Understanding Fear
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18-Sep-2014 -
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Health & Medicine
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Transcript of Understanding Fear
UNDERSTANDING FEARBy M G Hariharan
Synopsis of http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/overcoming-fears-info.html
DefinitionInstinctive Response to Danger.
Biologically what is fearAs a first response to fear Amygdala and hypothalamus are activated .Chemicals such as Adrenaline stress hormone cortisol are release in blood stream
This results inRapid heart rateIncreased blood pressureTightening of musclesSharpened or redirected sensesDilation of the pupils (to let in more light)Increased sweating
Reaction1. Remember the incident clearly2. On repetition of incident reaction
will be reflex action3. Strength will be great may even lift
a car without pain
Cause of FearKnown ones
1. Arachnophobia- fear of spider2. Hemaphobia- Fear of Blood3. Acrophobia- Fear of height Not well known
4. Catoptrophobia- Fear of mirror5. Pteronophobia-Fear of feather6. Ergophobia- Fear of work
Some facts about Fear1. A small amount of fear before Speech helps in
concentration2. Fear if not adaptive starts affecting Daily
functioning3. Future oriented fear is known as anxiety4. Experiencing Alarming response when there is
nothing is known as Panic5. Initial response subsides after facts
are known
Fear of Children1. Fear of losing parents2. Fear of injury3. Fear of scolding4. Fear of teachers5. Fear of darkess
What Brain DoesThalamus - decides where to send incoming sensory data (from eyes, ears, mouth, skin)Sensory cortex - interprets sensory dataHippocampus - stores and retrieves conscious memories; processes sets of stimuli to establish contextAmygdala - decodes emotions; determines possible threat; stores fear memories
Hypothalamus - activates "fight or flight" response
Process of Creating Fear
This is called the low Road
Take No Chance
Considered DecisionThalamus• Sensory input passes Info.
Hippocampus• Determines the context by asking
Sensory Cortex• Interprets the Data
Amygdala• Processed information comes
Hypothalamus• Imlementation
This is called High Road
Nerve Paths Reaction to Fear Stimuli
Constricts PupilStimulus SalivationConstricts AirwaysSlows HeartbeatStimulate DigestionStimulate Gall Bladder BileDilates Blood Vessels in Intestines and RectumStimulates Urinary Bladder ContractionStimulates Penile ErectionStimulates EjaculationRelaxes Urinary Bladder Inferior mesentric GanglionStimulates Secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrineStimulates glucose production and releasesInhibits DigestionStimulates secretion of Sweet Glands Accelerates HeartbeatRelaxes Airways Constricts Blood vesselsInhibits Salivation Dilated Pupils
Adrenal-cortical system
The endocrine system also operates like the nervous system to conduct information. The endocrine system
uses blood vessels as information channels. Glands release into the bloodstream specific chemical
messengers called hormones.. The typical endocrine organ is a ductless gland that
secretes chemical mediators directly into local blood vessels. to regulate the target organ's function.
Hormones are also instrumental in regulating
mood, growth development, tissue function, and
metabolism, as well as sending messages
and acting on them
Hypothalamus
Activates Sympathetic Nervous system
Impulses activate
Glands and smooth muscles
Activates Adrenal medulla
Releases
noreplenephrine
Blood Stream
Natural activity combines with
hormones in the blood stream to constitute
flight or fight response
Releases epinephrine
Activates adrenal-cortical by releasing CRF
Pituitary gland secretes ACTH
ACTH activates 30 hormones
Twin action of Fear Stimuli
Fear Necessity?Fear and ExcitementMany people enjoy being afraid -- the arousal that comes with the fight-or-flight It's no wonder so many people go to see scary movies and ride roller coasters on dates.SurvivalIf we couldn't be afraid, we wouldn't survive for long. We'd be walking into oncoming traffic, stepping off of rooftops and carelessly handling poisonous snakes. In humans and in all animals, the purpose of fear is to promote survival. In the course of human evolution, the people who feared the right things survived to pass on their genes. In passing on their genes, the trait of fear and the response to it were selected as beneficial to the race. He concluded that the entire fear response is an ancient instinct that has been untouched by the nuances of modern civilization.It serves the same purpose today as it did when
we might run into a lion while carrying water back from the river. Only now, we're carrying a wallet and walking down city streets.
Common FearsMost common fears .The top 10 list goes like this:Terrorist attacksSpidersDeathFailureWarHeightsCrime/ViolenceBeing aloneThe futureNuclear war
Overcoming fearFear extinction involves creating a conditioned response that counters the conditioned fear response. While studies situate the amygdala as the location of fear memories formed by conditioning, scientists theorize that fear-extinction memories form in the amygdala but then are transferred to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for storage. The new memory created by fear extinction resides in the mPFC and attempts to override the fear memory triggered in the amygdala.
Practical Tips to overcome Fear
It doesn't matter why you're scared. Learn about the thing you fear. Train. Find someone who is not afraid Take her/him along when you try to conquer your fear -- it'll be much easier.Talk about itPlay mind games with yourself. Stop looking at the grand scheme. Seek help.