Students at Leavitt were asked, “What is your biggest fear?”

Emily M. “Clowns!”

Danielle C. “Being alone, and lost.”

Mike C. “Losing my grandfather.”

So the deal with fear is….

Everyone has different fears for different reasons, whether it’s from an experience or something they are afraid of experiencing. Fear is one of the most basic human emotions. It works like an instinct and is programmed into the nervous system. It acts like a sensor that signals your brain when you feel unsafe or sense danger. Fear helps protect us, and feeling afraid is very natural. Most people in our society today view fear as a weakness, when it only is as natural as breathing. There is no one who isn’t afraid of anything. Having fear is part of being human.

Like all emotions, fear can be mild, medium, or intense, depending on the situation and the person. A feeling of fear can be brief or it can last longer. Some people may start to feel sensation in their stomachs, referred to as butterflies, or feel it in their heads, chest, legs, or hands. These physical feelings can be mild or strong depending on the fear and you.

These sensations and feelings are known as the “fight or flight” response. Because that is exactly what the body is preparing itself to do: fight off the danger or run to get away. You normally will stay in this state until a message is sent to your brain that you are safe.

People can overcome fear by casually learning about it and gradually get used to the thing or situation that they are afraid of. Although many people think that people with a phobia can overcome it by putting their phobia in front of them constantly, in fact this only makes the person’s phobia worse. It takes small steps and gradual training of the person’s brain to get over or be able to deal with their phobia.

Overcoming phobias is very hard at first, but here are some tips and steps you can take to get you started.

You can start by making a long list of the person’s fears in least to worst order. For example, with a dog phobia, the list might start with the things the person is least afraid of, such as looking at a photo of a dog. It will then work all the way up to worst fears, such as standing next to a person who’s petting a dog, petting a dog on a leash, and walking a dog.

You can find many more helpful tips at www.kidshealth.org where you can also find other kinds of information you’re looking for regarding your mental and physical health.