Remember Me
forgot your password?

The Word: Fear

Myrmecophobia, phalacrophobia, hobophobia, acrophobia, pentheraphobia, hypengyophobia, venustraphobia, ailurophobia, gamophobia, ophidiophobia, arachnophobia, hydrophobia, alektorophobia, philophobia, logophobia and testophobia*. Do you have these symptoms for any of these? If you do, you are likely to be a normal human.

Fear is a common and dictating aspect of human behaviour. It is such a common reality to be afraid, that we have literally hundreds of words describing a particular fear which someone has reported suffering from. There are enough words to create a Phobia Dictionary. In this article, we will analyse the underpinnings of fear, an impressive (and often disconcerting) human emotion.

What is Fear?

Fear is mainly a physical response. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system in the human brain is loaded with dopamine and adrenaline, which are chemical messengers from the body. In a 'danger situation', the HPA releases these messengers along with a hormone (cortisol) which in turn activates the amygdala (an area of the brain responsible for emotional responses, including fear conditioning). This reaction results in increased blood pressure, sugar availability, and an energy boost that allows humans to perform quite amazing displays of strength, reaction, and awareness in confrontational situations.

Because these chemical reactions occur before we have had the opportunity to consciously interpret the event, at times it can negatively impact upon our life. For instance, you may be walking in a dark street at night, and hear a loud noise. Before you actually evaluate the situation and assess the danger, your brain will access data from the hippocampus (brain area responsible for memory) and determine instant readiness to the situation. In this scenario, you may take an impulsive move, or make a bad decision. Thus, fear is seen (particularly by males) as a sign of weakness and a negative trait.

The Foundations of Fear

The causes of fear can vary to a surprising extent. They may be originated from a stress response which is related to a traumatic event from the individual's past; it can be a socially-motivated fear; or it can be a biologically-induced one. An example of a traumatic event would include a stressor, which is mainly a noise or image associated to an event that has incurred a personal trauma. Thus, people who are afraid of snakes will usually react with fear when they hear a noise which resembles a snake (naturally this interpretation will depend on the context).

A socially-motivated fear can be caused by a relationship between an event and its outcome. For instance, during the 19th Century in Britain, dying poor and helpless, was considered one of the most common fears. Early in the 20th Century, this shifted to the fear of being buried alive. During the 1st World War, bombs were much more 'scary' than during the 2nd World War.

Finally, biologically-induced fear refers to predispositions in our genes, due to evolution, which makes us prone to fear something. There have been studies which relate xenophobia and racism to behaviour from the Stone Age period, explaining why people naturally tend to shun outsiders.

Fear Counselling

As we've previously stated, fear seems to be a negative trait perceived from the eyes of common sense. But is it really? Although we cannot change the way our body physically responds to a threat, we can change the way we emotionally respond to our body. This becomes a strategy to avoid trauma, distress and bad decision-making when faced with the adrenalin pump that fear creates.

The basis of exploring the positive side of fear is changing conditioned behaviour. The inability to react positively in a state of fear is due to a memory associative process, in which the individual cannot see past negative outcomes which could occur. For example, a person who has a fear of heights will not be able to climb a tree because they will constantly enforce the idea of free-falling and getting badly hurt (or even dying). The problem is not in the sensation of fear, but in the association of the emotion and a negative outcome.

Cognitive restructuring techniques such as Thought Stopping and Rational Emotive Therapy are common methods used by counsellors to alleviate fears and barriers. Creating awareness and willingness to change is a crucial part of the counselling process, and can determine the turning point for the client - the moment of surpassing fears, and approaching success.

* Fear of... ants, becoming old, beggars, heights, mother-in-law, responsibility, beautiful women, cats, marriage, snakes, spiders, water, chickens, falling in love, words and taking tests.

Subscribe to our FREE eZine.

Pedro Gondim

Pedro Gondim is a writer and publisher for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. The Institute is Australia's largest counsellor training provider, offering the internationally renowned Diploma of Professional Counselling. For more information, visit www.aipc.net.au/lz.

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/psychology-articles/the-word-fear-139866.html
Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Psychology Articles
  • More from Pedro Gondim

Connection vs. Separation in Personal Growth

By: Kate Siner Francis PhD | 03/07/2009
When we understand that we are not separate from our wants and needs, we are able to be more competently and confidently create what we most deeply want. Many of us have adopted a separatist view of our experience, when we could be better served by a holistic view. A shift from one view to another can be very helpful in advancing our personal growth.

