Fear and Phobias 1

Running Head: FEAR AND PHOBIAS

Why I Don’t Drive: The Brain Chemistry, Brain Psychology, and Sociology Behind Fears and
Phobias
Maggie Nuckols
Glen Allen High School
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Introduction

Throughout all of human history, people have been decided on one thing: that people are

innately motivated by a fight or flight response. As society has matured, we have learned to label

this feeling as fear. Especially in modern day societies, there is a prevalent problem of levels of

fear and phobias rising with no signs of stopping. Because of multiple life events, such as the

“Century of Fear,” and new scientific findings on brain chemistry, including the full fear body

system and new neurological research studies, we understand fear and phobias better than ever.

However, there is not one specific, clear reasoning as to why fear levels are rising. Scientists,

researchers, sociologists, and neurologists agree that it has to do with a mix of both social

changes and important anatomical and neurological systems and function.

Background Information

To first understand why fear levels are rising, we must understand what fears and phobias

are. Fear itself is described as “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or

something is a threat, dangerous, or can and will cause harm” (Oxford Dictionary). People are no

strangers to fear, in fact some people experience them on an incontrollable level. According to

the Gale Medical Journal entry on phobias, 18% of Americans have a phobia that interferes with

their everyday life. Phobias are “intense but unrealistic fears that can interfere with the ability to

socialize, work, or go about everyday life, brought on by an object, event, or situation”

(Turkington, 2011). The most common are various forms of social phobias, which result from

deep fears of being embarrassed in public, while specific phobias are likely to occur in about one

out of every ten Americans (Turkington, 2011).

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The importance lies in the debate of phobias versus fear. Both are highly undesired, but

more commonly, people are able to live in a state of fear over a constantly pressing phobia.

Phobias are specific fears that may branch out of a traumatic event or developed, escalating fear,

and interfere with everyday life. Fear is a onetime event. You feel fear when getting on a roller

coaster; you feel fear when you almost fall down the stairs. It is a rush of emotion of terror or

feeling of imminent danger. Phobias are fear, experienced every day of the person’s life. It is the

same fear feelings, but they are not a singular occurrence. They prevent a person from doing

things vital to everyday life, even though they know they should not be scared in those moments

(Turkington, 2011). As a society, we are seeing generalized fear increasing, while phobias tend

to stay at the levels they always have. That being said, to fix the problem of rising fear levels, we

need to target generalized fear, not specific phobias.

Brain Chemistry and Neurology

All of the symptoms of phobias and feelings of fear have to come from somewhere. One

aspect of their origin is the brain and the body. Contrary to popular belief, the amygdala is not

the fear center of the brain. Instead, leading fear neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux suggests that

three things have to happen in tandem for the body to feel fear. First, the chemicals in the brain,

such as norepinephrine and serotonin, and the hormones in the body, like adrenalin and cortisol,

must be increased and secreted (LeDoux, 2015). This is where the amygdala comes in. The

amygdala is the part of the brain that sends out the signal for these chemicals and hormone levels

to increase secretion (LeDoux, 2015). Once the levels of chemicals and hormones go up, the

body searches to find out which stimulus in the environment is causing the new imbalance

(LeDoux, 2015). LeDoux describes it as, “attention systems in the neocortex guid[ing] the

perceptual search in the environment for an explanation for the highly aroused state” (2015).
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Finally, once “the meaning of the environmental stimuli present is added to the retrieval of

memories” and those memories prove to be somehow related to danger, the “fear schema” takes

over, allowing the body to feel fear (LeDoux, 2015).

Because there is new information to suggest that fear and phobias are a result of memory

retrieval, this suggests why normal, everyday things like a friend pulling a prank or a scary

movie do not truly scare someone, they just shock them because they do not have thoughts that

truly cause fear; they know they are really safe. This also suggests why phobias are so

significant. Because fear is directly connected to memories, usually startling or tragic ones, they

are significant enough to take control over lives. Take a person with a fear of planes that

originated from a family member passing away in the 9/11 plane crash. Because their fear

schema pulls up memories of danger and harm when they think about boarding a plane, they

have a phobia of flying. Left untreated, this also suggests why fears can develop into phobias or

how phobias really get more intense. A scientific study on fear recall in adults and adolescents

suggests the scientific reasoning to back the schema addition theory. According to the study,

when memories are pulled from the amygdala, they are brought to the forefront of the brain

(Nader, 2000). Once they are there, they are in a vulnerable state, subject to manipulation and

shifting. The study directly describes it as being how consolidated fear memories that are being

“reactivated during retrieval” go back to being malleable and changeable before returning to

long-term memory storage in the brain (Nader, 2000).

