Psychology Facts

▼ Fear ▼

》Psychologists characterize fear as a primal, protective emotion that triggers both biochemical and emotional reactions. It serves to alert us to the presence of danger or the potential for harm, whether physical or psychological. While the biochemical changes associated with fear are consistent across individuals, emotional responses can vary significantly from person to person.

》There are three types of fear :

Rational fears: occur where there is a real, imminent threat. If someone is brandishing a knife at you, the fear of being stabbed is a rational fear. Fear of death is rational. On a less extreme note, losing a child in a very crowded venue is a rational fear. You will not find an escape game that uses rational fear to scare you, because that would mean you are in genuine danger.

Primal fear: is defined as an innate fear that is programmed into our brains. These are fears like arachnophobia (fear of spiders) or ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). They are natural fears because of human evolution. A human that was afraid of snakes was less likely to be bitten by one than the human who wasn't, therefore humans with a healthy fear had a higher survival rate.

Irrational fears: are the ones that don't make logical sense and can vary greatly from person to person. One half of your brain is scared, and the other half doesn't understand why. These are fears like coulrophobia (fear of clowns) and phasmophobia (fear of ghosts).

》The ability to experience fear is a fundamental aspect of normal brain function. In fact, a deficiency in fear response may indicate serious brain damage.

》Fear can also manifest as a symptom of various mental health conditions, such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

》The physical response to fear is commonly known as the fight or flight response, where the body prepares to either confront the danger or flee from it. This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary adaptation, serving as an automatic response essential for survival.

》The emotional response to fear is highly individualized. Due to the involvement of similar chemical reactions in the brain as those associated with positive emotions like happiness and excitement, feeling fear in certain situations can be interpreted as enjoyable. For instance, watching scary movies can evoke feelings of fear that some people find entertaining.

》In fight or flight mode, your brain is preparing for a physical response.

Fight. When your body feels that it is in danger and believes you can overpower the threat, you'll respond in fight mode. Your brain releases signals to your body, preparing it for the physical demands of fighting.

Signs of a fight response include:

Tight jaw
Grinding your teeth
Urge to punch something or someone
A feeling of intense anger
Need to stomp or kick
Crying in anger
A burning or knotted sensation in your stomach
Attacking the source of danger

Flight. If your body believes you cannot overcome the danger but can avoid it by running away, you'll respond in flight mode. A surge of hormones, like adrenaline, give your body the stamina to run from danger longer than you typically could.

Signs of a flight response include:

Excessive exercising
Feeling fidgety, tense, or trapped
Constantly moving your legs, feet, and arms
Restless body
Feeling of numbness in your arms and legs
Dilated, darting eyes

Freeze and fawn are also stress responses that don't involve decisive actions.

Freeze. This stress response causes you to feel stuck in place. This response happens when your body doesn't think you can fight or flight.

Signs of the freeze response include:

Sense of dread
Pale skin
Feeling stiff, heavy, cold, and numb
Loud, pounding heart
Decreasing heart rate

Fawn. This response is used after an unsuccessful fight, flight, or freeze attempt. The fawn response occurs primarily in people who grew up in abusive families or situations.

Signs of a fawn response include:

Over-agreement
Trying to be overly helpful
Primary concern with making someone else happy

》Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person experiences fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:

Chest pain
Chills
Dry mouth
Nausea
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Trembling
Upset stomach

》Some of the anxiety disorders that are characterized by fear include:

Agoraphobia
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Separation anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Specific phobia

》Fear is a complex interplay of instinctual, learned, and taught responses.

Instinctive fears, such as the fear of pain, are rooted in their implications for survival. Meanwhile, learned fears develop as a result of negative associations and past experiences, causing individuals to become afraid of specific people, places, or situations.

》Through a process known as potentiation, your fear response can be heightened when you are already in a state of fear. When primed for fear, even innocuous events can seem terrifying. For example, while watching a documentary about venomous spiders, a simple tickle on your neck caused by a loose thread in your sweater might startle you and prompt you to jump out of your seat in terror.