Anxiety

Once again I stress that I am not a medical practitioner but I do have considerable experience with life and the topic being covered. The views that I am expressing are personal and are not claimed to be the only aspects worthy of consideration.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is an unreasonable fear of past, present or future events. It is not in proportion to the actual risk of something negative occurring. That fact is worth remembering.

What causes anxiety?

In my simplified view of anxiety I see it as a reaction to stress. That is, stress caused by life events that may or may not have eventuated. It is our reaction to or perception of those events that is the issue. I realise that may be an over simplification, as there are many causes of anxiety and there are multiple factors that impact on the condition. That is why I stressed at the beginning that I am only commenting on certain aspects and my views are not all encompassing.

The effects of anxiety

Anxiety may be mild or absolutely debilitating and causing severe distress. It may greatly affect your quality of life so is something you need to address perhaps with professional assistance.

This wide range of effects may include simple short-term worries or nervousness about something through to absolute panic or fear. It may result in hyperventilation, feelings of disconnection or dizziness and gastrointestinal upset. 

Anxiety may present as a psychiatric or mental health condition. If its effects are excessive it is probably appropriate for you to seek medical advice.

Dealing with anxiety

I think that it would be fair to say that almost everyone has experienced or will experience some form of anxiety in their life. 

As normal human beings we are all affected by our environment and our thoughts. Our reaction to and perception of comments made by others may cause significant anxiety.

I always say that anxiety is a state of mind. Holding anxiety causing views within our minds is quite damaging. It can be good to ventilate and to talk with others in order to address our issues.

There are many aspects to anxiety and many approaches towards treatment. A multi-pronged treatment approach is likely to be more beneficial. But one thing is for sure, that much of the treatment will involve psychological adjustments.

In the context of Christianity I do believe in the ultimate power of God but I am also aware that there is much suffering in the world. Reality tells me that without help it can be difficult to cope with something like anxiety unless it is only a mild short-term worry. I trust in God and seek his support in many things but am also conscious of the fact that his intervention is dependant on the extent of our faith.

Is there a permanent cure for anxiety?

It is my understanding that there is not a permanent cure for anxiety. The point is that we are only human and as such we have frailties. Even if we do recover from an episode of anxiety there is still a risk of regression. As there are various factors that cause the condition a broad approach to treatment is needed.

Taking care of your mind and body

It may seem odd that I am discussing the topic of anxiety in this blog. After all, based on what I have written so far you may feel that I am reluctant to state that God can make everything better. I fully believe that he can but not everyone is ready for that truth. 

In these circumstances it is best for me to take a broader view. Not everyone will have reached a point where they have fully developed their faith and trust in God. Also, I believe it is relevant that we have a body, soul and spirit. All are important but our body deserves care and protection from harm. In fact, the bible identifies that we have a responsibility to look after our body.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

So, it is not intended that we ignore sound medical advice. Although we know that God is able address all of our problems it is not an either/or situation. We can still have absolute faith in the power of God whilst taking care of our human minds and bodies.

How can Christian belief address anxiety?

I mentioned the benefits of ventilating and talking with someone in order to address your issues. You can do this through prayer and trust in Jesus Christ. His divine nature is able to relieve you of your worries but only if you truly believe.

Isaiah 26:3 – You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

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.

I mentioned that there is a risk that our anxiety will return if we apply one-off human measures to address it. However, if we can separate ourselves from our human existence we can see our problems as insignificant and temporary. That calls for us to focus at a spiritual rather than a human level.

Clearly an ongoing process is needed to keep us on the straight and narrow path. That’s why Christianity provides an ideal answer to our problems. Followers of Christianity have, through prayer and biblical study, a constant reminder of their faith and trust in God.

Matthew 6:27 – And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.