The Fear Cure

Not many people in the medical world are talking about how being afraid can make us sick - but the truth is that fear, left untreated, becomes a serious risk factor for conditions from heart disease to diabetes to cancer. Now Lissa Rankin, MD, explains why we need to heal ourselves from the fear that puts our health at risk and robs our lives of joy - and tells us how fear can ultimately cure us by opening our eyes to all that needs healing in our lives.Drawing on peer-reviewed studies and powerful true stories, The Fear Cure presents a breakthrough understanding of fear's effects and charts a path back to wellness on every level. We learn:- How a fearful thought translates into physiological changes that predispose us to illness- How to tell true fear from false fear- How to reshape our relationship to uncertainty- What our fears can teach us about who we really areUsing exercises from a wide range of mind-body practices and spiritual traditions, Dr. Rankin teaches us how to map our own courage-cultivating journey, write a personalized prescription for courage, and step into a more authentic life. "As a culture, we are so scared, we're not just making ourselves miserable; we're making ourselves sick . . . By all measures, we are the healthiest, smartest, richest, safest people in human history. And yet, we have never been more afraid." THE FEAR CURE WITH LISSA RANKIN, M.D. is a 60-minute lecture shot before a live audience, addressing how being afraid can make us sick—the truth is that fear, left untreated, becomes a serious risk factor for conditions from heart disease to diabetes to cancer. In this compelling program, Lissa Rankin, M.D., explains why we need to heal ourselves from the fear that puts our health at risk and robs our lives of joy—and shows us how fear can ultimately cure us by opening our eyes to all that needs healing in our lives. When Fear Is Your Friend Most of the fears that plague us today exist only in our imagination. They are not real threats, but the amygdala in the primordial brain can't tell the difference, so the nervous system gets stuck in unnecessary stress responses. Our warning mechanisms malfunction, and we wind up feeling inappropriately afraid, which harms our health and leads to unnecessary suffering. If fear can harm you and make you unhappy, you might assume that fear is something you need to get rid of. You might imagine you should add "Cure fear" to your list of New Year's resolutions, along with "Eat healthy" and "Exercise more." But that's not what I'll be suggesting in this book.