An internal barrier is something within yourself that gets in the way of achieving your potential. It’s not about your actual capability—it’s about obstacles that prevent you from using the capability you have.
Internal barriers come in three main categories: physical barriers (limitations of your body), informational barriers (lack of knowledge or misinformation), and psychological barriers (emotional and mental obstacles).
Understanding these barriers is important because they’re often invisible. You might not realize that fear is holding you back, or that you’re working with incomplete information, or that your body has capabilities you haven’t discovered yet. Once you recognize a barrier, you can begin to address it.
What they are:
Physical barriers are limitations of your body. Some are universal to all humans—we can’t fly without technology, we can’t see in complete darkness, we can’t survive without oxygen. Some are specific to individuals—a person might have a disability, an injury, a chronic illness, or a genetic condition that affects what their body can do.
Important note on disabilities: Physical disabilities are not failures or defects. They’re simply different ways of being human. Many people with disabilities live full, capable, meaningful lives. A disability is a barrier only when the world isn’t designed to accommodate it. This is called the social model of disability—the idea that disability is created by social and environmental barriers, not by individual limitations. A person using a wheelchair isn’t limited by the wheelchair—they’re limited by stairs, narrow doorways, and lack of accessible transportation. These are environmental barriers, not personal limitations. (We’ll discuss external barriers in the next topic.) The point here is that physical differences don’t determine potential. They change how someone achieves their goals, but not whether they can.
How physical barriers affect you:
What can be done:
Physical barriers are often addressed through: - Science and technology (as discussed in Topic 3): prosthetics, wheelchairs, hearing aids, medical treatment, adaptive equipment - Training and practice: building strength, endurance, skill, and finding alternative ways to do things - Acceptance and adaptation: recognizing what your body can and can’t do, and working within those realities while still pursuing your goals - Support and accommodation: getting help from others, using tools and technology, modifying your environment
The key insight: Physical barriers are real, but they’re often not as limiting as they first appear. People adapt. Technology helps. And sometimes, what seems impossible becomes possible when you approach it differently. Working with physical therapists, occupational therapists, or medical professionals can help you find solutions.
What they are:
Informational barriers are gaps in your knowledge or false beliefs that get in the way.
Lack of information means you don’t know something you need to know. You might want to learn a skill but not know where to start. You might not understand how your body works, or how to manage your finances, or what career options exist. You might not know that a solution to your problem exists.
Misinformation means you believe something that isn’t true. This can happen unintentionally—you were taught something incorrect, or you misunderstood something. It can also happen intentionally—someone deliberately lied to you to manipulate you or benefit themselves.
How informational barriers can affect you:
What can be done:
Informational barriers are addressed through: - Education: learning what you need to know - Critical thinking: evaluating information to determine what’s true and what’s false (more on this in Level 2) - Asking questions: seeking out people who know more than you do - Exposure and experience: learning by doing, not just by being told
The key insight: Information is available. Misinformation can be corrected. Your brain is capable of learning. Informational barriers are often the easiest to overcome—once you have the right information and know how to evaluate it.
What they are:
Psychological barriers are emotional and mental obstacles. They include fear, trauma, limiting beliefs, shame, anxiety, depression, and other emotional states that get in the way of action.
How psychological barriers affect you:
What can be done:
Psychological barriers are addressed through: - Psychology and self-understanding: learning how your mind works and why you feel the way you do (more on this in Level 2) - Emotion management: developing skills to work with difficult emotions (more on this in Level 2) - Therapy and counseling: professional support for trauma, depression, anxiety, and other serious psychological challenges - Community and connection: having people who support you and believe in you - Changing your beliefs: recognizing false beliefs and replacing them with more accurate ones
The key insight: Psychological barriers are real and serious, but they’re not permanent. People change their beliefs, heal from trauma, manage anxiety and depression, and overcome fear. It takes time, effort, and often support from others. But it’s possible.
These three types of internal barriers often interact with each other:
Understanding all three categories helps you recognize what’s actually getting in your way.
Exercise 1: Identifying Your Internal Barriers
Think about something you want to do or achieve but haven’t yet. It could be learning a skill, starting a project, improving a relationship, changing a habit, or anything else.
Now ask yourself: - Is there a physical barrier? (Does my body not have the capability, or is there a disability or health issue involved?) - Is there an informational barrier? (Do I lack knowledge? Do I have false beliefs about this?) - Is there a psychological barrier? (Am I afraid? Do I have limiting beliefs? Am I dealing with shame, anxiety, or other emotions?)
Write down what you discover. You might find one barrier, or several.
Exercise 2: Recognizing Barriers in Others
Think of someone you know who struggled with something but eventually succeeded. Looking back, what internal barriers did they face? How did they overcome them? What can you learn from their example?
Intermediate level would expand with: - Deeper exploration of how each barrier type works (neuroscience of fear, psychology of limiting beliefs, etc.) - How physical disabilities are constructed by social and environmental factors, not just individual limitations - The difference between shame and guilt, and how each affects behavior - How trauma changes the brain and nervous system - Strategies for identifying your own barriers more deeply - Real-world examples of people overcoming each type of barrier - How internal barriers interact with external barriers
Advanced level would include: - Research on neuroplasticity and how beliefs affect neural pathways - Critical examination of disability and the social model of disability - Trauma-informed understanding of psychological barriers - How systemic oppression creates psychological barriers in marginalized groups - The neurobiology of fear, anxiety, and depression - Evidence-based approaches to changing beliefs and healing trauma - Contributing case studies and examples
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