![Why you don't go crazy with the fear of going crazy [Expert Opinion].](https://media-01.imu.nl/storage/hypnoseinstituutnederland.nl/2622/angst-om-gek-te-worden-2560x1100.png)
Imagine this: you are sitting quietly reading a book at home and suddenly a strange thought flashes through your mind. Your heart starts beating faster and you think, "What the hell was that? Am I even normal?" And then the real fretting begins. "Suppose I go crazy? Suppose I lose control?"
Do you recognize this? Then I have good news for you. That fear of going crazy is actually a sign that you're not going crazy at all. Sounds crazy, right? But it's true. People who are afraid of losing control are actually very aware of their thoughts and feelings. It is exactly this awareness that protects you from actually losing your sense of reality.
Now I fully understand that this may be hard to believe if you are in the midst of that anxiety. When you suffer from compulsive thoughts, panic attacks or depression, that fear of going crazy can be quite intrusive.
But here it comes: this does not mean you will develop psychosis. In fact, although people with mental illness are more likely to have psychotic experiences than those without, that anxiety is usually a signal of something entirely different.
Excessive stress, for example. Or perfectionism. Or just a panic attack that overwhelms you.
For people who have experienced psychosis before, I understand that the fear of relapse feels very real, as it may indeed happen in a small minority, but for the majority of people who have ever experienced psychosis, you therefore remain "normal."
What I want to give you in this article is why you don't have to fear going crazy with that fear. You're going to discover the difference between normal anxiety and true psychosis.
I also explain why hypnotherapy can help with anxiety but is not recommended for psychosis. And, of course, you'll get tools to deal with that pesky anxiety. Because you can.
That fear means precisely that you won't go crazy
Strange thoughts shoot through your mind. A vague, uneasy feeling creeps up. You begin to doubt: am I still right? Many people fear that they will lose control or "freak out." The remarkable thing is: this very fear shows that you are mentally sound.
The difference between anxiety and true psychosis
Let's get clear on what we're talking about. In psychosis, a person truly loses touch with reality. They see things that are not there: hallucinations. They firmly believe in things that are not true: delusions. The crucial point: they often do not realize that their perception has changed. To them, their experience of reality is simply real.
Anxiety works the exact opposite way. Instead, you worry about possibly losing control. You remain fully aware of what is happening around you. That anxiety comes in waves, sometimes intense, then gone. Psychosis develops gradually and lasts longer.
Do you understand the difference? In anxiety, you are afraid of losing control. With psychosis, you have already lost that control, but don't notice it yourself (immediately).
Panic attacks and that pesky fear of passing out
Panic attacks bring intense physical sensations: your heart pounds, you get dizzy, can't breathe, perspire and shake. On top of that comes that fear of going crazy or losing control. This is even officially described as a hallmark of panic disorder: that persistent worry about new attacks and their consequences, such as "freaking out."
It works like a nasty spiral. You fear the fear itself. Those physical symptoms during a panic attack feel so overwhelming that you think: now I'm really losing it. While this actually proves that your brain reacts normally to what it assesses as danger.
Stress and perfectionism fuel this anxiety
Stress and perfectionism fuel this fear of going crazy. Perfectionists set the bar high for themselves and fear making mistakes. This constant pressure leads to stress, anxiety and burnout symptoms.
Perfectionism is often created by comparing yourself to others, think social media. This creates fear of failure and the feeling of not being good enough. Perfectionism and generalized anxiety disorder often have a correlation. In particular, worries about mistakes and doubts about one's own actions are related to pathological worries.
Perfectionists fret over the smallest details. They fear failure if they don't meet their own high standards. That constant grumbling in the head leads to sleepless nights and increases the risk of anxiety disorders.
How different problems fuel the fear of going crazy
You don't have it, you do it; so does that fear of going crazy. That fear occurs with a variety of mental health conditions, but always in its own way. And the beautiful thing is: with all these complaints, you actually stay very aware of what is happening.
Panic attacks: when your body goes haywire
When I was still regularly seeing people for hypnotherapy, panic came up very often. "I really thought I was going to die," they would say. "Or that I was going crazy." And I totally understood that.
Because what happens during a panic attack? Your body suddenly makes a lot of adrenaline. Your heart is racing, you can't breathe, you start sweating and shaking. It's as if your body thinks a lion is chasing you, while you're just standing in the supermarket. That fight-or-flight response explains exactly why everything feels so overwhelming.
And then, of course, you think, "This isn't normal, I'm freaking out." But that thinking is precisely proof that you're not freaking out at all. Because someone who really loses control is not aware of it.
Compulsive thoughts: the thoughts you don't want
With compulsive thoughts, you get all kinds of unpleasant things in your head that you don't want there at all. "What if I suddenly hurt someone?" "Suppose I lose control?" Terrible to sit with.
To get rid of that restlessness, you start doing compulsions. You check for the tenth time that the door is locked. You organize everything until it looks perfect. That gives you peace for a while, until that unpleasant thought returns.
The crazy thing is: the more you fight those thoughts, the stronger they get. It's like a pink elephant, just try not thinking about a pink elephant. Can't do it, right?
Social anxiety: afraid to be yourself
Between 4 and 13 percent of Dutch people have suffered from an anxiety disorder [3], such as social anxiety. You are standing somewhere and think, "What will they think of me? Do they see that I'm blushing? Do they notice I'm shaking?" You are so preoccupied with how you come across that you can no longer be yourself.
That fear of losing yourself in social situations causes you to avoid them. And then the world gets smaller and smaller. Not because you are crazy, but because you are so afraid of being found crazy by others.
Depression: when anxiety mixes with gloominess
More than half of people with depression also suffer from anxiety. This is an unpleasant combination, because it makes you feel not only gloomy, but also afraid that something terrible is going to happen.
