Until I did my 4th step I didn't think I had a fearful bone in my body.

ha ha! I was just the opposite. I was riddled with it until i started working the steps and turning my life over on a daily basis. I can see now why they say Step 9 is the life changer. Unbelievable.

sooner or later it all boils down to fear .fear of losing something you have or of not getting something you want.
that's where the power greater than yourself comes in

Step 4 helped me to unravel fear by showing me its connection to resentment. When I'm angry there is often fear behind it all. Like what's been said, fear of losing or not getting-not being able to indulge my wants.

I remember the fear of what had happened in the blackouts the last year of my drinking. They had never bothered me before and at times were a nightly ossurance. But once I started trying to stop the fear of what might of happened, the conjuring up of horrible images of accidents etc , hit in those cold gray dawns. The lonliest feeling on earth.

F***
Everything
And
Run

Face
Everything
And
Recover

For me, when fear sets in it has to do with the future... stuff that hasn't happened yet... and God knows that can change at the drop of a hat. And the picture fear paints in my mind is very different from what the actual outcome is.

Fear to me now is mostly just a thought pattern. If I sense fear, I monitor the feeling and thoughts and become as present as I can, create a space of awareness to allow the fear to be. The fear will either disappear immediately or dissipate slowly. Rarely, do I become overwhelmed with fear.

I was riddled with fear when I came in but I called it an anxiety disorder, lol. I had no idea how much fear dominated my life until I started looking inward. I can safely say that all my character defects are rooted in fear.

When I'm angry, I can always identify what's "really going on" by asking myself "what are you fearful about".

Fear : False evidence appearing Real , it surfaced in my 4th and fifth step over and over, delusional thinking, self created situations(resentments) that never happened that way :) that cleared the path .. for more growth, threw a little more truly based facts Sobarr!! Staying current with 10th 11th and 12th steps also very beneficial! Embracing it and not giving it power, threw avoidance or entertaining ,as my reality also was quite helpful :)
Billy

My oppinion is that it is impossible to rid oneself of fearful thoughts and emotions. What is possible is to become aware of the thoughts and emotions by bringing attention to them. By knowing the conditions of fear, you free yourself of identification with them. Instead of being the condition you can become the knower of these things. No longer being intertwined with fear but seeing the fear as it arises and sits within you, frees you from fear.

The idea of trying to get rid of anything that the mind brings up doesn't work. Seeing mental phenomena for what it is - as simply mind activity arising - Like clouds arising in the sky and then disappearing - eventually leads one to freedom from the mental phenomena.

oh my the fear.... real or imagined... lately has takn over my life and every cell in my body... however ... because of the daily connection with a power greater than myself, I havent had to take a drink.... i havent completely ruined everything built up in my sober life, and I am beginning to allow my HP to heal more that has been revealed. It has been real and justifiable fear so it did have its way with me for a while. Face Everything And Recover is now again my footsteps and God is clearing the path as I walk. thanks again to the power of graditude I am even beginning to enjoy the work. Love is always my answer.
TerrieAnn