Fear. This small word has a big impact. It is an emotion felt by everyone. We all have fears and some are rational while others are irrational. There are many fears in recovery that are common among people battling eating disorders. Yet, these are also fears almost every deals with.
Fears in Recovery
In regards to eating disorders, and recovery, the fears almost everyone deals with are: fear of change, fear of success, fear of failure, and fear of judgement. They are often connected and feed off one another.
Fear of Success and Failure
The fear of success and the fear of failure may seem contradicting, but they are both strongly correlated with perfectionism. And they are both very common fears in the path of recovery. The fear of change and fear of judgement tend to go hand in hand. But all these fears don’t exist anywhere except in your own mind. They are the result of False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).
Fear of Change
We fear change because it is new and unknown. However, change isn’t going to hurt us. We fear judgement because we think everyone is going to look down on us and dislike something about us. But it’s within us where we’re being judgmental. We fear success because we don’t know if we can handle the new situation or responsibility. This can lead to procrastination or even not trying in the first place because we are so afraid to fail.
Facing Your Fears in Recovery
These powerful fears can keep us from taking steps forward in recovery and from living the life we truly desire. In order to find your path of recovery, these fears, and any others you may have must be faced.Â
Find what scares you and face it!
Don’t try to jump outside your comfort zone because you will likely become overwhelmed and jump right back in. Just take small steps toward the fear you are trying to overcome. And build your way up.
Once you face what scares you, you will feel empowered and motivated. When you decide to accept a challenge without it creeping up on you or someone else telling you to face it, the feeling of achievement will be much greater.
Recovery takes a lot of courage and you have to overcome many challenges. This is a process which can be terrifying at times. As you continue facing your fears, challenging beliefs, and adjusting behaviors, you will get stronger.Â
And it will get less scary over time.
When something scares you, remember; FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. You can reveal the truth by facing those fears.
Recovery is possible if you continue to challenge yourself, seek out what scares you and face it, and don’t let fear hold you back.
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I agree with you 100% Kenny. Thank you for sharing. Fear does not need to be the enemy, but can be a guide to where you need to focus your energy and heart.