Releasing Fear, Phobias, And Aversions

“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
First Inaugural Address
March 4, 1933

What are you afraid of? There are some deep-seated fears that we are born with. Animals with teeth coming at us, falling, being left alone, dying. These are normal when we are vulnerable, young, sick or in danger. There is some natural line that we cross when there is no immediate danger, and we become labeled with paranoia, phobias, or aversions.

Fear is a physical and emotional response to danger. We feel shaky, we can barely speak, we can think of only the thing that we are afraid of. A phobia is a whole set of fear responses that has grown up around even the slightest reminder of the thing that we are phobic about. For example, a fear of flying in a plane can turn into a phobia if we get the emotional and physical response when even discussing a plane or seeing an airport in a movie. Many phobic people start building into hysteria when they are introduced to the subject at all. An aversion is when a person goes out of their way to avoid something, even if they don’t consciously think of that thing as causing them to have a fear or phobic reaction. Any of the levels of fear can cause us to use up our stress and “fight or flight” responses so that our health and energy is pushed to the limit.

In my years of practice with Energy Psychology and Hypnotherapy, I have seen hundreds of clients with fear responses. Since September 11, 2001 I have met and assisted clients who have been immediately affected by horrible tragedy. More commonly, people over-react to their circumstances because they were trained to do that by repetition – their parents were angry and physically abusive, their spouses hurt them physically and emotionally, they were in a horrible car accident. These people have specific circumstances that taught them to be afraid, and to mistrust new people, situations, and to be afraid for their safety. It is possible to help them to clear away the trauma in their lives, and to regain confidence in life, safety, and relationships.

Some people are able to handle and clear their fears, and then they live in FEAR that they will return. This is just like the person that successfully heals from a broken leg, and then is afraid to risk injuring their leg again. This is the situation that prompted me to study Franklin D. Roosevelt’s quote. Fear of fear is as damaging as the original fear. For example, I have worked with people that have bravely overcome addictions, only to be bound by fear of the addiction returning. That is a whole new layer of insecurity and mistrust of self that needs to be worked with.

What we can do about Fear:

1. Evaluate the situation. Are you truly in a life-threatening situation? Is there something that can be done? Is fear holding you back from taking care of your needs? Do you have perspective to know what is really going on? Check with someone you trust, and share your fear with him or her. Do they see that your situation is as frightening or as desperate as you do?
2. What can be done? If you are afraid of getting a bad grade in a class, you can find a tutor or ask the teacher for help. If you are living with someone that puts you in physical danger, you can find someone to help you to move to a safe location and environment. There is always something that can be done, no matter what the degree of your situation is. When we are working on the solution, we are free from the paralyzing affects of the fear. NEVER make the decision to harm someone else or yourself. If that is the only action plan that you come up with, then you need to get professional help immediately.
3. If you have decided that your fear is unreasonable and out of balance with the situation – then find someone to help you. There are many options of therapies that will quickly resolve fear, phobias, and aversions. My experience has been with Hypnotherapy, the NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) techniques, EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), the Sedona Method, and other techniques that combine energy work with psychology. Most of the time the fear and phobia is resolved in one or two sessions.
4. Check to make sure that you want to let go of the fear or phobia. Often, a person asks for help, but is not really willing to resolve the issue. There is some need deep in the subconscious mind that wants to hold onto the fear. Perhaps there is something that the person is unwilling to face, and the fear distracts them from a bigger fear. In some cases, the fear puts them in a position so that they are taken care of, and they don’t want to give up that nurturing. In that case, they first need to work on the reason the fear is in the life.
5. List the good things in your life. What makes you happy? When have you been brave? What have you done that makes you feel proud? Keep the list handy and in writing, so that when you are facing your fears, you have actual reminders of the positive things in your life.
6. What will you have when you are free of the fear? Get a good and clear picture in your mind of what life will be like without this limitation. How will your career, relationships, and finances change? What will you feel like? What new things will you try? How much larger will your life be?
7. Make your decision to change. Only you can decide to be free of Fear. When you decide, test yourself to see if you can do it on your own, or if you need help. Some people have iron willpower, and can make a miraculous change just from the decision.
8. If you need help, what kind of help do you want? We are three fold creatures; we have physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. You might want help from all 3 areas, or you might just want to meet with a pastor or other spiritual leader. Some people meet with their physician and get medication for anxiety and panic disorders and feel better. We do recommend a full holistic approach, and most people visit their physician before they come to a holistic center.
9. Allow yourself to be Free of Fear! The bottom line is to let it go. There are so many ways to help you, but you have to allow it to happen.

Once you are finally free of your fears, understand that it is ok to be afraid when you are in danger. When you can allow your natural resources to work with you, you will be a survivor even in a rough situation. Give yourself permission to live fully, and to work out your challenges as they arise. You are a multi-dimensional being, and deserve to be healthy and at peace.

By Dr. Sally Witt, Center for Healing & Training, Inc.
copyright 2008 215-736-0900