Another study, done in 2017 by neurologists Ganella, Barendse, Kim, and Whittle, also

supports the same thesis. Their study compares the process of anxiety and fear memory recall, a

vital part of the whole body system, in adolescents and adults. The study found that adolescents,

especially with anxiety disorders, have underdeveloped “ventromedial prefrontal cortex,” the
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part of the brain where memories are called up during the schema in the accommodation portion

of fear (Ganella, 2017). Because teenagers have lesser developed prefrontal cortexes, they are

more likely to have fear memories manipulated and changed, usually in ways that make the thing

feared more extreme or difficult to deal with. This already poor brain development flaw is then

paired with the access to a constant stream of media and lifestyles that reinstate certain ideas for

teenagers. These two aspects of adolescents, working in tandem, suggests another reason for

rising fear levels: teenagers today have the same brain chemistry as ever, with the newly added

emphasis on media and technology.

Another aspect that plays a role in fear is that there is a very distinct age and gender

differentiation in people who have higher levels in fears and phobias. Phobias are usually

diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30, based on which one you have, but can occur earlier or

later. They are two to three times more likely to occur in females rather than males, and they are

occasionally passed down through genetics. They are also incredibly comorbid, being linked

especially to social, personality, and anxiety disorders (Turkington, 2011). Because more and

more teenagers are being diagnosed with social disorders and anxiety disorders, psychologists,

doctors, and neurologists are also seeing an increase in phobias and in turn fear. This

comorbidity has a direct line of correlation to the epidemic of rising fear levels. However, a big

positive for this specific problem of comorbidity also points scientists and neurologists to how

they can approach treatment for fear and phobias. Instead of targeting purely fear treatments,

there is a chance that some anxiety and social disorder treatments might work as well.

Sociology and Psychology

While there are proven scientific reasons for fear and phobia manifestation in people and

animals, there is also sociological reasoning for the prevalence of fear in society, especially
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during key moments of “fear centuries” (Furedi, 2005). Sociologist Frank Furedi coined the

name of the fear century, saying that September 11, 2001 is the first day of the “Century of Fear”

in America (2005). He went on to say that time is marked by key moments of fear, citing

Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 as his prime examples (Furedi, 2005). Sociologists have found that

after terrorist attacks and natural disasters, there is a spike of increased anxiety levels in societies

(Furedi, 2005). Furthermore, the mere thought of a threat instills fear in people and in fact

amplifies the hazard (Furedi, 2005; Sitter, 2018). While the scientific factors of fear are

important, especially when it comes to treatment, many argue that the social factors are the main

driving force in the drastic increase and rise in fear levels. The “Century of Fear” began in 2001

with the tragedy of 9/11; so if Furedi’s recently proposed theory is correct, then we have only

seen the beginning of a time period flooded with fear.

There is also a trend in parenting and thought forming methods. The “Don’t Be a Hero”

culture is also developed with this new society people are living and raising children in (Furedi,

2015). Julie Sitter, an elementary school student counselor believes that parenting plays a big

role in the current state of this century’s children, especially when it comes to their fears and

anxieties. In her time as a school counselor, she has found that students tend to develop

performance anxiety and separation anxiety that is often fueled by the parents (Sitter, 2018).

According to Sitter:

“Parents want to label and diagnose everything out of a fear for

their child and their child’s wellbeing. For them, they stick a label
on like ‘Generalized Anxiety Disorder’ and feel better and safer
because their child has a diagnosed issue. But most of the time,
those issues are just natural parts of growing up. A part the parents
don’t let happen naturally” (2018).
Sitter also said that most kids she sees aren’t scared by violence, but are rather

desensitized to the same things that their parents and caretakers alike being shown to be hyper-
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sensitive to as a result of the “Culture of Fear,” (2018). In parents’ minds, there is a direct

correlation between risk and fear. However, that is incorrect, and instead goes back to being a

side effect of memory retrieval. Because risk is now equivalent to danger, (some even as little as

not wearing a helmet or walking to school alone), Americans associate risk with irresponsibility,

irresponsibility with a lack of safety, a lack of safety with danger, and danger with fear. It is a

chain reaction that really cannot be stopped at the projection the modern world is following

(Furedi, 2015; Nader, 2000).

