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Fear Essay | Essay on Fear for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Fear Essay:  Fear is a natural, powerful, and primitive emotion experienced by humans, usually triggered by an unpleasant perception of danger that is either real or imaginary—fear causes psychological and, ultimately, behavioral changes in people.

Human beings experience fear as a response to a specific stimulus that occurs either in the present or in expectation or anticipation of a future threat that might be a risk to themselves. Response to any kind of fear varies from person to person.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Fear for Students and Kids in English

We are providing students with samples of a long essay of 500 words on the topic Fear and a short essay of 150 words on the topic Fear for reference.

Long Essay on Fear 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Fear is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Fear, the quintessential human emotion, is an utterly unavoidable human emotion. The extent and range of fear from different things vary from person to person, but the emotion is the same. Fear is capable of causing psychological changes and, ultimately, behavioral changes in a person.

Humans experience fear as a response to a specific stimulus to a situation occurring in the present or an anticipated future threat that is a risk to oneself. The response to fear arises from the recognition of danger, leading to the confrontation of the situation or escaping the fear or avoiding the situation – also known as fight or flight response.

We all humans are programmed in a manner to recognize fear to avoid or reduce being harmed. Learning from the past about what can protect one in dangerous situations makes people capable of doing many things that one wouldn’t typically be able to or willing to respond to the threat.

Fear is broadly classified into two types, innate fears, and identity fears. Innate fears are the fears that every individual has on some level, and humans are born with these fears, which also serve as a kind of survival instinct. Humans develop identity fears as they evolve.

Apart from this, many people also fear love and connection. These fears are a subset of identity fears. As humans grow in their lives, they tend to grow connections with people, and these bonds become of great value to the person. Losing these bonds is one of the biggest fears of many.

Sometimes fear originates from real threats, but it can also originate from imagined danger – which makes fear experienced by people either rational or irrational. Rational fear is the fear of something that is real – occurring from something entirely possible or will occur. Fear of mortality is an example of a rational fear as we humans are immortal. However, irrational fears are necessarily implausible, but the fear arises from a real place in the psyche.

In some people, fear is also a response to mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, panic attacks, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Phobia is an irrational or extreme or aversion of something. An aspect of anxiety disorder can be the tendency to develop a fear of fear.

Many people confuse fear of phobias. Fears are typical responses to objects or events. Still, fear becomes a phobia when the fear interferes with functioning correctly and maintains a consistent quality of life. Fear in humans involves a biochemical response to the situation as well as a high individual emotional response.

Fear is an emotion experienced in the mind, but it triggers some strong physical reaction in one’s body. As soon as one’s body recognizes fear, the brain starts working, alerting the nervous system, which sets the body’s response to fear into motion. The human brain releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, increasing blood pressure, and adrenaline. One starts breathing faster, and blood flow in the body changes – blood flows away from the heart into the limbs.

Short Essay on Fear 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Fear is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Fear is one of the seven universal emotions experience by humans all over the world. Any fear arises with the threat of harm, physical, emotional, or psychological – from a real or imaginary situation.

Usually perceived as a negative emotion, fear can also be positive and healthy. Fear serves as a survival instinct helping humans in recognizing situations that can be harmful or dangerous.

Fear makes one foggy and makes it impossible to think clearly or make the correct decision. However, some people enjoy fear and gain pleasure due to the adrenaline rush experienced in some situations.

Fear will hold one back from achieving victories and significant accomplishments. Everything that one does in life will strike a little bit of fear in their hearts; however, overcoming the fear and giving one’s best is the most satisfying feeling. Don’t let your fears stop you from fulfilling your dreams.

10 Lines on Fear Essay in English

1. Researches have shown that humans can smell others’ fear and react to each other’s scents. 2. One can inherit fear from their parents or grandparents just like any other genetic trait. 3. We humans aren’t born with most of the fears; fear is often learned from knowledge and experience. 4. Fear is the opposite of love as the brain releases chemical oxytocin when in love, which helps overcome learned fears. 5. Sleep offers a unique state in which selected fears can be eliminated. 6. One big scary event in one’s life is not what causes fear; instead, it is a mixture of environment and genetics. 7. Fear can become extinct by associating non-fearful memories with the event. 8. Stress hormones released by humans helps in enhancing the extinction of fear. 9. Some people associate fears with pleasure – the thrill of the experience doesn’t end with the process’s end. 10. Fear can make one foggy making it difficult to make the right decision or think clearly.

FAQ’s on Fear Essay

Question 1.  Why do we experience fear?

Answer: Fear is an unavoidable feeling that is experienced by all. Fear is programmed into humans’ nervous system, and it works like a response to the perception of danger.

Question 2. Is it necessary to experience fear?

Answer: Fear helps in protecting us. Humans are equipped with survival and instinct, which is a response to the sense of danger or an unsafe feeling.

Question 3.  How can fear be avoided?

Answer: Talking about your fear, imagining the worst that could happen, distracting oneself with happy thoughts, and clearing out the mind by taking time in understanding what is causing the fear and anxiety.

Question 4. What are a few most common fears of humans?

Answer: Fear of height, fear of the dark, fear of closed spaces, fear of insects, fear of blood, fear of the violent weather, fear of dying are a few most common types of fear experienced by people.

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114 Fear Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Fear is a powerful emotion that can have a significant impact on our lives. It can hold us back from pursuing our dreams, trying new things, or taking risks. However, fear can also be a powerful motivator, pushing us to overcome obstacles and achieve our goals.

In this article, we will explore 114 fear essay topic ideas and examples that you can use to explore how fear influences our lives and behaviors.

• The role of fear in decision-making
• How fear can hinder personal growth
• Overcoming the fear of failure
• The fear of rejection and its impact on relationships
• Fear of the unknown: how to navigate uncertainty
• How fear of success can hold you back
• Fear of public speaking and ways to overcome it
• The fear of change and how to embrace it
• The fear of being judged by others
• The fear of death and how it shapes our lives
• Fear of failure in academic settings
• Overcoming the fear of making mistakes
• How fear of the future can paralyze us
• Fear of losing control and ways to manage it
• The fear of being vulnerable and its impact on relationships
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in dating
• Fear of failure in entrepreneurship
• The fear of success and how it can sabotage your goals
• Fear of confrontation and ways to handle conflict
• Fear of being alone and how to overcome it
• The fear of being judged on social media
• Fear of the dark and its impact on mental health
• Overcoming the fear of failure in sports
• The fear of being embarrassed in public
• Fear of failure in the workplace
• The fear of failure in creative endeavors
• Overcoming the fear of failure in relationships
• Fear of failure in parenting
• The fear of missing out (FOMO) and its impact on decision-making
• Fear of rejection in job interviews
• The fear of being vulnerable in friendships
• Fear of failure in starting a new business
• Overcoming the fear of failure in academic settings
• Fear of change in personal relationships
• The fear of being alone in old age
• Fear of rejection in the dating world
• Fear of the unknown in travel
• Overcoming the fear of public speaking in professional settings
• Fear of failure in pursuing your passion
• The fear of being vulnerable in therapy
• Fear of rejection in social situations
• Fear of failure in pursuing your dreams
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in creative pursuits
• Fear of change in career transitions
• The fear of being vulnerable in romantic relationships
• Fear of rejection in networking events
• Fear of failure in starting a new project
• Overcoming the fear of failure in academic pursuits
• Fear of change in personal habits
• The fear of being vulnerable in family relationships
• Fear of rejection in online dating
• Fear of failure in starting a new hobby
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in artistic pursuits
• Fear of change in lifestyle choices
• The fear of being vulnerable in self-expression
• Fear of rejection in job applications
• Fear of failure in pursuing new experiences
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in social settings
• Fear of change in personal beliefs
• The fear of being vulnerable in public speaking
• Fear of rejection in professional settings
• Fear of failure in pursuing personal growth
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in academic settings
• The fear of being vulnerable in leadership roles
• Fear of rejection in creative endeavors
• Fear of failure in starting a new venture
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in romantic relationships
• Fear of change in career advancement
• The fear of being vulnerable in group settings
• Fear of rejection in artistic pursuits
• Fear of failure in pursuing your passions
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in job interviews
• Fear of change in personal goals
• The fear of being vulnerable in social situations
• Fear of failure in starting a new career
• Overcoming the fear of rejection in academic pursuits
• Fear of change in personal challenges
• The fear of being vulnerable in professional settings
• Fear of rejection in social relationships
• Fear of change in personal development
• The fear of being vulnerable in personal growth
• Fear of failure in starting

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Essay on Fear in 600 Words: Steps to Overcome Fear

• Updated on  
• Mar 22, 2024

Essay on fear: Fear is a feeling of apprehension, anxiety, or dread in response to a perceived threat or danger. We all fear something. Fear can be caused by any situation, stimuli, individual, or past memory. Fear activates our fight-or-flight response, a surge of hormones like adrenaline that prepares us to face danger head-on or escape a risky situation. 

Overcoming fear requires courage, determination, and willpower. A person who has hydrophobia can overcome his/her fear through exposure therapy under an expert, cognitive behavioral therapy, and efforts. Fearing something for a long time can lead to persistent anxiety and stress, causing symptoms like racing thoughts, difficulty sleeping, muscle tension, and fatigue.

Table of Contents

• 1 Why Do We Fear?
• 2 What Are Some Popular Fears/ Phobias?
• 3 Steps to Overcome Fear
• 4 10 Motivational Quotes to Overcome Fear

Also Read: Essay on Chandrayaan 3

Why Do We Fear?

