subject: Face To Face With Fear [print this page] Fear is one of our most powerful emotionsFear is one of our most powerful emotions. As a result of the recent terror alerts, I am reminded of how many people perceive fear only as a negative emotion. In this article, I would like to discuss the positive aspects of fear and how that relates to our personal safety.
There are two types of fear: rational and irrational. Irrational fear is disproportionate fear. For example, a person who upon seeing a garter snake jumps and screams could have a rational fear of snakes. If a person's reaction to seeing a snake was to scream and jump out of the window causing them to break a leg or in essence do more harm to themselves than if they had stayed in the room, they have an irrational fear.
Some people live in fear all the time. They take a scenario (something bad they have lived or heard about) and become obsessed with fear. And what is sad is that they allow fear to rob them of their quality of life. Let me use the example of Sue, who had a friend that was raped. As a result of listening to her friend's horrifying experience, Sue is now frozen with fear and she has allowed it to redefine her life. She is afraid to go out after dark, afraid to be in her apartment alone, afraid that every time the doorbell rings a rapist will be waiting for her. Sue's fear of rape is valid, however rapists aren't lurking everywhere. Her fear of being alone or going outside is an irrational fear.
LEARN TO TRUST AND ACT ON YOUR GUT INSTINCTS
We must learn to trust our instincts and trust that fear provides us with early warning signals. Before fear becomes overwhelming, we need to think, to assess the situation, raise awareness and think rationally, otherwise we may become paralyzed or we may panic.
Violence is generally not random and is often predictable. Perpetrators of violence are looking for an opportunity. By being aware and trusting our instincts we can remove ourselves from the path of a violent situation or a violent person.
It is important to know that, although we may not realize it, we program our intuition and awareness. We may have built-in fears from experiences that we may or may not consciously remember. In a situation where our life is at risk, fear is useful since it is a true warning.
In our "Savvy Street Smart" Seminars we teach that true fear as intended by nature, is very specific. Right now, right here in this situation "I'm afraid." My intuition or subconscious is sending me a signal that says DANGER! With young children, who may not understand intuition, we talk about our "belly siren" going off and we teach them that this is a built-in alarm to warn us of danger.
Our brain is our most important survival tool. In regards to violence prevention it is important that we train ourselves to ask the following three questions:
1. What is my immediate situation?
2. What is my risk exposure?
3. What are my immediate options?
By concentrating on these three questions we keep our mind focused on the solution as opposed to allowing our emotions to run amok and allowing irrational fear to take over.
Our body's reaction to fear is the same whether we are faced with a physical threat or an emotional one. Our brain releases dopamine and adrenaline. Our blood sugar and our blood pressure rise steeply to give us a burst of energy. Our digestive system shuts down so we can use the energy either to meet the threat head on or run away from it. This is the well-known "flight or fight" phenomenon first described by Harvard Physiologist Walter B Cannon in 1932. It is our most primal of survival mechanisms.
There will be moments in our lives when we will be Face to Face with Fear. As long as we think of fear as a positive force and we are awake to our instincts, we can reduce the potential of becoming a victim of crime and we will not be a prisoner of fear.
