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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know News India Times (November 1, 2025 - November 7, 2025) November 7, 2025 18 Lifestyle Life Can Feel Scary. What A Fear Expert Recommends You Do To Face It A rash Javanbakht was on the back of a mule at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon when he remembered he is terrified of heights. “I could see my death at the bottom,” said Javanbakht, a psychiatrist and the director of the Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic at Wayne State University. “I tried to distract myself.” Javanbakht knows a thing or two about fear; he wrote an entire book on it: “Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety.” The fact that he decided to ride a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon says a lot about how he handles fear - by facing it. “If I’m afraid of something but I know it’s not dangerous, I go there. I push to get there,” Javanbakht said. “Because if I keep avoiding, if I procrastinate, things will get worse.” Fear is a survival mechanism that can truly keep you from harm. But it can be maladapted, or too sensitive, for the modern world and make you feel anxious and afraid in a way that’s not helpful, Javan- bakht said. If a fear or anxiety causes significant distress or dysfunction in your daily life, it can become a diag- nosable disorder. At his lab atWayne State University, Javanbakht is using augmented reality - a technology where a computer-generated image is superimposed on a person’s real-world view - to expose patients to environments they would otherwise avoid, such as a busy grocery store or a table with a spider. For most people, though, the goal isn’t necessarily to rid yourself of fear and anxiety, he said. Instead, he suggests that people try to recognize and enjoy the motivating thrill of it. “I still feel it. My knees get shaky a little bit,” he said. “But I also enjoy it.” The Post spoke with Javanbakht about the nature of fear and how we can best deal with scary or anxiety- provoking situations in our life. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q: People often use anxiety and fear interchangeably. Is there a difference? A: Fear has a clear object of threat perceived. Let’s say, if I’m afraid of dogs and there’s a dog here, if some- body’s pointing a gun at me, if I’m standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon and I’m afraid of heights, that is fear. There’s a clear identifiable object of threat that I’ve perceived. Anxiety is more vague. Anxiety is more anticipatory. Let’s say I use the example of fear of dogs again. I’m told somebody may come to this party with a dog. Now, I’m constantly screening for a threat. There’s no clear threat in my sight, but I’m screening for the dan- ger that can potentially happen. A majority of our challenges in modern life are anxi- eties. We are worried of, or afraid, of unclear things. And, this worrying is a sense of control. We think if we keep worrying about it, we’ll be prepared to stop it if it happens. Q: We’re told to conquer our fears. Is that the best ap- proach? A: The reason I don’t like the phrase “conquering your fears” is because fear is a part of you. How could you conquer part of yourself? You cannot kill part of yourself. You cannot destroy part of yourself. It’s not an infected appendix that you can pull out and throw away. You cannot throw away your amygdala, right? Fear is a very primitive, very important, all-inclusive reaction against any sign of threat out there. Back then, it was your best friend because fear was there to keep you alive and to keep your tribe alive. It wasn’t some- thing to conquer. Fear matched the dangers of that primitive time, which were all physical - another human, a predator or a rock falling on your head. That’s why all the “fight and flight” responses are mostly physical. It’s as if there’s a primitive human in me right now, at this very moment. And that primitive human sees the dangers in the environment and is trying to protect me. But the anxieties of modern life are very different than the fears and dangers we had in the past. Even if I lose my job, if I’m fired, that doesn’t mean I will die, but my body is reacting as if I’m about to die. Q: How do you know when a fear is rational or not? A: When you’re taken by emotions, it’s very hard to be logical. What I tell patients a lot of times, is when you’re in a situation where you can’t think whether you should be terrified, think of a wise person who you trust. What would this person tell you in that moment? That helps us remove ourselves from the emotion and be more logical. A lot of times, people avoid fear. It’s a negative emo- tion and you want to avoid it. I say: No, focus on what’s in your body. See what the feeling is. Because, when you label the emotion, the emotion decreases. Q: But if I’m afraid of sharks, shouldn’t I just stay out of the ocean? A: Most of the fears we gain, we didn’t have when we were born. For example, someone sees “Jaws” and now they’ve developed a phobia of sharks. When you learn knowledge or skills, it gives you a sense of control, which is another very, very important aspect of dealing with fear. One of my patients was very much afraid of sharks, but he’d like to be in the ocean. So, he started learning about what parts of the oceans have sharks, which sharks are potentially dangerous, what are the risks, what are the percentages of shark attacks, and then the fear went down. The paradox is the more I’m afraid, the more I avoid. The fear system says: “Don’t go there. It’s dangerous.” Then, nothing bad happens and the brain says: “See, I told you. Stay here and you’ll be safe.” Q: Why do so many people enjoy fear-provoking things like horror movies and roller coasters? A: Part of it is the overlap between the biology of fear and thrill. When you are doing some thrilling activity, your heart is beating faster, your sympathetic nervous system is activated, your attention is focused and nar- rowed. I’ve seen a lot of anxious people who love horror movies because now you’re experiencing the anxiety you always experience, but here you’re in control. You’re safe. You know the fear isn’t going to harm you. Q: What would you tell people about how to approach their fears? A: One thing I tell my patients as a motivation is that your freedom is the most important thing you have. And you don’t want to be a slave to your fear. You don’t want to give away your freedom. I’m absolutely fine if you don’t want to be around dogs or spiders, or won’t go to the store or a party, if it is your choice. But you don’t want the fear to make that decision for you. You just live once and you want to live that one life to the fullest. It’s not weak to be afraid. People feel ashamed or embarrassed because they think they’re the only one that feels this way. But, fear and anxiety-related disor- ders are very common. -TheWashington Post By Teddy Amenabar PHOTO:REUTERS/Charles Platiau