobia - fear of eating a new dish. To some extent, this phobia protects a person from the likelihood of trying a poisonous product.

Neophobes are people with problems adapting to the new environment. Specialists identify the external and internal causes of the onset of the ailment. Emotionally unstable people are exposed to negative influences from the outside. Economic, social and political instability often contributes to the fear of everything new.

Internal causes arise due to the nature of the individual, his personal qualities:

• inflexible nervous system;
• conservative views;
• unwillingness to leave the comfort zone;
• increasing situational and personal anxiety;
• suspiciousness, suspicion, closeness;
• self-doubt, inferiority complex;
• low self-esteem;
• negative past experience;
• strict education;
• too high level of responsibility and diligence;
• low level of claims.

In young children, neophobia usually manifests itself in fear of trying a new dish. It may be due to hypersensitivity to a bitter taste or infection of the middle ear. 2/3 fears of food are genetically determined.

The reasons for children's fear of tasting new food may be the preferences for certain foods that have developed at this point. For example, a child loves sweets. Feeling bitterness or sourness in his tongue, he refuses to eat for safety reasons. The negative experience of abdominal pain from eating not quite ripened fruits or the poisoning that happened earlier can affect the child's future attitude to unfamiliar food.

Subsequently, the baby begins to be afraid to try new dishes. Sometimes a child is frightened by the appearance of a product unknown to him, the fear of which can be accompanied by a strong tantrum.

Meeting with something new and unknown can cause a person in a state from mild anxiety to a panic attack. With an ailment, the following symptoms are often observed:

• choking, shortness of breath;
• shiver;
• heart palpitations;
• increase in blood pressure;
• squeezing or tingling in the chest area;
• dizziness;
• semi-conscious state, fainting;
• fog or ripples in the eyes;
• visual impairment;
• a sense of unreality of what is happening;
• the presence of thoughts of death;
• insomnia;
• distraction;
• desire to hide;
• increased sweating;
• stiffness of certain parts of the body;
• upset gastrointestinal tract;
• nausea, vomiting;
• dry mouth
• inability to articulate correctly.

To distinguish from viral or infectious diseases will help that, along with the above symptoms, a person experiences a fear of something unknown. There is a fear of ending a new situation with failure, loss, or even success. A person may be afraid of ridicule, denial, poverty, death, pain, disappointment.

Waiting for a baby to be born can also cause neophobia, especially with an unplanned pregnancy. Fear of an unknown future can lead to a change in mood, a nervous breakdown and a desire to get rid of a child. Psychological manifestations are observed in constant depression, increased anxiety and inability to concentrate.Symptoms can manifest themselves even with one thought about the impending change in life, regardless of what lies ahead: a change of profession or buying a new refrigerator.

When diagnosing neophobia in children and adults, specialist assistance is needed. Kids are most often afraid of new food, so it's good to use not only the help of a psychologist, but also a nutritionist. Sometimes it takes several attempts to introduce a new product into the baby’s diet. With age, the phobia gradually decreases and subsequently completely disappears. Some recommendations for parents:

• you should not force-feed the child with food that he refuses;
• it is necessary to teach the baby the culture of nutrition, talk about the benefits and dangers of various foods: food is not always consumed for pleasure;
• It is advisable to interest him in a story about the origin of the dish;
• it is necessary to explain to the child that sometimes food begins to be liked not immediately, but after repeated consumption;
• it is necessary to tell the little man various stories about the gradual transition of some unloved product to the category of adored food, while it is advisable to rely on your life experience;
• it is necessary to diversify the diet.

For adults, there are some effective therapies. The psychotherapist or psychologist will help get rid of fear of the unknown new and adapt to existing realities. Changing the direction of thinking, convincing oneself that future events do not pose any potential threat contribute to the gradual eradication of phobias.

To help yourself will require continuous work: meditation, relaxation, training. In the event of a stressful situation, it is necessary to drink a glass of clean water, it is advisable to rub whiskey with ammonia. It is imperative to monitor your breathing: a slow breath through the nose and exhale with a delay in breathing through the mouth is made with full breasts. You need to breathe evenly.

It is necessary to mentally distract yourself from frightening thoughts, while you need to remember some pleasant events. Focusing on the environment helps bring consciousness back to normal. A detailed description of objects, an account in the mind will help get rid of impending fear. You can relieve stress using any physical exercise. Repeated squats help well. If possible, squeeze out several times.

Only an experienced specialist is able to find the right medication. Tranquilizers and sedatives help restore the nervous system and reduce symptoms. Although medicines are a good sedative, the main problem with them is not always eradicated.

The psychologist will help establish the cause of the appearance of this phobia, deeply rooted in the psyche. The specialist will analyze the current situation, open his eyes to the shortcomings and advantages of future changes. A person needs to realize all the advantages of the upcoming changes, as well as mentally prepare for overcoming possible difficulties. The patient's attention should be focused on the search for constructive solutions, and not on past psychological problems. Fight the disease called:

• specially designed various psychotechnics;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• psychological trainings;
• hypnosis sessions.

The therapist can teach the client to relax in time, concentrate on their own condition and distract themselves from the outside world. These actions contribute to the normalization of breathing, pulse and lowering blood pressure. Fear gradually recedes, a sober view of life appears, the ability to assess the situation and overcome difficulties.