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Kanisa George

BUNGEE JUMPING off the edge of Victoria Falls has always been at the top of my bucket list. So, too, has been skydiving, deep-sea diving and a long list of adrenaline-pumping feats. But after dangling 120 feet in the sky with only a leather belt across my waist, I’m reconsidering my relationship with heights.
I’ve never been afraid of heights, yet suddenly, the thought of free-falling scares me. And I’m not alone. There are tons of stories online of people who were once adrenaline junkies becoming acrophobic later in life. Or even becoming fearful of experiences that once strongly appealed to them, like moving to another city or travelling the world. Is it that the older we get, the more fearful we become?
From an evolutionary perspective, fear protects us from bodily, social and psychological harm. The fear mechanism keeps us out of harm's way and creates a map of references based on our experiences and the experiences of others that define harmful situations. When fear increases, anxiety and nervousness increase, creating a hodgepodge of negative, overwhelming emotions.
Several years ago, it was generally accepted that human brains of all ages reacted similarly to fear. Today, the results of several studies have challenged this assumption by showing a direct correlation between age and fear and anxiety.
A University of Haifa study found that fear increases as we get older, and this is directly linked to the way the brain works as we get older.
According to the study, this increased fear with age is related to the plasticity or flexibility of the brain's prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for complex cognitive behaviour. This is very different to the developing brain of a child or young adult whose prefrontal cortex is still developing.
When we experience a stressful or scary situation, the brain effectively tells us that we are in a frightening situation and must act or engage in what is known as the fight or flight mode.
At the end of the fearful encounter, an automatic cooling-down process or fear extinction begins in the prefrontal cortex that returns the body to its routine state.
The older we get, the more faulty this mechanism becomes, and we continue to experience reactions of fear even when the fear factor no longer exists, and we no longer need the mechanism, which can lead to anxiety and post-trauma.
The study clearly illustrates that compared to children, adults are usually more cautious regarding extreme or challenging activities because their brains delay the fear extinction mechanism. The more trauma we experience, the stronger our fear responses are. The more fearful we become, the deeper our anxiety grows and the less daring and outgoing we become. Anxiety can sometimes last for a short time and then pass when the fear elapses, but it can also last much longer and disrupt our life.
Sounds familiar? For me, it does, and maybe that explains my recent troubles with heights. While older adults are less likely to develop phobias as they typically develop between ages 15 and 24, fear of heights may develop later in life, where it was absent before.
Prof Kevin Gourney, author of Coping with Phobias and Panic, explained that this fear partly develops due to a deteriorating sense of balance as we age. But for most of us, it comes down to the dependability paradigm. Because older adults have people in their lives who may depend on them, this can increase worries, which influence the type of activities they’ll readily commit to. The greater our sense of vulnerability, the more fear is attached, and change perhaps represents the greatest form of fear and vulnerability we battle.
It’s almost inevitable that fear and anxiety will develop as we get older. So what should we do about it?
One writer proposed that as we progress through difficult, anxious periods, the focus shouldn’t be on removing fear completely but on making it manageable. One of the key ways to manage our fear is by embracing it. We might feel tempted to avoid our fears, but avoidance in the long run only keeps fear well fed and increases anxiety. A bit of discomfort is okay, and often it’s a sign that bravery isn’t too far away.
Exploring our fears or facing them is also a great way to not only manage but overcome them. Research shows that by introducing fear gently and in small doses, we become empowered and feel braver.
Importantly, clearly understand which fears cause you the greatest anxiety. Pay attention to your physical responses, whether it’s sweaty palms or a nervous tic, and observe how this correlates to your anxiety levels. The greater the anxiety, the more attention should be paid to confronting the fear factor. When you understand your fear and anxiety, you’ll become better at managing it.
Also, practising stress-reducing exercises such as mindfulness and general exercise can help manage feelings of fear and insecurity. While this might not eliminate them, it can foster confidence in handling difficult moments.
Fears, we all have them, and we all experience them. But the trick is not to let them hamper our experiences, because, at the end of it all, our experiences truly make us who we are.
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