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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)
Fears, Foibles and Phobias
Reuters reported last week that new claims for U.S. jobless benefits unexpectedly rose, while growth in the manufacturing sector slowed in June, heightening fears the country's economic recovery was stalling. This while the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq took deadly turns, the stock market plunged, unemployment increased, the housing market reached a new bottom, the Gulf oil spill shut down tourism and the economies of several states and anxiety and stress levels seemed to hint at ruin for millions of Americans. As much as at any time in modern times, fear seemed to be gripping large segments of the nation. What to do? Have we lost courage?
Well, not really. Mark Twain said that "courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear." (Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar) Everyone experiences fear, at varied times for different periods. Fear, stress, anger and other unwanted feelings are part of life, in good times as well as bad. Wisely or otherwise, we all have to deal with these challenging emotions. The best course is to look for ways to better understand and redirect feelings in constructive ways, while exploring effective ways to respond to difficult events and circumstances.
Fear is a common emotional state. All animals experience fear, not just us. Some fear can even be beneficial. Our ancestors needed the adrenaline that fear triggers to fight or flee—and we sometimes do, as well. Today's fears are usually less dramatic than those associated with literally being eaten, but real nevertheless. But often our fears are a poor choice of our own doing, such as when we allow such feelings to continue if the factors that set us off are not appropriate for the fear response, such as a pending dental appointments, a vexing political speech or the sudden arrival of unwanted guests.
Sometimes, as Franklin D. Roosevelt so famously noted, "all we have to fear
is ..." I say fear should not be endured without a mighty effort to evaluate the source(s). This will put you in a position to deal with it in a manner conducive to serenity and calm.
The effects of fear are real, whether or not the perceived threat warrants the alarms triggered. A clever acronym for FEAR is "false evidence appearing real." Fear emanates from perceptions and attitudes that stimulate brain chemicals. These chemicals in turn send neurological messages throughout the body that are felt in dramatic, physical ways. Such emotions can be difficult and dangerous in the immediate sense and damaging to your health in the long term.
Two fears all humans share are fear of entrapment and fear of abandonment. That's the theory, in any case. As a kid, I can't recall feeling entrapped or abandoned, but I can remember thinking that my little brother was getting way too much attention at times and that scared the heck out of me. (I'm kidding.)
How common is fear? Let's look at just one kind of fear—phobias. There are hundreds of phobias, considered irrational fears. A phobia is "an intense, unrealistic fear of an object, an event or a feeling." Another definition is "an intense fear that is out of proportion to the danger of the object that causes it" (Martin Seligman in What You can Change, page 75). An estimated 18 percent of the US adult population is estimated to suffer some kind of phobia, though recent polls showing that almost half of all Americans do not believe in "the theory" of evolution suggests that about half of population has a phobia of education and good sense. But, I digress.
Common phobias are heights, failure, clocks, mushrooms, closed spaces and open spaces! Now that I think about it, I do have a few fears myself. I'm afraid of thermonuclear explosions, alligators during triathlons here in Florida, the federal deficit, whether President Obama and new Supreme Court appointees have a sufficient commitment to protecting and repairing the battered wall separating church and state, the impossible to fathom federal budget deficit, increased taxes, TV evangelists and the possibility that the GOP (God's Own Party) will feature more numbskull candidates like Sarah Palin and Michele Bachman. Come to think of it, I'm an emotional wreck! I'm suffering from thermonuclear/
alligator/deficit/separation/tax/bible-thumper/GOP phobia! As far as I know, there is no cure but I plan to soldier on!
And, come to think of it, despite what Roosevelt said to the contrary, fear itself is pretty scary, at times!
There are essentially three kinds of phobias:
- specific or simple phobias: fear of an object or situation, such as spiders or of flying, respectively;
- fear associated with social situations, such as of being embarrassed;
- and fear of certain places, as in agoraphobia (an unsafe place).
How do these things develop? Nobody knows. But, many have opinions. Sometimes, a fear can be explained by an obvious trigger, such as fear of falling that comes on after an actual fall—or fear of canine teeth after being chased and/or bitten by a rabid werewolf. Some psychologists claim that there is a combination of factors at work, such as a genetic predisposition mixed with an environmental or social event. In other words, some people are really messed up.
What should you do if you have a phobia? How can you get on seeking a REAL wellness lifestyle with the country going to hell in a handbasket while dealing with one or more phobias? Is there any hope?
I think so. Begin by trying to comprehend the source of your fear, worst case scenarios and available supports. If you think you might be able to pull it off, try making light of your fears. Of course you can also minimize doing whatever triggers your fears. Do what you can to avoid making a big deal of the fear when it arises. Scoff at it. And, of course, there is always medication, vigorous exercise, major exposure to humor, play and dedication to high purposes.
Basically, a REAL wellness lifestyle will provide a diversion that gets your mind off the negative and keeps you focused on seeking satisfactions and better thus a better life with less room for fears.
Enough about fear for a while. It's frightening me just thinking about it! Be well, look on the bright side of life and remain open to positive possibilities.
Note: An earlier version of this essay appeared here December 21, 2000 entitled, "A Wellness Perspective on Fear."
Domain: mentalSubdomain: mental health
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