9781422280553

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Anxiety and Fear in Daily Life

that Eek then go outside and return to whatever he was doing. If Eek becomes so worried that he decides to never leave the cave, then he has a big problem. Sure, it might be safer to never leave the cave, but then Eek can’t find more food. He also won’t meet the future mother of all those little Eeks. The point is, Eek’s worry is useful, but only to a point. Eventually, he has to recover from his fear and get on with his life. How much fear is too much? What if Eek knows that it’s time to stop worrying, but he can’t seem to do it? What does he do then? In this book, we will try to find some answers to these questions. The feeling of fear is the human body’s response to a threat. It begins in a part of the brain called the amygdala . The amygdala has a few different jobs, but the most important has to do with the perception of danger. When the brain detects a threat, the amygdala sounds a chemical “alarm” in the body. The body begins producing more adrenaline , which causes the heart to beat faster and breathing to increase. Blood rushes to the muscles. Senses such as sight and hearing become heightened, while the body’s sensitivity to pain decreases. These reactions are often described as a “fight-or-flight” response (see box on page 14). Fear: What’s It Good For?

Educational Video

Check out this video about the difference between anxiety and fear.