How to Overcome a Fear of Betrayal

Fear can be life-consuming, hindering the normal, daily functioning of an individual and preventing him from experiencing life to the fullest. Betrayal is a strong emotion that may appear to be difficult to cast off, but it is possible and boils down to making the choice to let it go. Once fear is looked in the face and recognized as what it is, it will not have the power over you anymore.

Instructions

• 1

  Take a look at your current situation. Define the fear of betrayal that you are currently experiencing. Fill in the sentence "I am afraid that..."

• 2

  Recognize that fear is usually deep-rooted in your past, quite possibly an experience you don't quickly recollect or realize is holding such power over your actions and feelings.

• 3

  Get comfortable in a quiet area, close your eyes and think back as far as you can to locate a place in your past where you first learned about betrayal. Try to remember this memory clearly in your head. This may be difficult, but it is necessary.

• 4

  Hold that memory in your mind as you now envision how you would have liked that situation to go. You can replace this with anything you want.

• 5

  Thank that experience, in your head or out loud, for the lesson that you learned from it. The lesson could have simply been to expose you to something that you could later recognize and choose not to allow into your life. There are lessons in everything that happens in life, although some are not realized until later on after the incident has occurred.

• 6

  Honor and respect the emotion of betrayal. One cannot fully understand honesty and comfort without betrayal. Ask what it has done to serve you. Has it saved you from continuing an unhealthy relationship with a dishonest person or made you cautious in a possibly hazardous situation? Thank the emotion and lesson, and then tell it you let it go.

• 7

  Tell yourself that you release this fear from having any power over you from this point on.

• 8

  Give yourself permission to feel, experience, and bring happiness into your life and into the relationships you want. Most importantly, you must believe that having these things in your life is possible. This will free you from being a victim to your thoughts and fears, as well as allowing you to take responsibility for your life.

• 9

  Identify a person that elicits this fear of betrayal now. With this new awareness, draw a boundary between that individual and their individual behaviors. Be open to see who they really are, not just what they appear to be. Don't label them, and remember to be open, honest, and willing to communicate.