One of the most harmful mental and emotional patterns we find ourselves perpetuating is repeatedly giving into our fears. We allow our minds, our hearts and our lives to be driven and consumed by our fears. We act on our fears and make choices based on them. Our mental health issues often develop because of our relationship to our unresolved fears, a relationship that is usually based on avoidance and resistance rather than confronting our fears head on in order to heal and move forward. When we make a life habit of giving into our fears, we disempower ourselves. We tell ourselves we’re not strong enough, good enough or capable enough of healing ourselves and creating lives we’re happy with. Here are some of the ways in which we give into our fears in our everyday lives.
When we know we need help in order to recover from our addictions but are unable to take the necessary steps to reach out for help, for example, we often are giving into multiple different fears – the fear of being judged, looked down upon and shunned by other people, the fear of doing the hard work of recovery and pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, and the fear of failure. We’re so afraid of what people will think of us that we keep our pain to ourselves and suffer in silence. We’re terrified of change, discomfort and uncertainty so we remain complacent within the false safety and comfort of our current lifestyles. We’re so afraid of failing at our recovery that we don’t even try. We give into our fears because subconsciously we believe they are stronger than we are. We believe we’re weak in the face of our addictions and mental health issues. We believe our illnesses will always overpower us and that we’ll forever be paralyzed and burdened by the painful weight of them. We haven’t come to realize yet just how powerful we really are.
The more we give into our fears, the stronger they become. Facing our fears entails making the conscious choice that we won’t back down when confronted by fear, we’ll instead rise to the challenge of whatever we’re most afraid to do. We’ll take the risk of confiding in someone, making that call to a treatment center, or scheduling an appointment with a therapist. We’ll push ourselves a little more each day to make positive changes in our health and well-being. We’ll remind ourselves that failure, and all the growth that comes from it, are a necessary part of success. The more we face our fears, the stronger and more empowered we feel. We start to feel proud of ourselves. We feel happier and more at peace within ourselves. The act of pushing through our fears and moving through them can have exponentially positive effects on our ability to recover and grow in self-love.
The caring, compassionate staff of The Guest House is here to support you as you start your journey to recovery and healing. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.