Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death

Jérôme Alric; Bénézech Jean-Pierre

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

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Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death

Jérôme Alric, Bénézech Jean-Pierre

Published in American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Volume 6, Issue 3)

Received: 19 June 2018 Accepted: 24 July 2018 Published: 28 August 2018

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Abstract

Today within the sphere of chronic pain, the mechanism of fear avoidance is a well-known concept that has been substantiated through international literature in the field. As patients believe that work and physical activity will aggravate their pain, the logical response is to progressively implement avoidance strategies for particular physical movements. This will thus tend to perpetuate a feedback loop: pain - non-confrontation - weakening - pain. In this article, we aim to show that this concept is transferable to the field of serious illness and palliative care, even if the term is used differently on a therapeutic level. The idea of avoidance here relates to death and can be defined in the following way: fear of death/distress - non-confrontation regarding death – life/death instinct ambivalence. Because of this psychological life-saving mechanism, the subject who is ill remains in the stage of life/death instinct ambivalence, in other words, living. The implications of this model for clinical practice are completely new, whether applied at the moment of diagnosis, during the psychological experience that accompanies the illness or even in the aforementioned final phase of life. the mechanism of fear avoidance represents a real life-saving defence, whether from the moment of diagnosis of serious illness, during the psychological process that accompanies the illness, or in the final moment of death, allows the patient to die, psychologically speaking, more comfortably.

Published in	American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience (Volume 6, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
Page(s)	61-66
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Diagnosis, Delirium, Fear Avoidance, Defence Mechanism, Palliative Care

References

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[3]	Alric J. End of life & Psychoanalysis Death threat and return to desire (Only in French) Fin de vie & Psychanalyse Menace de disparition et relance désirante Montpellier Sauramps Médical 2016.
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[9]	Andersen TE, Karstoft KI, Brink O, Elklit A. Pain-catastrophizing and fear-avoidance beliefs as mediators between post-traumatic stress symptoms and pain following whiplash injury A prospective cohort study Eur J Pain 2016; 20: 1241-52.
[10]	Jay K, Brandt M, Jakobsen MD, Sundstrup E, Berthelsen KG, Schraefel M, Sjøgaard G, Andersen LL. Ten weeks of physical-cognitive-mindfulness training reduces fear-avoidance beliefs about work-related activity: Randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore) 2016 Aug; 95 (34): e3945. Doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000003945.
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[12]	Alric J. The appeal to the eternity in the psychic life The death is not in confrontation (Only in French) Alric J & Bénézech JP. La mort ne s’affronte pas…! Montpellier Sauramps Médical 2011 59-69.
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[14]	Alric J. I am going to live just like that The psychic sufferings of the sick of the cancer: How to recognize them, how treat them? (Only in French) Dudoit E & Ben Soussan P. Les souffrances psychiques des malades du cancer. Comment les reconnaître, comment les traiter? Paris: Springer-Verlag 2009: 35-39.
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[20]	Alric J. Thaveau L. & all. Of already there of the death in the disappearance of the finiteness Psychoanalytic approch in oncology (Only in French) Etudes sur la mort, Thanathologie Les fins de vie Paris: Esprit de temps 2010/2: 30.
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APA Style

Jérôme Alric, Bénézech Jean-Pierre. (2018). Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 6(3), 61-66. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

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ACS Style

Jérôme Alric; Bénézech Jean-Pierre. Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. Am. J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 2018, 6(3), 61-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

