What if you never experience fear

A tragic incident happened in my neighborhood last night that sent cold shivers down my spine, damn, I was so scared. As much as I can remember, the last time I got scared like this, was when we lost a little girl that was close to me during service year, I still remember that day like yesterday, because I couldn't even sleep alone for a long time.

The tragic event that happened involved a woman I see almost every day and I greet her, even if I don't patronize her, I always greet her. To hear that she just passed probably while trying to rest is questionable, and maybe I was more scared because most of the time, I am usually at home alone with my little one.

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After the episode of fear subsided, I started to reason that this might be a thing that has to do with the brain right? It has something to do with the brain. Let's explore what some experts have to say about fear and the relationship it has with the brain.

Fear has been in existence since time immemorial so it didn't start with me, according to biology, it is a reaction to protect organisms against everything that looks like a perceived threat to their existence. During fear, a biochemical and emotional reaction is released, it doesn't matter if the suspected fear situation is fake or real.

Fear begins from the brain, during an episode of fright, the hypothalamus in the brain reacts by releasing several chemicals to the adrenal-cortical system or the sympathetic nervous system. With chemicals being released into the sympathetic nervous system, signals are sent out to release stress hormones like adrenaline, this would in turn make the body hyperactive. The heart could begin to beat very fast, and with extreme alertness, sweating profusely, at this point, the body is prepared to avert the danger that seems to be coming ahead. The physical response is what we know as, a fight or flight response, where the body is prepared to just run.

On the other hand, at the same interval, the adrenal-cortical system is secreting hormones to other parts of the body, this will trigger different forms of reaction to happen at the same time. Pupils begin to dilate to take in as much light as they can, there is a surge in blood pressure and heart rate, and the immune system and digestion system turn themselves off to give room for more energy to be directed towards an emergency function. Veins in the skin also begin to constrict, keeping the blood in the major muscle groups. With all these happenings, it would become difficult to concentrate on tasks as the brain is filled with fear.

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Have you ever wondered what it would look like to live without fear, you would be able to walk alone in the dark, hold up a poisonous snake, walk into a lion's den (haha🤣)and do things that others would most likely not think of doing. There is a woman who does not experience fear, she is an American woman called SM, she has a rare genetic condition called, Urback-Wiethe disease which makes part of the brain become hard and waste away, the parts that waste away also involves the area that triggers ability to have fear. One can imagine the things she would have tried to do since the idea of fear is not applicable in her world.

Fear has its good sides, we have been saved from some dangerous situations just because we had the fear enough to stay away from them. A little boy could see a fire burning and run away from it because the fear has been registered in the brain as being dangerous, if he has no fear of it, he will comfortably just walk into the fire and of course, we know how that would end.

There is a problem, however, if your case of fear is persistent and extreme. This could be accompanied by other medical conditions. Phobia is a good example of such, it is the fear of fear. The people who experience this anxiety disorder, usually are afraid of fear in itself. They know at the back of their minds that, this situation is not worth being scared about but they cannot control the feeling as they are scared of even getting scared about it. Some anxiety disorders are also characterized by fear, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), separation anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.

Managing natural fear has to do with some control patterns, even while you cannot control emotions when they come, you can minimize how intense they end up getting. Stress management techniques like deep breathing will help you calm down better, Take good care of your health by trying to sleep well, eat well, and exercise. Being able to replace negative thoughts with positive ones will also help you overcome fear when they come. On the other hand, if it is a trigger of some disorder, then it has to be handled by a healthcare professional.