How many people do you know who are incapacitated by fear? What has fear prevented you from doing? It seems that fear and insecurity are rampant today and impacting people’s lives in a big way. In my practice, I find that these two emotional issues are relevant in almost every situation. Fear causes people to avoid, shut down, withdraw, and self-destruct. For many the fear is irrational, even though it seems very real. Some of the fears are normal and appropriate, like that of losing your job if everyone around you is being laid off. However, the majority of our fears are existential or irrational, like worrying about never finding someone who loves you. These thoughts and feelings prevent us from taking risks, experiencing life, and dealing with conflict. I encourage patients to consider the acronym for fear,”false evidence appearing real.” We take away the power of our fears when we confront them directly. It may be helpful to use abdominal breathing, self-talk, thought stopping and other cognitive-behavioral strategies when confronting fears. Decide to acknowledge and share your fears openly with others you trust and maybe even write about them, but don’t allow your fears to run or ruin your life. The opposite of fear is trust and when we trust in ourselves our fears subside. Live free from fear.