Alan G. Is fear an emotion?

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Question

New to TMS theory and wondering why fear is separated from anger, guilt, and sadness as a feeling. Can someone explain this to me?

 

Answer

Hey Cbeth,
That's a good question. Fear is the survival response that occurs in the face of a threat or a perceived threat. Some therapists do consider fear an emotion. Whether or not you throw fear in the emotion category, it is the most important component of TMS. Often overcoming the fear associated with specific symptoms is sufficient to eliminate those symptoms.

I'll often tell patients that the goal isn't to get rid of their symptoms, the goal is to help fundamentally alter their relationship with fear. The pain will follow. This is a difficult task, and pretty much involves reparenting the primitive brain, essentially teaching it that the world is safe.

Alan

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Love Alan's answer.

 

Hi, cbeth. I too like Alan Gordon's reply and suggest you look at some Youtube videos about overcoming fear, such as one called
"Deprogram Your Brain to Overcome Fear."

 

i love the answer too, just cannot seem to get my brain reprogrammed. For instance, this morning I woke up and moved my arm over my head while lying down and my bicep started twitching. I changed the position and it stopped but it's still been worrying me all day.

Unbelievable, some days I feel like no progress has been made whatsoever.