Each individual may experience various fears depending on the characteristics and experiences of their developmental period. So what is fear? Fear; It is an emotional reaction with a known source, felt at the moment of instantaneous and specific danger. Babies need protection from the moment they are born until a certain age. Until they develop the ability to protect themselves, babies react with fear to the unknown coming from the outside world. Some fears appear developmentally depending on age and disappear over time, while others may become permanent and spread into our adult lives due to wrong coping methods. While our fears are directed towards more concrete things in the periods when we perceive life concretely and there is no abstract concept in our lives, when we move to the abstract period, fears change shape and become stereotypes.
I want to continue my article with the fears of ages 7 and above.
Fears of being alone and loss are quite common in the 7-8 year old period. Even though they play on their own, they may want someone to accompany them. They may talk about death, accidents, or being injured from a fall.
School problems begin to emerge between the ages of 9-12. Fear of exams or performance concerns at school may arise. More personal fears have begun to emerge. As they begin to become individuals, they begin to compare themselves with their appearance and with others outside, and this leads them to a different level of anxiety.
Again, horror and thriller movies should not be allowed to be watched at this age, as fear of real or virtual heroes in the movies watched during this period may occur.
As we move towards pre-adolescence and adolescence, personal relationships and social concerns begin to emerge. Anxiety about friendships and family relationships increases. Anxiety about the future also accompanies this. Trying to predict what kind of future they will have, natural disasters, and other issues related to the growth process can also be worrying.
So how can EMDR help with this situation?
EMDR is a new method compared to many other therapy models. It can be applied to almost all ages. Research was looked at. It is observed that it provides very positive changes when applied. The materials used are similar to many models. Of course, as in every therapy model, family support is needed in EMDR. If the client is not willing, the family plays a big role in providing motivation to the child or adolescent.
While studying EMDR, support is received from many models, for example; art therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy... It has been observed that fears that are not based on real life can also be worked on. The child is asked to symbolize and draw a picture of the feared thing, and attempts are made to learn the negative cognitions they think about their fears. For example; I'm careless, I'm dying, I'm stupid, I'm naughty, I'm a coward, etc. Afterwards, the emotions and physical sensations that these words and the picture make them feel are discussed. Many children can fulfill these stages, but when they cannot, children are supported with different techniques. With the desensitization phase, children analyze their negative cognitions and replace them with positive cognitions (I can learn to be careful, I am brave, I am smart, etc.). As I always say, the process may differ for each child and the progress of the therapies may vary depending on the child's speed and strength.
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