Occasional anxiety is something most people feel. But those who suffer from anxiety may feel extended periods of worry or intense times of fear that reach a crescendo of sorts. Excessive worry and fear can be very controlling for someone who struggles with anxiety, and these feelings can interfere with everyday life and activities. Sudden onset of anxiety might include terror or extreme concerns that the person who is suffering feels is out of control.
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People who struggle with anxiety are from all backgrounds, cultures, and personality types. Some of the common feelings they experience are the need to excessively check their work and others’ work; the struggle to let go of control even if, rationally, they know it’s out of their power; re-playing a moment or a conversation over and over again in their head to see if what they said or did was “okay,” or being obsessed with a recurring fear or concern.
When Tanya was growing up, getting good grades was a big deal in her household. Her parents put the report cards of each child on the refrigerator, and she knew she could not accept anything that was less than perfect. She worked hard in high school, stayed up much too late to check and re-check homework –even longer if it was a project or essay, and went to school while sick even just for fear of missing classes.
As she got older, she applied to college, but it took everything out of her. She stopped hanging out with friends on the weekend, took and re-took her college entrance exams every semester they were offered, and she applied to eleven different colleges just to make sure she was covered. When she finally heard back from all eleven schools, she realized she didn’t even care anymore. She was emotionally and physically exhausted from so much missed sleep and her own efforts to do everything “just right.”
Tanya ended up talking with her parents and taking a year after high school to rest, see a counselor, and enjoy life again. She and her parents realized that she had been suffering from anxiety. Her fear of failure was so strong, it took away her enjoyment of hobbies, friendships, and family relationships. She needed guidance, insight, and practical help from a Christian counselor to overcome her anxiety.
If you occasionally worry about a big presentation that’s coming up, or you are afraid of climbing a mountain peak because it’s too high, you are in popular company. However, if your anxiety is marked by the sensory experiences here, you may want to seek help. Anxiety symptoms can include:
- A racing heart
An obsession that seems to overtake other activities, such as sleeping and eating, regularly
An unusual desire to check things over and over
Re-playing moments and conversations in your mind again and again without realizing it
A fear of what may happen next that is pervasive and uncontrollable
Not being able to catch your breath
Feeling exhausted mentally and physically
Experiencing gastrointestinal problems
Avoidance of certain situations because they tend to make you fearful or worried
If you have one or more of these symptoms every day for at least two weeks, you may have an anxiety disorder that would benefit from treatment through Christian counseling.
Agoraphobia is the avoidance of places or situations that would cause panic, when you might feel trapped, embarrassed, and unable to escape.
Anxiety related to a medical condition can cause intense fear or worry that’s related to a physical diagnosis that makes the person feel out of control of their physical health.
Generalized anxiety disorder is felt most acutely without anything necessarily triggering the fear or worry. This type of anxiety can be extreme fear or terror over any kind of situation, even normal and routine ones. These rising tensions and fears may feel inescapable and happen often. Unfortunately, it is also commonly paired with symptoms of depression.
Panic disorder is something that a person experiences repeatedly with intense, sudden onset feelings of fear or terror that peaks within minutes. People who suffer from this, often referred to as a panic attack, may experience physical symptoms too: chest pain, shortness of breath, and a rapidly beating heart. When someone has suffered a panic attack in a specific setting or circumstance, he or she tends to try and avoid that setting or circumstance again for fear of having another panic attack.
Separation anxiety disorder is experienced by children. It occurs when a child struggles to separate from a parent or caregiver, even though the child is developmentally at a point when separation from parents or caregivers would not normally be cause for concern.
Social anxiety disorder is when someone fears and avoids social outings due to concern about how others will perceive him or her.
Obsessive compulsive disorder is when a person is so fearful about something happening that he or she exhibits a repetitive behavior to avoid the fearful thoughts. An example might be when someone is afraid of a fire destroying her home and she checks the dials on her oven, ensuring they are set to “off,” multiple times each day. This anxiety disorder often impacts a person’s ability to be present to what is going on in the lives of those around him or her, and some find it hard to develop deep friendships because of the repetitive behaviors that seem to take over.
Licensed professional counselors can help you through different types of counseling. Some may specialize in cognitive behavioral therapy, where people are taught a system to replace untrue thoughts with true and helpful ones. Other counselors may specialize in the treatment of different age groups or types of anxiety. However, any Christian counselor you seek will understand your need to “try it out” for a few visits before you decide if the counselor is right for you. At Plano Christian Counseling, we have many counselors who are trained in working with people who suffer from varying degrees of anxiety.
Sometimes, Christians are taught that “true followers” of Christ don’t experience anxiety. This is absolutely not true.
Verses in Matthew 6:25-34 are often taken as stand-alone verses rather than being read in context. This passage reminds Christians that a struggle with worry is not a barrier to belief or a stumbling block that means you are not a child of God. It’s simply an explanation that what helps Christians entrust their fears and worries to the Lord is a deep understanding of who He is – which takes a lifetime to grow.
So, if you worry that you have out-worried your faith or that God has given up on you, do not be ashamed. God wants you to know Him in a way that gives you confidence in His extended, eternal love and provision. You can use an online search engine to find verses on anxiety, which you can meditate upon when you need God’s peace.
The trained counselors at Plano Christian Counseling can combine therapeutic techniques from a Christian worldview and who understand that faith is a process, just as any relationship is. These counselors can guide you, step by step, to help you recognize thought processes that are keeping you from the joy of resting in Christ. Over time, they can help you to learn new patterns that provide you with the fuller life you are longing to experience.
Schedule an initial call to see if Christian counseling in Plano, Texas is right for you.
Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(469) 943-2631