Understanding Fear

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” ~ FDR Fear is a biological reaction that can be defined as an anxious feeling that comes from expectations of an imagined event or experience. Fear is information our bodies and minds send to us to help keep us safe from dangerous situation. As we begin to understand how fear works and what it is causing the physiological reaction we can start to take control of the situation and not only overcome our fears but use them to motivate us and help us become our best selves. Our bodies experience fear in basically the same way no matter the fear inducing stimulus. How we respond to fear can be broken down into fight or flight. While this typically refers to an acute stress response it can also be used when talking about longer term fear responses. Beyond the hyperarousal or adreanal response of the sympathetic nervous system are the way we behave in fearful situations. Some people will effectively run and hide while others may even have an anger response to fearful stimuli. While not covering every possible fear, these five basic fears form the building blocks for understanding our own fears. Dr. Albrecht states that these are the only types of fears and that all fears are either subclasses under these or combinations of them. Use them to understand how you may be motivated by fear, then take control of you your fear to live your best life. Use the information from the stages of fear to not only recognize where you are but how to overcome the fear at that stage. You may even be able to help others overcome their fears by understanding where they are in the four stages and what will help them most to get through or overcome that stage. Don’t let your fears control you, learn to control yourself by understanding your own fears and how to use them to your advantage. Episode Breakdown Stages of Fear Fear in and of itself is not problematic, it’s when we allow it to gain control over us and influence our lives that it is an issue. These four stages show the progression of fear from initial concept to lasting effects. Imagination Fear starts in your own imagination, when you have exaggerated expectations of the outcomes of something. It’s one thing to prepare for the worst case, fear starts to take hold when you begin to expect the worst case in all situations. Fear is designed as a protective warning, however it becomes a problem when you let your imagination get ahead of real life events. To avoid letting fear progress allow yourself to imagine or think of the worst case, then focus on how you will handle the situation. Don’t ruminate on the problem, look to the solution. Fear Fear comes in two separate yet intertwined forms, mental and physical. Imagination is the initiation of fear, but the next mental step is rumination which creates a negative feedback loop that prevents you from thinking in realistic terms. Physically it can manifest as rapid heart and respiratory rate, shakiness or jitters, and tightening of the vocal cords to create a higher pitch in your voice. This is the point where relaxation and mindfulness techniques come into play. It is amazing how you can affect your thought process by gaining control of your physical responses such as lowering your heart rate through meditation. Paralysis and Acceleration Hyper-focusing on the feeling of fear or the physical manifestations leads to paralysis and acceleration of those feelings. This is what FDR meant when he was talking about fear being the only thing to fear, the paralysis that comes from fear or the inability to do anything about it. On the other side of the spectrum,