"What if I lose control?" "What if I don't recognize myself anymore?" These thoughts can be very compelling when you are already depressed. And unfortunately: people with both depression and anxiety tend to be sick longer and respond less well to medication.
Then again, that fear is actually a sign that you are aware of what's going on. And awareness is the first step toward change.
When hypnotherapy does and does not work
Now I come to something I want to be very clear about, because this is where things sometimes go wrong. Hypnotherapy is increasingly used for anxiety symptoms, and rightly so. But - and this is important - not every form of anxiety can be treated with it. Especially with the fear of going crazy, you have to distinguish well between anxiety symptoms and real psychotic symptoms.
Why I advise against hypnosis for psychosis
Hypnotherapy is not recommended for people with psychosis or those prone to psychosis [1]. Why? Very simple: during hypnosis you work with imagination and suggestion, and if you already have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality, it can actually be confusing. In cases of psychosis, hypnosis can even worsen symptoms [2].
How hypnosis can help with 'common' anxiety
For common anxiety, and I include the fear of going crazy if you haven't had psychosis, hypnosis actually works extremely well. Why? Because it directly addresses the subconscious mind where fear arises. Under hypnosis you bypass those critical thoughts and achieve deep relaxation. This allows you to better access underlying feelings that cause panic.
The difference from just talking, such as cognitive therapy, is that hypnotherapy targets the source of anxiety in the subconscious brain. Research shows that hypnosis is one of the most effective ways to address fears
What to expect
Let me give you an example of Lisa, a 30-year-old woman who felt intense anxiety at presentations. During hypnotherapy, she discovered that her anxiety traced back to a childhood event. After four sessions, she felt confident enough to give presentations again.
Do you suffer from the fear of going crazy, but have never experienced psychosis? Then hypnotherapy can help you reduce this fear. But if you did experience psychosis before and fear a relapse, see your practitioner or family doctor. Not to a hypnotherapist. That's not an area we're concerned with, and rightly so.
What can you do now?
Now that you know that fear is not a sign of actually going crazy, what then? Because it's one thing to understand it, but those unpleasant feelings are still there. Let me give you a few things that really work.
Understand what's happening in your body
I often find that people become calmer once they understand what exactly is happening during such an anxiety moment. Your body goes into alarm mode, your "fight-or-flight" system kicks in. Palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating. It feels scary, but it's not dangerous. It's just your body thinking there's danger when there isn't.
The beauty is: during that fear, you are still perfectly clear. You know where you are, you recognize the people around you. That's the big difference from psychosis, where that contact with reality is actually lost.
Test Yourself
This is something I often suggest to people in my practice: take a simple test. Afraid of having a heart attack? Then take five deep breaths in and out. Do a few squats. See? Your heart is doing just fine.
Are you sitting in the car and thinking, "Soon I'll lose control"? Then turn on the radio. Change lanes. Check your mirrors. You just do it all still. That control you think you'll lose? You still have it.
When you need help
Sometimes you can't do it alone. And that's fine, too. I see it every day: people who struggle for months, sometimes years, when they don't have to. Seek help if:
- That fear but keeps coming back
- You start avoiding things because you're afraid
- Your work or relationships suffer
- You lie awake at night worrying
Cognitive behavioral therapy (combined with hypnosis) works extremely well for these types of symptoms. The sooner you start, the sooner you can get rid of it.
Another situation: if you have had psychosis before
This is something quite different, though. Then that fear of relapse can be quite understandable. In that case: contact your practitioner or GP as soon as you recognize signs. The Netherlands has specialized VIP teams who know exactly how to help you with the early signs.
A signaling plan can make a difference. It spells out exactly what you and people around you can do when those warning signs are there. Something like this can prevent a crisis.
You know what's so special? That fear you may have been struggling with for weeks or months. That pesky thought that you are going to go crazy is actually exactly the proof that you are not going crazy. That may sound like a paradox, but it's true.
If you've read this article, you now know that fear actually shows that your consciousness is functioning just fine. After all, you are aware of your thoughts and feelings, something that actually falls away in true psychosis.
Of course it doesn't feel nice, that constant anxiety. Especially if it stems from excessive stress, perfectionism or panic attacks. Then a kind of vicious cycle develops in which you become afraid of your own anxiety. But do you understand what this means? It means that your brain is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It warns you, it stays alert. That's not a sign of craziness, that's a sign of a healthy system that may have become a little overexcited.
Now I want to be honest with you. Hypnotherapy can work great for these types of fears because it directly addresses that subconscious brain where that fear originates. But, and this is important, hypnotherapy is not appropriate if you are actually prone to psychosis. If so, it can actually be confusing.
What does always help? Understanding what happens in your body during anxiety. Those palpitations, that tightness. It feels terrible, but it's not dangerous. You can prove to yourself that you are still in control by doing little tests. Turn on the radio while driving. Count to ten. Take five deep breaths in and out. See? You're still in control.
For people who have previously experienced psychosis, the story is different. Then that fear of relapse is understandable and real. Then go to your practitioner or family doctor. There are specialized VIP teams that can help with early signs.
But for most people reading this: that fear of going crazy is not going to come true. In fact, the very fact that you feel that fear is your guardian angel. It keeps you aware, it keeps you alert, it keeps you in touch with reality.
And that's actually quite nice, right?
Learning hypnosis to help people with anxiety
Do you want to help people who suffer from anxiety deal with it? Then knowledge of hypnosis will help. Come to a free master class for an introduction.
Or register for one of our training courses or events.
If you have a question about our training, schedule a 1-on-1 consultation here .
References
[1] - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005791622000465?via%3Dihub
[2] - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wps.20328
[3]- https://www.trimbos.nl/kennis/cijfers/psychische-gezondheid-ggz/
