Fear: Our topic for February
Did you know that there are over 500 officially registered phobias? Among the best known are arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), aerophobia (fear of flying) and social phobia, the fear of being the centre of attention.
When I was a child, I was afraid of the wind. Anemophobia, derived from the Greek word anemos for wind. I was five and panicked as soon as a light breeze blew and leaves moved. My little heart would race and I could only calm down in a darkened room. After a year at home and numerous therapy sessions, I got over it – but I still have a healthy respect for storms and wind. The fear, however, is gone.
One in five adolescents today suffers from an anxiety disorder. Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the figure was half that. What has led to this increase? (Spoiler alert: yes, the increase is also linked to frequent use of social media.) Which children are particularly affected? What can parents do and how can their children overcome their anxiety? My colleague Claudia Füssler explores these and other questions in her dossier «Trapped in fear». I highly recommend it.
Do you know the song «Nein, meine Söhne geb' ich nicht» (No, I won't give up my sons) by Reinhard Mey? One line goes: «They won't march in rank and file. They won't persevere, they won't fight to the end. They'll freeze to death in a godforsaken field. While you sit on soft cushions. No, I won't give up my sons.» I had Mey's song in my head when I read the essay «Papa, I'm afraid of the war» by Alexander Krützfeldt.
In his text, the German author and father of two explores his own worldview as a pacifist. Prompted by questions from his sons, he ponders whether the principle of «the wiser man gives in» still applies today. And what it would mean to him as a father if his own children were one day called up to serve in the British Armed Forces – and sent into combat. «In everyday life, I notice that I look at soldiers differently. In the past, there was a slight mixture of contempt and incomprehension. Today , it is gratitude.» A remarkable text that will linger in the mind for a long time – that's a promise.
Yours sincerely,
Nik Niethammer
