Why is fear arousing?

Roller coasters make everyone scream — but some get more from the thrill than others.

Some adrenaline junkies get hooked to the feeling of being scared and, in some cases, find it arousing.

Brain chemicals

Stressful situations fire chemicals from the area of the brain that processes emotional reactions, the amygdala.

The reaction causes the body to produce adrenaline and dopamine — a so-called feel good chemical that enhances how a person feels — in the bloodstream, researchers say.

The sudden burst of hormones increases the heart rate, speeds up breathing and constricts the muscles — causing a natural high.

"When we're confronted with a scare, our brains not only release adrenaline but also a flood of dopamine, which can provide a sense of excitement and accomplishment," said Laura Athey-Lloyd, a psychologist in Manhattan.

Whether people enjoy scary situations or not depends on a person’s individual brain chemistry, Athey-Lloyd said.

"For some people, dopamine sticks around in the synapse longer than for others, which may account for why some people are more likely to seek out thrills, while others avoid them," she said.

In control

In order to enjoy a good thrill, a person needs to be aware that they are in a safe environment and understand the scare is not real — as if in a harmless haunted house, Athey-Lloyd said.

The key is for a person to realize that he or she is not really in a life-threatening situation and keep a feeling of control.

Self-confidence

Sometimes, the best way to fight fear is to face it.

Repeated exposure to fearful situations can trigger a sense of accomplishment and boost a person’s self-esteem, experts say.

But some people can overdo it, too.

Thrill-seekers can develop a tolerance to things that scare and it can take an “even bigger stimulus to have the same effect,” Athey-Lloyd said.

“This may lead someone to seeking out increasingly more scary haunted houses or roller coasters as time goes on,” she said.

Fight or flight

It’s an age old adage, but still rings true — when faced with a perceived threat, a person will either confront the problem or run away.

“Psychologically, when we encounter fears, we do receive and sense of gratification that we have met faced and survived our fear,” said Dr. Wayne Ayers, a phychologist in Brooklyn.

“It is a mini self-induced controlled trauma that we can negotiate with safety and excitement .”