Facing the Fearful: Unveiling and Overcoming Our Obstacles
FEAR. It’s a word that evokes a primal response within us, a tightening of the chest, a surge of adrenaline.
But fear, though often demonized, is an absolutely natural companion of our lives. It’s not inherently negative, and understanding its role, both from a psychological and neuroscientific perspective can be the first step towards conquering it.
So, with this post, I want to show you how you can deal with fears, as I did.
UNVEILING THE ANATOMY OF FEAR: PSYCHOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE
FEAR, from a psychological standpoint, is an emotional response which gets triggered by the perceived (so, not always real, present) threat of harm. It is a complex interplay between our thoughts, feelings, and physiological reactions.
When we encounter a situation we perceive as dangerous, our amygdala, the primal part of the brain responsible for processing emotions, sends a distress signal. This signal then triggers a cascade of physiological responses: increased heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension — all designed to prepare us for fight or flight.
Neuroscience sheds further light on this process. The amygdala not only sends his message, but it also works in close concert with the hippocampus…