Furedi believes that most commonly, people live in fear of the unknown, specifically risk

and danger, because we are overstimulated and over-informed, which supports the idea that fear

levels are increasing as time passes and society and its technology and media continues to

develop. People are constantly plugged in, and are encountering the issues that come with having

too much access to media and news. Essentially, society is digging itself a deeper, bigger, wider

hole (2015).

This also supports the reason why FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out has become such a

significant pillar in peoples’ everyday lives. It is essentially a less intense version of a social

phobia, which has been stimulated with an increase of social media, accessible technology for

contact, and with a constant need to be in community with other people, rather than in person or

online. People who experience FOMO on a daily level live in a constant form of social anxiety,

needing to preform and fit in, which in turn leads to trends, fads, and groupthink, and the fear

that one might potentially be left out (Furedi, 2015; Turkington, 2011). Because FOMO is such a

modern concept, it is one of the best examples of why the modern world is so knee-deep in fear

all of the time, and especially highlights the underlying contemporary tones within the recent rise

of fear.
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This sociological perspective of fear focuses mainly on two questions: who should we

fear and who should we blame (Furedi, 2005). Because “western societies have a weak sense of

shared meaning” and so respond to threats in ways that isolate us from our peers, we actually

give our fears character and materialize them (Furedi, 2005). Studies have shown that language

that elevates fears and creates powerlessness has become more and more commonplace in

American society (Furedi, 2005). Words like plague, epidemic, and syndrome are only a couple

of the most common ones. However, one of the most significant social findings that relate to fear

show that most westernized countries, and Americans specifically, tend to use tragedies as “fear

stimulators” instead of “life motivators” (Furedi, 2005). This, mixed with up incoming fear

centuries, is one of the big reasons why fear levels are increasing and why people, Americans

especially, are living in a world cultivated by fear.

Overall, fear actually is a more modernized, capitalized on concept than ever before. Fear

has always been around, but unrealistic fears, paralyzing phobias, and manipulated beliefs are

specific to this day in age – the 21st century.

Treatment and Outcomes

Before going towards medications and therapy for treatment of fears and phobias, it’s

also important to remember that every single case is different. There is a general rise of fear in

modern day society, but most of the cases that require direct intervention are individualized and

unique for each person involved. One treatment or coping mechanism that is successful for one

person, will not work with another, and vice versa. Sometimes it’s as simple as creating better

coping strategies or “learning a [proper] language” to talk about it with, such as mindfulness

curriculum and proactive recognition (Sitter, 2018; Furedi, 2015).

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That being said, treatment options vary in type and intensity. Direct treatments are used

mostly when the fear becomes too frequent or too intense to be dealt with on a personal level.

They include different methods, including psychotherapy and drugs, with less successful but

important home remedy supplements. Psychotherapy approaches vary, but some specific

examples include cognitive-behavioral therapy, desensitization, and flooding. Cognitive-

behavioral therapy teaches individuals how to change their thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes

towards their fears through calming techniques that lessen anxiety. Desensitization is better

known as exposure therapy and is successful three fourths of the time. Flooding is a less

common approach, but is basically desensitization, instead with flooding, the exposure is not

gradual, but full subjection to the source of the fear all at once (Turkington, 2011).

When psychotherapy is not successful, drugs are oftentimes used. Some drugs used

include benzodiazepines such as diazepam, beta-blockers like propranolol, and antidepressants

such as citalopram and fluoxetine (Turkington, 2011). Drug treatment is based on age, the

severity of the phobia, and other physical and mental disorders that might be in play for the

patient.

Also, with recent developments in the studies behind comorbidity, especially as it relates

to stress and anxiety in the face of fear, it has been suggested that medicating a comorbid

disorder will help lessen the severity of the symptoms of fears and phobias. There are four types

of treatment when comorbidity comes into play: integrated, sequential, parallel, and single

diagnosis. Integrated treatment is the “treatment of comorbid disorders at the same time;”

sequential treatments are “treatments of one disorder, then the other;” parallel treatments are

“treatment of each disorder, but in separate treatments;” and single diagnosis is when one

disorder is treated but not the other (International Society, 2018). For treatment of fear symptoms
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and comorbidity, integrated, sequential, and parallel treatments are the most ideal, while single

diagnosis is not the preferred method.

