The F.E.A.R. Model Recovery Steps for GAD and Panic

Anxiety disorder can be painfully stubborn to overcome. I know this because I’ve been through it myself. Anxiety can easily be ingrained in the brain like a tattoo, making it incredibly difficult to undo.

1. Life experience: Life happens to us all. All of our unpleasant life experiences generate different levels of negative emotions. Some of these negative emotions are capable of forcing us into negative emotions such as fear, guilt, inferiority or anger.
2. Pattern of Thoughts. Once we feel the fear, guilt, inferiority or anger, it begins to shape our thinking. If we think negative thoughts long enough (through worrying and rumination), a habitual pattern of negative thinking is formed.
3. Feelings. This compulsive negative thinking then generates corresponding feelings within us. Feeling has enormous creative power in human body. Whatever we continue to feel, we will eventually create in reality. If you feel fearful, panicky, anxious or scared, it is just a matter of time before you begin to manifest it physically.
4. Physical Symptoms. Once a negative feeling has been felt for so long, it creates physical symptoms that are consistent with the nature of your feeling. This can include anxiety, panic, depression or physical illness caused by the mind activities (psychosomatic illnesses).
5. Avoidance Mechanism. The brain is designed around avoiding pain. Once you experience physical symptoms of anxiety, the next thing you want to do is to start avoiding any situation, thoughts or people that may trigger those physical symptoms again. You start avoiding social gathering or you may start to turn to other avoidance mechanisms such as alcohol or drugs. If avoidance persists, it builds up your anxiety, even though it seems to provide a short-term relief. Unless an effective recovery solution is used, another unpleasant life experience is inevitable. This is because avoidance mechanism always links back to the top point (life experience) in order to keep the cycle of anxiety going.

The F.E.A.R. Model is designed to short-circuit this vicious cycle. It dismantles the ingrained anxiety disorder and re-wires it for peace and tranquility.