How does fear work

The difference between fear and phobia is simple. Fears are common reactions to events or objects. But a fear becomes a phobia when it interferes with your ability to function and maintain a consistent quality of life. If you start taking extreme measures to avoid water, spiders or people, you may have a phobia.

Fear is a complex human emotion that can be positive and healthy, but it can also have negative consequences. If a fear or phobia affects your life in negative and inconvenient ways, speak to your primary care provider, who can help determine the kind of treatment you might need. How to choose a therapist and get the most out of your sessions. 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.

Someone might develop a bee phobia after being stung during a particularly scary situation. For that person, looking at a photograph of a bee, seeing a bee from a distance, or even walking near flowers where there could be a bee can all trigger the phobia. Sometimes, though, there may be no single event that causes a particular phobia.

Some people may be more sensitive to fears because of personality traits they are born with, certain genes they've inherited, or situations they've experienced. People who have had strong childhood fears or anxiety may be more likely to have one or more phobias. Having a phobia isn't a sign of weakness or immaturity. It's a response the brain has learned in an attempt to protect the person. It's as if the brain's alert system triggers a false alarm, generating intense fear that is out of proportion to the situation.

Because the fear signal is so intense, the person is convinced the danger is greater than it actually is. People can learn to overcome phobias by gradually facing their fears. This is not easy at first. It takes willingness and bravery. Sometimes people need the help of a therapist to guide them through the process. Overcoming a phobia usually starts with making a long list of the person's fears in least-to-worst order. For example, with a dog phobia, the list might start with the things the person is least afraid of, such as looking at a photo of a dog.

It will then work all the way up to worst fears, such as standing next to someone who's petting a dog, petting a dog on a leash, and walking a dog. Gradually, and with support, the person tries each fear situation on the list — one at a time, starting with the least fear.

Medical professionals class phobias as an anxiety disorder. As mentioned earlier, they are often an irrational and overactive fear of something that, most often, cannot cause harm. There is no hard and fast reason why a phobia will develop; both genes and the environment can be involved.

Sometimes, the origin can be relatively easy to understand: someone who witnesses someone falling off a bridge might later develop a phobia of bridges. While there are still many questions left unanswered, scientists have uncovered some of the neural events that underpin phobias. One study also discovered that there was a disconnect between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which normally helps an individual override or minimize the fear response.

Aside from the fear felt when someone with a phobia meets their nemesis, these individuals are also in a heightened state of arousal; they always expect to see their trigger, even in situations where it is not particularly likely to appear.

Some researchers argue that this vivid, fearful expectation plays a significant part in boosting the fear response when they do come across their phobic object. Another study explored this phenomenon in people with arachnophobia.

It found that if scientists told these individuals that they might encounter a spider, activity in their brains differed from control participants without a phobia. Activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and visual cortex was comparatively lower. The authors say that these brain regions are key for the regulation of emotions; they help keep us level-headed. A reduction in their activity suggests a reduced ability to keep a lid on fearful emotions.

Often, an individual with a phobia will be well aware that their response to the object that they fear is irrational. The weaker activity in these brain areas helps explain why this might be; the parts of the brain responsible for keeping a cool head and assessing the situation are muted, thereby allowing more emotional regions to play their hand.

The fear response has kept us alive. It is primal, and we should respect it. However, paradoxically, fear is also the source of a highly enjoyable adrenaline rush. Fear inspires filmmakers, roller coaster designers, psychologists, neuroscientists, and everyone in-between. It is a fascinating and multifaceted human emotion. Some researchers say yes. The research in this area is still evolving, but there is some evidence that it is possible to inherit the impact of trauma from our ancestors.

For example, some children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors may have a higher risk for anxiety, depression, and chronic fear. Descendants of survivors of other massive traumas, especially slavery and attempted genocide, often report symptoms that are similar to those experienced by the people who endured the traumas themselves.

As a result, communities of African Americans, Indigenous people, and other marginalized groups may experience a shared sense of grief and ongoing fear. This inherited trauma is often compounded by the reality of ongoing discrimination and brutality. The legacy of trauma. Danieli, Y. Impact of Fear and Anxiety. More info on this topic.

Impact of fear and anxiety. Work with threats. Manage fear and anxiety. More resources. How fear works Fear prepares us to react to danger. Once we sense a potential danger, our body releases hormones that: Slow or shut down functions not needed for survival such as our digestive system Sharpen functions that might help us survive such as eyesight. Our heart rate increases, and blood flows to muscles so we can run faster.

How fear impacts our thinking. Once the fear pathways are ramped up, the brain reacts in predicable ways.