Anxiety
Q: What are some kinds of anxiety and their symptoms?
A: Here are some types of anxiety, their manifestations and symptoms:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder is manifested as excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of concerns for at least six months. Additional symptoms may include restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and/or disturbances with sleep.
- Panic Disorder consists of acute attacks of fear that may include pounding/accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, feeling of choking, feeling dizzy, feeling detached from self, and/or fear of losing control. Agoraphobia (fear of being in places where escape might be difficult) could also be present with panic disorder, but is not required for diagnosis.
- Specific Phobia is fear centered around a specific object or situation. Common examples of a specific phobia include fear of flying, heights, and animals. Exposure to the particular phobia triggers an immediate anxiety response, and may be similar to a panic attack.
- Social Phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder) consists of anxiety present in social situations where an individual fears that he or she will act in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing. Social events are often avoided or endured with great distress.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder consists of either obsessions or compulsions or a combination. Obsessions are recurrent thoughts that are intrusive, cause distress, and are not simply worries about real-life problems. Compulsions are behaviors or mental acts (e.g. counting) repeated in response to an obsession, and geared toward reducing distress or preventing a dreaded situation.
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety response after experiencing a traumatic event that involved possible death or serious injury to an individual or others, and evokes feelings of fear, helplessness, or horror. This event is reexperienced through distressing recollections, dreams, flashbacks, or in response to internal or external cues that resemble an aspect of the event.[1]
Q: What is at the heart of my anxiety?
A: There are many reasons for anxiety, but under it all, it’s a control issue. Most people who suffer from anxiety fear they have no control over future events and anticipate something going wrong.[2]
Q: Is there a cure for it?
A: There are many things you can do to relieve anxiety, from medication, to better sleep, to eating better and exercise to homeopathic remedies. But if the real question is, is there an answer for my sense of being out of control, yes, there is. 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
You may ask, so how do I find this love? This love is Jesus. Jesus loved you so much, He willingly let Himself be tortured and then executed on the cross. If you receive Him in your heart, He will come into your heart, and protect you, and you will live with Him and the Father in heaven forever. And you will have peace to the extent you trust in Him. 1 John 4:4 says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” And, Romans 8:31, “If God is for you, who can come against you?”
This is a great reminder that we can use God's strength to make it through any of our problems. In fact, God's strength can serve to shield us from the fiery darts of worry, fear and stress. A life spent with Jesus does not mean you won’t struggle with anxiety ever again, but it will always be the place your heart can go back to, to find that peace that is rightfully yours when you are in relationship with Jesus.[3]
Q: How do I know when my anxiety has become a full-blown anxiety disorder?
A: Everyone experiences anxiety to one degree or another. We all worry. But when you find that you are so gripped with it that you can no longer function, it’s a good indicator that it has progressed to a dangerous level.
Q: Is anxiety hereditary? Am I destined to struggle with anxiety for the rest of my life?
A: For most people, genetic risk for anxiety is less likely to be an on/off switch than a complicated mix of genes that can put you at risk for developing anxiety. Even then your anxiety disorder might be different from your relative’s in important ways.“Individuals inherit a predisposition to being an anxious person, [and] about 30 to 40 percent of the variability is related to genetic factors,” explained psychologist Amy Przeworski, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychological sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. As researchers pointed out in a review article published in the June 2011 issue of the Journal of Korean Medical Science, studies show that the risk of anxiety tends to run in families, but the role of genetic influence versus the influence of the family environment remains unclear.[4]
Countless people who have struggled with anxiety will share that they overcome through faith in God and that God has the power to break destructive cycles, no matter how deeply they are embedded into the generations. By relying on their spirituality, including the reading of the Bible for encouragement and strength, people are set free of conditions, diseases, and addictions.
Q: Does the Bible offer ways that I can over come anxiety?
A: The Bible itself is a way of overcoming anxiety. Memorizing scripture has a deeply moving affect, causing a core level shift of who you are in God’s sight and how much He loves and cares for you. Please go to the Scripture tab to find encouraging passages to help you.
[1] No Author, Carepoint Christian Counseling, http://bit.ly/1BlAxB9. (Accessed March 24, 2015).
[2] No Author, Good Therapy, http://bit.ly/1BLMf7d. (Accessed March 24, 2015).
[3] Shepherd, Linda E., “The Stress Cure,” Crosswalk, September 2014, bit.ly/1DY6OEn. (Accessed March 24, 2015).
[4] Vann, Madeliene, “Is Anxiety Hereditary?” Everyday Health, August 2014, bit.ly/1C9ZC4Q. (Accessed March 24, 2015).
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Psalms 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Hebrew 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?
