However, judging from the observation of Chen Xiaoya's sensitive state, it is now impossible to ask her directly about her mother's death, nor can she directly use the bell to test her reaction. There has to be a gradual consequence so that she does not get re-irritated during the treatment process. But in any case, in the end, if Chen Xiaoya wants to be truly treated, she can't escape the hurdle of facing fear.

Because in the process of this phobia, she has begun to learn how to avoid the things that make her fearful, but this avoidance obviously affects her daily social functioning. In psychology, behavioral cognitive therapy is the preferred method for treating such phobias, and systematic desensitization or exposure therapy to the feared environment works very well for specific phobias. In other words, the more the patient is afraid of something, the more he must be exposed to that environment. The basic principle is to eliminate the conditioned link between the object of fear and the anxious fear response, to counter the patient's avoidance response, and in the process to change his own irrational perceptions.

After thinking about it for a while, Xu Jiannan began to talk about Chen Xiaoya's father. Because Chen Xiaoya didn't mention her father much, and every time she was indifferent. This not only proves that the relationship between their father and daughter is indeed not very good, but also proves that the father will not cause irritation to Chen Xiaoya. This is the key to Xu Jianan's choice to start from this point.

When Xu Jianan asked Chen Xiaoya to talk about her father, Chen Xiaoya seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then said a little dazedly: "What is there to say...... I can't think of anything about him. ”

"Anyway, after all, we've always lived together, haven't we?" asked Xu Jianan.

Chen Xiaoya said: "After my mother died, it didn't take long for my father to find a woman who was more than ten years younger than him. He has always been the same to me, not particularly bad, not particularly good. They all said that I had a weird personality, and I lived with them, and we didn't communicate much. So...... I really don't know what to say. Chen Xiaoya looked at Xu Jiannan with some embarrassment.

Xu Jiannan didn't force her, and asked, "Does he care more about his stepmother than you?"

Chen Xiaoya thought about it for a while and said, "It should be different, after all, they are husband and wife." Sometimes, I feel like a superfluous outsider. ”

"Do you remember when your mother died?"

"I remember a little vaguely, I was still young at the time, and even if I remember, when I think back now, I don't think it's so clear. At that time, my dad would take care of my mom and take me to the hospital every few days. Next to the hospital is a church. My dad would even take me in and sit sometimes, probably there, and the quiet environment would have made him feel a little more relaxed. Chen Xiaoya said very objectively, and even added at the end: "It should be very annoying to take care of patients all the time, it's okay for a day or two, but after a long time, patience will be gone." I was too young to help and couldn't read his emotions. ”

Hearing that Chen Xiaoya could already talk about the patient's problems naturally, Xu Jiannan also asked: "How much do you still have the impression and memory of your mother?" ”

"I feel that there are many, many memories in my heart, but no matter what I recall, it is all vague. Even her face was a little blurry. Remember, but not clearly. Chen Xiaoya said truthfully.

Xu Jiannan felt that Chen Xiaoya's memory seemed to be blurred by some kind of consciousness. She seemed to think that everything was like this and answered. Either she didn't want to think about it, or the experiences really sank into her subconscious with her grief. Unlike consciousness, the memories in the subconscious are vague to the point of being somewhat mysterious. I remember them all, but I can't remember them all.

Since the "seeing" part is vague, Xu Jiannan decided to ask in a different direction.

"Were you there when your mother died?" asked Xu Jiannan cautiously tentatively.

"Yes, I was there for both days. I remember that at that time, my dad seemed to go out to fetch water and buy food. At twelve o'clock in the afternoon, my mother was talking to me, and she couldn't make a sound, and her eyes suddenly widened...... I seemed to be scared, so I covered my eyes and squatted down until my dad came back and took me out of the room. After that, I never went again, and I never saw my mom again. Chen Xiaoya said quite calmly.

However, Xu Jianan immediately grasped a key and asked: "At your age, it is normal for you to feel scared. But in such a frightened situation, do you still look at your watch and write down the time of your mother's death? If I'm not mistaken, you didn't quite understand what happened at the time, do you? Why do you remember the time so clearly, surely?"

Chen Xiaoya seemed to be a little curious about Xu Jianan's question, or rather, she didn't think too much about it for a while. So he looked at Xu Jiannan blankly for a while, and then he muttered: "I haven't looked at the watch......"

