Fear can hold you back in your career, your relationships and it can keep you from achieving your dreams. Fear should keep us alert and safe – like the beam from the lighthouse warning ships of submerged dangers. But too much fear, like a super-beam of light blinding the ship’s captain, can cause the loss of the very thing we feared losing.
The Fear of Rejection – The fear of rejection is an irrational fear that has you convinced that people will not accept or approve of you due to your opinions, looks, personality, values, beliefs, or behavior.
The Fear of Failure– The fear of failure is a fear that can often cause a person to live so cautiously that they either have a reluctance to try new things or they cause themselves to be overly stressed to complete everything to a level of perfectionism. This fear can stem from childhood and carry into adulthood and will often lead to low self-esteem and self-sabotage.
The Fear of Uncertainty– The fear of uncertainty is the tendency to fear things or situations in which you are not knowledgeable. This can cause a person to become overwhelmed with details, especially with planning future events. A person who was afraid of the unknown will often plan for multiple outcomes or try to overcompensate by attempting to control the outcome of future situations.
The Fear of Change– The fear of change is an unreasonable fear of trying new things or making changes to one’s normal routine. Many have a fear of change because with change comes the uncertainty of failure and rejection, which can be linked to the above-mentioned fears.
The Fear of Loneliness– The fear of loneliness is the fear of being by oneself. This can be extended to not only fear of being alone at any given time or fear of not having people to spend one’s life with. This can stem from extended periods of time alone or from failed past relationships. Both of those can lead to low self-esteem and may cause a person to have an irrational fear, therefore they are often people-pleasing and searching for someone to be with them. This is not only mentally challenging but can also lead to more health challenges and create a force that holds you back in life.
The Fear of Being Judged– The fear of being judged is a self-suppressing fear of others’ disapproval. This fear causes one to hold themselves back from trying new things or performing tasks if they may appear as less than perfect in the eyes of another.
The Fear of Something Bad Happening– The fear of something bad happening is often called anticipatory anxiety, which can be applied to many situations but mostly to things we can not predict. It causes a person to always think of the worst-case scenario and they will often believe that is undoubtedly the only possible outcome. This fear will cause extremely high levels of anxiety in a person. It can often lead to depression as well.
The Fear of Getting Hurt– The fear of getting hurt can apply to mental/emotional pain and physical pain. This fear will often lead a person to hold back from personal relationships or activities where there is a potential to experience a negative outcome that will lead to physical trauma or emotional turmoil. This can lead a person to appear withdrawn when in a relationship or friendship and cause a reluctance to try new experiences.
The Fear of Inadequacy– The fear of inadequacy is the fear of not being good enough, whether that is to complete a task or with life in general. A person with this fear will often seek approval from others and need constant reassurance. A person with this fear will often exhibit feelings of shame.
The Fear of Loss of Freedom– The fear of loss of freedom is the constant dread of losing one’s autonomy which makes a person their own individual. This fear can be as crippling as claustrophobia. People who experience this fear will have a reluctance to commitments. This can also apply to those who are excessively worried about losing their rights.
Once you can face your individual fears, you can start seeing the good in yourself. Each person has their own special traits and characteristics that make them unique. The ability to overcome fear starts with self-love. Dr. Lisa can help you begin to heal and overcome the obstacles in your life that are suppressing you. Please call our office to learn more about how we can help you emotionally, mentally, and physically transform into the best version of yourself!