Anxiety

What is anxiety? It is a feeling of nervousness, anticipation with uncertainty, or fear. Anxiety often creates a physical response. Common physical symptoms are sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, muscle tension, shakiness, increased heart rate, and sometimes increased breathing rate. The word anxiety comes from the Latin angere, meaning to choke or squeeze. Strangely, this is exactly what can happen in our brains when we feel under threat or danger, whether it is real or imagined. When we are relaxed and calm, more blood goes to the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for functions like self-control and decision-making. However, during an anxiety attack, blood flow is reduced to the prefrontal cortex and increased to the amygdala, resulting in our emotional response being disproportionate to the stimulus. The amygdala is responsible for the detection and response to threats. Fear triggers a distress signal to the hypothalamus, and then adrenocorticotropic hormones are sent to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol. This stress response allows for energy to be converted quickly because anxiety often leads to a fight or flight response. However, often there is no need to fight or flee, and we are overwhelmed with anxiety when this energy is just held in the body. Our body is “hijacked,” and physical symptoms occur. Anxiety attacks can be triggered by reminders of past trauma, or they can occur for no apparent reason. The Bible offers comfort and guidance for anxiety as God knew that it is something we would struggle with. Several scriptures specifically address anxiety. I Peter 5:7 reminds us to cast all of our anxieties on Jesus because he cares for us. Philippians 4: 6-7 reminds us not to be anxious about anything, but in everything be in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let our requests be [...]

More than anything, we want our loved ones to be happy. As well-placed as this intention can be, one challenge that can come up is that our definition of “happiness” and our loved one’s definition of happiness might not always align perfectly. This can be a source of conflict as two people who love each other try to navigate life together. Knowing your loved one’s struggles can put you in a position where you can stand in the gap for them, supporting them as they need it. With social anxiety, it’s important to know the signs of it, as well as how best to support your loved one if they are socially anxious. Just as there are helpful ways to be present and supportive, there are also unhelpful ones, and knowing the difference matters. The Signs of Social Anxiety People have feelings of anxiety in a variety of circumstances. Some people thrive in a setting with lots of people, engaging in conversation with strangers, or talking through ideas in a public forum like a meeting or classroom. For other people, these things are dreadful, in the literal sense. It takes enormous amounts of energy to be in those kinds of spaces, and once there, it’s a matter of hanging on until it’s all over. A person’s anxiety in social settings can become so severe that it begins to interfere with their daily functioning. At that point, it could be diagnosed as a social anxiety disorder by a mental health professional. Social anxiety disorder can make life – whether that’s hanging out with loved ones, going to work, doing your grocery shopping, or going to the doctor – hard. Anxiety has tell-tale signs, as it affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally. If your loved one has social anxiety, you may [...]

When you’re going through a rough patch, having the right sort of company and support makes a world of difference. There’s a passage in Ecclesiastes that reads as follows: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NIV Journeying with others makes a difference; we need all the help we can get. While it’s great to have friends like that, ones who will come alongside you to help you up when you need it, what a gift it is to be a friend like that to someone else. We all experience anxiety in one form or another, but there are ways anxiety can affect a person that are debilitating, especially if that anxiety is intense. There are effective ways for you to come alongside a loved one who has this kind of intense, crippling anxiety. Crippling Anxiety Explored Anxiety comes in many shapes and sizes. We don’t all experience anxiety in the same way, and each person’s anxiety isn’t triggered by the same things. Some people recoil even at the thought of spiders, snakes, or public speaking. Others dread talking with someone they don’t know or driving in an unfamiliar environment. These and other situations may be met with anxious reactions that range from mild to extreme and debilitating. To talk of anxiety as being “crippling” isn’t to offer a clinical diagnosis. It is, however, something of an assessment and [...]