Exiting The Fear Paradigm
Chronic fear harms the immune system, and society
Art by the talented Dominique Vassie via ArtStation
Nothing is more relevant to our current situation than fear.
The first thing to realize about fear is that it’s not very helpful in modern society. In some ways, it’s an artifact of evolution. At the very least, it is frequently abused for political reasons.
But there are other downsides to living in chronic fear. I found a very interesting description of what it does to our body in this fascinating presentation, “The Effects of Chronic Fear on a Person's Health” by Mary D. Moller, PhD.
Alarm: The first reaction to stress recognizes there’s a danger and prepares to deal with the threat. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system are activated. Primary stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and nonadrenaline are released
Resistance: Homeostasis begins restoring balance and a period of recovery for repair and renewal takes place. Stress hormones may return to normal, but there may be reduced defenses and adaptive energy left.
Exhaustion: At this phase, the stress has continued for some time. The body’s ability to resist is lost because its adaption energy supply is gone. This is often referred to as overload, burnout, adrenal fatigue, maladaptation, or dysfunction.
What percent of the population do you suppose is at #3? More than a few. Dr. Moller then goes on to describe the toll that this process can take on a human body.
Immune system dysfunction
Endocrine system dysfunction
Autonomic nervous system alterations
Sleep/wake cycle disruption
Eating disorders
Alterations in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis
Clearly, it’s unhealthy to live in chronic fear. And psychologically, fear makes us irrational and easily manipulated by authority figures.
So, why are governments and media doing their best to scare the crap out of everyone? I don’t know, but it’s certainly not helpful. The vast majority of people who contract COVID-19 will recover quickly. Yes, certain populations are vulnerable, but unfortunately this is the case with all diseases.
False and Dangerous COVID Beliefs
This September 2021 poll by Rasmussen Reports demonstrates the effect that fear-based messaging has had on the public. The result: the public thinks COVID is far more dangerous than it actually is.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the COVID-19 case-mortality rate – the percentage of diagnosed patients who have died from the disease – is 1.6% in the United States. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 30% of American Adults correctly estimate the rate as being less than 2%, while 20% believe the rate to be between 2% and 5%. Seventeen percent (17%) estimate the mortality rate to be in the 5%-10% range and 19% believe the rate is more than 10%. Another 14% say they’re not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Almost 20% of the country thought the COVID mortality rate is more than 10%! And another 17% thought it was 5% to 10%.
With Omicron, people might have a slightly better understanding, but my guess is that once again the fears far exceed reality.
This is all having a disturbing effect on society. It’s now gotten so bad that a new poll by Rasmussen revealed the following:
Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats would favor governments requiring citizens to temporarily live in designated facilities or locations if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Such a policy would be opposed by a strong majority (71%) of all voters, with 78% of Republicans and 64% of unaffiliated voters saying they would Strongly Oppose putting the unvaccinated in “designated facilities.”
“Designated facilities”? AKA internment camps for the unclean? Yup. And support for home confinement and fines are even higher.
This is the effect of sustained fear propaganda on a population. The way these beliefs break down by party line is noteworthy, and can probably be explained mostly by media consumption habits.
We should be focused on doing what we can to protect vulnerable people in nursing homes and hospitals (without forcibly isolating them). We should not be locking down society and mandating medical interventions. Lockdowns simply don’t work, as the Brownstone Institute has clearly shown. It all feeds our collective anxiety, causing incredible amounts of damage to our economy and society.
And isolation by itself can also harm the immune system, due to both psychological and immune issues.
We are social creatures, physiologically and psychologically. Without human interaction and touch, we cannot thrive.
Fear: The Mind (and Body) Killer
Since I was a kid, I’ve read hundreds of sci-fi novels. One of my all-time favorites is Frank Herbert’s space epic “Dune.” Minor spoilers alert: The book is a complex and political adventure that reflects the author’s experience as a speechwriter for DC politicians.
In Dune, the protagonist Paul Atreides is the scion of a powerful planetary dynasty. His mother, Jessica, is a part of an influential sect called the Bene Gesserit. One of the cornerstones of their belief system is a mantra called “The Litany Against Fear.”
I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
As a 14-year-old reading Dune, I thought the Litany was a little hokey. But now I deeply appreciate it. Fear truly is the mind killer. It disables our ability to think clearly and can put our bodies into an inflammatory state, which may make it prone to illness.
My other favorite anti-fear message in pop culture is from the 2006 film “Apocalypto.” If you haven’t seen the film yet, watch it. You can see the clip I’m talking about below, but you won’t have the full context. It’s a powerful way of viewing the corrupting effects that fear can have.
We must quickly move out of this fear paradigm and into a new one. Its effects are already taking a heavy toll on society. We are allowing unprecedented censorship, mandates, and authoritarianism to happen.
Learning to view scary media headlines critically is a good way to start. Big media and their experts have been wrong about almost everything so far. So let’s go with the odds and say they’re probably full of shit now, too.
And optionally, another way is to begin improving your own health. If you’re actively working on yourself, you’ll feel better immediately, even before the real effects kick in. A positive attitude is huge.
Personally, I have room for improvement. I need more intense exercise, and less ice cream. But our family takes a number of easy steps that I believe help. We try to eat healthy, mostly organic food. We use an RO water filtration system that removes 99% of chlorine, fluoride, and other junk. Fridge and pitcher filters only remove some of the crud, so if you can swing $150, consider getting a 4-5 stage RO water filter (you will get less trace minerals so may want to supplement, but worth it).
We take the dogs on a walk every day and try to get a little sun. Once a week or so I’ll take Vitamin D, zinc and trace minerals, magnesium, and probiotics. I play with my kids and my dogs a lot, and avoid too many sugary/processed foods. I’ve also come to believe it’s important to avoid “seed oils” (soy, canola, cottonseed, etc). They’re junk, and so is margarine.
Even if you haven’t been living the healthiest lifestyle, our bodies have a remarkable ability to recover if we give it a chance by quitting problematic habits like smoking, junk food, too much booze, lack of sleep, sugar, etc.
Prime example: lifelong smokers who quit by age 50 can apparently regain 6+ years of life expectancy. That is remarkable considering the effect smoking has on the body (we’ve all seen the lung pics). And there are countless stories of overweight type 2 diabetics who reversed their condition completely by changing their diet and habits. Many seem to have luck with low carb keto-leaning diets.
Our bodies are truly amazing healing machines, especially when we take care of them.
I think overcoming fear and accepting personal responsibility are the keys to getting out of this crisis. I’m seeing a flood of positive developments recently, such as the UK dropping mask mandates for schools, and ending vaccine passports. These are great signs, and I expect there’s a lot more to come.
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