The Fear Reflex

Five Ways to Overcome It and Trust Your Imperfect Self

Hazelden Publishing, 2014

15 min read

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Increasing your self-respect helps you trust yourself and others, so you can deal with your fears.

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Harvard Medical School psychiatry instructor Dr. Joseph Shrand provides a therapeutic fear-management program to help you overcome basic fears and he includes case histories to show how his method works. His “iMaximum resiliency-based approach” (I-M) centers on knowing that you are functioning at your “current best maximum” and using that knowledge to build self-confidence and diminish fear. Shrand carefully traces the links between low self-worth and succumbing to irrational – and even rational – fears. With I-M, he teaches you to understand that you are “doing the best” you can and to use that awareness to increase your sense of self-worth, refrain from turning anger inward and reduce your fears. Shrand’s nonjudgmental program requires treating everyone – including yourself – with understanding and respect. Many may find this challenging, especially if they must extend such treatment to someone they view with apprehension. getAbstract recommends this logical, precise manual about taming fear.

Summary

“The Fear Reflex”

Fear is an elemental human response. This ancient, innate reflex mechanism traces its origins to mankind’s earliest days, when humans were small, scared mammals living on the savannah and in dark jungles, always looking over their shoulders and hiding from all sorts of danger. These early humans knew they were prey for ferocious beasts and aggressive, marauding enemies from other clans. The fear reflex alerted and protected them. Although humans have evolved since those early days, both real and imagined danger still triggers the fear reflex.

The fear reflex is so elemental that even aroma can trigger it. In an experiment to establish that the smell of fear exists and is detectable and persuasive, Dutch scientists had male test subjects watch scary movies. Afterward, the researchers took a sample of sweat from each subject. The test subjects had followed a strict two-day regimen prior to the screening to avoid odiferous foods and to use only “scent-free shampoo, soap and deodorant.” They wore special T-shirts with strategically located “absorbent gauze” to capture their perspiration. After collecting the first sample, the researchers replaced the ...

About the Authors

Harvard Medical School psychiatry instructor Joseph Shrand, MD, is board certified in adult psychiatry, addiction medicine, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Leigh Devine, MS, is a journalist, writer and producer.

Joseph Shrand and Leigh Devine

The Fear Reflex

Five Ways to Overcome It and Trust Your Imperfect Self

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