There are several causes of fear. Humans and animals fear a specific stimulus associated with their unpleasant memories. Our response to fear varies. 

Survival instinct can lead to fear. Individuals who are more cautious and alert to potential dangers are more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Fear drives us to react quickly to threats. This reaction is mostly of fighting or fleeing, increasing our chances of survival. 

Personal experiences or learned behavior can be a cause of fear. A person with a negative experience with a particular situation or object may develop fear or phobia associated with it. This learned fear helps us avoid potential harm in the future.

Our lives are greatly influenced by our cultural and social values. Societal norms, religious beliefs, and cultural traditions often influence what we perceive as threatening or dangerous. 

What Are Some Popular Fears/ Phobias?

The list of fears or phobias is endless. Some of the popular fears/ phobias are:

• Fear or Darkness – Achluophobia
• Fear of Heights – Acrophobia
• Fear of Flying – Aerophobia
• Fear of Failure – Atychiphobia
• Fear of Being Alone – Autophobia
• Fear of Bacteria – Bacteriophobia
• Fear of Gravity – Barophobia
• Fear of Books – Bibliophobia
• Fear of Snow – Chionophobia
• Fear of Dogs – Cynophobia

Steps to Overcome Fear

Identifying your fears, their causes, and their consequences is very important as it can help you overcome them and become successful in life. A person who fears something finds it difficult to deal with everyday situations. Imagine you have Acrophobia or fear of heights and your office is located on the 40th floor of a building. Will you be able to concentrate on your work? Don’t need to panic, as we will provide you with some easy steps to overcome fear.

• Identify Your Fear

Start by identifying your fear, its causes, and what triggers it. What is your fear? Heights? Water? Insects? Whatever it is, talk to yourself about it and understand how you react when you face your fear.

• Challenge Your Thoughts

Our thoughts play an important role in fueling fear. Often, our fearful thoughts are exaggerated or irrational. Challenge these thoughts by asking yourself: How realistic is this fear? What’s the evidence to support this thought? 

• Relaxation Techniques

Fight or flight is the immediate response when we face our fear. This is a natural response. Simple techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your body and mind, making it easier to think clearly and rationally.

• Graduation Exposure

Pushing yourself in a controlled and safe way can be a great way to overcome your fear. A person who fears heights can overcome his fear by watching videos of high places. Then progress to visiting a low balcony, and eventually working your way up to higher heights.

• Positive Visualization

How great will you feel when you realize you have successfully overcome your fear? Visualizing can help you take steps that can lead to positive outcomes. This can help build confidence and reduce anxiety.

• Reach Out for Support

Talking to a close friend, family member, or therapist about your fear can be a great way. Talking it out can provide valuable support and encouragement.

• Reward Yourself

As we make progress in overcoming our fears, it is very important to reward ourselves by staying positive and moving forward.

10 Motivational Quotes to Overcome Fear

Here are 10 motivational quotes that can help you overcome your fears.

‘The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ – Nelson Mandela

‘You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.’ – Eleanor Roosevelt

‘Do the thing you fear and keep on doing it… Fear is a bully. A bully thrives on your silence. The more you cower, the more it swells. But when you stand up to it, when you seize it by the throat and say, ‘That’s enough,’ it wilts. It shrinks.’ – Rosie Greer

‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ – Franklin D. Roosevelt

‘Fear is a natural reaction to a perceived threat. Courage is the movement forward despite that fear.’ – Pauline Rohn

‘Fall seven times and stand up eight.’ – Japanese Proverb

‘I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.’ – Michael Jordan

‘There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the life you are capable of living.’ – Nelson Mandela

‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frighten us.’ – Marianne Williamson

‘Do not let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.’ – Babe Ruth

Ans: Fear is a feeling of apprehension, anxiety, or dread in response to a perceived threat or danger. Identifying your fears, their causes, and their consequences is very important as it can help you overcome them and become successful in life. A person who fears something finds it difficult to deal with everyday situations. Imagine you have Acrophobia or fear of heights and your office is located on the 40th floor of a building. Will you be able to concentrate on your work?

Ans: Survival instinct can lead to fear. Individuals who are more cautious and alert to potential dangers are more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Fear drives us to react quickly to threats. This reaction is mostly of fighting or fleeing, increasing our chances of survival.  Personal experiences or learned behavior can be a cause of fear. A person with a negative experience with a particular situation or object may develop fear or phobia associated with it. This learned fear helps us avoid potential harm in the future.

Ans: ‘The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.’ ‘The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’ ‘Fear is a natural reaction to a perceived threat. Courage is the movement forward despite that fear.’ ‘Fall seven times and stand up eight.’

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For more information on such interesting topics, visit our essay writing page and follow Leverage Edu.

Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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Fear - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Fear, a primal human emotion induced by perceived danger or threat, plays a critical role in survival while also affecting individual and societal behaviors. Essays on fear could explore the psychological and physiological mechanisms behind fear, its evolutionary significance, and its manifestations in modern society. Discussions might also delve into the impact of fear on decision-making, interpersonal relationships, and societal dynamics, as well as explore the treatment of phobias and anxiety disorders. Moreover, analyzing the portrayal of fear in literature, media, and political rhetoric can provide insight into the multi-dimensional aspects of fear and its profound influence on human experience. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Fear you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

What Role does Fear Play in Lord of the Flies

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Should Humanity Fear Advances in Artificial Intelligence

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Three most Common Phobias

Many human beings have things that petrify or cause them to have a nervous reaction to certain insects, places, or objects. This terrified reaction causes people to have a fear that makes it unstoppable for humans to surpass it, as a result, this is called a phobia. There are many different types of phobias that have an effect on humans. Critics have identified phobias into three different categories: agoraphobia, social phobia, and specific phobias. Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety […]

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Overcoming my Fear of Public Speaking

“Jagger, you’re up.” My eighth-grade Social Studies teacher glanced at me with her bespeckled eyes and congenial smile. My heart raced. My cheeks turned bright red and my body shook as if it were about to cave in. In an attempt to hide my anxiety, I looked away from my peers as I walked toward the podium. A panel of three teachers sat in front of me with concerned looks on their faces, as if my anxiety had manifested itself […]

Anxiety: a Widespread Psychological Disorder

One of the most common words used throughout society today is anxiety. With rising rates of anxiety in children, adolescents, and adults, being able to fully comprehend what anxiety is will aid people in being able to cope with, as well as support those who struggle with this. Because this word is so familiar among the community, people have begun to forget the true meaning of it. In addition, people have become desensitized to the seriousness of the battle that […]

Managing the Fear of Public Speaking

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Fear and Misinformation in the Crucible

In the Crucible, the Salem witch trials was shown in a fictional matter. But still had inspiration from the real event and the hysteria known as the Red Scare. In the book, it shows how fear and misinformation can cause major repercussions, hysteria, and cause a whole town to turn on each other. In this essay, I will identify who gets blamed for what happened in Salem. I also will defend the main antagonist Abigail Williams. Firstly, in Act 1 […]

Emotions are the Feelings Aroused in a Human

Emotions are the feelings aroused in a human being or even an animal of higher cognitive faculty in response to internal or external stimuli. The psychologists analyse emotions as having five basic types, fear, sorrow, happiness, anger and disgust. While fear is aroused by noticing a threat, a horror of something terminal, it creates the nervous stress or breakdown, dilutes the pupils of eyes to become large, some shriek out of nervousness while even cases of becoming dumb for life […]

Fear of Failure as a Reason of Anxiety

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American Dream: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

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Fear: Definition, Effects, and Overcoming Essay

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Effects of fear

How to overcome fear.

Webster’s dictionary defines fear as “an unpleasant, sometimes strong emotion caused by an anticipation or awareness of danger” or “anxious concern” Fear is a feeling that causes agitation and anxiety mostly caused by presence or imminence of danger. It is a state or condition marked by feeling of agitation or anxiety. It can also be described as a feeling of disquiet. Fear is an abstract concept and may have different meanings. Holder (2007) adds that fear is more pervasive when there is lack of faith that we have greater significance in the universe than what we own or how others perceive us.

Fear is manifested in many ways in human beings. It may manifest as showing signs of withdrawing or by cowering. But the most profound manifestation of fear is anger and hatred. People acts out their insecurity as anger which shows that they are the most fearful people.

Effects of fear have been documented in many studies. Fear has been documented to case mind paralyses, heart attacks and closure of fallopian tube due to fear of pain during child birth (Jim Rohn, 2004), describes fear, indifference, indecision, doubt, worry and timidness as the five greatest enemies within us which can destroy our lives completely. Fear may manifest itself in physical short term effects or affect your whole life. It will affect both he physiology of the body and the brain. Fear generates stress which manifests itself physically in many signs physically and emotionally. It causes judgmental errors and affects our reasoning that most of time when we are in a fearful situation; we tend to take the wrong action.

According to Sidney B., (1988), fear is a great paralyzer. It will keep you from making positive changes in your life and thus retard your recovery from depression. He continues to argue that fear persuades you to set easier goals and do less than your capability. It will also cause internal defense system fooling you that you have good reasons not to change. Fear of failure reduces the available alternatives you can pursue because you cannot stand by the outcome of what you do. You always feel that you cannot succeed in anything you try. It will keep you away from seeking help because you don’t want others to see you as a failure. Fear has been identified by psychologist as what causes people to give up when they are one step short to their goal. It will keep you stuck or make you develop unhealthy habits and behavior problems. Most of all fear keeps many people from taking risks.

