Being challenged.

1. When there is a perceived threat, there is an affect arousal.

2. Affective support is needed to help resolve defences with affect arousal.

3. When there is affect arousal there must be drive reduction to deal with an increased want.

4. When anxiety is disproportionate to an actual danger, defences can be resolved to see that a situation does not necessarily present a threat. This is called desensitization.

5. The situation can be relived in a therapeutic context.

6. Acceptance is important, to acknowledge there is a problem , and to go around it, or to say that I am not ready for this and I will deal with it at a later date.

7. Next step there is a need to regain mental composure / poise. To do this one needs to retrieve one's self.


8. Retrieval can be achieved by refocusing or in other words, reframing the    situation.  A way of refocusing is the serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change - the resistance, the courage to change the things I can - how I choose to respond, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Another way to refocus is to be mindful, and as well as using the serenity prayer, a metaphor can be used, or a combination of both: A camel was once asked which was the most important, going uphill or downhill. The camel replied "neither, it is the load that is the most important" - Idris Shah: The way of the Sufi.

9. Mood regulation, a different frame of mind can be flipped into by remotivating, say by putting on classical music, or softer lighting etc. The use of music, or another preferred activity, is referred to as a distraction technique.