Fear is the word we use to describe our emotional reaction to something that seems dangerous. While our individual fears may differ, we all know it when we feel it: an increase in heart rate and breathing, maybe our palms start to get a little sweaty. Whatever the trigger, we tend to want to get away from whatever is making us react this way.
This biological flight-or-fight response is completely natural. Indeed, fear is an intrinsic and important human emotion that keeps us safe and alert when we confront perceived danger.
Chronic fear or phobias, defined as long-lasting fears and anxieties that occur even without the presence of potentially harmful stimuli can, however, start to have dangerous long-lasting effects on our physical and emotional health. This often occurs when we become afraid of feeling fear—in other words when we become overly fearful of experiencing a fear-based response and go out of our way to avoid those triggers or situations. In these cases, when fear becomes an impediment, as opposed to a natural part of living, we need to actively work to overcome our fears and fear-based responses.
Further Reading:
How to Fight Fear-based Emotions