I read this in CBT, that things like drinking alcohol are "safety behaviors" that allow us to not fully test our fears and anxieties. After dropping my safety

I read this in CBT, that things like drinking alcohol are "safety behaviors" that allow us to not fully test our fears and anxieties. After dropping my safety behaviors and progressively overloading my fears for almost a year (on and off), I can definitely say that it's crazy how far I've come. I couldn't have imagined being comfortable doing things I'm able to do now. I do have a long way to go still. But the key really is consistency. Just like your physical muscles atrophy after leaving the gym, your fearlessness atrophies if you don't constantly target and stimulate your fear muscles (without resorting to safety behaviors). It does get easier though, once you reach maintenance mode. But you gotta keep doing it.