Overcoming Anxiety

I faced anxiety with God at my side and won. I am a better person for it. This is how I did it.

Anxiety. A lonely word. It can manifest as many symptoms and be triggered by several things. But the root is the same. You doubt you. I am not good enough. I can't handle it. What if something bad happens? What if...! A heightened cycle of fear and worry of "what if" feeds a physical reaction of desperation, panic, or withdrawal. You begin to look at the world as the cause, not understanding one simple truth. Peace and happiness are just a thought away. But how to get there?

Mental trauma or negative thinking habits are the usual cause. A deep cycling awareness of life vs death, Heaven vs hell, control vs chaos. A realization that you might not be able to control yourself and others in a bad situation. After the first self-induced panic attack, it is now hard to stop worrying it will happen again. So begins the downward spiral of extreme self-doubt and worry. Acute migraines, panic, sweating, cold rush, a need to escape. You think, "Am I going crazy?"

You are NOT going crazy. You are causing the normal physical reactions of fight or flight. A single thought triggers panic or withdrawal, and you feel powerless to stop it. Wrong. After several anxiety episodes, your subconscious believes you can't stop it. It is now full-blown anxiety, instead of just a single event. This is to be expected, but a wrong assumption.

The first step to recovery is to show your subconscious that YOU can start and stop your symptoms. You need courage and determination to face your fears. Whatever happens, happens. Enough is enough!

Find a safe place, quiet and undisturbed to lie down. Always begin your meditation with a prayer to our Heavenly Father, to invite His spirit to be with you. Find a single safe word like "relax", "rest", "peace", etc. Tell yourself you can do this and pinch yourself to stop your session if need be. Take a breath and start again even more determined to induce your fear. You can do this! When you feel the anxiety attack coming you may hear a white noise rush pounding in your ears, that is good. You started it. Now repeat your safe word slowly in sync with your breathing. You will start to feel your anxiety go away. It may take a few times, but you WILL be able to calm yourself. You started it and you stopped it. Congratulations! You showed your subconscious you can control your anxiety.

The final step to recovery is a longer one that takes persistence. Yes, peace is just a thought away, but you have to rewrite part of your subconscious to get there. Your subconscious is your fight and flight, your core beliefs. Those pesky self-induced anxiety attacks have buried fears and self-doubt deeper than normal. So how do you reach them? Two ways. Positive truthful self-talk and meditation. Again in a safe place, meditate to start and stop anxiety, then start thinking "It is natural to have fears, and it is okay to learn from them and then let them go." "Your mind is creative and can think of anything." Say with each breath a variation of... "If a 'fear' flows in, that is ok and it is ok to let it flow out."

Then build yourself up. Congratulate yourself on this win and every good thing you accomplished today, no matter how small. Always speak the truth and end each thought with a positive takeaway. "I did feel scared driving today, but that is ok, I want to be aware of safety for myself and others. I will do my best to watch out for other people and drive safely. My car has many safety features built-in. I know there is risk in life, but I also know there is joy in driving to places. I can let this fear go."

After a few days of meditation in a safe place, you can think positive truthful self-talk in public... rather quickly. Or if alone, verbalize it. Basically accepting the fear awareness, thinking about what you learned, and letting it go. Do this every day for a month and you will start to "forget" about your fears. When you remember, it may trigger anxiety. Don't feel bad, that is to be expected. Just keep the positive self-talk going during the day and positive meditation at night. You will find longer times of "forgetting" and it will slowly go away for good. It may take months or years, it all is up to how consistent you are with retraining your subconscious. But this absolutely works.

Through prayer and this inspired approach, I overcame anxiety decades ago. And you can too. I did not even know what anxiety was for several years. I never wanted numbing medication or a therapist to try and fix me, but do what you feel is best for you. Eventually, to get over fear and anxiety, YOU will need to face it clearly and directly. I am a stronger and better person for having overcome anxiety. Got to know myself and God at a much deeper level. Knowing who you are, and what great things you are capable of, is what life is all about. Peace and happiness are just a thought away.

This scripture from John 14 has a special place in my heart. At my lowest point with anxiety, I read that scripture, and it gave me hope for the first time. Felt like healing water to my soul. I knew I was not alone. And neither are you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

An old Native American tale talks about how buffaloes and cows differ in how they handle approaching storms. Cows try to run away from the storms, which means they spend more time with the storm causing long-lasting suffering. Buffaloes turn and run fearlessly straight through the storm, lessening the time they spend in it and the pain they suffer. The buffalo approach reminds us to confront challenges head-on with courage and perseverance. Turn trials into opportunities for growth, instead of stumbling blocks. The storm will pass, and you will be stronger for it.