Fear is a biological reaction. It was originally designed to keep us safe from perceived dangers. The brain screams, "Danger!" stimulating the adrenal glands to pump adrenaline through our system, increasing the heart and respiratory rates and muscle response times. This "fight or flight" reflex enabled us to either stand up to danger or run away from it.

This reflex proved very helpful in the past. There are even times today where it helps to have an adrenaline rush when running away from a mugger in a dark alley. But there also has been an increase in mental illnesses related to fear. Anxiety disorders, such as phobias, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) all have their roots in fear taken too far. But why such an increase in anxiety disorders?

Is it merely because we are better at diagnosing them today? In the middle ages, if you had a mental illness, you were considered to be demon-possessed. Until very recently, psychological disorders had a very negative stigma attached to them. Are more people coming forward with anxiety disorders because of the lessening of negative responses?

My theory is our environment now barrages us with things to fear, but provides no outlet for them. There is an overabundance of information on all the possible dangers out there. They are not solid physical dangers, but we react to them physically nevertheless. None of them may ever even happen to us, but by seeing them on the news and portrayed in television and movies, we develop fears of things our ancestors may never have considered.

Overcoming this may be as simple as avoiding these nebulous fears. Yet this may prove difficult, as most of us are bombarded by media wherever we go. Finding a creative, healthy outlet for adrenaline may also allow us to exercise our fear response safely. Some people ride roller coasters, others go to haunted houses. But the very act of facing physical fear may help relieve the pressure of psychological fear.

Fear plays a deep and complex role in our psychological makeup. But it's only through understanding and overcoming our fear that we can live full and rich lives.

Learn more about this author, S. Anderson.
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