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Killer Fear
How accepting things as they are can be an antidote to worry
This has been a worrisome year. Every day there are new reports of deaths from COVID-19, possible variants of the disease, lack of vaccine availability and the adverse effects of prolonged isolation. These reports cause a constant strain, but worry is not good for us. Living in fear is detrimental to our health.
Adrenaline high
The deceptive thing about fear is that, because of its biochemical response, fear can feel exciting. In our stressful society, we become accustomed to the high of the adrenaline rush of fear and think it normal. But it’s not. In fact, when our experiences regularly trigger the release of adrenaline, fear can kill us.
When we are fearful or anxious, our muscles need more oxygen and glucose, which means that our heart pumps faster and our blood pressure rises. In response to fear, our adrenal gland secretes cortisol and adrenaline into our bloodstream to keep us aroused and alert enough to respond. Prolonged high levels of cortisol in the bloodstream can damage the heart, contribute to obesity (especially of the gut), weaken the immune system and exhaust our adrenals.
High cortisol production also leads to increased amounts of fatty deposits in the liver, which in turn can create a range of…