Rim Rohn, (2004), argues that we are not born with courage, neither are we born with fear. He argues that some of our fears are brought on by our own experiences by what someone has told us or what we read in papers and books. Sri Swami Sivananda, (2007), describes fear as an illusion that cannot live. He suggests that to overcome fear we should always feel the presence of a Supreme Being watching us, by meditating and developing positive thoughts all the time. We should devote ourselves to eradicating fear. Since we have seen that fear is developed within our minds, it can also be eradicated within our mind and hence it is just a matter of reconditioning our minds that will help us overcome fear. It is also suggesting that we should share with others our fears. In this way they will help us find solutions to the cause of fears. President Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but the fear itself” hence fearing fear starts and ends with us.

Holder P. (2007): FEAR… YOUR WORST ENEMY . Web.

Rohn, J., (2004). Build courage to face the enemies within. Web.

Sidney S., (1998). Getting Unstuck: Breaking through Your Barriers to Change . Web.

Sri Sivanand, S. (2007). The Divine Life Society: How to overcome fear. Web.

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The Psychology of Fear

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What is fear?

Psychologists define fear as a protective, primal emotion that evokes a biochemical and emotional response. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological. Whereas the biochemical changes that fear produces are universal, emotional responses are highly individual.

Fear produces biochemical and emotional reactions to a perceived threat, whether that danger is actual or imagined. It's a natural, necessary, protective response, but when the reaction is out of proportion to the actual threat, it can be problematic.

Fear can also be a symptom of some mental health conditions, including panic disorder , social anxiety disorder, phobias , and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Biochemical Reaction

Fear is both a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When confronted with a perceived threat, the body responds in specific ways. Physical reactions include sweating, increased heart rate, and high adrenaline levels that cause extreme alertness.

This physical response is also known as the fight or flight response , with which your body prepares to confront the danger or run away. This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary development—an automatic response that is crucial to survival.

Emotional Response

The emotional response to fear, on the other hand, is highly personalized. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions such as happiness and excitement do, feeling fear under certain circumstances can be perceived as fun—for example, when you watch scary movies .

Some people are adrenaline seekers , thriving on extreme sports and other fear-inducing, thrilling situations. Others have negative reactions to the feeling of fear, avoiding fear-inducing situations at all costs.

Although the physical reaction is the same, the experience of fear can be positive or negative, depending on the person.

Symptoms of Fear

Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms. Each person experiences fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach

In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people sometimes experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, upset, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending death.

Diagnosing Fear

Talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing persistent, excessive feelings of fear. Your doctor may conduct a physical exam and perform lab tests to ensure that your fear and anxiety are not linked to an underlying medical condition.

Your healthcare provider will also ask questions about your symptoms including their duration, intensity, and triggers. Depending on your symptoms, your diagnosis may be related to an anxiety disorder, such as a phobia.

One aspect of anxiety disorders can be a fear of fear. Whereas most people experience fear only during a situation that is perceived as scary or threatening, those who live with anxiety disorders may become afraid that they will experience a fear response. They perceive their fear responses as negative and go out of their way to avoid those responses.

A phobia is a twisting of the normal fear response. The fear is directed toward an object or situation that does not present a real danger. Though you recognize that the fear is unreasonable, you can't help the reaction. Over time, the fear worsens as the fear of fear response takes hold.

Causes of Fear

Fear is incredibly complex, with no single, primary cause. Some fears result from experiences or trauma, whereas others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as a loss of control. Still, other fears may occur because they cause physical symptoms, such as being afraid of heights because they make you feel dizzy and sick to your stomach.

Some common fear triggers include:

• Certain specific objects or situations (spiders, snakes, heights, flying, etc)
• Future events
• Imagined events
• Real environmental dangers
• The unknown

Certain fears tend to be innate and may be evolutionarily influenced because they aid in survival. Others are learned and are connected to associations or traumatic experiences. 

Types of Fear

Some of the anxiety disorders that are characterized by fear include:

• Agoraphobia
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Specific phobia

Treatment for Fear

Repeated exposure to similar situations leads to familiarity, which can reduce the fear response dramatically This approach forms the basis of some phobia treatments that depend on slowly minimizing the fear response by making it feel familiar.

Phobia treatments that are based on the psychology of fear focus on techniques such as systematic desensitization and flooding. Both techniques work with the body’s physiological and psychological responses to reduce fear.

Systematic Desensitization

Systematic desensitization involves being led gradually through a series of exposure situations. For example, someone who fears snakes might spend the first session with a therapist talking about snakes.

In subsequent sessions, a therapist might present snake photos, toy snakes, and eventually even a live snake. This is usually accompanied by learning and applying new coping techniques to manage the fear response.

This exposure technique involves flooding, which is based on the premise that a phobia is a learned behavior that can be unlearned.

With flooding, the person is exposed to a vast quantity of the feared object or to a feared situation for a prolonged period in a safe, controlled environment until the fear diminishes. For instance, someone who is afraid of planes might be encouraged to go up anyway.

The point is to get them past the overwhelming anxiety and potential panic to a place where they have to confront their fear and eventually realize that they're OK. This can help reinforce a positive reaction (they're not in danger) with a feared event (being in the sky on a plane), ultimately getting them past the fear.

Although these treatments can be effective, such confrontational approaches should be undertaken only with the guidance of a trained mental health professional.

Coping With Fear

Coping strategies focus on managing fear's physical, emotional, and behavioral effects. Here are a few to consider.

• Get social support. Supportive people in your life can help you manage your feelings of fear.
• Practice mindfulness. You cannot always prevent emotions. Being mindful can help you replace negative thoughts with more helpful ones.
• Use stress management techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation , and visualization.
• Take care of your health. Eat well, get regular exercise, and get adequate sleep each night.

Press Play for Advice on Facing Your Fears

Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares a strategy to help you find courage when you need it the most. Click below to listen now.

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The Takeaway

Fear is an important human emotion that can help protect you and prepare you for action, but it also can lead to longer-lasting feelings of anxiety. Finding ways to control your fear can help prevent anxiety from taking hold.

If you or a loved one are experiencing fears, phobias, or anxiety, contact the  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline  at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see our  National Helpline Database .

Kozlowska K, Walker P, McLean L, Carrive P. Fear and the defense cascade: Clinical implications and management . Harv Rev Psychiatry . 2015;23(4):263-287. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000065

Javanbakht A, Saab L. What Happens in the Brain When We Feel Fear . Smithsonian.

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Anxiety Disorders .

Adolphs R. The biology of fear . Curr Biol. 2013;23(2):R79-93. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.11.055

Craske MG, Treanor M, Conway CC, Zbozinek T, Vervliet B. Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach .  Behav Res Ther . 2014;58:10–23. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006

Samra CK, Abdijadid S. Specific Phobia . StatPearls Publishing.

By Lisa Fritscher Lisa Fritscher is a freelance writer and editor with a deep interest in phobias and other mental health topics.

Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff

If people didn’t feel fear, they wouldn’t be able to protect themselves from legitimate threats. Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger that has been pivotal throughout human evolution, but especially in ancient times when men and women regularly faced life-or-death situations.

Today, the stakes are lower, but while public speaking , elevators, and spiders don’t present the same type of immediately dire consequences that faced early man, some individuals still develop extreme fight-flight-or-freeze responses to specific objects or scenarios.

Many people experience occasional bouts of fear or “nerves” before a flight, first date, or big game. But when someone’s fear is persistent and specific to certain threat, and impairs his or her everyday life, that person might have what’s known as a specific phobia.

• Why People Feel Fear
• Specific Phobias
• Social Anxiety
• Overcoming Fear

At least 60 percent of adults admit to having at least one unreasonable fear, although research to date is not clear on why these fears manifest. One theory is that humans have a genetic predisposition to fear things that were a threat to our ancestors, such as snakes, spiders, heights, or water, but this is difficult to verify, although people who have a first-degree relative with a specific phobia appear more likely to have the same one. Others point to evidence that individuals fear certain things because of a previous traumatic experience with them, but that fails to explain the many fears without such origins.

Personality traits such as neuroticism appear to increase one's likelihood of developing a phobia, and a tendency toward frequent worries and negative thoughts may also increase the risk, as may being raised by overprotective parents, losing a parent, or sexual or physical abuse. Most likely is that people follow multiple pathways to fears , not least among them the emotional response of disgust.

Throughout human history, certain animals, such as snakes and spiders, have caused high numbers of deaths. Thus, some researchers believe, men and women may have evolved to carry an innate instinct to avoid such creatures, as it would deliver a survival advantage. Some studies have shown that it’s easier to condition people without apparent fears of any animals to fear snakes and spiders than to fear dogs or other “friendly” creatures. Studies of other primates show that they share humans’ fear of snakes , leading some to speculate that such fears themselves may have spurred the growth of primate intelligence overall, as humans and others evolved to avoid the dangers posed by such threats.

Research shows that babies do not appear to show signs of fear until around 8 to 12 months of age, usually in response to new people or events, but they are less likely to show a fear of strangers when sitting on a parent’s lap. And while some fears may be innate in humans, many fears are learned , perhaps most commonly by seeing a parent react fearfully to an animal or situation, or to frequently warn a child about its dangers.

There are times when people actively pursue experiences that could scare them, like a roller coaster or a haunted house attraction . Some research suggests that even though these experiences can be truly frightening in the moment, they may also boost people’s moods: The scare response is sincere, but the quick reassurance of safety delivers an equally strong jolt of relief and enjoyment that may linger well after the experience.

