2. Biochemical Reaction
- When we confront a perceived danger, our bodies
respond in either a Physical way such as sweating,
increased heart rate and high adrenaline levels.
- This physical response is sometimes known as the
fight or flight response in which the body prepares
itself to either enter combat or run away.
- This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary
development. It is an automatic response and is crucial
to survival.
3. Emotional response.
-The emotional response to fear is quite personalized.
-Some people are adrenaline junkies, thriving on extreme
sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations.
- Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of
fear, avoiding fear-inducing
situations at all costs.
- Although the physical
reaction is the same, fear
may be perceived as either
positive or negative.
4. Acclimation
- Repeated exposure to similar situations leads to
familiarity.
- This greatly reduces both the fear response and the
resulting elation, leading adrenaline junkies to seek out
ever new and bigger thrills.
- It also forms the basis of some phobia treatments,
which depend on slowly minimizing the fear response
by making it feel familiar. (systematic desensitization)
5. Psychology of Phobias
- One aspect of anxiety disorders can be a tendency to
develop a fear of fear.
- Some people suffer from anxiety disorders and
become afraid that they will experience a fear
response.
- They perceive their fear responses as
negative, and go out of their way to avoid
those responses.
-A phobia is a twisting of the normal
fear response.
6. Psychology of phobias 2
- The fear is directed toward an object or situation that
does not present a real danger. The person recognizes
that the fear irrational, but cant help the reaction.
- Over time, the fear tends to worsen as the fear of
fear response takes hold.
