What is Fear?

Fear is an emotion that can have a significant impact on your life. Animals and humans alike have this emotional response to an event in the environment that poses potential danger.  This danger can be physical, mental, or emotional. The effect that fear has on a person is important because it can potentially alter your life and how you deal with the environment.

Regardless of its cause, there are common physical indicators of fear. These are:

•           an increase in heart rate and blood pressure

•           tightened muscles

•           an inability to focus your senses

•           dilated pupils

•           sweating

There are various forms of fear but its effects can be similarly devastating to the person involved. There are different triggers for these fears but all have the potential to impact on your ability to think clearly and respond to situations logically.

Below is a list of the different kinds of fears:

•           Places: crowds, enclosed places, below ground, or heights

•           Animals: rats, snakes, mice, spiders, etc

•           People: strangers, homosexuals, feeling over-responsible for others, talking to a group of people, etc

•           Events: war, crime, public speaking, etc

•           Family member/loved ones: death of family member, getting ill

•           Disaster: hurricane, lightening, injury or pain, blood, death, earthquake, etc

•           Other people's reactions or responses: rejection, disapproval, being humiliated, being ignored, pretension, insecurity

•           Feelings about your own ability: taking the leadership role, speaking to a large crowd, stage fright, embarrassing yourself

These are only some of the categories of fear and people will respond differently. Some are able to use the fear they experience in order to sharpen their responses to a given situation while others do not have control over the level of fear they are experiencing.  This often leads to panicking and experiencing anxiety attacks. 

Panic Away can help you overcome the symptoms and resulting anxiety.