Going back to the year 2020—it was lockdown + death anxiety for me. I was tired of being stuck indoors, tired of the voices in my head telling me I was going to die soon. So when a friend invited me to some church, I tagged along, hoping for a change of scene.
We got there, and the prophetess or whatever title she preferred, looked at me and said she saw a vision: I’d die in 2023.
There is a lot of good that comes with religion - from the laid down beliefs and morals which give us a sense of purpose and direction in life, down to the community and systems in place that provide support religion can serve critical roles in our lives. However, religion is prone to becoming harmful - to the point of traumatising its members.
Do you remember that thing you badly wanted but were too scared to ask for? Perhaps you wanted to ask for a raise, help, or even sex. Perhaps you knew there was nothing inherently wrong with the ask, and that a yes could be the best thing that would happen to you all day, week, or month, yet askophobia - the crippling fear of asking for what you want - froze you on your tracks.
Pistanthrophobia is the severe fear of not being able to trust others because you've been through some serious disappointments in the past or experienced some soul-crushing end of a friendship or relationship.
People with pistanthrophobia have likely been burned before. So, they put up this massive wall around themselves because they're terrified of getting hurt all over again.
Separation anxiety is a feeling of fear and emotional distress when a person is separated from a familiar or beloved individual, thing, or environment.
Separation anxiety when left unchecked and challenged can become a disorder. That is, “Separation Anxiety Disorder” (SAD), which can affect or prevent an individual from carrying out their usual activities. Although commonly associated with babies and young children, it can also affect adults.
Curiosity is an innate drive to explore, inquire, and comprehend the world around us, as well as our inner workings. And to develop your natural curiosity, you must let go of the fear of the unknown and start exploring (within and around you).
Isn’t it strange that (almost) all of us say we want to be successful, yet when we stand in front of the open door, welcoming us to that success, we freeze up – terrified, paralyzed, unable to walk through? why? Why is "success" so scary? – “Why are we so afraid of success?”
