Anxiety & Depression
By Gayle Hoone
Anxiety is simply an advanced form of fear. Fear is normal. It is our body’s alarm system warning of real danger. Irrational fears project the future based on the past. It sources previously stored traumatic events triggered by a current situation, such as: reliving a prior car accident while riding or driving in a car; hearing a distant helicopter triggering a soldier’s previous war memories; feeling a touch, seeing a facial expression, or hearing a tone of voice that awakens known or unknown memories of past shocking and harrowing events. Unfounded fears are mankind’s enemy. They are the thief that steals from the present. These fears can cause us to withdrawn from living life.
Anxiety is heightened alert without factual evidence of threat or harm. Long-term unresolved fears, and worry (mental attempts trying to solve situations beyond our control) produce anxiety. Anxiety is fretful, irrational, suspicious. It can lead to obsessions (thinking), compulsions (ritualized/repetitive behaviors), phobias, panic attacks, and more. Anxiety can cause us to live in an agitated, irritable, hysterical, even aggressive manner.
Recovery:
-identify the beginning of the physical sensation of anxiety
-when feeling the first symptoms of anxiety use your five
senses to speak out loud to yourself what you currently
see, hear, smell, taste and touch
-notice fear of having anxiety produces more anxiety,
learn how to relax
-allow anxiety or panic to run its course, don’t fight it,
sit or lie in as relaxed position as possible, slowly
breath deeply, image in your mind you are in a safe,
secret, protected, and peaceful place
-ask yourself how you feed irrational fears and anxiety,
then begin to stop the ways you fuel them
-and claim God‘s Words…
Fear: God has not given you a spirit of fear but of power (that raised Jesus from the dead Colossians 2.9-10], love (God’s perfect love casts out fear 1 John 4.18) and a sound mind (think about how God sees you when you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord Ephesians Chapter 1).
2 Timothy 1.7 Amplified
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid. Psalms 27.1 New King James
I sought the Lord and HE heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalms 34.4 NKJ
Anxiety: Do not fret or have any anxiety (don’t be pulled in different directions) about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer (based on God’s promises 2 Peter 1.4) and petition [definite requests], with thanksgiving (with a gratitude list), continue to make your wants known to God.” Philippians 4.6 Amplified
In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. Psalms 94.19 NKJ
Thoughts: YOU [Lord] will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on YOU, because he commits himself to YOU, leans on YOU, and hopes confidently in YOU. So Trust in the Lord (commit yourself to HIM, lean on HIM, hope confidently in HIM) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. Isaiah 26.3-4
Depression can come from hormonal abnormalities and nutritional deficiencies. It can occur as a result of surgery, stroke, heart attack, as well as certain prescriptions, or oral contraceptives. It also is a direct consequence of addictions.**
Depression is a vital part of processing grief (shock, denial, bargaining, guilt/anger, roller-coaster emotions, depression, and acceptance), taking months, up to three years for significant losses [Job Chapters 1, 2, 42], before moving into acceptance, the readiness to move on with one’s life.
Emotional depression is internalized anger and/or sadness.* Or, as we say at L.I.F.E. Ministries, “stuffed, stunned, and stimulated.” Children often internalize unspoken messages:‘don’t feel,’ ‘don’t trust your feelings,’ and ‘don’t talk about your feelings.’ Rather than learning how to process sadness or anger, they instinctively stuff. Then, as adults, unknowingly stun internalized anger or sadness with numbing, satiating, and escaping behaviors.** And we humans do tend to stimulate internalized sadness or anger, by recycling and reviewing past hurts over and over again as if they are happening right now. Long periods of emotional depression can cause serious physical sicknesses. Additionally, emotional depression, akin to a malignancy that debilitates organ function, weakens, hampers and incapacitates normal living. No matter how much effort spent stuffing, stunning, or stimulating anger and sadness, the feelings of depression remain: h.a.l.t. = hungry angry lonely tired…
Checklist Psalms 102:
Believe God is hiding HIS face from our trouble verses 1-3
feel physically stricken
losing the meaning and purpose of life verses 3-4
loss of appetite verse 4
feel rejected and isolated verse 6
can’t sleep verse 7
frequent crying spells verse 9
Recovery: check out Psalms 88
1. Stop wallowing or feeding your depression.
1 Kings 19.4.
2. Process depression, there is a time to weep, laugh, mourn,
dance. Ecclesiastes 3.4.
3. Cry out to God through your mediator Jesus Christ.
Psalms 130.
4. Eat (nutritionally), rest, and learn to let go and trust God.
1 Kings 19.5.
5. Now, get up and act.
Proverbs 12.25.
6. Focus your thoughts on God’s ability rather than your own.
Psalm 42.5-11.
7. This too will pass, HE will restore you.
Isaiah 61.3.
check out Psalms 27, 34, 40, 143
God’s Antidepressant… Fear not, for I AM with you; Be not dismayed, for I AM your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with MY Righteous right hand [Jesus Christ]. Isaiah 41.10 NKJ
Forgive [left, remitted, and let go of] if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly father will also for you.” Matthew 6.14 Amplified
God’s Blessings to You, Gayle
**see article on addictions/idolatry
* Elijah after a great victory wanted to die
