Moody Talk Fear #1 : Descriptive Words and Feelings
Fear is one of the most debilitating emotions that a human being must endure. There are many reasons for being afraid. There are the common fears such as physical harm or losing a loved one. There are fears that may be considered irrational by some — fear of the dark, heights and flying.
When a person has been through traumatic events, they may not be able to shut down the place in their brain that screams “DANGER!” PTSD can keep anxiety high especially when symptoms are more prominent. DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) was created to help with Emotion Regulation and Distress in people with PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder. But it doesn’t mean that neurotypical people won’t benefit from the coping skills they use.
I always start our first Moody Talk with descriptive words and feelings that coincide with the emotion Fear. By choosing words synonymous with Fear and placing them on a word scale, it helps to know how intensely you may be feeling during a stressful situation. It could be mild — like “Uneasy” or it could be very intense — like “Hysterical.” If a word pops up in your mind describing how you feel, you can use appropriate coping skills to help in the moment. By naming the physical feeling you have, it can help you to understand which Emotion you may be feeling.
Watch the video for more on using the Word Scale and understanding what you fear and how you can cope. I’ve added the worksheets for the video, as well.
