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Facing Fear Anonymous Tools of Recovery~

A Practical Guide for Members of FFA
  1. THE TWELVE STEPS - Recovery from excessive fear comes through practicing the principles outlined in the Twelve Steps of FFA.  These Steps are the basic tools of FFA.  Members work through the Steps with a sponsor.  It is important to have someone to guide us who has previously worked the steps, and is knowledgeable about the process.  Through the Steps, we open ourselves to a spiritual transformation that will lead us to a better and freer way of life. 
  2. SPONSORSHIP - Sponsors are FFA members who share their experience, strength and hope with another FFA fellow.  Sponsees are encouraged to ask someone to be their sponsor who has qualities they respect, who is working the steps, and with whom they can work well.  The sponsor's responsibility is to supply guidance and support to their sponsee as she/he works the steps.  The sponsee is free to change sponsors at any time.  This is also true for the sponsor.
  3. MEETINGS - Meetings foster a sense of community with fellows who understand how we feel.  It is suggested that we attend at least three meetings a week to get the support that we need to progress in our program.  At meetings, we learn as we listen to others' shares.  It is a relief to be able to share our deepest feelings, worries, and fears with the group and to know that others have experienced similar situations, and that everything that is said is confidential and won't be repeated.
  4. TELEPHONE - Using the telephone is important for FFA fellows to keep in touch between meetings.  When we use the phone, we can stop the feeling of isolation that we can experience.  If you hear a share that you relate to or find yourself in a helpful conversation, ask for that person's telephone number to make a program call.  Keep reaching out!  Carrying a list of members' phone numbers is beneficial because we never know when we will be in a challenging situation.   Other means of communicating are e-mails and text messages.
  5. LITERATURE - Until such time as FFA writes its own literature, it uses the conference-approved literature of Alcoholics Anonymous, the foundation of our 12 Step Recovery Program.  Our primary text will be Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th Edition.  In addition to AA literature, The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook (7th Edition) by Dr. Edmund J. Bourne is important for understanding fear and learning how to cope with and recover from it.  Reading the literature will reinforce the ideas you hear at meetings and it is helpful when you can't get to meetings.
  6. WRITING - Writing can help us to discover underlying thoughts and feelings about events that occur in our day or have occurred in the past.  We gain insights through our writing.  Writing can show us the progress we are making on our road to recovery.
  7. SERVICE - Service is vital to the continued existence of our program.  There are many things that we can do for service from volunteering to hold a position such as secretary of the meeting, and other tasks.  Just attending the meeting is service because there would no meeting if no one attended.  Service, too, is to reach out to anyone who suffers from fear - that is the way we keep our own recovery.
  8.  SELF-CARE - Because people who are fearful are often tense, it is especially important to learn how to calm ourselves by doing progressive relaxation and breathing exercises (see Calming Practices).  It is helpful to begin the day by relaxing so we can take that with us into our activities.  We can learn to do relaxation exercises even in stressful situations in order to take care of ourselves so that we remain calm.  In addition, it is important in alleviating fear to get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals and to exercise regularly.
  9.  POSITIVE THINKING - We who suffer from excessive fear are used to thinking negatively about the future - "What if something bad were to happen?"  We can focus instead on turning our thoughts around to think positively.  We can learn to counter negative thoughts with realistic, positive thoughts.  An important activity is to write down a gratitude list each day listing all the blessings that we have been given and to consider what went well for us in the last 24 hours.
  10. PRAYER AND MEDITATION - Another way to calm ourselves is to develop a daily spiritual practice.  Communicating with our Higher Power (as we understood Him) through prayer and meditation fosters our connection to the sacred.  Prayer can be the formal step prayers that we learn at FFA or prayers that we learn at our faith community, if we belong to one.  Prayers can also be spontaneous.  We can just talk to our Higher Power as we would talk to a caring friend, or write to our Higher Power.  There is no right or wrong way to pray.  Meditation is a time when we can quiet our minds and slow down.  Starting our day with a spiritual practice of prayer and meditation can help us to move more easily and calmly into the day.
  11. PLAN OF ACTION - A plan of action can help us achieve recovery and will be different for each person.  For example, one fellow may commit to having a spiritual practice, exercising and doing progressive muscle relaxation each day to enable her/him to face the challenges life brings with greater calm and acceptance.  We are encouraged to have a plan of action that works for us as individuals.    
  12. OUTSIDE HELP -​  If you feel the need for additional help, we encourage you to find it.  We respect each person's right to decide.  At different times, all of us have made use of professionals outside of FFA.  FFA does not encourage or discourage you from getting any specific kind of help.  Fellows may find that these outside services support their efforts to be freed of excessive fear.   


 All are welcome who feel they have an issue with fear!
A RECOVERY POEM - YESTERDAY . . . . . TODAY AND TOMORROW                  

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

​One of these days is YESTERDAY, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.  YESTERDAY has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back YESTERDAY.  We cannot undo a single act we performed, we cannot erase a single word we said.  YESTERDAY is gone.

The other day we should not worry about is TOMORROW with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. 

TOMORROW is also beyond our immediate control. TOMORROW'S sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds - but it will rise. 

Until it does, we have no stake in TOMORROW, for it is yet unborn. This leaves only one day - TODAY.  Any man can fight the battles of just one day.  It is only when you add the burdens of those two awful eternities - YESTERDAY and TOMORROW - that we break down.

​ It is not the experience of TODAY that drives men mad - it is remorse or bitterness for something which happened YESTERDAY  and the dread of what TOMORROW may bring. LET US, THEREFORE, LIVE BUT ONE DAY AT A TIME.
-- Anonymous
FACING FEAR
ANONYMOUS
program essentials:
FFA 12 STEPS
FFA 12 TRADITIONS
FFA TOOLS
12 STEP PRAYERS
THE PROMISES
​CALMING PRACTICES
Contact Pat at 415-426-9322 or email [email protected] for more information about Facing Fear Anonymous.