Dealing With Anxietyಮಾದರಿ

My wife has been dealing with pretty intense anxiety for the last 12 months. These have been some of the hardest months of our marriage, and honestly our lives. Seemingly out of nowhere, anxiety will totally overtake her and often paralyze her. She has trouble breathing, thinking, and doing anything because of the overwhelming apprehension and fear she is feeling in those moments. Some of her anxiety episodes turn into full-blown panic attacks that last several hours before she is able to calm down. That sucks. 

As her husband, there is nothing I want more than to take the anxiety away. But I can’t. It’s gotten to the point where when she starts feeling anxious, I start to feel anxious as well. My heart starts pounding and my mind starts racing. Because I have no idea how bad it’s going to get. I feel helpless because I can’t make it go away. And that sucks. 

I know so many young people today, who are so paralyzed with anxiety that they aren’t able to fully experience life. There are so many “what-ifs” running around in their heads that they can’t move beyond those negative thoughts and start taking positive steps. That really sucks. 

So, in summary, anxiety sucks. 

But I still have hope. Why? Because God wants you to have peace. Because God is still good, even when life isn’t. In this Bible plan, we aren’t going to make any unrealistic promises, tell you to “just have faith,” or pretend like anxiety doesn’t suck as much as it really does. 

Here’s what I hope you know: You are not alone. In fact, there are some incredible stories in the Bible that illustrate people who have dealt with anxiety just like you and found peace. 

Take the Psalms. These are a collection of songs and poems that are sometimes about singing praises to God, and sometimes about crying out to God in the middle of your pain and suffering. What I love about the Psalms is they invite you into someone else’s experience with many of the same emotions we feel. 

Challenge: Write down what you are anxious about. Really. Take a few minutes to jot those things down in a notebook or on your phone. What are the things that you feel anxious about?