Dementors and psychology

[Lucybird]

In psychology there is a method for combatting phobias called anchorring. This involves thinking of a happy memory and making a phrase about it which you say when you are faced with your fear to help you cope with it. When I heard about this the first thing I thought was that it is very similar to how wizards fight demetors... think of a happy memory and say the spell expecto patronum. I don't know if this has much potential for discussion but it's really interesting and I thought people might like to hear about it.

[Potterina]

I think that's great, but what happy memory can help me with my cockroach phobia. They're okay-disgusting all the time, but they're really really bad for me when they're inside "my space" even when they're dead.

It would be really cool to have expecto patronum work for me. :)

[Lucybird]

lol. I think childhood happy memories are meant to be the best! Try one of those!

[Norbertha]

I haven't heard about anchorring until you mentioned it. However, I have heard about a method similar to how wizards fight Boggarts. When you see the spider, or whatever frightens you, approaching, try to picture it in a way that makes it look funny. Like when Ron thought "take its legs off", or even better, what they did in the film: give it rollerskates!

[Lucybird]

lol I haven't heard about that one! That's cool!

[renae_annette]

thats an interesting theory, when you first mentioned it I catually thought more of peter pan though, you know "think happy thoughts... you've got your happy thought?... right then... Tink" do you see what I mean? I dont know it was just a thought. but insidentaly, I think what harry does with his happy thought is much more cool :cool:

[Kimmetje]

So do you want to know what Harry's happy though is or mine?

Harry's I believe is living happily with his parents and whole and wealthy without LV.
Mine would be having the HBP book in my hands and reading it.

[Lucybird]

Oh yes I think that would be mine too!

[starutena]

Hmm. I like that norbertha. Perhaps fighting boggarts is the first step for wizards on they're way to fighting off Dementors. Notice Harry had to face the boggart before he was able to ward off the Dementors. Of course his boggart was extremely practical for fighting Dementors.

I find the pschological aspect of Dementors facinating. They make people remember and live in their worst memories. No wonder people go insane. Since they work on memories not phobias I doubt that anchoring would be applicable. Interesting thought though.

[Chandra]

Another psychological aspect of the dementors is their symbolisation of depression. The idea of chocolate as an antidote is partly linked to this, as chocolate is considered an effective anti-depressant due to the release of serotonin and endorphins that it causes.

[GodricHollow]

Hmm. I like that norbertha. Perhaps fighting boggarts is the first step for wizards on they're way to fighting off Dementors. Notice Harry had to face the boggart before he was able to ward off the Dementors. Of course his boggart was extremely practical for fighting Dementors.

You don't have one particular fear for your life, since PoA Harry's shown less and less fear to a Dementor, so it may change to something else soon.

[Lucybird]

I actually meant that this way of fighting phobias is similar to fighting a dementor... the only real difference is saying a spell rather than words connected to the memory

[Annely]

I find the pschological aspect of Dementors facinating. They make people remember and live in their worst memories. No wonder people go insane. Since they work on memories not phobias I doubt that anchoring would be applicable. Interesting thought though.

she's right though.......but I know what you mean...it's quite alike

[house elf 13]

Another psychological aspect of the dementors is their symbolisation of depression. The idea of chocolate as an antidote is partly linked to this, as chocolate is considered an effective anti-depressant due to the release of serotonin and endorphins that it causes.Indeed, I'm actually writing a psychopharmocology article about what could be used instead of chocolate when someone who is allergic to it is attacked by a dementor.