When do we fear

As some parts of your brain are revving up, others are shutting down. As a result, you might scream and throw your hands up when approached by an actor in a haunted house, unable to rationalize that the threat is not real.

But why do people who love roller-coasters, haunted houses and horror movies enjoy getting caught up in those fearful, stressful moments? Through the excitation transfer process , your body and brain remain aroused even after your scary experience is over. But if you find yourself terrorized, traumatized and unable to function at the mere thought of basking on the beach, you might be experiencing more than just fear.

The difference between fear and phobia is simple. Fears are common reactions to events or objects. Young kids often have fears of the dark, being alone, strangers, and monsters or other scary imaginary creatures. School-aged kids might be afraid when it's stormy or at a first sleepover.

As they grow and learn, with the support of adults, most kids are able to slowly conquer these fears and outgrow them. Some kids are more sensitive to fears and may have a tough time overcoming them. When fears last beyond the expected age, it might be a sign that someone is overly fearful, worried, or anxious.

People whose fears are too intense or last too long might need help and support to overcome them. A phobia is an intense fear reaction to a particular thing or a situation.

With a phobia, the fear is out of proportion to the potential danger. But to the person with the phobia, the danger feels real because the fear is so very strong. Phobias cause people to worry about, dread, feel upset by, and avoid the things or situations they fear because the physical sensations of fear can be so intense.

So having a phobia can interfere with normal activities. A person with a phobia of dogs might feel afraid to walk to school in case he or she sees a dog on the way. Someone with an elevator phobia might avoid a field trip if it involves going on an elevator.

A girl with a phobia of thunderstorms might be afraid to go to school if the weather forecast predicts a storm. She might feel terrible distress and fear when the sky turns cloudy.

A guy with social phobia experiences intense fear of public speaking or interacting, and may be afraid to answer questions in class, give a report, or speak to classmates in the lunchroom. It can be exhausting and upsetting to feel the intense fear that goes with having a phobia.

It can be disappointing to miss out on opportunities because fear is holding you back. And it can be confusing and embarrassing to feel afraid of things that others seem to have no problem with. Sometimes, people get teased about their fears.

Even if the person doing the teasing doesn't mean to be unkind and unfair, teasing only makes the situation worse. Some phobias develop when someone has a scary experience with a particular thing or situation. A tiny brain structure called the amygdala pronounced: uh-MIG-duh-luh keeps track of experiences that trigger strong emotions.

Once a certain thing or situation triggers a strong fear reaction, the amygdala warns the person by triggering a fear reaction every time he or she encounters or even thinks about that thing or situation.

It can help just to drop your shoulders and breathe deeply. Or imagine yourself in a relaxing place. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, and try to avoid too much sugar. Resulting dips in your blood sugar can give you anxious feelings.

Try to avoid drinking too much tea and coffee, as caffeine can increase anxiety levels. If you are religious or spiritual, this can give you a way of feeling connected to something bigger than yourself. Faith can provide a way of coping with everyday stress, and attending church and other faith groups can connect you with a valuable support network. Talking therapies, like counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, are very effective for people with anxiety problems, including Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which takes you through a series of self-help exercises on screen.

Drug treatments are used to provide short-term help, rather than looking at the root of the anxiety problems. Drugs may be most useful when they are combined with other treatments or support.

You can learn a lot about managing anxiety from asking other people who have experienced it. Our website offers information on mental health, mental health problems, self-help and how to get help.

Email: [email protected]. Dialogues Clin Neurosci, 4 , — Haviland-Jones Eds. Handbook of emotions 2 nd Ed. New York: The Guilford Press. Lewis, J. Feldman Barrett Eds. Handbook of emotion s 3 rd Ed.

In: C. Spielberger Ed. Your respiratory rate increases, and adrenaline picks up. Your body is pushed into fight or flight mode and other organs can be affected, including the liver and pancreas.

Since your body believes you must prepare for a fight or to run, your muscles tighten. Even those at the base of your hair follicles, causing your hair to literally stand on end. Prolonged fear and anxiety often lead to chronic pain in your muscles for this reason. Fear even causes a metabolic response affects things such as glucose levels, which can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, vision problems, and more. Therefore, prolonged stress on the body from fear and anxiety can cause many other physical symptoms and affect your long-term health.

The effects on your body can be severe if fear is extreme. In fact, it is possible to be scared to death, although rare. Mark Estes, a cardiologist and professor of medicine.