Fear. We all have somethingthat we’re afraid of: snakes, dogs, public speaking, flying, dying, etc. Some fears are worse than others. Some we know are irrational, like fear of the dark (nothing changes from when the lights are on to when they are off) and some fears are justifiable, like the fear that an abusive ex will show up unannounced. Regardless of what each of us is afraid of, experiencing fear is never a good feeling.
I recently read in Joyce Meyer’s book, The Confident Woman Devotional (2011), a story about a woman who was walking along a riverbank with her young child. The child suddenly slipped and fell into the murky water of the river, and the mother panicked. She didn’t know how to swim and she screamed for help until someone came to her assistance. The tragedy was this; once the rescuer entered the water to retrieve the little child, they all discovered that the river was only waist high.
The interesting thing about fear is that it is an emotion that is a direct result of a thought or belief that we have. And we know that not every thought or belief that we have is actually accurate. For example, the woman in the story believed that the river was deep and dangerous. She believed that she couldn’t swim well enough to save her child. She believed that someone else would have to come to her assistance.
As a result of those faulty beliefs, she felt afraid. Her fear paralyzed her and caused her to do nothing. It prevented her from doing what she needed to do.
Often our fear paralyzes us and we are not able to enjoy life to its fullest. This fear can manifest in so many different ways throughout our day and hold us back from living life fully. This is no way to live.
We can overcome our fears, challenging ourselves and those faulty thoughts and beliefs, replacing them with more accurate and positive thinking. By doing so we are opening the door to a life of fulfillment, healing and enrichment.
At Boca Behavioral Health, our team of clinicians are trained in a variety of counseling interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Through counseling, we help you discover what the faulty beliefs are, help identify more accurate beliefs, and assist you in feeling less anxiety, stress and fear. If you or a family member is struggling with a fear or phobia, call 561-961-9077 to ask how we can help you overcome your fear today.