Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

And yet, as with every other addiction we have discussed so far, all is not lost … Indeed,
even though it cannot ever be permanently eliminated, our fear can be consistently
transcended. And the following passages can possibility assist you in doing just that …
Step ONE: RECOGNIZING your FEAR ADDICTION
Many “angst experts”, in the hopes of somehow making our fear more manageable, have
attempted to group fear into its primary categories – those being:
*the fear of extinction (otherwise known as “the fear of death”),
*the fear of dismemberment (otherwise known as “the fear of pain”),
*the fear of the unknown (otherwise known as “the fear of change”),
*the fear of isolation (otherwise known as “the fear of rejection”), and …
*the fear of paralysis (otherwise known as “the fear of imprisonment”).
These social scientists claim that every fear known to humankind fits into one of these
five categories (and they might very well be correct). Of course, merely identifying the
source from which a particular fear has arisen does absolutely nothing to practically
cleanse ourselves of that anxiety.
In addition, while panic-attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorders, abject moments of
terror and irrational phobias are all well-known ways in which some of us occasionally
experience fear in our lives, such dramatically obvious examples are not the ones causing
us the most trouble. Indeed, there are many other manifestations of anxiety that are far
more subtle – and far more deadly – in the ways they keep us shackled to lives that are
lacking in meaning and overburdened with dissatisfaction.
Before we can hope to ever truly transcend our fear, we must first have the courage to
identify where it has quietly crept into our lives. To aid yourself in this noble endeavor,
consider the following questions:
*Do you experience bizarre dreams, night-sweats, sweaty palms, shallow &/or rapid
breathing, or have post-adolescent acne?
*Do you peek behind your shower curtains &/or in your closets before going to bed?
*Do you avoid being alone for any extended period of time?
*Do you find it difficult to make important decisions?
*Do you imbibe more than one glass of alcohol more than three times a week?
*Do you smoke cigarettes?
*Do you drink more than one cup of coffee a day?
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