Fear:

1) “An unpleasant emotional state characterized by anticipation of pain or great distress and accompanied by heightened autonomic activity especially involving the nervous system”

2) “Agitated foreboding often of some real or specific peril”

3) “A condition between anxiety and terror either natural and well-grounded or unreasoned and blind”

4) “Something that is the object of apprehension or alarm”

The tricky aspect of fear is that it comes in a variety of forms, some more subtle than others. Fear can be an emotion unto itself or the product of either a real or imagined scenario. How often have we gotten ourselves worked up into a good blind panic over speculation or assumption? The first part of the definition actually describes a biological mechanism that every living being possess, better known as “fight or flight.”

The biological purpose of “fight or flight” response is to prepare us to take action in a crisis – whether it’s to stand our ground or get clear of the situation as quickly as possible. The uncomfortable sensation that arises is an elevation in the autonomic system – surges of adrenaline to speed up the senses and lend more energy for addressing the problem. Unfortunately, many of us are not comfortable or familiar with being in this state and are prone to reaction without employing the use of reasoning when we experience said surge. Others may freeze up all together, wasting crucial time to act accordingly and prevent the situation from getting worse.

There are many factors to take into consideration when trying to figure out why one is prone to freeze or overreact in a crisis. To truly overcome the problem, to remove the inclinations entirely, requires a great deal of self-work. For right now, we will settle for acknowledging and buffering these inclinations.

Consider the nature of a crisis, any crisis. It doesn’t have to be a life or death situation, though usually they are. It can be any situation that would require immediate action with minimal margin for error. The initial reaction to the situation varies for each person. Some of the experiences can be disbelief, panic, disassociation or hysteria. The problem is that such reactions can cause the person to fail to act accordingly within a narrow window of time.

To keep one’s self in check during such times, there are three things one has to do: prepare, recognize and act.

Preparation involves anything you do to equip you with the right knowledge and mindset “just in case.” The example that would be best used for all of these would be in the case of a medical emergency. For example, one could get certified in CPR or take a course in first aid for the sake of preparation. The sense of knowing what to do goes a long way towards keeping one from losing their senses when action is required.

Recognition has more to do with identifying exactly what is happening so you can do the right thing. Using the example of a medical emergency, if one does not know how to identify the symptoms, they would not be able to do the right thing. Certain conditions have a lot of similar symptoms, but there is usually one trademark symptom that indicates exactly what condition is present. Wrongful action or doubt as to what is going on will once again cause the individual to hesitate or freeze when that option is not available.

Action hinges on preparation and recognition. Without these, proper handling of the crisis is virtually impossible. Granted, there is something to be said for gut instinct when one finds themselves in a situation that is unfamiliar. Another biological imperative we have is survival instinct, though the majority of the human populace seems to have done a good job in shutting this down. However, if one was to call upon it, they might be surprised at where it will lead them.

Knowledge and the general acceptance that emergencies will happen will go a long way to keeping one stable during times of need. The act of preparing brings a sense of familiarity to a situation that has yet to happen, as well as supplying the knowledge that gives the person confidence to properly recognize what is happening and act accordingly.