Some feelings commonly described as “fears” are not strictly phobias, but mental obstacles that limit people’s actions and decisions, often preventing them from making progress, such as the fear of failure , the fear of success, the fear of rejection , the fear of missing out, or the fear of commitment. These feelings of insecurity, unworthiness, or indecision can often be addressed in therapy .

A phobia is a distinct fear or anxiety about a certain object or situation, exposure to which consistently provokes fear or causes distress in the sufferer. The fear experienced is almost always disproportionate to the true danger the object or event poses, and people with specific phobias generally know there is no real reason to be afraid and that their behavior is not logical. However, they cannot avoid their reaction.

Phobias fall into five broad categories:

• Fears of animals, such as fear of dogs (cynophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), or bugs ( insectophobia or entomophobia) . These fears, known as zoophobias, also include the fear of bats ( chiroptophobia) and of snakes or lizards (herpetophobia).
• Fears of the natural environment, such as a fear of heights (acrophobia) or of storms. These phobias also include fear of fire ( pyrophobia) and fear of the dark (nyctophobia).
• Fears related to blood ( hemophobia) , injury, and injection, such as a fear of needles ( trypanophobia) or medical procedures including dentistry ( dentophobia).
• Situational fears, such as a fear of flying ( aerophobia), a fear of public speaking (glossophobia) , or a fear of riding in elevators, which is itself a type of fear of closed spaces ( claustrophobia).
• Others, such as a fear of vomiting or choking.

Phobias can manifest at any time, but tend to emerge in childhood or adolescence , and the symptoms are often lifelong. In some cases, exposure to the feared object or situation (the phobic stimulus) can cause full or limited panic attacks. As many as 9 percent of Americans annually experience a specific phobia, according to the DSM-5 , and women are twice as likely as men to have a phobia. It’s not uncommon to have multiple phobias: three-quarters of individuals diagnosed with a specific phobia have more than one and the average sufferer has three. The onset of a phobia can sometimes be traced to a specific event, like surviving a plane crash or being attacked by a dog. But for many more people, the origin of the phobia remains unknown. Some people with a specific phobia change their lifestyles to avoid their triggers, moving to a region where certain animals are rare, for example, or where there is no subway.

To learn more about causes and treatments, see our Diagnosis Dictionary .

Agoraphobia is the fear of situations that would be difficult to escape from or from which it would be difficult to get help, such as being in a movie theater or subway car. People with agoraphobia may fear public transportation, open spaces such as bridges, enclosed spaces like elevators, crowded places like concerts, and being away from home in general. Sufferers may become highly distressed when they find themselves in such situations and will go out of their way to avoid them.

Fear of heights is a common phobia, and one that is often experienced intensely. In fact, the symptoms often mirror those of a panic attack, including trembling, sweaty palms, nausea, and dizziness. Some have this phobia because of a traumatic experience but research suggests that, for many others, this fear, and similar ones such as claustrophobia, is a consequence of being more acutely aware of their bodily sensations than others, and more likely to interpret those sensations as threatening, leading to negative thoughts about jumping, losing their balance, or having a heart attack.

It’s often stated that the fear of public speaking is the most common phobia. It isn’t; only about one in four people report experiencing it. But when those with glossophobia are asked to speak before a group, the fear can be paralyzing. People who generally experience high levels of anxiety may worry not only that their speech will be ineffective but that their anxiety will somehow undermine their performance. For others, there are plenty of other sources of discomfort, such as feeling unqualified to speak with expertise, worrying about being evaluated by higher-status colleagues, and, quite commonly, overestimating the stakes of their performance.

Preparation, practice, support from others, and learning to put oneself in a calmer, more relaxed state can all help ease the fear of public speaking , but one of the most important steps people can take is to challenge their beliefs. Cognitive reframing of one’s worries—challenging beliefs about being boring , anxious, or uninformed and replacing them with more favorable, supportive, and, significantly, realistic statements can help someone gain confidence and more accurately perceive the level of threat.

Clown-like characters have been a part of popular culture for centuries. Yet some people have always found them creepy, and about 2 percent of the population experiences coulrophobia, or a fear of clowns . The reaction may be due not just to news reports of crimes by people in clown masks or makeup, but to the ambiguity that even harmless clowns present. With painted-on, unchanging expressions, clowns’ emotions can be hard to read and their intentions may seem unpredictable. The phenomenon known as deindividuation, leads to further unease: Since the identities of the men or women behind the makeup are hidden, others may become fearful of what they might do under cover of anonymity.

Tokophobia, or the fear of pregnancy and/or childbirth, is a longtime phobia but one that has only recently been seriously researched. It affects both women who have experienced pregnancy and those who have not. Sufferers can experience terror, panic, or intense disgust at the very idea of becoming pregnant, leading to difficulty in forming romantic relationships and depriving women of the family they sincerely desire to have. (Women who simply do not desire children do not have tokophobia.)

Nomophobia is a recently coined fear, with “nomo” standing in for “no mobile.” Researchers who have observed individuals experience intense anxiety, fear, or withdrawal when separated from their mobile phones (or even from mobile phone reception) believe the response is based on the devices’ primary function as a means of connection with close attachments like friends, partners, and relatives, and their role as “human attachment substitutes” because they carry photos, messages, and other cherished personal information.

Fear often takes forms other than specific phobias. For example, social anxiety disorder , which is also known as social phobia, entails a deep fear of other people’s judgment, evaluation, and rejection that limits sufferers’ enjoyment of life. Individuals with social anxiety may avoid situations in which they will be exposed to the scrutiny of others, such as giving a speech, eating in front of others, meeting new people, or engaging in group conversations.

To learn more, see Types of Anxiety.

No, but social anxiety can lead to depression , and vice versa. People who experience social anxiety may endure extreme unhappiness, self-doubt, and even hopelessness, symptoms which overlap with those of depression. But research on the two conditions reveals a core feeling of worthlessness, or feeling that one is undeserving, whether of happiness or of other people’s friendship . Addressing that symptom in therapy could help to address social anxiety before it triggers depression.

The techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy may help sufferers begin to overcome social anxiety . Practicing approaches to social situations through limited exposure, and beginning to question the internal stories that lead them to avoid others, can foster confidence in sufferers they are in fact the type of people who can handle social situations. Testing predictions that things will go wrong, to prove that they are incorrect, can further help people challenge anxious thoughts, as can learning to credit or reward themselves for steps toward socializing, as opposed to criticizing themselves unrealistically in post-mortems.

To learn more, see Social Anxiety Disorder.

When fear disrupts or overtakes an individual's life, therapy can help. A core treatment for fears is exposure therapy, in which a therapist guides the client to gradually and repeatedly engage with the source of their phobia in a safe environment to help strip away the threat associated with it. For example, someone with a fear of flying may be prompted to think about planes, view pictures of planes, visit the airport, step onto a plane, and eventually complete a flight. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is often applied in combination with exposure therapy, to help sufferers challenge and reframe their harmful beliefs.

Medication such as beta-blockers, which block adrenaline and lower heart rate and blood pressure, may be prescribed in the short-term, often when a feared situation is necessary or unavoidable, such as before a public speaking commitment.

Minding one’s thoughts, acknowledging their fears, and being present can go a long way toward managing everyday fears . The first step is to question the story behind a fear. When one’s mental predictions insist that something will go wrong or that an individual faces imminent danger, the ability to step back, recognize those thoughts as stories, and calmly evaluate whether they are true or rational can be a powerful step toward overcoming them.

Using the technology of virtual reality to simulate exposure to fears has emerged as a useful therapeutic tool. Evidence suggests that Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy (VRGET) can be especially helpful in addressing concerns like specific phobias , agoraphobia, and anxiety disorders . Patient outcomes appear to be no different in virtual and real settings, but VR may enable therapists to reach more people with accessible and affordable care.

No one lives without fear, but those individuals perceived as courageous may respond to and manage their fears in ways that may offer models to others. First, they are not afraid to be afraid , knowing it’s a feeling that is sometimes unavoidable, and that it’s a feeling that can be useful when it’s recognized as an alert and not a barrier. With this knowledge, they can prepare without panicking, take action instead of shying away from it, and ask for help when their fears clue them in that it may be needed.

These suggestions can help us determine when fear is providing important information and when it is instead constraining and dividing us.

Rumination, or "overthinking," is a hallmark of poor mental health and unhappiness. It is a psychological tendency that, if left unchecked, can reduce our enjoyment of life.

Instead of excitement about the upcoming election, most Americans are terrified of the “other side” winning. Here are tips on managing election anxiety, while staying informed.

Highly publicized airline disasters can make flying feel scarier and riskier than it is. Here are some steps to take to reduce your fear of flying.

Discover how well-intentioned care can turn into crippling control. Learn practical tips to balance protection with independence and help your child grow confidently.

Even when coercive abuse isn’t doing damage physically, it is eroding self-esteem and mental health. It is important to seek healing from intimate terrorism.

Which of the four core addictions hook you? Intensity, perfection, certainty, or a fixation on what is wrong are found across cultures.

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Athletics and therapy require the exact same courage. That may explain why athletes have been therapy's best advocates for decades.

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Student Essays

Essay on Fear | Short & Long Essay on Fear & Worry For Students

Fear is the state or feeling of uncertainty. The fear can be real or perceived. But in either case, the fear can occupy a person and greatly impact the life of an individual. Read the following short and long essay on Fear, why fear happens, and how can we deal fear in our Life

Essay on Fear | Meaning, Causes, Impacts & Ways to deal with Fear

It is a feeling of being afraid. In some situations the person experiences fear instead of any other similar feeling such as awe, alarm, anxiety, or panic. It can be defined as a response to danger. It is the feeling we get when we expect something bad about to happen. It is an emotion characterized by feelings of apprehension, uncertainty and worry. Fear is defined as a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat.

