Fear and the physical response to fear (aka the ‘flight or fight’ response) is a primordial response to danger that has been embedded within our DNA over generations. I don’t know the ultimate reason for having this within us, but I think we can all assume the fear response is to protect us from danger (for example a bear chasing us!).

Unfortunately, in today’s society (due to changes in lifestyle and environment) the fear response is coming out in ways and times that are not only NOT protective, but downright damaging. Consider how your body responds when you’re fighting traffic on your daily commute to work or the stress of having to get the kids ready for school on time before you go to work. How about the type of fear that can affect your decision making processes? For example…fear of failure? How many decisions in your life have been based on this type of fear? If you are like most of us, the answer is far too many.

I decided early on to embrace fear. After, fumbling through chemistry as a high school student (and school in general), when the time came to choose a college major, the thought of majoring in chemistry scared the %$#@ out of me. So, I decided to run right into that fear. That year, I declared biochemistry as a major and went on to graduate in biochemistry several years later. I wish I could say that I had taken this approach with all my decisions, but I can’t. Though, this one decision (and the work involved in executing it) opened up so many other avenues in my life.

Some of you may have in the back of your mind that you need to make some change in lifestyle or do something other than the status quo with regard to your health. Tired of taking medications, tired of worrying about the long term consequences of being overweight, tired of experiencing the pain of seeing sickness strike your family and worrying you may be next? The reality is that fear and trepidation may be holding you back from achieving a whole new life, one without medication, one of optimal energy for your family, and a new outlook on life. Sometimes, fear is not protective as it’s meant to be, but rather inhibitory and limiting. Keep this in mind as you make decisions this year, especially with regard to your health and take the fear factor out of the equation.

To your health,

Brian E. Lamkin D.O.