Focusing with a bug phobia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Renee writes: "I have a bug phobia that absolutely takes over my entire
being when it
is triggered, and lasts for days, even weeks, with very little peace in
that time. I am wondering about how to find presence with really big
consuming issues like phobias. I am sure there must be a Focusing way
to be with this and I know finding Presence with it is essential, but
it is so hard when there is such fear there and a sense of losing
control. Any tips?"

Dear Renee,
That sounds really hard, to be taken over for weeks by a fearful part of you. I'm sorry you're having to go through that.

My
sense is that you're experiencing an extreme version of something that
happens to most of us. Fearful parts do take us over — and they do it
because they're so fearful.

These are parts of us that are
terrified of something really bad happening to us, something that
threatens our life — and they are completely untrusting that anyone is
there to help or support them. So THEY — the fearful parts — have to
mobilize, sound the alarm, hang on for dear life… as long as they
feel the threat. Which could be a long time!

Yes, the key is for
YOU to be Self-in-Presence with your fearful part. At first, and for
quite some time, you'll still feel the fear in your body. But you can
keep on saying to the fearful part, "Yes, I know you're there."

The
next step: Say to it, "I really sense how absolutely terrified you
are." Sense for the language that would match or fit the intensity of
the feeling. It's important that it feel heard and acknowledged.




"It's not wanting me to die…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next
you can invite it to let you know what it's not wanting to happen to
you, what it's protecting you from. It's OK if the first answer is the
obvious: bugs. Acknowledge that… and stay with it. There is more,
under that. And yes, it's not wanting you to die. But there is more
under that as well.

It's very likely that there is a resonance
from the past–something that this part of you is not wanting you to
have to go through again, and something it doesn't want you to have to
feel. With an intense emotional reaction (like a phobia), the very
intensity of the reaction has a function–it keeps us from having to go
into something.

So we won't push. We'll respect it, and go as
slowly as it needs us to. This may take time. But the time it takes is
worth it… because this intense a reaction is what Barbara McGavin and
I call a "treasure map"– a place in the present life that points to a
place where life-forward energy has been blocked and has the potential
to resume.

The patience that this takes will have a great reward… the feeling of your own life energy returning.



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