According to Merriam-Webster, fear an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.

Most students at LCHS have experienced fear, though this emotion comes in a wide range of types.

Some students have phobias which are persistent, excessive, unrealistic fear of an object, person, animal, activity or situation 

“Arachnophobia which is when your fear is spiders,” Alexus Potter, junior, said.

“Fear of heights which I think is also called acrophobia,” Halee Mowery, senior, said.

Some, though, have been put in situations that provoke fear.

“I have been afraid many times…mainly around Halloween. It’s mainly because people can dess up but not hide the true selves,” Elizabeth Clerk, freshman, said.

“The one time that I felt the most fear is when this stranger came up to me, and said hi, and I said hi back. I walked away and then it just seemed like every time I turned around that guy was around me. I was in the store for a good hour and still (saw) him. I got really scared and started to fear for my life,” Shane Gilmen, senior said.

According to Parentology, the top fear for teens is the fear of peer pressure and not fitting in with their peers. For teens, rejection, humiliation, embarrassment, cyberbullying are some top social fears.

And, teens sometimes fear what people think and want to be perceived in a positive manner. Many say this fear has increased with the popularity of social media. Parentology also says teens fear bullying and cyberbullying.

“Yes, I am really afraid what people say or think about me. We get judged daily. It’s part of life. I would rather hear people say good things about me than mean things,” Dezaray Butcher, senior, said. 

“If somebody isn’t afraid of rejection then I think that person is crazy because everyone is,” Chance Gettings, junior, said. 

As the world heads into the second year of the pandemic, many students have fears about Covid-19, illnesses, germs, death, hospitals and shots. One common concern among students is that their family members will get Covid-19 or they will end up not having money because of jobs. Parentology said teens being fearful of the future is a common fear.

According to a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), teens have higher rates of depression and anxiety resulting from the required isolation and loneliness from the pandemic. 

“My living fear would be me not being able to have a normal life again,” Halee Mowery, senior, said. 

Some normal, day-to-day activities have become a source of fear and anxiety for students.

“School and work are overwhelming for the most part. I don’t know how many kids (do) it, ” Ashley Collins, senior, said. 

Another top fear for most is the fear of change. According to www.psychologytoday.com, it says “Because it means that outcomes are unknown. Our brains are designed to find peace in knowing. When we don’t know what will happen, we make up scenarios and, in turn, create worry. Humans find it hard to move on when something known comes to an end.” 

“Change? I think change can be a good thing, but it can be a terrible thing. In my mind, it is normally a terrible thing. I’m scared that change will happen often, and our lives will not be what it used to be,” Cheyenna Beer, sophomore, said. 

Parentology also noted that basic needs such as safety and financial stability are also among some of teens top fears. Some well known fears from teens are school violence, sickness, their parents divorcing, not doing well in school, disasters like tornadoes or fires, and experiencing peer pressure or peer rejection.

Sometimes fear is from real threats, but it can also start from imagined dangers. It can also be a symptom of some mental health conditions including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Fear is composed of two primary reactions to some type of perceived threat: biochemical and emotional.  

What is Biochemical Reaction? 

Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When confronted with a perceived threat, the human body responds in specific ways. Physical reactions to fear include sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that make us extremely alert.

This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response, with which your body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away. This biochemical reaction is an evolutionary development. It is an automatic response that is crucial to our survival. 

What is Emotional Response? 

The emotional response to fear, on the other hand, is highly personalized attribution. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions like happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be seen as fun, like when you watch scary movies. 

Some people are adrenaline-seekers, thriving on extreme sports and other fear-inducing thrill situations. Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear, avoiding fear-inducing situations at all costs. 

“One thing I have always wanted to do but am scared to do is sky diving. It is on my bucket list, but I really do not think I will have the courage to do it, Cassy Karr, junior, said. 

Symptoms of fear: 

Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person may experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include chest pain, chills, dry mouth, nausea, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating, trembling, and upset stomach 

In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death. 

Causes:

Experts say fear is incredibly complex. Some fears may be a result of experiences or trauma, while others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as a loss of control. Still, other fears may occur because they cause physical symptoms, such as being afraid of heights because they make you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach. 

Some common fear triggers include certain specific objects or situations, future events, imagined events, environmental dangers and the unknown.

Treatment: 

Repeated exposure to similar situations leads to familiarity, which can dramatically reduce both the fear response. This approach forms the basis of some phobia treatments, which depend on slowly minimizing the fear response by making it feel familiar. 

Phobia treatments that are based on the psychology of fear tend to focus on techniques like systematic desensitization and flooding. Both techniques work with your body’s physiological and psychological responses to reduce fear.