List
This is a list of the fears. It starts with What is Fear? Strangely trying to find “what’s it good for” is considered one of the top methods to reduce fear. It forces you to think. And thinking takes up brain resources, robbing fear of its energy.
This section is mainly directed to finding your fear (s).
The links below open a page describing the most commonly encountered. There are only a few listed at this time. Hundreds of different ones are too many to be addressed here.
But the Gallup™ Poll top ten are included.
List
There are books written trying to define this illusive term. Merriam-Webster™ defines it as an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.
This website does not use that definition. Instead, fear is defined as those psychological reactions that alert us to the presence of danger. Those dangers need not be confirmed. More often than not, they are not valid. If you perceive something to be true, it is considered valid. It is the same neuroelectrical signal. Therefore inside your brain, the truth is irrelevant.
The primary causes of fear include:
- prior trauma,
- biology, [genetics, primitive brain, etc.],
- environmental factors,
- learned fears,
- manipulation, [The elephant in the room.]
- overprotective parenting, and
- social factors.
The biology of fear is far too complex to discuss on this website. However, the four normal responses to a perceived danger are: attack, run, analyze, and hide. This seems incredibly consistent with the four personality types.
Adolphs did an in-depth study, Ralph (2013) The Biology of Fear, Current Biology 23, R79-R93.
What It is Not.
There is a distinction between fear and those mental processes that can trigger fear, such as superstition, folklore, myths, and magic. Those cognitive processes can be based on the same elements of learned fears, usually false negative thoughts, discussed in each fear type.
But some of those mental processes can also be based on reasonable predictions of future events based on observations. For example, the superstition of “red sky in morning-sailors take warning” is based partly on historical weather observations, or “step on a crack and break your mother’s back” can refer to the presence of unstable ground such as a potential sinkhole.
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between them and use this knowledge to your advantage.
Sigmund Freud Observations.
The grandfather of modern psychology, Sigmund Freud, divided the human personality into three parts, the id, ego, and superego.
The “id” deals with instinctive or primitive urges and is controlled entirely by the subconscious.
The “ego” deals with real-world actions and is controlled mainly by the conscious mind.
The “superego” deals with the imposition of morals by society. Both the subconscious and conscious control it. The superego is the primary source of the feeling of guilt. If you have ever felt shame, and we all have, we can thank the superego.
Differences between a Phobia and a Fear.
Phobias are abnormal and interfere with a person’s quality of life. For example, a person afraid of tight spaces is not the same as someone with claustrophobia. Since phobias require professional treatment, they are not addressed herein.
It is recognized that most people consider fear and phobia the same. They often use each word interchangeably.
Difference Methods for Reducing a Fear.
There are multiple methods available to treat or reduce these stresses. This includes:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (attacks the fears by repeated exposures);
- Treating the symptoms (drugs, suppression therapy, hypnosis, etc.);
- Knowledge (learning how to identify false negative thoughts);
- Recognizing, avoiding, and dealing with being manipulated (the most significant cause for fear-induced stress); and
- Implementing Joy (adding Joy in your life to counter fears and the associated guilt, pairing a particular joy with fear, increasing the joy to fear ratio, etc.)
Click on the particular button that is important to you, a friend, or a loved one to learn more. Or read them all and become the family expert.