Originally Posted by Vowel Lady

Two things have the potential for causing anxiety for me:
1) Fear of getting hurt (also applies to a loved one)
2) Fear of not performing well (at work, etc.)

However, over the years, I have learned that most...if not all...fear is unrealistic.

A good acronym to think about is this:

FEAR
F False
E Emotions
A Appearing
R Real


Another "falsehood" and one that causes tremendous needless hardship for people is perfectionism. No one is perfect. Period. So, if we "fall short," that is fine. We should each try our best, but understand that it is impossible to be 100% all the time.

I do understand your separation difficulties. A possible way around this is to substitute friends for your mom on some days. OR call your mother on others instead of actually trying to be physically with her. Try seeing her less and less; perhaps making arrangements to visit with her periodically (perhaps once a week or whatever appropriately fits into your schedule). Use "baby steps," as you venture out in a more independent fashion.

Every day, concentrate on your attributes; what you can control and are controlling and take steps to move forward in a happy and productive (even powerful) way.