Fear can be defined as a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat whereas worry is a sense of anxiety or uneasiness. Since fear is an emotional response, it occurs in the presence of imminent danger, whereas cowardice, a behavior that often goes hand in hand with fear is an anticipation of danger. The fear and lying  are both part of same coin thereof.

The fear is such a powerful emotion is because it evolved as a survival mechanism. When there was some type of danger present, the person experiencing the danger would have a fear response. The fear response helped them to either protect themselves or avoid the dangerous situation.

Causes of Fear

There are many causes of fear. A common cause is the thought that something bad might happen to you or those close to you. Many fears, such as fear of the dark, are learned fears.

In humans, fear is believed to have evolved as a response mainly to physical dangers [e.g., animals that might eat them]. In psychology, however, it is believed to occur as a response to a broader range of stimuli, and therefore it can happen in many different contexts.

When we are in danger, our mind and body get alerted to the fact that something bad is about to happen. We get alert, our heart beats faster and our senses become more acute. It may depend on what you are afraid of. If you are afraid of heights, people might tease you. If you are afraid of spiders, people might think that is strange. But whatever you are afraid of, most people understand that it can not be normal to enjoy being in fear.

What is Social Fear?

It is the fear of being judged, embarrassed, criticized or disliked by other people in social situations. It can be a powerful enough fear that it can significantly limit a person’s ability to function.

Effects of Fear

There are many effects of fear. Some people experience an increased heart rate, dizziness or shortness of breath. These symptoms occur because the body prepares itself for fighting or running. Other people experience some type of physical pain, such as stomach problems. Some people also have trouble sleeping due to fear. It eats out the self respect and human dignity.

There may be something that we can learn from our fears. The fear of spiders might make you more aware of the amount of insects in your home. The fear of dogs might make you more aware of the amount of unvaccinated animals in your community.

Fear can be very powerful if you let it get out of control. The best way to overcome your fears is to face them. If you try and avoid your fear, it will not go away over time.

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How to Describe Fear in Writing (21 Best Tips + Examples)

The ability to evoke fear can heighten the tension in your narratives, making your characters more relatable and your stories more gripping.

But how do you do it?

Here’s how to describe fear in writing:

Describe fear in writing by understanding the type of fear, its intensity, and expressing it through body language, speech patterns, thoughts, feelings, setting, pace, and sensory description. Use metaphors, symbols, contrast, relatable fears, and personal experiences for a vivid portrayal.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to describe fear in writing.

21 Elements to Describe Fear in Writing

Table of Contents

When writing about fear in stories or screenplays, there are 21 elements you need to consider.

Here is a list of those crucial elements of fear:

• Type of Fear
• Body Language
• Speech Patterns
• Use of Metaphors and Similes
• Sensory Description
• Relatability
• Anticipation
• The Unknown
• Personal Experiences
• Internal and External Conflict
• Character Development
• Word Choices
• Repercussions

Next, we’ll dive deeper into each element so that you fully understand what it is and how to apply it to your story.

Tip 1: Get to Know the Type of Fear

Understanding the type of fear your character is experiencing can make a huge difference in your writing.

Fear comes in various forms such as phobias, existential fear, traumatic fear, or even something as simple as a sudden surprise.

Knowing the difference will help you convey the emotion accurately and realistically.

Example: Fear of heights (acrophobia) would involve dizziness, a feeling of being unbalanced, and terror of looking down. On the other hand, existential fear, like the dread of death, would lead to more internal thoughts, panic, and a profound sense of despair.

Tip 2: Depict the Intensity

The intensity of fear varies from person to person and situation to situation.

Your character could be slightly uncomfortable, petrified, or somewhere in between.

Describing the intensity of the fear helps set the tone and mood for your scene.

Example: A mild unease could be something like, “There was a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach.” As for absolute terror, try something like, “His heart pounded like a wild drum, every cell in his body screaming in terror.”

Tip 3: Use Body Language

Actions often tell more than words do.

Displaying your character’s fear through their body language can help your reader visualize the situation and empathize with the character’s feelings.

Example: A scared character might tremble, perspire excessively, or even exhibit signs of hyperventilation. “She stood frozen, her whole body shaking like a leaf in the wind, her breath coming out in short, ragged gasps.”

Tip 4: Alter Speech Patterns

Fear can greatly influence a person’s speech.

A scared character might stutter, ramble, or even lose the ability to speak entirely.

This can be an effective way to demonstrate their fear without explicitly stating it.

Example: “I-I don’t know w-what y-you’re talking about,” he stuttered, his voice barely above a whisper.”

Tip 5: Dive into Thoughts

A character’s thoughts provide insight into their mental state.

This can be a great tool for conveying fear, as it allows you to delve into their deepest insecurities and worries.

Example: “What if the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere? What if nobody finds me? What if this is the end?” His mind was a whirlwind of terrifying possibilities.

Tip 6: Express Feelings

Directly stating a character’s feelings can make the narrative more immediate and intense.

However, avoid overusing this method as it can become monotonous and lose impact.

Example: “A wave of fear washed over him, a fear so raw and powerful that it threatened to consume him whole.”

Tip 7: Use Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes are useful tools to intensify your narrative and paint a vivid picture of fear in your reader’s mind.

Just be sure not to overuse them.

Instead, apply them strategically throughout your story when they can make the biggest impact.

Example: “His fear was a wild beast, unchecked and unfettered, tearing through the barriers of his mind.”

Tip 8: Control the Pace

When a character experiences fear, their perception of time can change.

Use pacing to mirror this altered perception.

Quick, short sentences can reflect a fast-paced scene of intense fear, while long, drawn-out sentences can portray a slow, creeping dread.

Example: “His heart raced. Sweat trickled down his brow. His hands shook. He was out of time.” Versus, “A dread, slow and cruel, crept up her spine, making every second feel like an eternity.”

Tip 9: Sensory Description

Involve the reader’s senses.

Make them hear the character’s thumping heart, feel their cold sweat, see their trembling hands.

The more sensory detail, the more immersive the experience.

Example: “The air turned frigid around him, his heart pounded in his ears, the acrid smell of fear filled his nostrils.”

Tip 10: Symbolism

Symbols can add depth to your story.

A symbol associated with fear can subconsciously create unease in your reader.

The smell of damp earth, the taste of fear-induced bile, or the touch of a cold wind can heighten your depiction of fear.

Example: A character may associate a certain perfume smell with a traumatic event, stirring fear every time they smell it.

Tip 11: Contrast

Adding a contrast between what a character expects and what actually happens can surprise both your character and reader, creating fear.

Additionally, such a contrast can throw a character off balance, making them more vulnerable.

This vulnerability can, in tandem, intensify the fear.

Example: A character walking into their home expecting a warm welcome, only to find a burglar instead.

Tip 12: Setting

A well-described setting can set the mood and increase the fear factor.

A dark alley, an abandoned house, or even a graveyard can make a scene scarier.

Consider, for instance, the prickling sensation of fear that crawls up your reader’s spine as your character walks down a gloomy, deserted alleyway.

Example: “The hallway was dimly lit, the floorboards creaked underfoot, and an eerie silence hung in the air.”

Tip 13: Timing

Timing is everything.

A sudden fright or a fear that gradually builds over time can significantly impact the level of fear.

Unexpected scares can send a jolt of fear, while prolonged dread can create a suspenseful horror.

Example: “As she turned the corner, a figure lunged at her” versus “She had the unsettling feeling of being watched for the past week.”

Tip 14: Relatability

Fear becomes more intense when it’s something your reader can relate to.

A fear of failure, of losing loved ones, or of public speaking can be quite effective.

Common fears such as public speaking, rejection, or loss can elicit a stronger emotional response.

Example: “The prospect of speaking in front of the crowd filled him with a fear so intense, it felt as though he was drowning.”

Tip 15: Anticipation

The fear of the unknown or the anticipation of something bad happening can be more terrifying than the event itself.

Plus, it creates suspense and holds the reader’s attention as they await the inevitable.

Example: “She waited for the results, her heart pounding in her chest. The fear of bad news was almost too much to bear.”

Tip 16: The Unknown

Fear of the unknown is a fundamental aspect of human nature.

Utilize this by keeping the source of fear hidden or unclear. In addition, this uncertainty can mirror the character’s feelings, drawing readers into their experience.

Example: “There was something in the room with him. He could hear it moving, but he couldn’t see it.”

Tip 17: Personal Experiences

Incorporating personal experiences into your narrative can make the fear feel more authentic.

It can also make writing the scene easier for you.

In fact, a scene drawn from your own fears can imbue your writing with raw, genuine emotion.

Example: “Just like when I was a child, the sight of the towering wave sent a ripple of terror through me.”

Tip 18: Internal and External Conflict

Fear can be used to create both internal (fear of failure, rejection) and external conflict (fear of a villain or natural disaster).

Importantly, fear can create a dilemma for your character, adding depth to their personality and complexity to your story.

“ Example: “His fear of disappointing his parents clashed with his fear of failing in his own ambitions.”

Tip 19: Character Development

Fear is a powerful motivator and can be a significant factor in character development.

It can cause a character to grow, reveal their true self, or even hold them back.

Moreover, how a character responds to fear can reveal their true nature or trigger growth, making them more nuanced and relatable.

