Topic:	The Terminology of Fear
Posted by:	Cheryl
Date/Time:	8/27/2003 11:08:10 AM

A variety of terms are used to describe fear. The Bible uses words like fear, afraid, terror, dread, anxious, tremble, shake, and quake over 850 times to portray this core human emotion. Healthcare professionals use terms like fear, anxiety, panic attack, and phobia to illuminate the spectrum of our fears. For our purposes, we will use fear and anxiety somewhat interchangeably but with the following distinctions. Fear is an immediate and intense internal alarm system that alerts us to the presence of danger. It revs up our whole being—body, mind, and emotions—and rivets our focus on one primary goal: protection. It prepares us either to flee from or fight against the perceived danger. Anxiety is the pervasive feeling of apprehension that lingers long after the danger has subsided. This nagging feeling of dread uses a great deal of emotional energy worrying about future negative events that are both unpredictable and uncontrollable. We must remember that both short-term fear and long-term anxiety are complex, multi-layered responses to danger—whether immediate or anticipated, real or imagined. Fear can empower us for action, or paralyze us and make us more susceptible to the danger at hand. That’s why it’s critical that we understand our fears. To do this, we must unpack the layers of our response. Let’s start with our physical response to fear. Just what is the role that biology and genetics play in our fears? Tomorrow we will explore the Biology of Fear.