Fear is an emotion that generates a distressing sensation caused by the presence of a real or imaginary danger.
It is a reaction that begins with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals that cause, among other things, the heart and breathing to speed up or the body to become tense. Fear usually causes behaviors typical of the stress response and a response known as fight or flight.
However, this is a complex phenomenon that does not always manifest itself in exactly the same way or have the same causes. That is why we talk about types of fear, different ways in which this emotion is expressed depending on our psychological state and the context in which danger signals arise. Let’s see what they consist of, their characteristics, and how they affect us.
The stimulus causing fear It may or may not be a real thought, or a threatening stimulus (for example, the presence of a lion). Some authors affirm that there are some fears inherent to human beings and with a practically instinctive component, such as: darkness, uncertainty or death. However, the vast majority of fears are learned through associative learning or classical conditioning.
This combination of biological factors and environmental and learned factors means that the types of fear we develop are very varied.
On the other hand, although as an emotion, fear is a universal phenomenon and present in all cultures and societies, the truth is that it can take different forms. That is On a basic level, there are different ways to express this phenomenon For example, although in many cases fear is something we avoid, in certain contexts we can seek it out, as happens in certain theme park attractions or even when going to the movies for horror movies.
The physiological bases
The human brain is a deeply complex organ. More than 100 million nerve cells form an intricate network of communications that are the starting point of everything we feel, think and do. Some of these communications lead to conscious thought and action, while others produce autonomous responses.
The autonomous fear response, that is, the one that we do not consciously activate, arises long before our reason has been able to decide anything about it. There are many brain areas related to fear. These are the most important ones:
You can delve into the physiological bases of fear in our article: “The physiological and psychological bases of fear”
Types of fear
Not all people are afraid of the same stimuli nor are the content of all fears the same. Below you can find a list with a classification of the different types of fears:
Depending on the existence of the stimulus
Depending on whether the stimulus that causes fear exists or not, it can be:
1. Real fear
Real fear refers to a type of fear that is is built from real components For example, the fear of falling from a high, unsafe place when there is a real possibility of falling into the void.
It is a pattern of physiological and emotional activation that has adaptive value, because it leads us to avoid danger immediately, often regardless of our conscious intentions.
2. Unreal or irrational fear
Unreal fear has its origin in a imaginary, distorted and catastrophic thinking For example, the fear of speaking in public or the fear of flying. They are non-adaptive fears, in which there is actually no real danger.
In many cases, this type of fear can become a phobia; It is something that happens when this discomfort and the strategies we use to avoid these moments interfere in a way with our quality of life.
According to its normality
Depending on their adaptive nature, fears can be:
3. Normal fear
Normal fear is one that has an adaptive character, and occurs when faced with a stimulus that can be harmful to the person. It is short-lived, does not interfere with normal daily life, and puts the individual on alert. For example, when seeing a snake.
4. Pathological fear
This kind of fear It is activated even if there is no danger and can continue indefinitely Its level of interference in daily functioning is high. It causes great psychological discomfort to the person who suffers from it, and sometimes it also affects third parties (due to its effects on social behavior), which is why it requires treatment.
Depending on the level of affectation
Depending on the level of affectation of the fear, it can be:
Physical fear is fear of suffering painful sensations derived from a real or imaginary external stimulus For example, fear of the doctor.
On many occasions, physical fear is difficult to control, since it can make us move automatically and involuntarily to avoid what scares us, “taking control of the body” for a few seconds.
6. Social fear
This type of fear occurs in response to an external stimulus that is integrated at a social level. It is characterized by those situations in which the person feel that they can be ridiculed and think that they will be judged and ridiculed by others Thus, what produces fear is both the anticipation of this humiliation and the consequences it could have in the future.
Social phobia is at the extreme of this phobia.
7. Metaphysical fear
Metaphysical fear is a fear that has an internal origin and does not rely on empirical sources It may be associated with pathologies such as endogenous depression. You can learn more about this disorder in our article: “Endogenous depression: when unhappiness comes from within”
Other types of fear
These are other kinds of fear that go beyond the categorizations we have seen.
8. Fear of uncertainty
The fear of uncertainty is a fear that It happens when it is difficult for us to visualize the future we want It is also called fear of the unknown, and is closely related to personal development. When a person is afraid of uncertainty, they do not leave their comfort zone.
9. Fear of commitment
This type of fear occurs mainly in relationships. It refers to the feeling or emotion of fear that It is experienced by seeing one’s life given to another person Sometimes it happens because the person simply does not want to give up their freedom, other times because the person has suffered in a previous romantic relationship and does not want to commit again.
10. Jonah Complex
The Jonah Complex is also known as fear of achieving success. It is a term that arises from humanistic psychology in which the person feels anxiety and panic about their own self-realization or the development of their talents.
Related article: “Jonah Complex: the curious fear of achieving success”
A fear that is characterized because the person has done something that is considered bad or illegal and, therefore, does not want to be discovered. They are experienced by lying people and individuals who they have something to hide
12. Fear of failure
The fear of failure is a type of fear that causes a lot of suffering and is related to the expectations that a person has It is also related to the opinion of others. It is experienced, above all, by perfectionist people.
Recommended article: “Perfectionistic personality: the disadvantages of perfectionism”
13. Fear of loneliness
The fear of loneliness is a fear that everyone experiences, since human beings are social beings and we need others to enjoy the emotional balance necessary to face the problems that may arise in our daily lives. They also suffer from the fear of loneliness those people who are in a relationship and do not want to stay single
14. Fear of divorce
Yes, the fear of loneliness refers to people who are in a relationship and do not want to be alone, but there are also individuals who feel great anxiety about getting divorced. If the fear of loneliness is rather related to an inherent feeling of the human being, the fear of divorce It is more related to culture with the fear of what others will think of the failure of the marriage.
15. Fear of death
The fear of death is a type of fear that everyone feels. It is the fear of losing life, because when someone dies it is understood that they disappear forever. People usually experience this fear occasionally or when they find themselves in a situation where their life is in danger. In cases where this thought is constantly in a person’s mind, psychological assistance is usually required.
16. Phobias
A pathological fear that many people experience and that requires psychological treatment to overcome are phobias. There are many types of phobias and they are also often called conditioned fears.
If you want to delve deeper into the different types of phobias, you can read this article: “Types of phobias: exploring fear disorders”
