Face Your Fears
Fear and anxiety can quickly take over our lives, making it seem impossible to do things we value. When we avoid things that are likely to be safe because they make us anxious, we can make that fear even stronger. If you think about any fear you’ve overcome – a fear of the dark, dogs, heights, etc. – you didn’t get past it by avoiding it. You likely got past it by doing it anyway, and learning that it wasn’t as dangerous as your fear was telling you it was.
Fears that come from traumatic events can be similar, even if the trauma that started it WAS very dangerous. This happens because our brain convinces us that something that was present during a trauma (triggers like an outfit, a crowded place, a loud noise, a certain song or location, etc.) is dangerous now, even if we see other people like us approach these things safely.
If logic tells you that something is likely to be safe, but your body reacts as though it’s the same thing as a past trauma, recovery may involve slowly approaching that trigger.
This can often feel out of reach for someone who has triggers. If that’s the case for you, we can help you make a plan to safely work through those fears and reclaim your vitality.