9781422280591

9

Chapter One

Fear and Health

Everyone feels afraid sometimes. This has been true since the time of the earliest humans, and it will still be true long after we are gone. Fear is a survival skill. Our ancient ancestors feared predators, and they feared darkness because predators could hide there. Today, fear keeps us (well, most of us!) from taking unnecessary risks. Whether it’s climbing too high, driving too fast, or insulting people more powerful than ourselves, we tend to avoid actions that could result in us getting hurt. The ability to feel fear is a tool for self-preservation. In that sense, fear is a healthy emotion. That is how things are supposed to work. But sometimes our fears are unhealthy. Take agoraphobia , for example. People who have this condition are afraid to leave their homes. If you don’t leave home, you can’t go to school, you can’t do basic things like shop for groceries or clothes, and you miss out on social activities. Agoraphobia

Words to Understand agoraphobia: an intense fear of being in public spaces. communicable: an illness that can be spread by contact between people. intimidating: causing someone to feel nervous or inadequate. preventive: keeping something from happening.