Perhaps some people are simply predisposed to fear. Then again, virtually every study conducted on the subject indicates fear is either the result of a traumatic personal event or instilled by observing someone who had the fear and accepting that fear as their own.
American actor and singer Jennifer Love Hewitt is known for her girlish looks, her singing voice and other more personal attributes. What many may not know is that Hewitt has a significant list of fears.
The List
- Sharks
- Elevators
- Close spaces
- The dark
- Monsters under the bed
- Getting sick
- Chicken bones
- Career
Hewitt has been involved in acting since she was a young girl. She grew up in Texas and lived with her mother following the divorce of her parents. Her mother has been a key figure in her life and in the development of her career.
Fear Origins
Any origins we could define would be hypothetical as there is little to indicate why the fears Hewitt experiences came to be. It is possible the divorce coupled with a reliance on her mother made her fearful of those things that are outside of her control. It could be an event that happened when she was younger contributed to the fear. Her highly publicized frustration with certain members of the media may contribute to her sense of caution and anxiety. What we do have are words directly from Jennifer Love Hewitt.
In Her Own Words
“I was someone who when I started the series was very afraid of the subject matter.” – On her role in the Ghost Whisperer
“I’d never watch a horror film, but after I found out I was going to be in one, I watched, like, four of them, including The Shining, I was terrified – I couldn’t sleep for days.”
“I can eat chicken off the bone, but I can’t eat like a chicken leg and have my teeth touch the bone, it completely freaks me out.”
“The trouble is that many of the Hollywood meetings I have to attend take place at the top of tall buildings – and I simply cannot set foot in a lift if there are too many people in it.”
“I’ve literally, in my entire life I’ve had two guys come up to me and ask me out. Other than that I have had to go and try to like spend time with them, or sort of start the conversation, basically like spell it out in a Sharpie, like, you know?”
“When I came to Los Angeles, it was the first time that I ever felt like I belong somewhere. Not because it was wacky, but because people here understood what I felt like to perform, and there were other kids my age who wanted to do it. I didn’t get looked at as God, you freak.”
“[I] feel the same angst, confusion, anger, sadness and awkwardness teens always felt. But in 1998, you also worry if the kid in the next locker has a gun, or if your best friend will get pregnant or commit suicide. Teens are forced to be adults the minute they step into a high school hallway.”
Thoughts
Jennifer Love Hewitt represents the anxiety many feel as they enter the world of adults. School can be a frightening place and so can home. Social anxiety is strong in the age group represented by Hewitt. For many young people the anxiety they may feel in the hallways of their school can translate into other phobias in their future.
