Fear

Today we bring you something about another emotion that we all know well – and that is fear.

All of us have a few things we fear – some of us more, some less.

Fear is an uncomfortable feeling that occurs when we are exposed to a person, event, or object that we considered threatening. The object of our fear can be a living person, an animal, a situation, a sound or even some smells, imaginary things like ghosts, monsters or some terrible situations we have or could be in.

So, when we talk about fear, we mean that there is some kind of object, what we are afraid of, which causes us a state of discomfort. This can sometimes occur even though we are not exposed to a specific object that caused that fear which can lead to uncomfortable states of anxiety, dread, and feelings of anxiety.

Therefore, most of us do not consider fear as something “good” or beneficial. However, fear also has its positive side! It is an evolutionary important emotion that helped us to survive. Imagine that you have a flame of fire in front of you. You have learned that fire can burn you and because of that you can feel a certain level of fear when you are near it. Maybe you have already burned yourself so you are afraid of pain that comes with it. This is a simple example of how feeling of fear protects us from situations that could be threatening to us.

We can often feel fear in our bodies. When we are afraid, we may experience physical reactions such as rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, instability and tremors, sweating of the palms and soles, dilated pupils, etc. These physiological reactions play an important role when we are exposed to the objects of our fears, by helping to prepare our bodies to face possible threat.

Moreover, fear is not only experienced by humans – but also by animals. In a small mouse that sees a cat in the distance, a feeling of fear will appear, as a kind of a warning sign that will encourage him to hide from that cat, run away or stay in place and not move so that the cat does not know where he is. The emotion of fear therefore signals us the vicinity of potential threat that prompts us to react – face or fight the object of fear, escape from it, or to freeze in place. Each of these behaviors is actually a behavioral component of feeling of fear. So, to be afraid means to notice the world around you, to take it into account and to act accordingly.

Fear is also one of the primary emotions that protects us and occurs from very early age. Fear reactions can occur even at the age of six months. First fears that appear is typically fear of strangers. Then, in the preschool age, the most common are the fears of imaginary beings, such as fears of dragons, ghosts, witches or monsters, as well as fears of the dark. Then, at the school-age some social fears can appear, while fear of accidents, natural disasters and some social situations are common in adolescence.

Although fear is a completely normal phenomenon in humans, it sometimes prevents us from functioning normally. Some fears can be persistent, exaggerated, even irrational, which we usually call phobias. In any case, if you are afraid of something so often and intensely, and you know that fear is not rational, overpowers you and interferes with your daily life – we encourage you to seek professional help.

Surely someone has told you this sentence at least once in your life: “You have nothing to fear!” However, while that sentence can sometimes help and calm us, it can also act as if a person is not acknowledging our feelings. Therefore, instead of saying that sentence to someone who is afraid, especially if it is a child, it is necessary to let him/her know that we care about their feelings, notice them and respect them as such. It is important to name what they are afraid of, and then, without trying to reduce or increase it, help this person to see how can they overcome it, that they are safe, that you are here to help them. It’s also helpful to remember how all feelings pass over time, even though it may not seem that way because it can sometimes feel too hard for us or that we can’t take it anymore.

So know that, although fear is an uncomfortable feeling, it is a normal occurrence. We all have feel it from time to time and it is extremely important to us for survival, participation in our social groups and many other aspects of our lives. If we are afraid of something, it does not mean that we are worth less or that we are weak. This means that we are aware of potential threatening circumstances, we respect them and act accordingly.

So today we would like to encourage you to think about your fear – get to know it better! When was the last time you felt it? What were you afraid of? What were you thoughts in that moment? Have you felt it in your body? Have you felt it in your head, chest, stomach or maybe your legs? And lastly, think about what can you do in the future when you feel fear in similar situation to prevent it to overpower you and make yourself feel better.

Center Luka Ritz