Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 80: Combating Fear Through Relaxation
"Inhale longer and more gently; exhale faster and more forcefully."

"Inhale—, exhale, inhale—, exhale, inhale—"

"Very good. Now exhale more gently and slowly, but still maintain a faster pace than your inhalation."

"Inhale—, exhale… inhale—, exhale…"

Accompanied by rhythmic sounds, Chen Ting's body, which had been tense from recalling the terrifying events, began to relax.

Visibly, her brows gradually relaxed.

"Now, let your attention follow my guidance and feel the changes in your body."

"First, the arms."

As Nan Zhuren spoke, Chen Ting's fingers, which had been twitching slightly, began to weaken within ten seconds until they stopped moving completely, entering a state resembling sleep.

"Then, the head."

"trunk."

Finally, the legs.

This is not hypnosis, but a special state of meditation.

Even in this state, Chen Ting remained conscious.

However, they will become easier to guide, more likely to have divergent thinking, and more likely to have their thoughts constructed by Nan Zhuren's subsequent words, thus creating a sense of empathy.

The relaxation step is now complete.

The next step is the second step in desensitization – imagery desensitization.

Nan Zhuren looked at the paper marked with "one," symbolizing the lowest level, but still capable of terrifying Chen Ting.

"Now, you are at home, at the dining table."

"In front of me are broccoli stir-fried with shrimp, steamed fish, bamboo shoot stir-fried with pork, and tomato and egg."

"Some of them you like, and some you don't. But because they are very nutritious, you eat them all. Over time, your mother has come to believe that these are the foods you like, so she often makes them."

"You're eating now."

Chen Ting pursed her lips and made a swallowing motion.

Then, Nan Zhuren lowered his voice.

This time, the goal wasn't to calm emotions, but to incite them.

He used a slightly intimidating tone to say, "Tingting, have you been getting along well with Teacher Wang at school lately?"

It was visibly clear that Chen Ting's body tensed up immediately.

Nan Zhuren continued, "Teacher Wang called me recently and said that you've been slacking off in your studies lately and aren't as motivated as you were before the college entrance exam."

"Of course, Mom and Dad understand. It's natural to want to relax after the college entrance exam, and Mom supports whatever you're thinking. But we can't let our guard down for too long. After all, we still need to keep working hard in university, and studying is always the top priority."

"If you encounter any difficulties, just go to Teacher Wang. Your parents can't take good care of you at school, so you should try to get along well with Teacher Wang..."

Chen Ting pursed her lips, her breathing becoming rapid.

Seeing this, Nan Zhuren knew the time was right and finally stopped talking.

The Level 1 horrific incidents have come to an end.

In this level, Chen Ting wrote, "I feel unsafe anywhere. Even after escaping home, my mother still forces me to get along well with Wang An. I can't relax for a moment."

Seeing that Chen Ting had already become immersed in the scenario and begun to experience anxiety and terror, Nan Zhuren quickly began the next step of guidance.

“Chen Ting, now we’re entering a more difficult phase—I need you to continue experiencing the situation in your mind, but your body should remain the same as before, breathing deeply in rhythm with me.” “Inhale longer and more lightly; exhale faster and more heavily.”

"Inhale—, exhale, inhale—, exhale, inhale—"

……

The basic principles of systematic desensitization are reciprocal inhibition and counterconditioning.

For example, whenever Chen Ting thinks of anything related to Wang An, she will reflexively experience abnormal reactions such as muscle tension, sweating, and anxiety.

These conditioned reflexes acted as a protective mechanism when Chen Ting was in the situation with Wang An, but if they persisted after the event, they would cause significant problems.

Like retired frontline soldiers, due to prolonged periods of heightened alertness, even the slightest sound of a car passing by outside their house in the middle of the night can startle them awake, and the sight of a round object falling to the ground will cause them to instinctively lie down. While these qualities might increase a soldier's survival rate on the battlefield, they can cause significant disruption to daily life. Maintaining such a state of alertness for extended periods can also lead to exhaustion and other health problems.

At this moment, what Nan Zhuren was doing was to trigger Chen Ting's conditioned reflex. When Chen Ting subconsciously tensed up, he would then artificially guide her to relax and counteract the tension and fear caused by the conditioned reflex.

"Very good. Now exhale more gently and slowly, but still maintain a faster pace than your inhalation."

"Inhale—, exhale… inhale—, exhale…"

"Very good," Nan Zhuren encouraged.

With Nan Zhuren's guidance, Chen Ting's breathing gradually calmed down, and her brows relaxed.

Nan Zhuren glanced at the wall clock. After Chen Ting maintained this state for about 30 seconds, she suddenly raised the volume to a level higher than normal.

"Okay, let's open our eyes."

The voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a resounding bell, instantly pulling Chen Ting out of her reverie.

Nan Zhuren asked, "Are you alright?"

Chen Ting blinked: "It's alright."

“We now categorize fear into levels—level 6 is when you’re so terrified you’re almost fainting, and level 1 is when you’re not afraid at all,” Nan Zhuren said. “What level of fear did you just experience?”

Chen Ting didn't think for long before replying, "It's almost level 2, I guess. It's not that I don't feel anything, but I'm not scared anymore. I just feel more disgusted."

Nan Zhuren wrote "Level 1" on the piece of paper in front of him.

In fact, Chen Ting's physical reaction just now contained an element of "fear," which is not consistent with her subjective feeling that she was "not afraid anymore."

After Nan Zhuren's micro-expression analysis, it became clear that Chen Ting wasn't lying or putting on a brave face; she genuinely wasn't afraid.

This is a conditioned reflex that Chen Ting has developed in her body, but she herself is not yet aware of it.

Therefore, systematic desensitization therapy is needed to make it effective.

“Let’s take a break, and then we’ll try the next level of scenarios.”

Chen Ting was eager to try: "I can do it right now."

Nan Zhuren smiled and shook his head, but waited a while longer.

The next level is "Mingming had already been admitted to Jiangda University and thought she had completely gotten rid of Wang An, but her mother invited Wang An back again."

"Inhale longer and more gently; exhale faster and more forcefully."

"Inhale—, exhale, inhale—, exhale, inhale—"

The second "imagery desensitization" session lasted slightly longer than the first, which was 30 seconds, but now it has been extended to 1 minute.

The progress is encouraging.

　The first case is about to end.

　　What do you guys think the protagonist's new psychological cheat code should be like?
　　
　
(End of this chapter)