In terms of an emotional experience, crippling fear is the worst. There is probably nothing more distressing to a person than feeling completely helpless and powerless. But that is not the only kind of fear that can trip us up in recovery.
Anxiety is a huge trigger for addictive behavior.
What exactly is anxiety? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it in the following way:
Painful or apprehensive uneasiness of mind; an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.
–Melissa Haas, Emotions 101