Anxiety + Following Jesus 01 | Anatomy of Anxiety
Introduction —— Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health condition in the United States. According to the director for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Dr. Marc Bracket, anxiety was also the most common emotion felt during the peak of Covid-19 in 2020.
Many of us are feeling anxiety in this moment. Some of us are feeling anxiety as the result of living through this multi-layered crisis. We have been forced to make so many unexpected transitions, and there is still no foreseeable finality. Some of us are feeling anxiety as the result of a previous anxiety condition that has been intensified by this moment. Some of us are feeling anxiety as the result of fearful and anxious thoughts related to Covid-19. Some of us are feeling anxiety as the result of stress and disruption of healthy rhythms of life.
For whatever reason you are experiencing anxiety, it is real and challenging to live with.
Anxiety —— like any other mental health condition, has a complex combination of thoughts and emotions.
You may be feeling:
Nervous
Apprehensive
Tension in your muscles
Restless
Sleep-deprived
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Excessive sweating
Trembling
Panic
Exhaustion
Stress
Inability to concentrate
The need to avoid all things that trigger your anxiety
You may have thoughts rooted in:
Worry
Fear
Concern
Overload
Pressure
Catastrophe
Pessimism
Self-Criticism
Any combination of these thoughts, feelings, and experiences are challenging.
Anxiety is a complex human experience. Because anxiety is complex –––– we have to be thoughtful with how we approach the topic in Christianity.
We have to be careful:
Not to treat complex human experiences with overly simplistic cliches and answers
Not to prejudge a person's anxiety as though it is a moral issue
Not to perpetuate stigmas that further exacerbate a person’s pain
With giving spiritual solutions when we do not have a thorough understanding of what the Bible teaches about anxiety, mental health and human suffering
Dr. Gary Collins defines anxiety —— as an inner feeling of apprehension, uneasiness, worry, and/or dread that is accompanied by a heightened physical arousal. In times of anxiety, the body appears to be on alert, ready to flee or fight. The heart beats faster, blood pressure and muscle tensions increase, neurological and chemical changes occur within, and the person may feel faint, jumpy, and unable to relax or sleep. ( Gary R. Collins, Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006, 140-141.)
One element of anxiety that is important to understand is the difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety condition.
Normal Anxiety —— Anxiety is a normal human emotion. All people encounter normal anxiety. Normal anxiety means that we experience temporary anxiety as a result of stressors, dangers, impending deadlines, traumatic events, and major life changes.
Examples of normal anxiety:
It is normal to feel anxiety before a major exam.
It is normal to feel anxiety before a sports event that you are participating in.
It is normal to feel anxiety when you lose a job.
It is normal to feel anxiety when you are in the midst of a major life crisis.
It is normal to feel anxiety if you happen to be the spectator of a dangerous situation.
Since anxiety has been stigmatized, we forget how common it is. There are many anxiety-inducing events that occur while living life in our world. Many of these events are outside of our control, and the emotional reactions we have as a result of theses events are completely normal even though they are uncomfortable.
Anxiety Disorders —— Anxiety disorders are different than normal anxiety. Anxiety disorders can be characterized by the longevity, degree, and repetition of an experience. Anxiety becomes a condition that we are living with when these characteristics become our experience, and they begin to interfere with and disrupt our everyday life activities.
Examples of anxiety disorders:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety
Separation Anxiety
Anxiety Due to a Medical Condition
Anxiety rooted in Trauma or PTSD
People throughout history, including the biblical world, experienced anxiety conditions. When we begin to enter into a consistent, heightened and repeated experience of anxiety, we should reach out for understanding and help. As a follower of Jesus, we should never feel ashamed to verbalize what we are experiencing.
Whether you have suddenly experienced a surge of anxiety because of an uneventful life-situation or you are living with an ongoing anxiety condition, I want you to know that there is help and hope. There are people, churches and professionals that would love to listen and help you process what you are experiencing.
Never feel ashamed to reach out for help. We all feel stuck at times. We all need people to lean on during challenging moments—people who will listen to us, support us, and guide us.
There Are Better Days Ahead.
Much Love,
Wesley, Founder + Speaker