Sweaty palms. Racing heart. Heavy breathing. I feel like I’m about to pass out. Panic sets in as I question what’s happening to me. Am I having a heart attack? I check my left arm. It’s not numb. Fear grips me as my breathing grows heavier. With my mind racing I try to control my body. I
remember the breathing technique the therapist taught me. I began to count and breathe. I steady my mind on my favorite Bible verse and repeat it to myself over and over. I can feel my pulse beginning to steady and my breathing evening out. The worst is over and I resume my day.
Anxiety. The one thing I hate so much about myself. It’s this allowance of fear and irrational, overwhelming stress that consumes me and causes me to shy away from events or certain opportunities in life. I wish I could just shut it all off and be normal with no care at all. But the more people I get to know and the more I research anxiety, the more I have come to realize there is no such thing as normal and more people suffer from anxiety than I had originally thought. According to a Forbes article from October of 2023, nearly 40 million people in the U.S. (that’s 19.1% of the population) have an anxiety disorder. Honestly though, can you blame them? Our current world is dealing with so many issues. From our health, financial strain and work to our governmental problems and rumors of war, it’s no wonder that people are so stressed and in fear.
The media spews their propaganda daily with fear and false reports. There’s a new variant of COVID or some dangerous virus strain going around. Instagram is filled with preppers telling you
that you shouldn’t use these certain products because they are filled with chemicals that can kill you or cause cancer. Reports and recalls of parasites and other harmful things are being found in our foods and we are now being told that we won’t know what foods are even lab grown because they aren’t properly labeled. We should eat organic but not all organic foods are actually organic. We shouldn’t drink bottled water or tap water but not all of the filters are good and the best ones are too expensive for the average American to afford. We want to protect our families so we purchase a gun but if we use that gun to protect ourselves during a robbery, the intruder is the victim and you are arrested. It goes on and on with information that contradicts itself and challenges every bit of fact and truth we have been told. It’s all so confusing and overwhelming. How do we know what’s true and what we should do?
Now, please don’t think I’m against prepping and gaining info on items and other things to avoid certain dangers. I try not to be ignorant of the world around me and the truths that have been hidden or are being revealed. I definitely want to know if something is harmful for me and my family and how to avoid it. I myself am all for holistic ways and prepping for the worst. However, we can’t let fear change everything about us and what we do. In all honesty I was guilty of this. I even find myself at times avoiding certain things out of fear because of something I read or heard.
Once we let this fear creep into our minds, it’s hard to get it to leave. I know first-hand how fear and anxiety can alter your life and make things so much harder for you. My family watched me go through such an extremely tough season of life as I struggled to get a hold on my anxiety. I was in and out of hospitals and urgent cares, on and off certain medications and even speaking to multiple therapists. There were many days when I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t eat, go out or even watch tv. I had let anxiety take over my life. My kids probably thought I was coocoo for cocoa puffs but they and my husband were so supportive and understanding. I had a great support system at home and at church and it really made a difference. I dug into the Bible and clung to God and His promises. I spoke with a couple therapists and used medication to help control some of the symptoms. Eventually, I began to feel normal again. I still get anxiety, but I use what I learned and rely on those I trust and it helps me get through it. Why am I telling you this? Because I want to help you through your tough times. I want to share what I have learned about anxiety, treatment and what God says about it. I am by no means a Dr. or therapist. I am only sharing from experience and through what I have learned.
In the next few posts, I will be sharing techniques, products and scriptures that I used to help me overcome the worst anxiety season I have ever been through. I will share with you the symptoms and thoughts I had and maybe you will resonate. I created She’s Bible Inspired to share my
experiences and what I learned through them to help others. I want people to see the Bible in a different light. Maybe my perspective of God’s word and my view of life as of now will help change your mindset about certain situations or even about how God views those circumstances. You may ask how I know what God says on these subjects or what he thinks about specific life experiences. Well, He tells us in His word. He still speaks to His children today. he speaks to us through the Bible, dreams, friends and family, and through that still small voice. We need only to listen.
“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26