Because of the war, loud sounds can be associated with explosions.
Ukraine lives in the conditions of a full-scale Russian invasion, during which many residents of our country witnessed hostilities, explosions, and enemy attacks. People who have experienced such terrible events are often afraid of loud sounds, even if they are in a safe place. For example, the sound of a door closing or a closet in the house can scare you.
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A source of unpleasant experiences can be sex and a thunderstorm. A natural phenomenon that may go completely unnoticed in peacetime causes concern during wartime. Lightning and thunder strikes are perceived as explosions. In such conditions, it is important to understand how to stop being afraid of thunder and lightning and try to return to a full-fledged life even after experiencing something as terrible as war.
How to help children cope with the fear of thunderstorms
Family and child psychologist Svetlana Roiz said that she can help children cope with fear. These tips can also help adults.
So, before a thunderstorm, you should look at the sky, tell your child or even yourself that there are clouds moving over it, which may be stormy, or there may be a downpour. And during a downpour there is often thunder and lightning. These are not explosions, we (I) are safe. The sound may resemble an explosion, but it's only thunder.
Royz notes that it is necessary to take the process under control, intercept the activity of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the activity of the limbic system. Yes, with children you can count out loud how much time has passed between a flash of lightning and a thunderclap.
During the sound of thunder, you can loudly clap your hands and shout “Hurrah!”. Or you can play “lightning catcher” and, being at home, pretend that you are catching lightning in your palms.
How else to cope with the fear of thunderstorms
In order to stop being afraid of thunder and lightning, general recommendations for those who are afraid of thunderstorms are also suitable.
Yes, you should share your fears with friends and family, trust them. If they say that it's just a thunderstorm, nothing terrible is happening, it's not an explosion, you need to try to believe them and calm down.
You can also try to distract yourself from loud sounds and the light from lightning. You can do something you like: read a book, watch TV, listen to music. You can also make a list of songs you like and turn them on during a storm to calm down.
If the heart starts to beat faster because of fear, you need to breathe deeply and evenly, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Users of social networks who faced such a problem during the war advise to track lightning on a special site. It shows all flashes, highlighting them in different colors: white – the flash was recent, red – a long time ago.
How to stop being afraid of loud sounds
Expert Andrey Zhelvetro of the “Psychologist's Help” program talked about what needs to be done if after the war a person began to be afraid of loud sounds.
He noted that if a person is in a dangerous area, it is necessary to follow the instructions: if a siren sounds, take cover, if explosions are heard and you are at home/in another room, observe the rule of two walls.
If a person is is safe, you can learn to react correctly to loud sounds. For example, you can ask a friend to suddenly clap his hands during a conversation or turn on the volume on the phone.
Your task at this moment is to control three parameters: breathing (do not interrupt it), shoulders (must be relaxed) and say aloud what is happening. will say “it's just a clap”. You can do the same thing on the street, if you hear a loud sound and determine its source, you can say “it's just a car, just a door.” At the same time, you need to relax and breathe properly.
The same can be done with thunder: when you hear the sound, you need to relax, breathe calmly and say “it's just thunder, it's just a thunderstorm”.
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Important! This publication is based on the latest and current scientific research in the field of medicine and is of an exclusively general information nature. The publication cannot be the basis for making any diagnoses. If you are ill or need a diagnosis, consult a doctor!
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