However, drugs do not always have to be used, as home remedies such as eliminating

caffeine and alcohol, healthy eating and exercise, and reducing as much stress as possible will do

the trick (Turkington, 2011). Especially for phobias and for people who experience an abnormal

amount of fear, normal, healthy lifestyles can help control symptoms. Things such as creating a

mental safe place, finding trustworthy people to talk to, and especially maintaining a usual daily

routine with plenty of sleep and healthy meals, can help people manage their fear symptoms,

especially if they are linked to other disorders (Greenberg, 2012).

At the same time, there are societal differences that need to make as well. The national

levels of fear are rising, so it has no longer become an individual problem, it is a national

problem. There are a couple ways societies can do this. Frank Furedi coined the idea of new

intense language that directly contributes to the societal problem with rising fear levels. Words

such as “plague,” “epidemic,” and “syndrome,” have become commonplace in modern-day

culture. For some events, the words are properly utilized, however in most cases, all those words

add is an elevated intensity level fear in matters that are not worthy of that level of significance

(2015). For example, a well-placed BBC news article titled “Ebola: Mapping the Outbreak,”

does nothing to cause any relief from the mass, international hysteria surrounding the disease. In

reality, only one person in the United States died from a case of Ebola, even though everybody

was scared they were going to contract and die from the disease. This type of language also

associates menial things with high profile occurrences such as terrorist attacks and natural

disasters. Furedi says that to combat an overwhelming feel of societal hopelessness that feeds

fear, we need to look at tragedies not as fear stimulators, but as life motivators, and to stop
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putting so much pressure on things that do not require the intensity (2015). This leads directly to

the idea that as a society, it is our responsibility to cool down and to take some of the intense

nation-wide feelings of fear and focus and turn them into something productive, rather than

something destructive. Sure there is a general trend in people’s bodies reacting in a way that

suggests a biological reason for increased levels of fear, but it is also important to socially

lighten the burden of unnecessary national fear if we really want to see levels decrease.

Fear has also become a “free-floating thing right in front of your eyes” (Furedi, 2015).

For society to truly lower levels of fear in its members, we need to acknowledge that fact and try

to move towards a world where it is still simply an ideological concept. As a society, we are

preparing for the unpredictable worst instead of expecting the unpredictable best (Furedi, 2015).

In order to bring society back to a model of supporting each other and being able to walk out in

confidence and not fear, we need to reevaluate our media access and consumption. The “Century

of Fear” is marked by a time period where technology and media were on a sharp rise, meaning

that sociologists have seen a direct correlation to media accessibility and fear. This goes to

support the reasons why fear is heavily a part of lives where people experience intense FOMO

and in people, especially adolescents, who are constantly connected to their phones and in turn to

the global media. Take the Manchester concert bombing in 2017. A total of nineteen people were

killed with an additional fifty-nine injured (Osbourne, 2017). Or the Vegas concert shooting in

2017. Fifty-eight people died and an additional eight hundred and fifty-one were left injured

(2017 Las Vegas Shooting, 2017). After these horrific incidents, security skyrocketed, leaving

people standing in a metal detector line scared for no reason. Over precaution is effectively

killing any mental security Americans have.

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Conclusion

As cited in this paper, there is evidence to suggest that fear is on the rise due to a number

of factors including but far from limited to the “Century of Fear” and the rise of media

consumption. As we seek to address this increase, physical and psychological treatments will

only go so far. Yes, they will help and they do serve a purpose. However, if society’s strategy is

to leave it alone, then the problem becomes greater and greater and fear levels continue to rise. If

we want to see a change, a real change, we need to focus our efforts into two specific camps. On

one hand, we need to look at the brain chemistry of patients who experience fear, and try to help

ease their pain in order to alleviate the pressure of a pending national epidemic. On the other

hand, beginning steps to calm the safety tensions in society, whether that be socially or security-

related, need to be taken. Society cannot just make do with one or the other, because fear is not a

one box fit all illness. However, with both aspects working in tandem, a real difference could be

made.
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