Understanding Fear

People can have a fear of anything, the noun of Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger pain or harm.

The verb of fear is to be found in someone when something is likely to be dangerous, painful or harmful.

Fear can be an acronym:

F = False or Forget
E = Evidence or Everything
A = Appearing or And
R = Real or Run

So, fear is an emotional response to a perceived threat, which causes changes in your brain functions as well as changes in your behaviour.
Fear can lead people to hide or run away, or to freeze on the spot and different people react in different ways. Fear can also arise from confrontation or from avoiding a threat or a discovery. Fear in some people can be crippling by preventing them from leading a normal life.

Fear can be healthy.

The feeling of fearfulness is not a sign of weakness nor is it abnormal to feel fear. Scientists have discovered, if we don’t have fear in part of our brain it is not functioning correctly and could be a major sign of brain damage.

Fear can come in many disguises.

Fear can come in many forms from mild to paralysing.

Going to have a medical check-up or dental check-up can cause fear in some people. Hearing news of a deadly terrorist attack or an horrific event can leave a permanent mark on your brain’s neuronetwork, which could require professional help. Fear can seriously affect your mental health.

Fear is not as automatic as you think.

Fear is programmed into us by ourselves and others, so some of it is instinct; some learnt and some taught. If we are in pain for example it can cause fear due to our impulse for survival. Other fears are learnt; we learn to be afraid of certain people, places or situations because of negative associations and past experiences. I remember a certain teacher at middle school and dreading being in that teachers’ class.

A fear of water for instance could mean that you were close to drowning.

You don’t need to be in danger to be scared.

Fear can be imagined from something scary. In fact, your brain is amazingly clever. You begin to imagine a fear of stimulus, known as conditional fear. This stimulus, which is not even present, creates something known as anticipating anxiety. We get scared and we get frightened because we imagine what could happen. Some neuroscientists claim that humans are the most fearful creatures on the planet because we can learn things that create fear in our minds. Unfortunately, this can lead to chronic anxiety, and in some people, this can be debilitating.

Good news is that if your mind has created it, with the right help you can recover from it I believe, but always check with your GP and if you are under a Medical Practitioner please let them know you are seeking alternative therapy – and visa versa for your therapist or coach.