Introduction To Anxiety

“Life is a fabulous adventure. It wasn’t meant to be lived in fear.” –Unknown

Anxiety. Depression.

Two things every single human being has felt at some point in their lives.

These are natural feelings, and I know them well. Everyone has anxiety and has had brushes with depression in their lives. It’s when these feelings begin to disrupt your lifestyle, that it becomes a problem. At that point, it becomes a disorder.

What Is Anxiety?

A few years ago I found myself on a roller coaster with my family at Busch Gardens. As I took my seat on the ride and waited as everyone else got seated, I talked excitedly among my family whom I was seated with. As the ride began, my initial feeling of excitement while anticipating the ride began to wear off as the coaster cart very slowly eased higher and higher into the air. Slowly, foot by foot, the ride built in suspense, carrying me towards that terrifying, nearly vertical plummet to the bottom. It was then I began to question my decision to get on that stupid ride.

“What the heck was I thinking getting on this thing?” My inner dialogue was nothing but panic and dread. I hate heights, and the higher we went in the air, the more paranoid I became. My breathing increased until the point where I nearly began to hyperventilate. I broke out in a cold sweat all over my body as I began to imagine myself having a heart attack during what was sure to be a very steep plunge after we finally reached the top of the coaster. My mind began to race with thoughts. What if I can’t catch my breath? What if I throw up? Oh, I would never live that down. What if this small little barrier that’s keeping me from falling out my seat is faulty, and this ride ends very badly for me?

My roller coaster experience is what it’s like to have anxiety. Or, more accurately, a panic attack.

Anxiety is described or defined as a painful uneasiness of mind over an anticipated ill or event. I can only describe it as this gnawing feeling of absolute dread while facing a situation that makes you uncomfortable. It’s extreme worrying, worrying at it’s worst. When anxiety is present your mind is racing with thoughts, and they’re typically thoughts that are scaring you, such as the ones I was having while on that coaster. Your mind is going 90 miles a minute worrying obsessively about something: your job, your children, your health, your current situation, or in my case on that coaster, my life.

Anxiety can also represent itself in the form of a spacey feeling. Sort-of like a feeling of bewilderment and confusion. It’s like you just check out of the present moment. I was out with a friend once at a club that made me really uncomfortable. Back then I was too passive to speak up and let my friend know that I didn’t want to be there. In fact, I really didn’t want to be out at all. Still, there I was sitting in the club, taking in the potentially dangerous environment, and I began to drift away to a “safe place” inside my mind. My friend was totally in the moment, talking and enjoying the atmosphere, and occasionally commenting to me about the people there. But I couldn’t contribute anything to the conversation, because I was pretty much on autopilot. I wasn’t really in the moment, so I wasn’t really paying attention to what my friend was saying, nor the people there. Outwardly, it appeared I was enjoying being there, absently nodding my head to the music I didn’t like and casually glancing around the room. But in reality, I was totally inside my head, thinking about how crazy I must look to my friend and how lame I was for not enjoying the party like everyone else. I was basically on the verge of seriously self-talking myself into a panic attack.

The spacey feeling is a self-protection mechanism of people who experience anxiety and panic attacks. Your mind is so overwhelmed with these feelings of anxiety that you’ve gone into some kind of overload. The spacey feeling is actually your mind’s way of trying to protect itself.

The Tell-Tale Signs of Anxiety

You can usually tell when anxiety is about to rear its ugly head. Some of the physical symptoms of anxiety include:

• The tension in muscles (especially in your abdominal area)
• Heart palpitations, which is that feeling like your heart is pounding or skipping a beat.
• Sweating or clammy palms
• Rapid Breathing or feelings that you can’t breathe
• Hot flashes

And you may even have an out of body experience, or feelings of disassociation where you feel like you’re not really connected to your body. I can only describe it as feeling like the real you is in a sunken place inside of yourself, but you still get to sort-of experience life, but it’s through your false self.

Forms of Anxiety

Everyone has experienced anxiety in some form. And there are many forms of anxiety to choose from.

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety and social phobias
• Agoraphobia. This is just a fancy word for fearing to leave your home or safe place because you’re avoiding places or situations that might make you feel helpless, trapped, embarrassed or cause you to panic.
• Panic attacks

You name it, and I’ve probably experienced it.

The thing about anxiety is it can be very misunderstood. A lot of people think that just because they have anxiety that it’s a bad thing and it makes them stand out somehow in a negative way. It’s not, and it doesn’t. I keep saying this because I want it to hit home: Everyone has experienced anxiety in some form. Anxiety only becomes a problem when it starts to disrupt your life when you really don’t want it to, such as with agoraphobia.

Why Me?

I can’t think of anyone who likes having anxiety. If so, they’re nuts! I’ve asked myself countless times, “Why me? Why did I have to get stuck with anxiety and depression? Why can’t I just be free?”

We can! We can all be set free. God wants us to be free from the emotional turmoil that is anxiety.

One reason anxiety plagues us is because anxiety is genetic. It’s biochemical. We have no control over it being passed down in our bloodlines. If you have problems with anxiety, one or both of your parents (or grandparents) may have had it to the point where it became disruptive, and it got passed on to you.

Speaking from a Biblical standpoint, your ancestors could have dealt in some kind of sin—such as obsessive worrying–and that genetic problem was passed down in the bloodline. It opened a spiritual door, giving the enemy legal ground to attack the mind and emotions of generations of people in your bloodline. And if those generations of people don’t know how to use their authority to tell the enemy where to go, then the enemy will continue to invade.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” –1 Peter 5:6-9 (New International Version).

