10 facts about fears and phobias

How often are you in a state of fear, and why does this happen to you? This is how reference books and encyclopedias define us: “Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that some person or event can be dangerous, painful or life-threatening.” Where do phobias come from, and why are we afraid when we know our fear is irrational? What reactions occur in the body at the same time, and why is it so difficult to overcome fears?

To understand all these issues, we need to get more information. Only then will we understand why we are afraid of ghosts, death, aliens, sharks, spiders and airplane flights. Without fear, our ancestors would never have survived in an unequal battle with wild animals. It is fear that allows you not to walk around on a dark night in the middle of a criminal area. However, sometimes this feeling can get out of control.

The following facts will help you better understand the origin of fears and phobias.

• 1. Fear has a smell

  According to a recent study published in the journal Psychological Science, people are sensitive to body odors. You, too, can feel the changes that occur with the person who is located next to you. You don't have to be a tracker to discern the type of sweat. That is why mass hysteria can seize people on the streets. That is why the schoolchildren, who have gathered in a dark room to tell stories about ghosts, are all shaking with fear.

• 2. Irrational fears are real too

  When we talk about rational fear, we mean facing something real. But the fear of being captured by space aliens can be attributed to the irrational manifestation of this phenomenon. However, a specific area of the brain is responsible for the formation of implausible fears and neuroses. If this psychological state depresses you, do not hesitate to seek help from professionals.

• 3. Fear and phobias can be inherited

  It turns out that fears can also be inherited from grandparents, dads and moms, like all other genetic traits.

• 4. Most phobias develop over the course of a lifetime

  Like some important topics in the school curriculum, many of our phobias are developed over the course of our lives. A negative reaction to some phenomena is formed under the influence of certain events. That is why all people are afraid of different things. Those who are afraid of scorpions have probably been to tropical latitudes. Those who are afraid of maniacs have ever been attacked in their lives. But sometimes phobias defy logical explanation. And if the desire to avoid meeting the number 666 can somehow be justified, then how can you justify the fear of buttons, vegetables or long words?

• 5. Love can suppress fear

  We are accustomed to consider the antonym of the word "love" the concept of "hate". But fear is also the antipode of this bright feeling. The hormone oxytocin, which is released by the brain during falling in love, can dull any fears and phobias, even if they arise as a result of traumatic events.

• 6. Fear disappears in a dream

  Studies have shown that sleep erases acquired fears, but this requires one condition - exposure to an associated smell. This once again confirms the importance of sleep in our lives.

• 7. You can be scared to death

  When, after the initial release of adrenaline, provoked by a strong fright, a person cannot calm down in any way, he will fall into state of shock. At the same time, adrenaline and calcium literally dig into the heart, making it pound at a crazy speed. It's more like a crazy tremor than a beating. Sometimes fear leads to low blood pressure and unconsciousness. In such cases, doctors ascertain death. You can avoid this by practicing yoga and meditation regularly.

• 8. Most fears are related to survival

  Most often, people are afraid of falling from height or meeting with a predatory animal, as this directly threatens their life. Human instincts are directed towards self-preservation.

• 9. Sometimes fear distorts reality

  People with specific phobias in some cases lose touch with reality. For example, those who are afraid of enclosed spaces think that their room is smaller than it really is. The consciousness of people suffering from agoraphobia draws spiders as huge creepy monsters.

• 10. Confrontation can be real deliverance

  About 90 percent of people who suffer from irrational fears can overcome them. To do this, you need to muster up courage, look your fear in the eye, or be with the source of trouble in a controlled environment.