Yet, hiding our fear is not always wise and reasonable, not always a sign that we are highly civilized. Too often our mask of invulnerability cuts us off from love and growth and positive change. It traps us, keeping us isolated and alone even while we are in the company of those we love. The anxiety, however, remains. It stays inside us and incubates, growing monstrous and savage, something to be dreaded, pushed away, destroyed.
Anxiety becomes our enemy, an inhibiting, paralyzing force . . . . . .
In particular, the adult child gets trapped by fear of physical injury, pain, and possible death. This fear is over- developed, far beyond the normal reluctance any person has to avoid pain. A trip to the doctor or dentist for minor procedures becomes an ordeal of terror accompanied by the expectation of major pain, mutilation, or maiming. Very often relatively minor medical and dental problems develop into major illnesses. A simple case of tooth decay, through avoidance, turns into a root canal job.