What is chronic Fear and how to handle it?
According to Dr. Peter Levine, “fear is a combination of a bodily sensation coupled with images and or certain thoughts”. Sensation is just a sensation but when coupled with specific thoughts or images, the sensation will turn into fear.
Dr. Levine thinks that one tool that can help us not to worn out by this fear is to separate the physical sensations of fear such as rapid heartbeat, tightness in the chest or twisting and turning in the gut, from the related images or thoughts. The first step is to try to put aside all the images and thoughts coming to our mind. Then, it is important that we allow ourselves to be guided by those sensations or to be able to feel through the sensations. While noticing the sensations in our body we can pay attention to whether the sensations increase or decrease or stay the same or maybe shift into another state or sensation.
As we are able to enter into the sensation without being overwhelmed by those sensations we are helping ourselves to contain the sensations; and they will shift in a positive way; as long as we uncouple and separate the sensations from images and thoughts.
In this video, Dr. Levine show us an interesting and very easy exercise to help shift the sensations in our body.
