4 Internal Barriers I

Topic 4: Internal Barriers

BARE ESSENTIALS

Introduction

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.

Category 1: Physical Barriers

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:

You might want to be a dancer, but have an injury that changes how you move
You might want to stay awake all night, but your body needs sleep
You might want to lift something heavy, but your body isn’t strong enough
You might have a disability that affects mobility, vision, hearing, or other functions
You might have a chronic illness that limits your energy or what you can do physically

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.

Category 2: Informational Barriers

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:

You might have been taught as a child that you’re ’not a math person’ (unintentional misinformation from a teacher who believed it)
You don’t know that a treatment exists for a health condition you have
You were taught that people from a certain group are inferior (misinformation), so you discriminate against them
You don’t know how to apply for a job, so you assume you can’t get one
You might encounter advertising that deliberately misleads you about a product’s benefits (intentional misinformation for profit)
You believe that you can’t change (a false belief), so you don’t try to improve
You encounter conflicting information and don’t know what’s true

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.

Category 3: Psychological Barriers

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:

Fear keeps you from trying something new (“What if I fail?”)
Trauma creates emotional pain and sometimes physical reactions that make it hard to function or trust
Limiting beliefs are thoughts like “I’m not smart enough,” “People like me don’t succeed,” “I’m too old/young,” or “I’m broken”
Shame makes you hide parts of yourself and avoid situations where you might be judged
Anxiety creates worry and physical symptoms that make it hard to act
Depression makes everything feel pointless and drains your motivation
Low self-worth makes you believe you don’t deserve good things
Perfectionism makes you avoid trying unless you can do it perfectly

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.

How These Three Categories Connect

These three types of internal barriers often interact with each other:

A physical barrier (like a disability) can create psychological barriers (like shame or low self-worth) if society treats you as less capable
Misinformation about your body or mind can create psychological barriers (like false beliefs about what you’re capable of)
Psychological barriers like depression or anxiety can make it hard to seek out information or learn new skills
Lack of information about how to manage a physical condition can make psychological barriers worse

Understanding all three categories helps you recognize what’s actually getting in your way.

Practice Exercises

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?

Sources & Further Reading

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House. [On limiting beliefs and how they can be changed]
Herman, J. L. (1997). Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence. Basic Books.
Neff, K. (2011). Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. William Morrow.
Knowles, M. S. (1984). Andragogy in Action: Applying Modern Principles of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass. [On overcoming barriers to learning]

INTERMEDIATE & ADVANCED NOTES

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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