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Jan 30, 2019 · This list of everyday fears that keep us stuck is not exhaustive, as each of us could experience unique fears that affect our desires, our decisions, and our actions.
Jun 25, 2024 · Secrecy is associated with decreased well-being, but the nature of this relationship is not entirely clear. New research shows it is not the act of concealment alone that exacts the greatest toll ...
Nov 6, 2021 · When we are alone, some of our fears may come out. Often, they are things we can’t control, the dreaded “WHAT IFs?”
- Overview
- Evaluate Risks
- Create an Action Plan
- Seek a Therapist
- Avoiding vs. Facing Your Fears
A little bit of fear is normal. In fact, fear helps you instinctively protect yourself from harm. Your fear might help you to recognize when you’re about to do something dangerous, and it could help you to make a safer choice.
But, you might find yourself fearful of things that aren’t actually dangerous, like public speaking. Your fear of public speaking might prevent you from advancing in your career or participating in traditions like giving a toast at your best friend's wedding.
If you really want to go on a vacation to Europe, but your fear of flying gives you pause, you might feel like your fear is stopping you from living your dream. If you find that your fear holds you back or creates bigger problems in your life, facing your fear may help you learn to better cope with the fear and ultimately overcome it.
At a Glance
Sometimes, fear comes from simply not knowing very much about the thing you fear. For example, you might be afraid of airplanes because it seems like you have heard about a lot of in-air incidents that lead to injury or death.
However, if you look into the statistics, you might learn that the probability of death on a U.S. commercial jet airline is 1 in 7 million (in comparison to 1 in 600 from smoking).
You can also learn more about what causes those bumps and jolts during turbulence on an aircraft—it’s simply the movement of air having an effect on the aircraft and, if you’re buckled in properly, poses very little threat to you.
Of course, less tangible fears, such as being afraid of public speaking, don’t necessarily have statistics to help you learn more about the risks you perceive. But you can read about other people’s successful public speaking ventures, or learn more about the successful public speaking strategies, to help you feel more confident.
The key to facing your fears is to take one small step at a time. Going too fast or doing something too scary before you are ready can backfire.
But it’s also important to keep moving forward. A moderate amount of anxiety is OK. Don’t wait for your anxiety to disappear before taking a step forward, or you may find yourself waiting for a change that isn't going to come on its own.
The best way to create an action plan is to create a fear hierarchy made up of small steps. Here’s an example of how someone might face the fear of public speaking one step at a time using a form of exposure therapy:
1.Stand in front of a mirror and give a two-minute talk.
2.Record yourself giving a talk and watch it back.
3.Practice the talk in front of a partner.
If your fears are debilitating, you aren’t having much success facing them on your own, or your fear is related to a specific health condition, like an eating disorder, social anxiety disorder, or PTSD, you can seek the help of a trusted mental health professional. If you have a specific phobia, which is a persistent, diagnosable anxiety disorder, you may not feel prepared to conquer your fears on your own.
A cognitive behavioral therapist can help desensitize you to your fears one small step at a time. Most mental health professionals are comfortable treating a variety of fears and phobias ranging from the fear of public speaking to arachnophobia.
Treatment may involve talking about the thing that scares you, practicing relaxation strategies, and managing your anxiety as you face your fears head-on. A therapist can help you go at a pace that is comfortable and healthy for you.
Fear-facing treatment may include:
•Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT involves accepting your fears in order to make them less threatening and less impactful on your life.
•Exposure therapy (immersion therapy): The underlying principle of exposure therapy is that through practice and experience, you will become more comfortable in situations that you would otherwise avoid.
While avoiding the situations you fear might make you feel better in the short term, avoidance can cause increased anxiety in the long term. When you completely avoid your fears, you teach your amygdala (the fear center in your brain) that you can't handle them.
On the contrary, gradually facing your fears, in small doses that don't overwhelm you, may help decrease anxiety "habituating" your amygdala, or letting your brain become accustomed to the fear.
According to an animal study published in the journal Science, the brain has to experience repeated exposure to fear in order to get over it. Researchers placed rodents in a small box and gave them a mild shock. Then, over a long period, they place the same rodents in a box without administering shocks. At first, the mice froze but with repeated exposure, they were able to relax.
While animal research isn't directly applicable to humans, the thought behind facing your fears aims to achieve a similar outcome.
Mar 22, 2012 · There are only five basic fears, out of which almost all of our other so-called fears are manufactured. These fears include extinction, mutilation, loss of autonomy, separation, and ego death ...
Mar 25, 2024 · Learn a new secret weapon in the fight to not let fear, anxiety, or worry take over your brain. The "Universal Rule" test helps you sort realistic fears from false alarms. Learn how.
Feb 13, 2023 · Five of the most common phobias include arachnophobia (the fear of spiders), ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes), glossophobia (the fear of public speaking), acrophobia (the fear of heights), and social phobia (the fear of social interactions).
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