Have you ever questioned your own sanity? Maybe you’re feeling pushed to the brink and thought I can’t take anymore; this is going to drive me insane. Maybe in these moments you wondered if you could lose your mind and do something horrible that you later regret. Or you’re so overcome with intense emotions, like anger or frustration, that you’re afraid you’re going to lose control. A fear of losing control can overtake us in many unexpected ways.

Take, for example, an experience that I often have when standing close to a balcony railing in a high-rise building. (I’m sure you can relate to this or a similar experience.) As I grip the railing and look down, I have a powerful impulse to jump. Not that I want to jump. On the contrary, the idea of leaping over the railing fills me with horror. Suicide is the furthest thing from my mind. Instead, what is most disturbing is the question: could I snap, lose all self-control, and hurl myself over the railing to a sudden death? At this moment, I experience a “pang of fear” with the thought, “How can........

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