Unlocking the Origins of Fear

We all have developed an aversion to a situation, person, or object. What creates fear is prior unpleasant experiences. There is a learned association between painful stimuli and the fear reaction. Upon repeated exposure, the same panic response becomes conditioned. This means that behavior is under direct control of the emotional system. It may feel as though there is no way to change the outcome. If the magnitude of the fear response increases, this may suggest the original trigger has been reinforced by additional compounding trauma.

The primary issue with fear is the denial that comes with it. Oftentimes, traumatic experiences linked to aversion become suppressed. The conscious mind struggles to access abhorrent memories. At the surface level, we have become unaware of their origin. The only way to reverse consternation is to recognize its existence. Noticeable manifestations of trauma include mood swings, insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and inability to connect with others. Fortunately, there are means for learning to unlock and overcome subconscious fears.

Identifying the Origins of Fear

 Although it may be challenging, it is necessary to acknowledge a change in behavior as a result of trauma. Part of this includes recognizing the signs of irrational fear. Oftentimes, the inability to disengage from trepidation is a consequence of faulty reasoning. For instance, constant paranoia that someone is going to hurt you after being mugged in the park is abnormal. It is entirely understandable to be scared of being attacked again. But it's unhealthy to endure immense panic in the midst of normal daily activities during which you have always been safe. The problem is allowing your mind to believe that being hurt on one occasion means you will always have a target on your back.

This kind of reasoning contributes to difficulty overcoming fear. It is unfair to imply that trauma should be disregarded as insignificant nor we should pretend that consistently bad experiences fail to generate negative expectations. The most successful way to become fearless is to expose yourself to what scares you most. If you're terrified to go out in public, that’s exactly what you should do. Although you might want to avoid a stress reaction that will only feed into your irrational thinking. Over time, the panic will lessen. You will come to the realization that your worst nightmare did not come fruition. This is the most common treatment employed by therapists to help patients desensitize to fears. But the intention here is to encourage you to make positive changes independently.

Accepting Pain As a Consequence

It is necessary to accept that suffering comes along with defeating your demons. Anything worth achieving is going to serve as a deterrent, arousing your defense mechanisms. The trick is to bypass the emotional system by finding value in those traumatic experiences, and this includes the most common of fears. Any hurdle you work to overcome will involve accepting the tribulations.

Free Yourself From the Past

If you're able to disassociate each fear from the mental representation of it, you are one step closer to self-resolve. Take the time to reflect on what changed you. What used to made you cower should not define each day. It is useless to punish yourself for what happened in the past. Realize that what used to be threatening is now harmless. Separate those memories and emotional triggers from the present moment. Reliving them only causes regression in your progress. Accept, acknowledge and tackle each encumbrance and you will be free of anguish.