What do you think of when you hear the word “FEAR”?

What do you think of when you hear the word fear?   Do you think of goosebumps or the way your hair on the back of you neck stands on end while watching a horror movie?  Or you’re the beating of your heart while winding your way through a haunted house?  How about your sweaty palms and shaky voice as you stand up in front of a group and give your presentation?  Or the nausea you feel when taking an important test?

            Any of these things can cause us to feel fearful, both physically and emotionally.  The question is how is fear different from anxiety?  Anxiety is defined as: an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. People with anxiety disorders usually have recurring intrusive thoughts or concerns.

            Fear is a natural response to a real or perceived threat.  Fear ideally keeps us safe and moves us to react instinctively without having to rely on the time it would take us to cognitively weigh our options and decide what is the best thing to do next. Our bodies respond the way they should with an increased heartrate, shallow breathing, and even the nausea or intestinal distress.  If in danger we might need to run (blood pumping to our legs) we may need to fight (blood pumping to our arms) we may need to run a long distance, so those shallow breaths are filling our lungs with the oxygen needed.  If you are in danger, you don’t have time or energy to do any digestion which is why those processes stop as well.  All of this to say that when your brain perceives danger it is responding the way it was designed to. 

            The problem is that our brains are not very good at knowing the difference between a real threat and a perceived threat.  That is why when you walk into a crowed grocery store you might feel anxious.  Your brain may be readying you for a threat that doesn’t exist. 

            The pandemic has made this even worse.  Being out of the office, not doing social things, and staying at home have made doing all those normal things now feel scary.  One thing to remember is that anything you do over and over your brain calls normal. So, the best way to manage these “scary” the things is to just get back out there, plan on feeling afraid and uncomfortable and then do it over and over until your brain calls it normal and it will.  That is the good news.  Remember, just because you feel it doesn’t mean it is true.  

            If, however, your fear and anxiety are at a more clinical level it will be helpful to walk through this process of getting back into life with a professional. Kurt and I are both available to walk with you through this.  You don’t have to be afraid anymore.