Example: “Faced with his worst fear, he had two choices — to run and hide, or to fight. It was this moment that shaped him into the brave leader he would become.”

Tip 20: Word Choices

Choosing the right words can drastically alter the atmosphere of a scene.

Descriptive and emotive words can create a more palpable sense of fear. Descriptive and emotive words can help create a vivid, terrifying scene that lingers in your reader’s mind.

Example: “The eerie silence was shattered by a gut-wrenching scream.”

Tip 21: Repercussions

Fear often leads to consequences.

Showing the aftermath of fear — a character’s regret, relief, or trauma — can deepen your story’s impact.

Also, it allows for an exploration of the character’s coping mechanisms and resilience, adding another layer to their personality.

Example: “After the incident, every shadow made her jump, every noise made her heart race. Fear had left a lasting mark on her.”

Here is a video on how to describe fear in writing:

30 Words to Describe Fear

If you want to know how to describe fear in writing, you’ll need the right words:

Here is a list of good words to write about fear:

• Apprehensive
• Intimidated
• Creeped-out
• Trepidatious

30 Phrases to Describe Fear

Here are phrases to help you describe, fear, terror, and more in your writing:

• Paralyzed with fear
• Fear gripped her
• Heart pounding in terror
• Overcome with fright
• Sweating bullets
• Shaking like a leaf
• Frozen in fear
• Sick with dread
• A sinking feeling of fear
• Stomach tied in knots
• Hands trembling with fear
• Fear crawled up her spine
• Fear etched in his eyes
• Terror washed over her
• A cold sweat broke out
• Goosebumps of fear
• Fear stole his breath away
• Chilled to the bone
• The shadow of fear
• Consumed by fear
• Fear clenched at her heart
• Felt a wave of panic
• Heart raced with anxiety
• Fear prickled at the back of her neck
• Jumping at shadows
• Staring fear in the face
• Scream stuck in her throat
• Cornered by fear
• Sweat of fear
• A gust of terror

3 Full Fear Examples (3 Paragraphs)

Now, let’s look at three full examples of describing fear.

In the pit of her stomach, a sinking feeling of dread formed, icy tendrils of fear slithering into her veins.

Her heart pounded against her ribcage like a desperate prisoner, her breath hitched in her throat.

The alley was darker than she remembered, every shadow a potential threat.

The deafening silence, broken only by the distant hoot of an owl and her own shaky breaths, seemed to press against her eardrums. She was consumed by fear, every instinct screaming at her to run.

He stood petrified at the edge of the forest, the ominous blackness seeming to swallow up the faint moonlight.

Fear gripped him, a visceral entity that stole his breath and froze his blood.

The whispering wind through the trees sounded like ghostly warnings, making his skin prickle. He was acutely aware of his thundering heartbeat, the shaky dampness of his palms, the dryness in his mouth.

An unsettling shiver ran down his spine, and he knew without a shadow of doubt that stepping into the forest meant facing his worst nightmares.

Her hands shook as she held the envelope, her name written in a familiar scrawl.

An overwhelming sense of dread filled her as she slowly slid her finger under the seal, breaking it open.

The silence in the room was oppressive, the ticking of the clock deafening in its persistence.

She unfolded the letter, her eyes scanning the words written in haste. As she read, her fear gave way to a cold realization. Fear had been replaced by an emotion even worse – utter despair.

Final Thoughts: How to Describe Fear in Writing

Fear looks very different on different characters and in different stories.

The more specifically you create fear in your stories, often the better.

When you need to describe other things in your writing – from love to mountains and more – check out our other writing guides on this site.

Related Posts:

• How to Describe Love in Writing (21 Best Tips + Examples)
• How to Describe a Face in Writing (21 Best Tips + Examples)
• How To Describe a Panic Attack in Writing (Ultimate Guide)
• How to Describe Mountains in Writing (21 Tips & Examples)

The Biology of Fear (NIH)

8 Bold Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

by Sarah Gribble | 4 comments

Start Your Story TODAY! We’re teaching a new LIVE workshop this week to help you start your next book. Learn more and sign up here.

Today I want to talk about fear. Fear of writing, fear of sharing your work, fear of publishing—and how you can overcome it.

Writers face fear on a day-to-day basis.

The self-doubt . The fear of failure. And, oh, the vulnerability.

Writing is hard enough with all the self-evaluation and doubt about your abilities. But then sharing your work with other people so they can critique or review it? CRINGE.

When you sink into that fear it debilitates you. If you let fear hold you back, you’re ensuring you never achieve your goals. You’ll never write that book and you’ll never get published. All because you were too scared.

8 Ways to Overcome Your Fear of Writing

It’s time to stop letting fear control you and get writing. Here’s how:

1. Do what scares you.

When you’re up against something that makes you cringe, ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is. Is it actually  harmful? Unless it’s something like jumping from a bridge into a rocky river or stepping in front of a speeding vehicle, it’s probably not.

Fear is trying to keep you safe. It needs to learn that just because something is scary doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s detrimental to your health. Do what scares you, and keep doing it, and the fear will subside.

This includes fear of our own writing. I'm not saying you have to go write a 90,000 word novel. Start with a short story, or try out some writing prompts.

Aspiring writers might feel intiimdated because they don't think that they are a great writer. The reality is, you can never become a great writer unless you practice—and to practice, you have to write.

Embrace and overcome your fear by putting words down. Start writing, have patience with yourself, and worry about the rest later.

The blank page becomes way less scary as soon as you put words on it.

2. Stop procrastinating.

Your house is already clean enough. That TV show can wait. No, you don’t need to run to the store to pick up a bag of chips.

Figure out when the best time for you to write is and then write.

If you really, truly need a break to clear your mind, set a time limit. Ten minutes of scrubbing the grout with a toothbrush and then get back to your writing.

Ultimately, those who procrastinate will be more prone to writing off procrastination as writer's block—and the more time you spend away from writing, the scary it will become.

3. Learn from criticism.

Criticism is what everyone fears. Not just in writing, but in life. We all want to be liked, to be perfect, to be praised.

Your writing will not please everyone and that’s something you should realize and accept now. Criticism is much easier to take when you go into it knowing that fact.

Don’t just ignore criticism, though. Writing is like everything else in that it requires practice. You don't have to rank #1 on Amazon or make a bestseller list your first go (even though I won't argue that would be fantastic).

The first meal you cooked wasn’t a gourmet meal. The first time you dribbled a basketball wasn’t Lebron-level. Someone was there to point out what you were doing wrong and set you on the right path. They taught you how to get better.

That’s what criticism is: teaching.

It's not  rejecting your work, which might be why some writers fail to share their work: because their fear of rejection is mistakenly associated with getting critiques.

Yes, sometimes it’s mean-spirited, especially in this age of internet trolls. But even in those nasty reviews, there’s normally something to learn from.

Find it. Use it. And do better next time.

4. Stop revising.

You want every sentence in your work to be perfect . I have a secret for you: you’ll never get there.

Your writing will never be perfect. 

Not to you, not to your editors, and not to your readers. It’s impossible, so stop revising ad nauseam. At some point, you have to let it go and put the work out there.

Perfectionism can stunt your creative writing instead of empower it.

To avoid this, set a limit. I prefer three drafts. That’s it. Three and then I let it fly on its own.

What are you writing for? We'll never know unless you decide to share your work.

5. Set goals and move toward them.

Focus on milestones like daily word counts and deadlines (self-imposed or otherwise).

Writing a book is like summiting a mountain: you do it  one step at a time . When you reach the top you might be a little exhausted and out of breath, but you’ll look back at all you’ve accomplished and feel proud.

Without these smaller milestones, it might be hard to finish your piece of writing, or even find the motivation to keep writing each day.

Stories are finished one day at a time, with hard work and a desire to grow your writing process.

Don't sweat the small stuff in your first drafts, like word choice. Instead, set a long term goal of continually learning how to write better and smaller milestones that will help you finish stories you start.

All of this is accomplished word by word, and by turning real and irrational fears into manageable tasks.

6. Embrace the fear of writing.

You’re going to be scared frequently in this business. My stomach still flips every time I submit a short story , even though I’ve submitted hundreds of times. It’s going to happen.

The trick is to acknowledge it and move forward. It didn’t kill you.

In fact, that little tingle of fear should be your signal to celebrate. You did what scared you and that’s amazing.

One book that a lot of writers really love on this subject is The War of Art  by Steven Pressfield. If you're feeling discouraged or swallowed by your fear, check out this book for some motivation.

Even better, find and join a writing group like we have here at The Write Practice. Nothing helps you overcome your fears like a supportive community with a kindred creative spirit.

7. If your character can do it, so can you.

You don’t let your characters sit back on their heels because they’re scared, do you? I hope not, because if you do, you don’t have a story .

Your characters don’t have the luxury of sitting on the bench. They must make decisions and do something about the problem. And so should you.

Don’t let fear of writing take over your writing life. Decide to move forward, to write that book, to send out that manuscript. Decide and then do it.

8. Ask for help if you need it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for time to yourself so that you can write. Your family and friends will understand you need that time because writing is important to you.

Find a group of writers and readers that can go through your story and give constructive feedback. You can't improve in a vacuum.

Need to know what a day in the life of a flight attendant looks like, or the lingo of a truck driver? Ask them. Trust me, you’re not bothering them. People love talking about themselves.

In the same vein, if you need help with research, that’s literally what librarians are for. They’ll be glad to help.

Don’t let fear of asking for help stagnate your writing.