I’m writing about anxiety because I experience(d) it, so I’m not exempt from any of this. The wonderful and powerful thing about all of this, however, is that this genetic tendency can be broken, and it can end with you.??

Personality traits are another answer to the “Why Me?” question.

There is good news. People who are anxious have some really great personality traits.

• Highly creative
• Sensitive
• Above-average intelligence
• Intuitive
• Caring
• Compassionate

And now, the not-so-good characteristics of people who are anxious:

• Perfectionists
• Over-reactors
• Negative, what-if thinkers
• Worriers
• Hypochondriacs
• Have mood swings and can be very irritable

Due to some of our personality traits, so much of our anxiety (and depression) is caused by the way we react and respond to the outside world. The problem is usually we let our negative personality traits take over, and use the positive traits against ourselves. When I was on that roller coaster, my negative, what-if thinking and worrying habits launched me to use my highly creative personality trait to come up with terrifying scenarios that could happen to me on that ride. We do this all the time when anxiety gets the best of us. Because we’re so highly creative, we can easily come up with scary scenarios when we’re in a situation that makes us uncomfortable.

But there’s hope. The process of conquering your anxiety and depression is a gradual one. If you’re someone who has been searching for answers for your emotional symptoms for years, don’t give up. It’s no easy feat healing from anxiety and depression, but some of the most successful people ever deal with anxiety and depression disorder. One is writing to you right now?. You don’t have to live with the constant cloud of anxiety and depression over your head. You may experience it from time to time, but it doesn’t have to dominate your life. You don’t have to accept that fate for yourself.

Help for anxiety

Life coping skills can work wonders for special individuals with anxiety (depression) disorders. Unless you fall into the extreme category, overall I don’t recommend medications for generalized depression and anxiety. It is my belief that if you’re anxious/depressed, your overall goal should be to get off any and all medications and take control of your life. I believe all the time, the best way to overcoming generalized anxiety and depression is through developing a relationship with God through education of His Word and having a prayer life and adopting some life-coping skills, thereby enabling you to heal from within. Even addressing your diet plays an important role in helping with anxiety.

Most of us just have generalized anxiety that follows us throughout our days and nights. Sometimes we wake up anxious. Some people just have anxiety when they get on a plane, or a car, or a roller coaster. Some of us are afraid we’re going to do something really bad (even though we know we’ll never do it). Some of us have a great fear of embarrassment. Whatever your anxiety stems from, just know there is hope for you. And there is help.

And His name is Jesus.

Anxiety-Relief Starter Kit for Immediate Relief

1. Begin praying. Having a prayer life works wonders. Developing an actual relationship with Jesus will naturally bring your anxiety levels down. Jesus will strengthen you, and transform you. The more you communicate with Him and give your trust to Him, he’ll begin to bless you with an inner peace you didn’t know was possible to enjoy.
2. Breathe Easy. This will help you in whatever generalized uncomfortable situation you’re in. If you haven’t already, start practicing deep breathing. FIRST: Inhale through your nose for two seconds. At the same time, mentally count “one-thousand-one, one thousand two.” SECOND: Exhale through your nose for four seconds, while at the same time mentally counting, “one-thousand-one, one-thousand two, one-thousand three, one-thousand four.” Continue this for a full sixty seconds. After your breathing session, follow it up with quoting scriptures that pertain to whatever is causing your anxiety. This is an incredibly powerful weapon! You can also use soothing, comforting inner dialogue. Ex: “I may be a bit overwhelmed right now, but I’ll be OK. I can handle this. I always pull through, and this time is no exception.” Just, whatever soothes you, speak that comfort to yourself.
3. Begin keeping some type of daily journal. If you hate writing, use your phone’s voice recorder to speak your thoughts. I cannot stress this enough. When you get those thoughts out of you, you can process them differently. You gain perspective, and you just feel better because you’re expressing yourself.
4. You have to learn to Relax. People with anxiety very often find it difficult to relax. We always feel like we have to be doing something. And when we are still, our minds are usually running 100 miles a minute with thought after thought. You have to learn how to relax. I mean the type of relaxing where you’re totally in the moment of whatever hobby you love to do. Make it a habit to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus. Read your Bible. Listen to sermons. Become more involved with your spiritual healing. This is how you become strongly planted so that your spirit can receive nourishment, and you can begin to come out of that dark place. Befriending Jesus is a wonderful cure for chronic anxiety and depression. This alone will teach you how to relax.

In addition to developing a spiritual relationship with Jesus, it’s good to practice deep breathing to calm your racing heart. And then engage in a hobby or activity you love. One activity I love is to play video games. When I’m doing so, I have to be totally in the moment, because not doing so means I risk losing, and I don’t like to lose! These hobbies and activities are OK in moderation. As long as you keep God first in your life. He is where your real healing will come from.

Never underestimate the power of prayer and your ability to heal. Take your healing into your own hands. You’re strong. Anyone who deals with anxiety and depression and panic attacks on a regular basis and still wakes up every day to try again is a leader in the making! Your experience will help others! All you have to do is want it badly enough and then begin utilizing some of the life coping skills to help you through. There are way more skills than what’s listed above to come. Last but absolutely not least, keep God close in your journey. It may be my blog you’re reading, but He’s the one who’s going to be your guide and your strength.