Fear of nukes: Should you fear North Korea?
A while back Remco Breukers, North Korea expert, sat on Pauw and told us all that we are too late. North Korea has nuclear weapons and there is nothing more we can do about it. Then on top of that Donald Trump wins the U.S. election and he does not hesitate to argue with Kim Jong-un. This makes many people insecure and fearful. If you have a fear of nukes and are afraid of the outbreak of World War III, then you should read this blog
A while back, I had a conversation with a young man who was concerned about North Korea. "What do you think about that now? Aren't you afraid of a3rd world war and nukes?"
No I'm not, but I can imagine other people are afraid of that. Also because this is not the first time we have all feared the power of nuclear weapons.
Fear of nukes is not new
The fear of atomic bombs is not new, but it has returned. During the Cold War, now just over 25 years ago, there was the fear of nukes from Russia and also the outbreak of World WarIII.
After World WarII, there was a cold war between Russia and the West. Between communism and capitalism. Fortunately, this cold war manifested itself mainly in who could be first on the moon. Without the cold war, many developments that we now benefit from may not have come about, such as all the satellites and navigation in your car.
The row we now have with North Korea is a remnant of this, so the fact that we fear nuclear weapons again is not surprising.
The possibility of a new arms race is real.
Well shows this history and how high conflict can rise without anything happening. Local wars, such as the Vietnam War, are more likely.
Research also shows that people who have experienced war and, as a result, suffer from post-traumatic stress may be more likely to experience this anxiety if a country like Iran suddenly has a greater chance of developing nuclear weapons.
People with this fear may, for example, experience poor sleep and nightmares.
In addition, you may find that you have this fear if you stay indoors because you are afraid it could happen at any time or because you have had a shelter installed in your yard.
Some people also find it difficult to look at images of the plume of smoke produced by an atomic bomb. You may then experience tremors, sweating, dizziness and muscle tension. The physical reactions of anxiety.
Is this an irrational fear?
In the Netherlands yes, in South Korea it is a less irrational fear. North Korea actually only threatens its neighbors, because their bombs don't get much further. In the Netherlands, therefore, you don't have to fear an atomic bomb.
Are you influencing North Korea?
Still, if you feel you need to do something to stop the chances of a nuclear bomb going off somewhere in the world by North Korea, then there is really only 1 thing you can do as a normal mortal.
Namely, don't go on vacation to North Korea. By doing so, you only speculate North Korea's state coffers and thus their research into improving their nuclear weapons program.
Europe has also recently banned workers from North Korea from working here because the money they make can be used by the North Korean government to make nuclear weapons.
What can you do practically to protect yourself from radiation?
If you are accidentally near a nuclear bomb when it goes off there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from the radiation.
If you are too close to the bomb there is nothing you can do, but if you are just nearby but a survivor it is important not to go outside for at least 2 days because of the radiation from the bomb. After that it is safe again.
Try to get as much concrete and floor over and around you as possible. If you are lucky enough to have a basement, take shelter there for 2 days. This is because the radiation from the atomic bomb can get through an awful lot of things except lead and many metals. Very thick concrete and walls also help against the radiation.
If you live in an apartment building with basement boxes underground, you are most secure in that basement box. After all, you have several floors above you and only the ground around you.
Can't get as low as possible? Then make sure you have as many walls around you as possible. Then sit in the middle of a tall building that preferably has stone or concrete walls. Glass won't protect you, unfortunately. So ditch the modern architecture.
You should also have plenty of water to wash yourself. Dust with radiation may have fallen on you during the flight and can still infect you. It is important that you can wash yourself to get rid of that dust.
So just having drinking water in stock is not enough.
In addition, it is important to have iodine pills. After an atomic bomb or nuclear disaster, you take such an iodine pill. This prevents your thyroid gland from taking in radioactive iodine, lowering your risk of thyroid cancer.
What to do about fear of nukes
The 1980s were great and that was because many people were consciously ignoring the core threat. Seize the day was the creed.
There are several ways you can very consciously ignore threats beyond your control. If you have made the preparations and done everything you can influence and then you still suffer from anxiety, it is time to use mental techniques against anxiety.
Finding the cause of anxiety
First and foremost, it’s important to identify the source of your fear. Do you watch a lot of television where this topic is discussed, and have you unconsciously heard a lot of threatening language that has begun to influence your beliefs?
Did your parents unconsciously pass on their fear of nuclear bombs from the Cold War to you, causing you to start prepping now, even though North Korea isn’t even close to the destructive power that Russia had back then—and likely still has today?
If you’re having trouble identifying the cause, a hypnotherapist can help you with regression therapy. During this therapy, you can uncover the memory that has caused you to now be afraid of atomic bombs.
Many of these kinds of memories may originate in your childhood between the ages of3 and 10. Perhaps you only overheard a conversation from your parents or something else.
The results of regression therapy are often amazing.
Thereby, this therapy has the advantage of allowing you to look at that memory in a different way that can change your beliefs that were formed at the time.
Hypnotherapy to change beliefs
In addition to regression therapy, hypnotherapy can also change your beliefs in other ways. For example, if you fear some kind of snowball effect if North Korea or the U.S. starts a nuclear war, ask yourself why you fear it.
With a belief, you ask yourself, why do I have that belief? The answer you then give also subjects you to the same question. You can repeat this process several times to get to the core of your belief. If it then suddenly proves illogical this further weakens your beliefs about the probability of a nuclear bomb.
Then, a hypnotherapist can help you further weaken those beliefs and create new ones to help you overcome the fear of nukes.
You can then repeat those hypnotic suggestions during self-hypnosis. You first sit or lie down in a comfortable place and focus on your breathing. When your breathing is fine and calm, you repeat the hypnotic suggestions you were given by your hypnotherapist.
These may include:
I don't affect nukes so I'm not going to bother.
North Korea cannot reach Europe.
Powers are as afraid of nuclear weapons as I am and therefore do not use them.
Nuclear weapons have not been used in conflicts since 1945.
Mindfulness
Another way to reduce anxiety about a nuclear bomb is to practice mindfulness . Living in the here and now makes you much happier. Scenarios involving fearful visions of the future are less likely to throw you off balance, because you are consciously focusing your attention on the here and now.
During mindfulness meditation, you focus on your body and your breathing. These are also useful exercises you can do throughout the day to reduce stress.
Ultimately, hypnosis helps best, especially when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, but mindfulness is a good second method for reducing anxiety about nukes.
Would you like to learn more about mental techniques to reduce anxiety or to help others with their problems? Then come to a workshop and check out the training programs offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands.
Sources:
https://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/minder-geld-naar-kim-jong-un-eu-weert-arbeiders-uit-noord-korea~a4516627/
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178115304807