Embrace the Fear

I want to leave you with these words from Carrie Fisher:

Your fears are natural and normal. They're also not the end of the story.

Your task, the challenge for every writer, is to face that fear of writing, acknowledge it, and write, share, publish anyway .

Need extra motivation? Have you checked out The Write Practice’s 100 Day Book program ? It’s the best way to stop letting fear of writing control you and get that book done. Click here to find more information on the course.

What scares you most about writing and/or the business side of writing? What are some steps you can take to overcome that fear?  Let me know in the comments !

Today I want you to spend fifteen minutes writing about a time you were scared to do something but did it anyway. Describe the exact feelings of fear you had. How did you feel after you'd done what scared you?

When you’re finished, share your work in the Pro Practice Workshop here (and if you’re not a member yet, you can join here ).

Sarah Gribble

Sarah Gribble is the author of dozens of short stories that explore uncomfortable situations, basic fears, and the general awe and fascination of the unknown. She just released Surviving Death , her first novel, and is currently working on her next book.

Follow her on Instagram or join her email list for free scares.

Work with Sarah Gribble?

Bestselling author with over five years of coaching experience. Sarah Gribble specializes in working with Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Horror, Speculative Fiction, and Thriller books. Sound like a good fit for you?

Who writes? Pensioner, professionals, housewives, kids or religious gurus or what class of people write?

My fear of writing is criticism, as English is not my first language. The 8 tips above have ignited my interest to write. That was my childhood dream. I would love to write short stories for my countries audience.

I am a high school teacher and I have read criticisms on everything that is posted on the internet, though there are many good comments .

Please advise me.

Understandable Naomi. Question, though: Would you rather write in English or your mother tongue?

Thank you! Needed to read this.

“7. If your character can do it, so can you.”

My characters can sprout wings and get coached by sentient rocks. They literally jump off cliffs with jagged rocks below.

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Essay on Biggest Fear

Students are often asked to write an essay on Biggest Fear in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Biggest Fear

Understanding fear.

Fear is a feeling we all experience. It is an emotional response to danger or threat. It can be real or imagined. Fear can be small like fear of bugs, or big like fear of heights. Everyone has their own biggest fear. It is different for everyone.

Impact of Fear

Fear can affect our daily life. It can stop us from doing things we want to do. It can make us feel anxious or stressed. It can even cause physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat or sweating. So, it’s important to manage our biggest fear.

Overcoming Fear

Overcoming our biggest fear is not easy. It takes time and effort. We can do it by facing our fear little by little. We can also seek help from adults or professionals. Remember, it’s okay to be scared. But don’t let fear control your life.

250 Words Essay on Biggest Fear

Fear is a feeling we all experience. It is a response to danger, a way our body tells us to be careful. It can be scary, like when we see a snake, or it can be less direct, like worrying about a test at school. But what is our biggest fear?

The Biggest Fear

Dealing with fear.

Even though fear can be scary, it is a normal part of life. Everyone feels fear at some point. The important thing is not to let fear control our lives. We can learn to face our fears and overcome them. This might mean asking for help, practicing something until we get better, or talking about our fears with someone we trust.

Fear is a powerful feeling that can make us feel bad and stop us from doing things we want to do. But remember, it’s okay to be scared. The key is to not let fear stop us from trying new things or achieving our goals. Our biggest fear might be big, but we are bigger. We can face our fears and overcome them.

500 Words Essay on Biggest Fear

Introduction.

Fear is a feeling we all experience. It is a response to danger or threat. Our biggest fear is the one that scares us the most. It can be anything from spiders, heights, darkness, to the fear of failure. This essay will talk about the concept of ‘biggest fear,’ its causes, effects, and ways to overcome it.

Fear is a natural feeling. It is our body’s way of telling us to be careful. When we sense danger, our body reacts. Our heart beats faster, we start to sweat, and our mind focuses on the threat. This is called the ‘fight or flight’ response. It helps us to either stand and fight or run away from the danger. Our biggest fear is the one that causes this reaction the most.

Causes of Fear

Our fears can come from many places. Some people are scared of things because of a bad experience in the past. For example, if you were bitten by a dog as a child, you might be scared of dogs now. Sometimes, we learn to be scared of things from the people around us. If your parents are scared of spiders, you might learn to fear spiders too. Other times, our fears can come from our imagination. We might be scared of monsters under the bed, even though we know they are not real.

Effects of Fear

The good news is that we can learn to overcome our fears. One way is to face our fears little by little. If you are scared of dogs, you might start by looking at pictures of dogs. Then, you could watch a dog from a distance. Finally, you might try petting a dog. This is called ‘exposure therapy.’ It can be very helpful.

Another way to overcome fear is to talk about it. You can talk to a trusted friend, family member, or teacher. They can give you advice and support. Sometimes, just talking about our fears can make them feel less scary.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Writing Anxiety

What this handout is about.

This handout discusses the situational nature of writer’s block and other writing anxiety and suggests things you can try to feel more confident and optimistic about yourself as a writer.

What are writing anxiety and writer’s block?

“Writing anxiety” and “writer’s block” are informal terms for a wide variety of apprehensive and pessimistic feelings about writing. These feelings may not be pervasive in a person’s writing life. For example, you might feel perfectly fine writing a biology lab report but apprehensive about writing a paper on a novel. You may confidently tackle a paper about the sociology of gender but delete and start over twenty times when composing an email to a cute classmate to suggest a coffee date. In other words, writing anxiety and writers’ block are situational (Hjortshoj 7). These terms do NOT describe psychological attributes. People aren’t born anxious writers; rather, they become anxious or blocked through negative or difficult experiences with writing.

When do these negative feelings arise?

Although there is a great deal of variation among individuals, there are also some common experiences that writers in general find stressful.

For example, you may struggle when you are:

• adjusting to a new form of writing—for example, first year college writing, papers in a new field of study, or longer forms than you are used to (a long research paper, a senior thesis, a master’s thesis, a dissertation) (Hjortshoj 56-76).
• writing for a reader or readers who have been overly critical or demanding in the past.
• remembering negative criticism received in the past—even if the reader who criticized your work won’t be reading your writing this time.
• working with limited time or with a lot of unstructured time.
• responding to an assignment that seems unrelated to academic or life goals.
• dealing with troubling events outside of school.

What are some strategies for handling these feelings?

Get support.

Choose a writing buddy, someone you trust to encourage you in your writing life. Your writing buddy might be a friend or family member, a classmate, a teacher, a colleague, or a Writing Center tutor. Talk to your writing buddy about your ideas, your writing process, your worries, and your successes. Share pieces of your writing. Make checking in with your writing buddy a regular part of your schedule. When you share pieces of writing with your buddy, use our handout on asking for feedback .

In his book Understanding Writing Blocks, Keith Hjortshoj describes how isolation can harm writers, particularly students who are working on long projects not connected with coursework (134-135). He suggests that in addition to connecting with supportive individuals, such students can benefit from forming or joining a writing group, which functions in much the same way as a writing buddy. A group can provide readers, deadlines, support, praise, and constructive criticism. For help starting one, see our handout about writing groups .

Identify your strengths

Often, writers who are experiencing block or anxiety have a worse opinion of their own writing than anyone else! Make a list of the things you do well. You might ask a friend or colleague to help you generate such a list. Here are some possibilities to get you started:

• I explain things well to people.
• I get people’s interest.
• I have strong opinions.
• I listen well.
• I am critical of what I read.
• I see connections.

Choose at least one strength as your starting point. Instead of saying “I can’t write,” say “I am a writer who can …”

Recognize that writing is a complex process

Writing is an attempt to fix meaning on the page, but you know, and your readers know, that there is always more to be said on a topic. The best writers can do is to contribute what they know and feel about a topic at a particular point in time.

Writers often seek “flow,” which usually entails some sort of breakthrough followed by a beautifully coherent outpouring of knowledge. Flow is both a possibility—most people experience it at some point in their writing lives—and a myth. Inevitably, if you write over a long period of time and for many different situations, you will encounter obstacles. As Hjortshoj explains, obstacles are particularly common during times of transition—transitions to new writing roles or to new kinds of writing.

Think of yourself as an apprentice.

If block or apprehension is new for you, take time to understand the situations you are writing in. In particular, try to figure out what has changed in your writing life. Here are some possibilities:

• You are writing in a new format.
• You are writing longer papers than before.
• You are writing for new audiences.
• You are writing about new subject matter.
• You are turning in writing from different stages of the writing process—for example, planning stages or early drafts.

It makes sense to have trouble when dealing with a situation for the first time. It’s also likely that when you confront these new situations, you will learn and grow. Writing in new situations can be rewarding. Not every format or audience will be right for you, but you won’t know which ones might be right until you try them. Think of new writing situations as apprenticeships. When you’re doing a new kind of writing, learn as much as you can about it, gain as many skills in that area as you can, and when you finish the apprenticeship, decide which of the skills you learned will serve you well later on. You might be surprised.

