An AA Fear Inventory Example and Worksheet

Get Help Moving Through Step 4 With Support from Changes

Are you working through the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, questioning whether your fears are one of the character defects holding you back? One AA fear inventory example could be someone afraid of losing a job they enjoy.

The fear drives them to such high stress levels that they see innovation as a risk or lie to cover up an innocent mistake. But the rational brain knows that a person with good work skills can find new opportunities. It’s just a job – worse things can happen!

Changes Healing Center provides Joint Commission-accredited addiction and mental health services in Phoenix, Arizona. Our team usually recommends attending AA or engaging with some form of peer support as part of the recovery process. This form of accountability helps keep members on track to live a clean, sober life and boosts self-esteem.

We invite you to keep reading this latest resource from our team. In Step 4, you’ll learn to take a fear inventory and we have also added a free PDF download to help you identify fears, so be sure to get your copy to make the process as smooth as possible!

Our always-expanding guides also include a character defects list and a 4th step worksheet, to help our clients and those struggling to get past a crucial but often challenging part of the 12 Steps.

Four Steps to Taking a Fear Inventory

How do you do the searching that helps you identify your fears to remove their control from your life? Here are some suggested steps to start down the path of self-discovery.

According to the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book, the text of Step Four reads:

“We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

1) Identify Your Specific Fears and Write Them Down

Write freely without overthinking things, listing any fearful thoughts interrupting your thoughts or behavior. These may relate to any facet of your life: Career, relationships, finances, or health.

Why should you try this exercise? An inclination to drink or use drugs may be your attempt to calm your fears without you knowing it.

Madeline Confronted Her Fears at Changes

For instance, ‘Madeline’ came to Changes Healing Center with severe PTSD. While her fears and anxiety started after surviving a tornado that destroyed her home and killed her pets, she’d never heard of PTSD.

She started using substances to sleep through the nightmares every night. Alcohol soon claimed power over her life until she got help for the traumatic experience. Madeline and her partner now volunteer to do disaster relief where her firsthand experience informs her work.

2) Understand the Roots of a Fearful Response

Ask yourself why this fear is present in your life. Has hurt or trauma led you to have this negative energy? These feelings often come from lacking self-security, low self-worth, or resentment.

Roberto Lost Faith in God and Developed Fears After Trauma

An example is ‘Roberto,’ who lost trust in God after an overseas military deployment. He saw innocent civilian lives impacted by the Hell of war and lost his faith, which had been important to him. He also became fearful of not returning home to his spouse and kids. Alcohol became his “liquid courage,” giving him the ability to complete his missions.

After service, he got help at Changes. To heal his inner wounds, he completed both a fear inventory and a resentment inventory. He’s returned to church now and treasures his faith in God. He’s also spending more quality time with his children.

3) Reflect on How Fear Lowers Your Ability to Heal

Look back at your fear. Consider if it is helpful – the answer is probably “no.” Think about how it has caused you to avoid responsibility for your actions, threatened your relationship, or how you’ve lied to avoid dealing with things.

Acknowledge the negative effects of these fears without self-judgment.

Bullying Impacts Lives, but Rita Rose Above Her Resentments

‘Rita’ arrived at Changes with a deep fear of public humiliation. Growing up, some women in her family resented Rita’s natural beauty and tried to undermine her by bullying her. The rejection of her family made Rita start using her drug of choice (pain medications) to feel accepted by her peers.

With our help, she gained freedom from her fear of not fitting in by learning to take pride in her body and good looks. She no longer lets others take advantage of her and is still working on releasing her resentments. She’s a work in progress.

4) Challenge Your Fear with Truth

Now, you’ll need to dig a bit deeper. Consider whether the fear is founded or unfounded.

A real fear, a founded fear, is based on actual danger. Think of waiting for the crosswalk light to clear you to cross a busy intersection because of the odds of being struck by a car.

On the other hand, an unfounded fear is a defense mechanism lodged in your psyche – it’s not rooted in a physical fear of harm. An example may be the fear that everyone at work resents you; it leads to anxiety and self-doubt. You become unapproachable at work or try too hard to be liked. That actually leads to a greater rift with your colleagues.

Ask yourself: Is this an imagined threat or based on an actual danger?

Jack Was Afraid of What Would Happen When People Learned About His Past

Consider past Changes client, ‘Jack,’ whose anxiety kept him so on edge that he could barely sit still. Jack blocked his healing because of the time he’d spent in jail and other institutions for drug charges. He constantly feared people would talk about him because of his past mistakes.

Through the fears and resentments inventory process, as well as when making amends, Jack learned that people would listen to and believe what they wanted. He had no control, and the gossip posed no direct physical danger.

Writing down the issues helped him see that the problem of all that gossiping reflected on those making the cruel comments – not on himself.

Self-Seeking Answers in Recovery and Taking Inventory in AA Step 4

Now that you know about taking inventory, you might wonder why you must do this exercise for program success.

The step asks you to do some honest soul-searching and write a list of internalized beliefs that affect your recovery process. Besides fear, you may discover other things to keep you stuck in one place. Those may include harboring jealousy, excessive pride, resentment, or self-hate.

Each of these examples can lead you to failure and lower your chances of achieving long-term sobriety. The goal of taking the moral inventory is to name the behaviors and emotions that can halt the recovery process.

Putting these things on paper helps remove the hold they have on your life.

AA Fear Inventory Free PDF Worksheet

This 12-question checklist, no written response is needed to complete this activity. Just check “yes” for any sign that applies to you and count them up. The scoring system is at the bottom.

Note that this worksheet is a self-assessment, not a diagnostic tool. It helps you consider and notice signs that fear is dictating your life. Give it a go, and let the healing commence!

Act Now: Get Evidence-Based Treatment Support at Changes

If drugs or alcohol have damaged your spirit, our Joint Commission-accredited rehabilitation center can offer evidence-based therapies that can help you hit a reset button and start over again.

When things seem bleak on the surface, our counselors will dig deeper to help you stop the repeat behaviors of drinking and using drugs.

With our help, you can remove the power that substances have over your life and life up to your greatest desires and goals. Make a confidential call to get our support for sobriety today!