Fear is a familiar feeling for all human beings. Some fears have an essential survival value. However, others can be caused by previous experiences or traumas.
In the end, fears can condition your day-to-day life or prevent you from doing things you like. If you would like to end your fears, your first step should be to identify them.
Only when you know their source can you begin trying to control them. Today, we are bringing you a list of the seven most-common fears to help you see if you should focus on overcoming any of them.
Table of Contents
Fear of Flying
Although planes are one of the safest transportation modes, many people fear being in an aviation accident.
This fear can cause sweating, palpitations, confusion, and muscle tension. Those who suffer from this condition often feel anxious from when they start packing until they get off the plane.
This feeling of anxiety and anguish can be paralyzing, and some people can even cancel or avoid trips for fear of flying.
Fear of Enclosed Places
The extreme fear of being enclosed is called claustrophobia. One of the big problems with claustrophobia is that it tends to be underestimated, so there is not much data about the number of people afflicted.
It is estimated that between 2 and 5% of the population suffers from a fear of closed places. These people often avoid elevators, the subway, tunnels, small rooms and even revolving doors.
Fear of Blood
People with this fear can become anxious just by seeing a small wound. In its most extreme cases, fear of blood or hemophobia is accompanied by a drop in blood pressure or fainting.
This fear can become a significant problem because of the risk of losing consciousness. In many cases, those who suffer from it will avoid going to doctors’ offices since the simple fact of thinking about blood can make them feel ill.
Fear of the Dentist
Dentophobia is an extreme and persistent fear of attending dental appointments. Just thinking or hearing about going to the dentist can cause significant psychological distress.
This fear is generally caused by a bad experience with a dentist as a child. People who suffer from it are at significant risk as they often avoid appointments and do not have regular checkups.
However, it is really important to keep up with regular preventative dental visits to keep your teeth healthy, your smile beautiful, and maintain your overall health.
If you are a nervous dental patient, a caring and gentle professional such as Swansea dentist will look after you.
Do not avoid going to the dentist. Not getting enough preventative care will lead to complications and issues down the road that can be more painful and expensive.
Fear of Heights
Acrophobia is the irrational fear of observing a landscape from a high point, for example, when you climb a skyscraper or look out a window.
It should not be confused with vertigo, which is a sensation of motion. Like most fears, it can affect the everyday experience of those who suffer it.
These people can become victims of anxiety attacks when they find themselves at a high point, putting their lives at risk.
Fear of the Dark
Fear of the dark is perhaps the most common fear. It usually develops during childhood. In the absence of enough light, your imagination is fired.
Images and noises can be misinterpreted, making you believe that you are in imminent danger when in reality you are just as safe as with the light on.
While some people fear the dark but learn to live with it, others can suffer paralyzing anxiety and extreme psychological stress.
Fear of Animals
This fear can range from fear of wild animals to domestic animals. As human beings, we develop a fear of wild animals as a method of survival.
However, some people have an irrational fear of harmless animals like cats, birds, etc. These feelings can be the source of immense stress for them.
Usually, this is due to a past traumatic experience with one of them.
These are some of the most widespread fears. If you happen to suffer from any of them, do not be ashamed.
As humans, we have evolved to fear anything that could become a threat, so experiencing fears or phobias is extremely common.
The most important first step is that you recognize them and seek help to overcome them.