Below are some suggestions for how to learn about new kinds of writing:

• Ask a lot of questions of people who are more experienced with this kind of writing. Here are some of the questions you might ask: What’s the purpose of this kind of writing? Who’s the audience? What are the most important elements to include? What’s not as important? How do you get started? How do you know when what you’ve written is good enough? How did you learn to write this way?
• Ask a lot of questions of the person who assigned you a piece of writing. If you have a paper, the best place to start is with the written assignment itself. For help with this, see our handout on understanding assignments .
• Look for examples of this kind of writing. (You can ask your instructor for a recommended example). Look, especially, for variation. There are often many different ways to write within a particular form. Look for ways that feel familiar to you, approaches that you like. You might want to look for published models or, if this seems too intimidating, look at your classmates’ writing. In either case, ask yourself questions about what these writers are doing, and take notes. How does the writer begin and end? In what order does the writer tell things? How and when does the writer convey their main point? How does the writer bring in other people’s ideas? What is the writer’s purpose? How is that purpose achieved?
• Read our handouts about how to write in specific fields or how to handle specific writing assignments.
• Listen critically to your readers. Before you dismiss or wholeheartedly accept what they say, try to understand them. If a reader has given you written comments, ask yourself questions to figure out the reader’s experience of your paper: What is this reader looking for? What am I doing that satisfies this reader? In what ways is this reader still unsatisfied? If you can’t answer these questions from the reader’s comments, then talk to the reader, or ask someone else to help you interpret the comments.
• Most importantly, don’t try to do everything at once. Start with reasonable expectations. You can’t write like an expert your first time out. Nobody does! Use the criticism you get.

Once you understand what readers want, you are in a better position to decide what to do with their criticisms. There are two extreme possibilities—dismissing the criticisms and accepting them all—but there is also a lot of middle ground. Figure out which criticisms are consistent with your own purposes, and do the hard work of engaging with them. Again, don’t expect an overnight turn-around; recognize that changing writing habits is a process and that papers are steps in the process.

Chances are that at some point in your writing life you will encounter readers who seem to dislike, disagree with, or miss the point of your work. Figuring out what to do with criticism from such readers is an important part of a writer’s growth.

Try new tactics when you get stuck

Often, writing blocks occur at particular stages of the writing process. The writing process is cyclical and variable. For different writers, the process may include reading, brainstorming, drafting, getting feedback, revising, and editing. These stages do not always happen in this order, and once a writer has been through a particular stage, chances are they haven’t seen the last of that stage. For example, brainstorming may occur all along the way.

Figure out what your writing process looks like and whether there’s a particular stage where you tend to get stuck. Perhaps you love researching and taking notes on what you read, and you have a hard time moving from that work to getting started on your own first draft. Or once you have a draft, it seems set in stone and even though readers are asking you questions and making suggestions, you don’t know how to go back in and change it. Or just the opposite may be true; you revise and revise and don’t want to let the paper go.

Wherever you have trouble, take a longer look at what you do and what you might try. Sometimes what you do is working for you; it’s just a slow and difficult process. Other times, what you do may not be working; these are the times when you can look around for other approaches to try:

• Talk to your writing buddy and to other colleagues about what they do at the particular stage that gets you stuck.
• Read about possible new approaches in our handouts on brainstorming and revising .
• Try thinking of yourself as an apprentice to a stage of the writing process and give different strategies a shot.
• Cut your paper into pieces and tape them to the wall, use eight different colors of highlighters, draw a picture of your paper, read your paper out loud in the voice of your favorite movie star….

Okay, we’re kind of kidding with some of those last few suggestions, but there is no limit to what you can try (for some fun writing strategies, check out our online animated demos ). When it comes to conquering a block, give yourself permission to fall flat on your face. Trying and failing will you help you arrive at the thing that works for you.

Celebrate your successes

Start storing up positive experiences with writing. Whatever obstacles you’ve faced, celebrate the occasions when you overcome them. This could be something as simple as getting started, sharing your work with someone besides a teacher, revising a paper for the first time, trying out a new brainstorming strategy, or turning in a paper that has been particularly challenging for you. You define what a success is for you. Keep a log or journal of your writing successes and breakthroughs, how you did it, how you felt. This log can serve as a boost later in your writing life when you face new challenges.

Wait a minute, didn’t we already say that? Yes. It’s worth repeating. Most people find relief for various kinds of anxieties by getting support from others. Sometimes the best person to help you through a spell of worry is someone who’s done that for you before—a family member, a friend, a mentor. Maybe you don’t even need to talk with this person about writing; maybe you just need to be reminded to believe in yourself, that you can do it.

If you don’t know anyone on campus yet whom you have this kind of relationship with, reach out to someone who seems like they could be a good listener and supportive. There are a number of professional resources for you on campus, people you can talk through your ideas or your worries with. A great place to start is the UNC Writing Center. If you know you have a problem with writing anxiety, make an appointment well before the paper is due. You can come to the Writing Center with a draft or even before you’ve started writing. You can also approach your instructor with questions about your writing assignment. If you’re an undergraduate, your academic advisor and your residence hall advisor are other possible resources. Counselors at Counseling and Wellness Services are also available to talk with you about anxieties and concerns that extend beyond writing.

Apprehension about writing is a common condition on college campuses. Because writing is the most common means of sharing our knowledge, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves when we write. This handout has given some suggestions for how to relieve that pressure. Talk with others; realize we’re all learning; take an occasional risk; turn to the people who believe in you. Counter negative experiences by actively creating positive ones.

Even after you have tried all of these strategies and read every Writing Center handout, invariably you will still have negative experiences in your writing life. When you get a paper back with a bad grade on it or when you get a rejection letter from a journal, fend off the negative aspects of that experience. Try not to let them sink in; try not to let your disappointment fester. Instead, jump right back in to some area of the writing process: choose one suggestion the evaluator has made and work on it, or read and discuss the paper with a friend or colleague, or do some writing or revising—on this or any paper—as quickly as possible.

Failures of various kinds are an inevitable part of the writing process. Without them, it would be difficult if not impossible to grow as a writer. Learning often occurs in the wake of a startling event, something that stirs you up, something that makes you wonder. Use your failures to keep moving.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Hjortshoj, Keith. 2001. Understanding Writing Blocks . New York: Oxford University Press.

This is a particularly excellent resource for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. Hjortshoj writes about his experiences working with university students experiencing block. He explains the transitional nature of most writing blocks and the importance of finding support from others when working on long projects.

Rose, Mike. 1985. When a Writer Can’t Write: Studies in Writer’s Block and Other Composing-Process Problems . New York: Guilford.

This collection of empirical studies is written primarily for writing teachers, researchers, and tutors. Studies focus on writers of various ages, including young children, high school students, and college students.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Fear — The Fears In My Life

What I Think About Fear in Life

• Categories: Fear

About this sample

Words: 600 |

Published: Jun 17, 2020

Words: 600 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Berntsen, D., & Rubin, D. C. (2006). Emotionally charged autobiographical memories across the life span: The recall of happy, sad, traumatic, and involuntary memories. Psychology and Aging, 21(4), 786-801.
• Carleton, R. N. (2016). Fear of the unknown: One fear to rule them all? Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 41, 5-21.
• Craske, M. G., & Stein, M. B. (2016). Anxiety. The Lancet, 388(10063), 3048-3059.
• Diemer, M. A., Mistry, R. S., Wadsworth, M. E., López, I., & Reimers, F. (2013). Best practices in conceptualizing and measuring social class in psychological research. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 13(1), 77-113.
• Gabbard, G. O., & Wilkinson, S. M. (2016). Management of chronic fear and anxiety in medical disorders. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 80, 32-38.
• Hallion, L. S., & Ruscio, A. M. (2011). A meta-analysis of the effect of cognitive bias modification on anxiety and depression. Psychological Bulletin, 137(6), 940-958.
• Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Fang, A., & Asnaani, A. (2012). Emotion dysregulation model of mood and anxiety disorders. Depression and Anxiety, 29(5), 409-416.
• Ost, L. G., & Ollendick, T. H. (2017). Brief, intensive and concentrated cognitive behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Behavior Research and Therapy, 97, 134-145.
• Plutchik, R., & Kellerman, H. (2013). Emotion: Theory, research, and experience: Vol. 1. Theories of emotion. Academic Press.
• Roosevelt, F. D. (1933, March 4). Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/articles/franklin-d-roosevelt-first-inaugural-address.htm

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Example Of A Good Descriptive Essay

The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model of Self-Disclosure and Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Primary Liver Cancer Patients and Their Spouses: A Cross-Sectional Study

31 Pages Posted: 24 Aug 2024

China Medical University

affiliation not provided to SSRN

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate how self-disclosure among primary liver cancer patients and spouses impacts the fear of cancer recurrence using a binary analysis approach.MethodsA cross-sectional study involved 240 dyads of primary liver cancer patients and spouses. Statistical analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and the actor-partner interdependence model to examine the influence between patients’ and spouses’ self-disclosure and fear of cancer recurrence.ResultsSelf-disclosure by both patients and spouses negatively impacted their fear of cancer recurrence (actor effect) and also influenced each other’s fear of cancer recurrence (partner effect). The model demonstrated a mixed model, where the actor effect exceeded the partner effect.ConclusionsIn primary liver cancer couples, high levels of individual self-disclosure effectively reduce one’s fear of cancer recurrence. Notably, elevated self-disclosure in either spouse can effectively reduce the partner’s fear of recurrence. Future interventions targeting disclosure between couples could alleviate the fear of cancer recurrence, enhancing the quality of life for both patients and spouses.

Note: Funding declaration: This study was supported by Liaoning Province Higher Education Scientific Research Funding Project (grant number: JYTMS20230145). Conflict of Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Ethical Approval: The research was granted by the medical ethics committee of the relevant hospital (EC-2023-KS-004). Informed consent forms were provided to eligible subjects.

Keywords: Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, Primary liver cancer, Patients, Spouses, Self-disclosure, Fear of cancer recurrence

Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation

China Medical University ( email )

No. 91 Hsueh-Shih Road Taichung, 40402 Taiwan

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Yingli Pan (Contact Author)

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