» Life Topics » Anxiety & Phobias » Anxiety Following Trauma
Hope vs. Fear
By: Stan Hibbs, Ph.D.
The human mind is a time machine. Even though we can only live in the present, the mind has the ability to look back to the past and forward to the future. This is both an asset and a liability.
If our thoughts of the future focus on the bad things that could happen, we will be worried and anxious. This serves a purpose if it leads to productive activity. For example, concerns for my future health motivate me to get an annual medical check-up, exercise, and watch my diet. Beyond that, dwelling on future danger only makes me miserable and wastes my precious time.
However, if we expect good things to happen in the future, we experience hope. I choose hope over fear.
Here’s the way I figure it. Good and bad things happen. They have always happened and they always will happen. Once I have taken reasonable steps to protect myself from the bad things, I might as well focus on the hopeful possibilities.
Psychological research suggests that this kind of hopeful optimism is good for both our mental and physical health. This is true even if the optimism is unrealistic. In other words it’s better to err on the hopeful side than the fearful side.
About Stanley E. Hibbs...
Stanley E. Hibbs, Ph.D., is a therapist based in Dunwoody, GA, specializing in organizational/life management, performance enhancement, addiction issues, adolescent issues, marriage/couples issues, depression, phobias, and more.
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