The many faces of fear and how to deal with them

We've all heard the phrase "life is suffering." Unfortunately, some people misinterpret this to mean there is nothing they can do about their unhappiness. Everyday fears can range from minor anxieties to an intense fear of things that can often be avoided, like snakes or spiders. But generally people enter therapy when life has become unmanageable -- when they can't ignore the level of emotional pain they are experiencing. That often happens when they can't avoid the situation that disturbs them. For some, turning to therapy makes them feel like they have "failed" on their own and that their fears are a sign of "weakness." It helps to know that fear is not a "mental" problem. It's a physiological response arising from physiologically stored memories in your brain. However, just because a fear is "irrational," doesn't mean there is no reason for it. It just means it is unnecessary and that there are things you can do to change it. [Excerpt]

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Francine Shapiro

Shapiro, F. (2012, February 29). The many faces of fear and how to deal with them. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/francine-shapiro-phd/ptsd-fear_b_1299786.html on 2/29/2012