GREED is GOOD

By: Amit Kumar | 03/07/2009
Gandhi once said "Mother Earth has enough to fulfill the need of everybody, but doesn't have enough to satisfy the greed of a single person". The article looks into the battle of ideas that whether greed is really that bad?

RISE ABOVE WORLDLY THINGS

By: Keay! | 02/07/2009
We have have character indeed,but how to live a quality life is measured by the quality of character we possess.We cannot compromise ethics and morals just because of circumstances we face.

Control your anger before it controls you

By: control902 | 30/06/2009
it talks about how to control your anger very easily.

Psychic Readings and Consultation

By: Bret Mark | 30/06/2009
The usual way of people availing of the gifts and the services of psychics is through readings based on consultations. Previously these consultations were performed personally and the psychic and the subject went face to face. In today’s busy world it’s not always possible to get time to meet personally. Of course you can still do that, but the phone and the internet have also become available for your convenience and for the saving of precious time.

The Power to Win First Time Every Time

By: Andre Zizi | 30/06/2009
Life must be a daring adventure or nothing else Make your life daring and see the magic of success unfolds before you Act as a child, rejoice in your success, expect it, and celebrate it before it happens.

Self Concepts Good-Bad

By: Gin G. | 29/06/2009
Learning to identify and overcome poor self-esteem and improve our self-image.

Michael Jackson, Peter Pan Syndrome and Living Forever

By: Robert Levin | 29/06/2009
I was a huge fan of Michael Jackson. A lot of grown men would be embarrassed to admit that, but not me. Not only was he a brilliant performer and songwriter that defined the 1980’s which made up most of my adolescence, there was something else that caused me to feel I had a special understanding of who he was.

Ethical Situations in Counselling

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Psychology
A prominent aspect of counsellor training involves the analysis of ethical situations. Counsellors need to be malleable to the variety of situations in which the client's personality traits and environmental circumstances are prominent barriers to the relationship's progress.

Coping With Change - Strategies and Approaches

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Self Improvement
Change is a certainty in everyone's life. The manner in which people deal with change also changes. Through learning and life experience, individuals develop varied levels of flexibility towards transition, and these levels commonly dictate the person's ability to productively cope with life's challenges. Thus, readiness and ability to change are popular topics in therapeutic contexts such as counseling, life coaching and mentoring.

Neuroscience: What is Brain Plasticity?

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Science
Neuroscience has changed considerably in the past 20 years. An example of change over period is the concept of brain plasticity. Brain plasticity refers to the brain's ability to rewire itself, relocating information processing functions to different brain areas and/or neural networks. Two decades ago, it was believed that brain networks were static after its initial formation period. Now that belief has changed...

Tips and Strategies to Build Rapport With Clients

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Psychology
In previous we’ve discussed the 'business-side' of counselling: marketing tips and business guidelines which can help counsellors build a successful practice. Most therapists possess an innate desire to help others, and because of this emotional involvement, sometimes it can be challenging to convert the potential into practical results.

Building a Successful Counselling Business: Tips and Guidelines

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Small Business
In a previous article we discussed the importance and applications of marketing in counselling. There was a particular focus on the initiation of a counselling practice. Although marketing has an important, and often overlooked, role in developing a counselling business, there are several other fundamentals that are just as important to build a successful practice.

Marketing in Counselling: Tips for a Successful Practice

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Small Business
Professionals in the health and allied industries, including doctors, nurses, psychologists, counsellors, social workers, etc, often work from their own self-employed businesses. In Australia, a considerable section of the industry is self-employed, whilst many other professional counsellors who have not yet become their own bosses, aspire to do so. In this article, we discuss one the most critical aspects of starting and perpetuating a business: marketing.

Narrative Therapy: Concepts and Applications

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Psychology
Your life is a narrative, counted and recounted from many different perspectives, and by diverse people. There are settings, themes, characters and plots – just like in any movie, book, historical account or legendary fable. In this article we review the approach of Narrative Therapy and how it can be effectively used by counsellors to assist individuals improve their lives.

Self-disclosure: Underpinnings and Applications

By: Pedro Gondim | 30/04/2007 | Psychology
Are you a very important person? Sure you are. The reason for this answer is the same to almost everyone in this planet: we like talking about ourselves, we enjoy being listened, we praise our achievements, and we are very much into introspection. Although we are ultimately social beings, most humans are both consciously and subconsciously determined to improve themselves...

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup


Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (3.13, 6)