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AMA Style

Jérôme Alric, Bénézech Jean-Pierre. Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. Am J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2018;6(3):61-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12,
  author = {Jérôme Alric and Bénézech Jean-Pierre},
  title = {Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death},
  journal = {American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience},
  volume = {6},
  number = {3},
  pages = {61-66},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  abstract = {Today within the sphere of chronic pain, the mechanism of fear avoidance is a well-known concept that has been substantiated through international literature in the field. As patients believe that work and physical activity will aggravate their pain, the logical response is to progressively implement avoidance strategies for particular physical movements. This will thus tend to perpetuate a feedback loop: pain - non-confrontation - weakening - pain. In this article, we aim to show that this concept is transferable to the field of serious illness and palliative care, even if the term is used differently on a therapeutic level. The idea of avoidance here relates to death and can be defined in the following way: fear of death/distress - non-confrontation regarding death – life/death instinct ambivalence. Because of this psychological life-saving mechanism, the subject who is ill remains in the stage of life/death instinct ambivalence, in other words, living. The implications of this model for clinical practice are completely new, whether applied at the moment of diagnosis, during the psychological experience that accompanies the illness or even in the aforementioned final phase of life. the mechanism of fear avoidance represents a real life-saving defence, whether from the moment of diagnosis of serious illness, during the psychological process that accompanies the illness, or in the final moment of death, allows the patient to die, psychologically speaking, more comfortably.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death
AU  - Jérôme Alric
AU  - Bénézech Jean-Pierre
Y1  - 2018/08/28
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
T2  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JF  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
SP  - 61
EP  - 66
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-426X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
AB  - Today within the sphere of chronic pain, the mechanism of fear avoidance is a well-known concept that has been substantiated through international literature in the field. As patients believe that work and physical activity will aggravate their pain, the logical response is to progressively implement avoidance strategies for particular physical movements. This will thus tend to perpetuate a feedback loop: pain - non-confrontation - weakening - pain. In this article, we aim to show that this concept is transferable to the field of serious illness and palliative care, even if the term is used differently on a therapeutic level. The idea of avoidance here relates to death and can be defined in the following way: fear of death/distress - non-confrontation regarding death – life/death instinct ambivalence. Because of this psychological life-saving mechanism, the subject who is ill remains in the stage of life/death instinct ambivalence, in other words, living. The implications of this model for clinical practice are completely new, whether applied at the moment of diagnosis, during the psychological experience that accompanies the illness or even in the aforementioned final phase of life. the mechanism of fear avoidance represents a real life-saving defence, whether from the moment of diagnosis of serious illness, during the psychological process that accompanies the illness, or in the final moment of death, allows the patient to die, psychologically speaking, more comfortably.
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Jérôme Alric
Bénézech Jean-Pierre

Department of Palliative Care, University Center Hospital, Montpellier, France

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Jérôme Alric, Bénézech Jean-Pierre. (2018). Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 6(3), 61-66. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

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ACS Style

Jérôme Alric; Bénézech Jean-Pierre. Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. Am. J. Psychiatry Neurosci. 2018, 6(3), 61-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Jérôme Alric, Bénézech Jean-Pierre. Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death. Am J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2018;6(3):61-66. doi: 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12,
  author = {Jérôme Alric and Bénézech Jean-Pierre},
  title = {Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death},
  journal = {American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience},
  volume = {6},
  number = {3},
  pages = {61-66},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajpn.20180603.12},
  abstract = {Today within the sphere of chronic pain, the mechanism of fear avoidance is a well-known concept that has been substantiated through international literature in the field. As patients believe that work and physical activity will aggravate their pain, the logical response is to progressively implement avoidance strategies for particular physical movements. This will thus tend to perpetuate a feedback loop: pain - non-confrontation - weakening - pain. In this article, we aim to show that this concept is transferable to the field of serious illness and palliative care, even if the term is used differently on a therapeutic level. The idea of avoidance here relates to death and can be defined in the following way: fear of death/distress - non-confrontation regarding death – life/death instinct ambivalence. Because of this psychological life-saving mechanism, the subject who is ill remains in the stage of life/death instinct ambivalence, in other words, living. The implications of this model for clinical practice are completely new, whether applied at the moment of diagnosis, during the psychological experience that accompanies the illness or even in the aforementioned final phase of life. the mechanism of fear avoidance represents a real life-saving defence, whether from the moment of diagnosis of serious illness, during the psychological process that accompanies the illness, or in the final moment of death, allows the patient to die, psychologically speaking, more comfortably.},
 year = {2018}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Fear Avoidance as the Body’s Defence Mechanism for Death
AU  - Jérôme Alric
AU  - Bénézech Jean-Pierre
Y1  - 2018/08/28
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
T2  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JF  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO  - American Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
SP  - 61
EP  - 66
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-426X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajpn.20180603.12
AB  - Today within the sphere of chronic pain, the mechanism of fear avoidance is a well-known concept that has been substantiated through international literature in the field. As patients believe that work and physical activity will aggravate their pain, the logical response is to progressively implement avoidance strategies for particular physical movements. This will thus tend to perpetuate a feedback loop: pain - non-confrontation - weakening - pain. In this article, we aim to show that this concept is transferable to the field of serious illness and palliative care, even if the term is used differently on a therapeutic level. The idea of avoidance here relates to death and can be defined in the following way: fear of death/distress - non-confrontation regarding death – life/death instinct ambivalence. Because of this psychological life-saving mechanism, the subject who is ill remains in the stage of life/death instinct ambivalence, in other words, living. The implications of this model for clinical practice are completely new, whether applied at the moment of diagnosis, during the psychological experience that accompanies the illness or even in the aforementioned final phase of life. the mechanism of fear avoidance represents a real life-saving defence, whether from the moment of diagnosis of serious illness, during the psychological process that accompanies the illness, or in the final moment of death, allows the patient to die, psychologically speaking, more comfortably.
VL  - 6
IS  - 3
ER  -

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