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July 30th, 2006
ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE WILL
NOT TAKE AWAY YOUR FEARS
by Stan Popovich
Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the
best of you and you don’t know where to turn
for help. At some point you feel totally helpless
as you struggle each day. No matter what you do, you
cannot run away or hide from your fears. In these
cases, some people will use alcohol or other substances
to feel better.
Alcohol and substance abuse or any other addictions
will not take away your problems and fears. In the
short run, they might make you feel better, but in
the long run these addictions will only make things
worse.
So what do you do to make your problems and fears
go away? Well, since you can’t runaway from
them, then the best solution is to tackle your fears
head on no matter how strong they may be. The key
is to be smart in how you try to manage these fears.
Here are some ways in how to manage your persistent
fears and anxieties.
The first step is to learn to take it one day at
a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get
through the rest of the week or coming month, try
to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different
opportunities to learn new things and that includes
learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on
the present and stop trying to predict what may happen
next week. Next week will take care of itself.
Remember that no one can predict the future with
one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that
you feared does happen there are circumstances and
factors that you can’t predict which can be
used to your advantage. For instance, let’s
say at your place of work that you miss the deadline
for a project you have been working on for the last
few months. Everything you feared is coming true.
Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells
you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot
to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes
everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent
correct in predicting the future, but all it takes
is for that one percent to make a world of difference.
Another technique that is very helpful is to have
a small notebook of positive statements that make
you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation
that makes you feel good, write it down in a small
notebook that you can carry around with you in your
pocket. Whenever you feel depressed or frustrated,
open up your small notebook and read those statements.
This will help to manage your negative thinking.
Be smart in how you deal with your fears and anxieties.
Do not try to tackle everything all at once. When
facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms
you with a lot of anxiety, break the task into a series
of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one
at a time will make the stress more manageable and
increases your chances of success.
The important thing is to get the proper help by
seeing a professional. Avoiding your problem through
the use of alcohol or other substances will do nothing
in the long run in fixing your problems. It will just
make things worse. Managing your fear and anxieties
will take some hard work. Be patience, persistent
and stay committed in trying to solve your problem.
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