Fear After High School: How DBT Can Help You Move Forward
Many of the young adults we work with share a similar fear after high school. Once the structure of classes, schedules, and familiar expectations disappears, uncertainty sets in. Questions about the future become louder. What now? What if I choose wrong? What if I fall behind?
This fear is not a sign of weakness or failure. It is a common and understandable response to a major life transition.
A Common Experience We See in Young Adults
After high school, many young adults feel pressure to have a clear plan. College, work, independence, and identity development are expected to happen quickly and smoothly. For many, this pressure leads to anxiety, avoidance, or a sense of being stuck.
We often see clients who feel paralyzed by fear. They want to move forward but feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of deciding what comes next. This fear can show up as procrastination, self-doubt, emotional shutdown, or increased anxiety and depression.
A DBT Skill That Helps: Opposite Action
Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers practical tools to help young adults move through this fear. One DBT skill we frequently teach is Opposite Action.
Fear often urges avoidance. It tells us to wait until we feel more confident, more certain, or more prepared. Opposite Action involves doing the opposite of that urge when fear is not protecting us from real danger.
For example:
Fear says, “Do not apply. You might fail.”
Opposite Action means submitting the application anyway.Fear says, “Do nothing until you feel ready.”
Opposite Action means taking one small step forward.
How to Use Opposite Action
Name the emotion. “This is fear about what comes next.”
Check the facts. Is there actual danger, or just discomfort?
Notice the urge. Avoiding, freezing, or delaying.
Act opposite. Take a small, intentional step aligned with your values.
You do not need certainty before you act. Confidence often follows action, not the other way around.
Why This Skill Is Effective
Opposite Action helps young adults build confidence through experience. Each time they act despite fear, they learn they can tolerate uncertainty. Over time, anxiety decreases and clarity increases.
Final Thoughts
Fear after high school is common. It does not mean something is wrong with you. With the right support and skills, young adults can learn how to move forward even when the path feels unclear.
At Awake DBT, we support young adults through this transition by teaching practical DBT skills that help reduce anxiety and build confidence in the next chapter of life.
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