"And how do you know it's twelve o'clock?"

“……”

"Xiaoya, think about it carefully, how did you know the time at that time?" Xu Jiannan seized the opportunity to ask.

Chen Xiaoya lowered her head, thought for a while, and then said in a trembling voice: "Because...... The church bell rang at that time. The church bell rings once a day at twelve o'clock. Probably...... Probably because of this......" Chen Xiaoya's eyes began to panic, and her two hands began to clench nervously again.

Xu Jiannan finally figured out where the special fear of the "horror bell" in her phobia came from.

Seven or eight-year-old children, even when facing the people closest to them, will feel scared when their faces suddenly change. According to Chen Xiaoya, her mother's illness is not short, she is in the hospital bed day and night, and she needs to take care of herself. Especially Chen Xiaoya remembered the moment her mother breathed and suddenly opened her eyes wide. It was probably at that moment that deep fear and ignorance and nervousness filled the young heart, and at the same time the church bell rang, not a single cent, and the spiritual world from then on connected the bell and fear of that moment. After that, every time Chen Xiaoya heard a similar voice again, the fear in her subconscious would be released. By the end of the day, she couldn't remember what she was afraid of. Because as I grow up, the moment my mother dies becomes blurred, and I no longer feel as scared as I did when I was a child. This fear then becomes an inexplicable fear. The more avoidance, the more severe, the more tense, the clearer.

With such a severe phobia, it is almost impossible to socialize normally. The sensitive and fragile mind may gradually become suspicious and suspicious, so all negative thoughts gradually appear.

Xu Jiannan knew that all the fundamental fears in Chen Xiaoya had to be solved from that bell. She used the computer to find a church bell, and then patiently explained to Chen Xiaoya: "Xiaoya, you also know very well in your heart that your excessive fear is unreasonable, right? It was the fear of the moment of my mother's death, which happened to overlap with the bell at that time. When you hear the bell, even if you don't see your mother's death, your subconscious mind will magnify the fear you felt when you were seven or eight years old to a level that you can't accept at your age. You don't know what you're afraid of, but that kind of fear that you can't hide, can't control yourself, makes you helpless. So, if we are going to change your current situation, you have to face the real, normal perception forever. There is nothing terrible or capable of hurting you about the fact that the bell is in itself. The sound of a bell is just a bell, and even some of the bells are long and deep, and some are ethereal and pleasant. When you are able to rationally separate the shadow of your childhood from the ordinary bell, it will no longer be your confusion. ”

Chen Xiaoya felt frightened when she heard this, she subconsciously leaned back and asked scaredly: "That...... What do you mean?"

"I want you to confront, to be exposed to the circumstances you fear. I play the bell once, and you try to follow my guidance and change your perception of the thing itself in the bell. Xu Jiannan said as clearly as possible.

Chen Xiaoya was obviously a little flustered, she was afraid, that fear was almost equivalent to an instinct, and it was not under her control. Of course, she wanted to open her mouth to refuse Xu Jianan's terrifying treatment, but Xu Jiannan preemptively said: "Xiaoya, I will always accompany you, and I will never let you be afraid alone." It's so bad that you can't accept it at all, and I'm going to stop doing it. Don't worry, I'll be there for you all the time. ”

Chen Xiaoya seemed to have mustered up enough courage and nodded towards Xu Jianan. However, her body instinctively resisted, and there was obviously a tendency to dodge.

Xu Jiannan didn't rush to play the bell, but encouraged Chen Xiaoya again: "Xiaoya, those fears that only exist in your fantasies, if you don't face it, you can't overcome it." You have to make it clear to yourself that the bell has no power to hurt you. It's all false, it's a shadow of consciousness. I'll be with you, don't be afraid, okay? We can stop at any time in this process. ”

Chen Xiaoya's attitude is actually always eager to overcome her phobia, she is willing to become like an ordinary person, so under Xu Jianan's continuous encouragement, she finally straightened her back and said to Xu Jianan: "Doctor Xu, then do as you say." ”

Xu Jianan felt that she was probably really ready at this time, so she let her lie down on the sofa, relax her body, and then prepare to play the bell herself.