Table of contents:
- What is fear?
- How does fear arise in a person?
- Physical response to fear
- Emotional response to fear
- Common symptoms experienced when feeling scared
- How do you deal with fear?
- Distract yourself
- Trying to breathe regularly
- Face your fears
- Think positive things
- Confide in other people
- Reward yourself
Whether it's a ghost from a horror movie or a disgusting cockroach, everyone is afraid. This fear is a natural thing, and everyone usually has different triggers. However, have you ever thought, how can this fear arise and how to overcome it?
What is fear?
Fear is one of the most basic and powerful types of human emotions. These emotions can be devastating, but they also play an important role in human survival. In fact, fear is needed to protect everyone. These feelings alert you to situations that are perceived as dangerous and prepare you for them.
This situation can take the form of an emergency physical event, such as being caught in a fire, being on a cliff, and so on. However, it can also come from situations that are not life threatening, such as an exam, public speaking, dating for the first time, watching a horror film, or attending a party.
In this condition, the fear you feel is a normal and normal body response. This response can lead to a variety of physical and mental changes, which can be mild or moderate.
However, it can also be irrational and intense, which can interfere with your happiness and sense of security, negatively impacting your daily life. In this condition, the fear you experience can be a symptom of certain mental disorders, such as panic attacks, phobias, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
How does fear arise in a person?
Everyone has different causes or triggers for fear. These feelings can arise as a result of past experiences or trauma, but they can also exist on their own without being noticed. There are some common triggers for fear, such as:
- Certain objects, such as insects or snakes.
- Certain situations, such as being alone, being at a height, violence or war, fear of failure, fear of rejection, and so on.
- The events envisioned.
- Upcoming events.
- Environmental hazards.
Once this trigger appears, a person's body responds to it in two ways, namely physically and emotionally. Here is the explanation:
Physical response to fear
A person's response to danger generally involves many different areas of the brain. However, reported by Northwestern Medicine, various studies have identified that the amygdala is a part of the brain that plays a major role in processing fear.
When a person is faced with fear, the amygdala activates the nervous system and sends stimulating signals to other areas of the brain to be more alert. This area of the brain includes the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which work together to initiate a response fight-or-flight.
Response fight-or-flight this is what serves to protect or save you if there is a real threat or danger. You may be prepared to fight a danger that scares you (fight) or running away from the threat (flight).
Response fight-or-flightThis also includes telling certain organs, such as the heart, lungs, and adrenal glands, to work faster. You may experience a faster heart rate, shortness of breath, and a stress response due to the adrenal glands releasing the hormone adrenaline.
At the same time, your brain is telling other parts of the body to slow down. For example, when you are afraid, the digestive organs will slow down their work. This condition helps your body to save energy because the safety process is being a priority.
Body responsefight-or-flightthese will remain until the brain receives a signal to stop the response. As soon as the brain thinks that this threat is gone or that it is not a danger to worry about, react fight-or-flightwill be turned off. All these processes take place in seconds.
Emotional response to fear
On the other hand, the emotional response to fear can vary from person to person. However, this emotional response also involves several chemical reactions in the brain.
For some people, fear can be seen as a scary situation. You may run away or run away with the emotional situation you are feeling.
However, on the other hand, there are some people who find fear fun, like when you watch a horror movie or walk into a haunted house. Even though they know that this is something scary, your brain sends the message that this is not real. So, even though they are afraid, they will still watch horror movies or enter the haunted house.
Common symptoms experienced when feeling scared
When feeling scared, there are a number of physical and emotional symptoms or changes that will generally appear. Symptoms that appear can be different for each person because the resulting response is not always the same. In general, here are some of the most common symptoms of fear:
- Irregular heartbeat or feeling fast.
- Shortness of breath.
- Quick sweating or excessive sweating, including hot or cold sweats.
- Stomach ache.
- Headache.
- Nausea.
- Dizziness or fainting.
- Tense, twitch, or trembling muscles.
- Stutter.
- Inability to move in place or temporary paralysis.
- Difficulty concentrating on anything else.
- Dry mouth.
- Loss of appetite.
- Can not sleep.
- Cry.
How do you deal with fear?
Fear can completely paralyze you and can be dangerous to your health if it is prolonged or extreme. However, these feelings can also be beneficial, such as raising awareness and sharpening your thinking. If used properly, it can help overcome obstacles in everyday life.
However, fear that often appears suddenly can sometimes keep you from moving. You may be confused about what to do so that this feeling will continue to haunt you. To help you get rid of this fear, here are some ways you can do it:
When fear strikes, it is impossible to think straight. Therefore, the first thing you should do is rest and take some time to calm down physically. Distract yourself by taking a walk, showering, drinking a cup of tea, or other relaxing activity.
If your breath starts to beat faster or is short of breath, you shouldn't fight back. Instead, place your palms on your stomach and breathe in slowly and deeply. This can help calm your mind and get you into the habit of dealing with your fear.
Avoiding triggers that scare you will only increase your fear. Therefore, try to deal with these triggers so that these unwanted feelings will fade away. If you dare not fly on a plane, never avoid it. Try getting on the plane again at the next opportunity until the taste fades.
You can also close your eyes and think about positive things, such as imagining activities or places that make you happy, so that you feel more relaxed. For example, imagining walking on a beautiful beach or sweet memories from childhood.
Sharing your feelings with others can help you get over your fear. You can tell it to your partner, friends, or family members.
It doesn't hurt to treat yourself to things you enjoy, like buying books, eating out at restaurants, or other small gifts. This can make you feel happier.
Don't forget to always look for healthy ways to get rid of this fear. Avoid excessive alcohol consumption or smoking as this can damage your body and make you feel more afraid. Instead, adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy and nutritious foods and exercising regularly.
If this feeling persists or gets worse, you can check with a doctor or mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, to get a proper diagnosis. In some situations, your excessive fear can be a sign that you have mental health problems. In this condition, psychotherapy or drugs may be a treatment option for you.
