Positive thinking

Valerie van Mulukom, Coventry University Almost everyone has something they fear – maybe it’s spiders, enclosed spaces, or heights. When we encounter these “threats,” our hearts might begin to race, or our hands may become sweaty. This is called a threat fear response, and it exists to help us avoid potential pain. Most of us only feel scared when a threat is present. But when the threat fear response happens even when a threat isn’t present, it can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, or anxiety. These disorders may often be treated using exposure therapy, but a new study found that something as simple as using your imagination can help people overcome fear. Overcoming fear Many fear-related disorders are treated using exposure therapy . This helps people “unlearn” a threat fear response by breaking the association between the “trigger” (an image or sound that causes the threat fear response) and harmful consequences of the threat, by presenting patient...