18 Comments
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ExcessDeathsAU's avatar

Holy sh*t. This is the best thing I have ever read.

By the way, I often read your articles out loud to my family.

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Lisa G's avatar

As someone else said, this is one of the best things I have read in a long time and it couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you for your dedication to this cause. I am grateful to you!

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Amy Beeman's avatar

I think so many people could benefit from reading this. I have. Side note, I’ve been learning about people’s near death experiences, because, duh, my fear of death, and it’s helped a lot. The ones who feel fear after leaving their bodies go to a dark, scary place but when they push it aside they end up in the good place. What you’ve written helps confirm that living in fear is actual hell on Earth. It only drags us down when we can’t let it go. I like how you call it “energy” that needs to move through rather than get stuck in the body. I relate to this article very much, as I am in a growth state and am getting past my anxiety (and yeah, I quit drinking and it’s helped enormously), and I just really appreciate you sharing this enlightened piece. Great food for thought!

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Dr. Roger McFillin's avatar

I love hearing about this! Keep going

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ICI Grief (The Rebel's Hike)'s avatar

I have learned a lot from studying NDE and reading and understanding the Bible. He's in control. He loves us and wants the best for us, but it's always our free will whether we want to tap into his generous gifts or not. Life consequences when we don’t.

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Dixie Kirby's avatar

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind” - 2 Timothy 1:7

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Vanessa Maia's avatar

Great article!

It seems like some people want to be sedated because they are going through a lot of problems that they can't handle. Facing reality can be hard, and many people weren't taught to be resilient in those adversities. People want to be happy 100% of the time, and that scares me, to be honest. Moments of happiness are great, but life will not always be happy-happy-happy.

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Dr. Roger McFillin's avatar

Well said... I agree. I also believe the hards are important and amplify the the moments of joy, peace and love.

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Eva's avatar

Yes yes yes! When I think I couldn’t agree with you any more every subsequent article you share is fuller with even more dynamite. Dynamite we all need to blow the shackles off! Both imposed by the “systems” and ourselves 😊🙏

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S Fraser's avatar

Thank you for this amazing article!

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Craig's avatar

Thanks, I needed this rn (right now).

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cody's avatar

This part you wrote here "The very recommendation of medication, before you've even tried to develop a different relationship with fear, undermines any real work that needs to be done."

Would you also agree even givin or recommend to take medication while you are developing a diffrent relationship with fear would be very counter intuitive??

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Dr. Roger McFillin's avatar

Yes and to go a step further- it's completely incompatible with everything we know about how people regulate fear and other emotions.

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cody's avatar

Thank you for your knowledge brother, it is much needed. I wish I learned these things years ago. Your a blessing to me and many others. I pray God continues to bless what your doing here. Charles spurgeon once said the more truth we beleive the more sanctified we will be. And our Lord Christ also says The truth will set you free. Your helping do that and i thank you . God bless

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Simonde's avatar

Brilliant, very empowering!

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BS Free MD's avatar

Spot on. I have been saying people need to do things intentionally that scare the shit out of them. One of the most life affirming and empowering things one can do. 600 Skydive’s later…

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Mary G.'s avatar

I am sending this series to my family as each part comes out. I’m praying they will actually read them…. So much wisdom!! Thank you!!!

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Keiran Dolar Vale's avatar

Spot on again and again!

I have peers in college who proudly tout around their SSRIs and benzodiazepines claiming their chemical chains are helping them and not torturing them.

I would also like to share something that shocked me, something I had not seen yet in primary care. Recently, I went to the health clinic on my university campus because I was having severe symptoms of a respiratory infection. While waiting to be seen, I was asked to fill out some forms - standard procedures of course. This is what shocked me - the mental health portion of the paperwork. The questionnaire was not the PHQ-9 or the GAD-7. Hell there wasn't any trace of the ACE-10. There was one question for depression and one question for anxiety, to which both could be valid when someone is coming in for a distressing physical illness that is preventing them from being in work or in class. This was being given to students at my university.

I'll add to this disturbing situation. I work for the dean of students by creating social media posts for student conduct, rules, expectations, and tips on health and socializing. It is not my favorite gig but I get paid. While discussing posts that I am to create, often the dean of students will say, "We need a mental health post, to let students know if they are anxious about something, that they need to go to the counseling center or the campus clinic to get the help they need." There is little to no discussion about the extreme stress students are under. There is little dialogue about how the majority of the students here are far away from their families. There is no discussion about the pressures of weight management on the athletes, the dancers, or the actors. There is no discussion about helping students navigate social pressures, conflict resolution, or as you have so eloquently articulated in this post, how to move through fear. How to alchemize fear.

You are right, the system is not broken. It is working as perfectly as designed and it seems everyone is involved like well working little cogs in a gigantic monster of a machine.

I observe my classmates and others at my university, often wondering who will escape unscathed.

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