Investigating Our Fears

The healing process of working through our fears includes investigating and taking a closer look at them. As we identify our fears and become conscious of how they show up in our lives, it’s also helpful to think about where they came from, where we learned or acquired them, and how they make us feel, in order to work through them and move forward.

Sometimes we’re not sure where our fears originated and why. It takes some work to look at them more in depth. We can ask ourselves, where did these fears come from? What did I experience, especially early in life, that contributed to my developing this fear? Traumatic experiences, such as losing a loved one or being abused, can cause us to develop all kinds of fears- fears of loss, abandonment, pain, rejection.

Sometimes we absorb our fears from family members or other people we grew up with. We can inherit fears and other emotional memories and then find ourselves being afraid of certain things we might not have been otherwise, simply because our families experienced them. We can also pick fears up from people over time. Our fearful thoughts, feelings and behaviors can affect the people around us.

It is common for us to be influenced by the cultures we live in and are surrounded by. We are impacted by the things we see on TV and in movies, music, video games, social media, etc. We can develop fears based on the things we see. Everything we witness becomes part of our psyche. Seeing extreme violence in a movie, for example, can cause you to develop a specific fear, even if you didn’t experience it yourself.

The work of investigating fears can be very challenging emotionally. Our fears are scary! It’s important to approach this work with self-love and patience. Many of our fears have been with us for most of our lives, and healing takes time. Don’t beat yourself up for being afraid. Fears are normal and human, and something we all have in common. They are one of the ties that bind us together in the vastness of the human experience. Have compassion for yourself. Remember yourself as a child and have compassion for the pain you experienced.

As we become more conscious of our fears, it can be overwhelming to look at them with honesty, openness and vulnerability. We can find ourselves feeling even more sad and afraid, because we are gaining consciousness rather than burying our fears under our addictions. When fearful thoughts pop up as they inevitably will, send yourself love and affirm that you are growing stronger. Have faith that you will heal. Be brave.

Working through addictions and mental health issues requires that we address our fears. The experienced community at Enlightened Solutions can help. Call (833) 801-LIVE for more information.