Fear is a basic emotional reaction of a person that occurs as a result of objectification of anxiety under the influence of real, imagined or suggested danger, threat to his biological or social existence. Fear manifests itself somatically, emotionally, cognitively, and behaviorally.
The function of fear
* Protective function of fear. Serves basic protective function and is needed for normal existence. Fear signals and warns of possible danger.
* Mobilizing function. Fear activates the physiological processes of the body, the sympathetic nervous system begins to work.
• Adaptive function. Fear makes you look for solutions faster, react to a new situation.
The group fears
1. biological-fears associated with an immediate threat to human life, such as fear of fire;
2. social-fears associated with changing social status, such as stage fright;
3. existential-fears life, immediate existence, dawn, for example, fear death.
There are also many fears that combine several groups of fears. For example, the fear of disease has both a biological base (threat to life due to illness) and social (separation from society).
Fear is divided by severity into horror, fright, fear, anxiety, apprehension, excitement and anxiety.
Phobia-a very pronounced and obsessive experience of fear, may be the result of a particular “frightened” event or be a neurotic manifestation and have no logical explanation. Phobia can be associated with neuropsychiatric and physical overload, prolonged lack of rest, with any negative past experience, have family conditioning, “hide” existential fears.
Fear and anxiety
Fear and anxiety can be combined by having a common component – feelings of anxiety. In both States there is a sense of insecurity and a perception of threat. We can say that anxiety is a premonition, a danger signal, and fear manifests itself as a sense of danger, a more specific and concrete response to anxiety. Fear, unlike anxiety, is more irrational and tends to be based on traumatic experiences in the past.
Children's fears have age dynamics and can serve for the child as a means of cognition of the surrounding reality, contributing to a more critical and selective attitude to it. Normally, age-appropriate childhood fears come to naught naturally. In the case of a large number of fears in children, their high intensity and unreasonableness, we can talk about the neurotic nature of fear.
The physiology of fear
Fear activates the sympathetic nervous system. Adrenaline and norepinephrine are released. Together, they cause the following body reaction:
1. Increased heart rate;
2. Pressure increase;
3. Outflow of blood from the gastrointestinal tract and skin;
4. Blood rush to muscles and brain;
5. Widening of the lumen of the bronchi;
6. Dilated pupils;
7. Increased sweating;
8. Increasing the amount of glucose in the blood;
9. Increased levels of wakefulness, mental energy and activity.
How to deal with fear
To cope with fear, first of all it is necessary to identify its causes.
In the case of biological fear, it is worth making an effort to avoid life-threatening situations or learn to act effectively in such situations. For example, in case of fear of fire, you can start to monitor the sources of fire, take care of ways to extinguish the fire and safety in a crisis situation.
In the case of social fear (stage fright) can help a variety of relaxation techniques, desensitization, hypnosis, cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, communication, acting and public speaking courses, etc.
Under existential fears (fear death, future) can be work within rational therapy with adequacy judgments and assessments, temporary prospect of, positive attitudes. Fully existential fears (fear death, solitude not disappear, they always are found in life human, amplifying and shrinking in different periods life. You can only reduce their intensity to an acceptable level.