In Search of Total Emotional Freedom

An issue that concerns me is the assumption that it is "good enough" to
bring the intensity of a problem down to a manageable level.  It might seem
very freeing to have an intense problem that we previously experienced as a
10 to drop to a 2. However, a little bondage can be just as troublesome in
the long term as a lot of bondage.  Once we have achieved a low level, let's
not limit what we can achieve.  Let's settle for nothing less than complete
freedom.

I once worked with an agoraphobic client who could not go into grocery
stores.  We worked in the office to bring her fear down to zero and then
went to a shopping centre in her car.  Along the way I kept checking how she
felt and she kept telling me she felt fine.  In the shopping centre car park
I asked one more time.  Again she said she felt fine.  Being cautious I
challenged her.  She reported that the fear was only about a level 2 or 3 on
a 10-point scale.  She felt this was fine - a very manageable level.

I said to her "If your fear is at a level 2 or 3 when you enter the shops
and, if something happens in there which brings up your fear by say 5
points, you will then be at a level 7 or 8--which is quite unmanageable.
If, on the other hand, you are at a level zero when you enter the shops and
something comes up, it is unlikely your fear will rise to the same level -
and if it did rise 5 points then this is still a much more manageable level
from which to make decisions than a level 7 or 8."

We sat in the car and continued to work on aspects until her fear came down
to a level zero.  Then she was able to go into the store on her own.  In
fact, she spent so long in there that I became concerned and went searching
for her, only to find that she was enjoying being completely free of her
fear.

There can be a tendency to assume that we need to retain some of our intense
feelings for a variety of reasons.  Typical examples are guilt feelings,
safety fears, and feelings of non-deservingness, among others.  For example,
many people believe that they need to keep some of their fear in order to
stay safe - that without it they will lose their ability to be cautious.
This is a false belief that can leave us with unnecessary suffering.  Others
have an underlying belief that they do not deserve to get over this problem
completely, or that to do so would be bad for them in some way.

The way to treat blocks such as these is to first identify any beliefs you
have that cause you to feel like you need - or deserve - to keep some (or
all) of your problem.  Then insert these negative belief statements into the
set-up statement.  For example:

"Even though I think I need to keep some of this problem in order to stay
safe, I fully and completely accept myself."

"Even though I don't deserve to get over this problem."  Then, "Even though
I do not deserve to get completely over this problem ."

There are many more examples of blocking beliefs which can be responsible
for our failure to achieve a more complete result. Many authors (including
myself and Dr David Lake in our book New Energy Therapies, and Fred Gallo in
his book Energy Psychology) provide examples of the typical blocking beliefs
for you to work on.  However, the simplest way forward is to ask yourself
what are the reasons why you can't get over your problem completely - or why
it might not be good to do so.  The answers to these questions will usually
reveal your underlying beliefs and you can then apply the EFT process to
these.   Having done so, you may find that your continued tapping on "the
problem" now bears more fruit.

Steve Wells
EFT Contributing Editor
Email: wells@iinet.net.au

PS:  Dr David Lake and I have just written a new book which provides an
overview to getting great results with EFT.  Titled "Pocket Guide to
Emotional Freedom - Using EFT" it has all the essential information in a
handy volume that will fit in your purse or pocket.  For details about
pre-ordering, please send an email to:
wells@iinet.net.au
When ordering, remember to mention BehaviourChanges.com