top of page
Blog: Blog2

I am afraid for my life

Writer's picture: The Secret IngredientThe Secret Ingredient

Updated: Jul 27, 2023

I am physically afraid; as are many of my fellow Indians. This lockdown, the weeks preceding it filled with an overload of bad news, and the general state of chaos faced by economies considered more developed than ours brought us a sense of alarm that has now gradually progressed into a belief that the impending doom is certain, despite all the masks-sanitizers-grocery-stocking-and-work-from-home precautions. And yet, we keep hearing and seeing people violating quarantines, breaking lockdown rules, organizing coronavirus get-togethers and engaging in other corono-moronic actions that are putting everyone at risk. To top it off, they are misnaming this stupidity as courage. I keep wondering what makes them immune to the shared fear.


Fear, as a physiological and psychological response, has been shaped by millennia of evolution of life. Evolution ensures survival of the fittest; and it deemed those who were incapable of fear unfit to live. When civilisation had not yet emerged, most of the threats to life were natural phenomena. The only practical response to a predator charging at you or the sign of a beast lurking in shadows was to run away as fast as you could, and what made it possible was the primal emotion of fear. The startling reflex you experience at loud noises is also an evolved response. Because before we invented heavy machinery, gongs, crackers and bombs, most loud noises (thunder or animal roars) were signs of an imminent threat to life.


The fight-or-flight response arising from fear or stress was moulded by an environment that existed too far back in time. Today’s developed societies and civilizations efficiently protect humans from most natural disasters that would have destroyed lives thousands of years ago. However, as humankind upgraded, so did the severity of threats. There lies the catch. Evolution is not a miracle, it is a snail-paced process of entire species slowly adjusting to their environments, while the environments are also transforming. So, our adapted bodies and minds today are always going to lag behind the environment that, thanks to us, is changing with every blink of an eye. Someday, if the Earth lets us live long enough to see that day, humankind will have adapted to the digital age, its skyscrapers, holograms, jet lags, sedentary lifestyles, light emitting screens, and novel (pun not intended) diseases. But in all likeliness, the digital age may have transformed into something else by then. For now, we are stuck with our primal brains, struggling with the demands of cautiousness, thought and morality that society puts on us.


So how are we viscerally afraid of a pandemic if it is not coupled with any explicitly scary noise or visual? Because we have been blessed with a tool called imagination. We are not scared of what we see in reality; we are scared of what we see in our mind’s eye. We have learnt to incite a response of fear in ourselves by contemplating the consequences of the pandemic and literally showing our brains the possible death, smelling the repulsive decay, feeling the potential loss. Fear as a self-preservation mechanism, duly supported by our learned responses of complying with authorities and social conformance, is crucial for life. I am afraid, literally, for the sake of my life.


As we slowly settle into our changed routines, cherish the opportunity to spend more time with families and double tap on pictures of nature reclaiming the streets we leave empty, it is easy to slip into an oblivious consciousness with a dulled sense of fear. Experiencing positive moods, especially over longer periods, leads to higher risk-taking. We witnessed a snippet of that at 5 pm on 22nd March, when the euphoria of collective action meant to appreciate frontline fighters of the pandemic brought some people on streets in herds, banging drums and vessels together like a celebratory parade. One or two bouts of risky action may lead to even more, when they are reinforced by the incredible fortune of nobody getting infected. This is why human-imposed negative consequences are necessary, lest we reassure ourselves so much that we start living in a bubble of denial.


As the finest human minds on the planet are exercising their higher cognitive faculties to study this virus scientifically, to predict the progress of the pandemic, to control its spread through administrative measures, and to protect people from its multipronged consequences, let us do our part by not getting fooled by our monkey brains. Fight-or-flight is no longer enough. Let us be on our toes, keep our imagination alive, and not treat this crisis like a vacation. While staying away from panic, we urge our readers to stay informed and spread awareness.


(If you are overwhelmed by fear or anxiety, The Secret Ingredient, along with many other mental health service providers, are just a phone call/email away.)


About the Author:

Adwaita, is a psychologist and PhD scholar with experience in design and delivery of psychometric assessments, 360 degree feedback surveys, and other HR tools. She has worked with clients from various industries to provide elegant solutions for recruitment, promotions and leadership identification. She provides services in tool construction, research consultancy, content writing and translation, with a focus on social sciences. Strong analytical skills, clinical exposure and diverse industrial experience make her an excellent assessor and consultant with a holistic perspective.

0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Subscribe Form

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

©2024 by The Secret Ingredient

TSI MENTAL HEALTH LLP | LLPIN/CIN/DIN: ABB-3603

Regd. Address: PL 107, S. N. 26, Kshitij Apts, Dahnukar Colony, Kothrud, Pune- 411024

Contact: Abhishek Bhave +91-9921734200/ +91-9049568676 | Email: info@tsimentalhealth.com

bottom of page