Recap

The Fear Epidemic

Dr. Marc Siegel discussed the epidemic of fear which he said can mainly be attributed to three sources-- government, media and pharmaceutical companies. The current threat of bird flu he believes is a prime example of over-exaggerated fear. The disease primarily affects birds and there is no evidence that it has mutated to affect humans in a large-scale manner, he said.

People tend to worry less about the things that might actually befall them such as car accidents, AIDS and heart disease, and focus on less likely outcomes such as being the victim of a terrorist attack. 9-11 opened a "psychic wound" and made us feel more susceptible and prone to overreaction, said Siegel.

Fear is part of a deep-rooted, primitive system in the brain related to the fight or flight response. Yet, the problem, he pinpointed, is that we are leaving our fear signals turned on which increase the level of stress hormones and over time create ill-effects in the body. Because courage, caring and humor are also processed in the same part of the brain, if people are experiencing those emotions, they will have less time to wallow in fear, he shared.

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