When people hear the term anxiety they tend to think that someone is just a worrier. Sometimes that is the case. Some people worry about everything. But is the medical condition Anxiety Disorder the same as just worrying too much? Is the Christian who suffers from Anxiety Disorder just lacking faith? Does she just need to trust the Lord more and cast all of her cares upon Him? Well, yes and no!
I have received emails from Christians who equate Anxiety Disorder with worry and send me a list of Scriptures that will "cure" me of my disorder. I do wish it were that simple. Let us explore the meanings of the two terms anxiety and worry, if you will, then Anxiety and Panic Disorders.
Let us look in more detail at the first term, anxiety. This is a temporary condition that occurs when an event is looming that seems overwhelming or upsetting, or it could just be a state of mind that persists over a period of time regarding the future. A mother of five might suffer from anxiety when faced with a cross-country move for the entire family. There are myriad details that require her attention while continuing to care for her large family. This complex undertaking would bring on anxiety in the calmest of people. A newly widowed woman might experience anxiety about losing her home and being forced back into the work force after 30 years of being a homekeeper.
When discussing anxiety in the context of depression, ADHD, etc., the person is not referring to this anxiety, but to Anxiety Disorder. We will discuss the difference between the two below in much more detail.
What is worry? Worry is an emotional response to a situation, person, event, or condition. It is fairly mild compared to anxiety. This uneasy feeling about something is a common emotional response. For example, my oldest son was in the Navy for five years and spent much time in areas of conflict. I would think of him, consider some of the awful things that could happen over there, and begin to entertain such thoughts, resulting in worry and sadness. Suddenly, I would remember who I am in Christ Jesus. I would pray for my son, leaving him in the hands of God, the Father. These episodes occurred once each time he was deployed. I would no longer worry about my son after lifting him up and asking the Lord to protect him and his entire crew. I believe I was using Scriptural principles to handle this potential area of worry by being casting my cares upon the Father.
Anxiety Disorder, on the other hand, is a physiological response to triggers. The symptoms can be mild to severe and debilitating:
Anxiety Disorder occurs in two major types1:
Let us consider the physiology of Anxiety Disorder. There is a little organ located in every person's brain called the amygdala. This organ is responsible for prompting the release of adrenaline as well as other hormones into the bloodstream. The amygdala is responsible for reactions to danger and threats. Without the amygdala, we might not react when needed to someone threatening us or experience healthy fear in dangerous situations.
What does adreneline do when released? It causes a fight or flight response. An adrenaline dump gives you the energy you need to run or fight in a dangerous situation. It can even give you excess strength.
Those who fight tend towards the anger response. Those who run will experience fear.
Some types of Anxiety Disorder are situational at first. With more and more trigger situations experienced, the eventual result is called adaptation with the body eventually reacting to the smallest event or the anticipation of those events. Releasing adrenaline and other hormones several times a day, almost constantly, or too often is hard on the body. Fatigue, body aches, and even fibromyalgia-type symptoms might manifest. Relational consequences can be just as devasting as family members are faced with the symptoms of Anxiety Disorder in the home. If a person copes with the adrenaline dump via anger, they may feel better immediately but suffer from the fallout of their reaction. Some people repress the adrenaline response and end up with physical problems such as high blood pressure or irritable bowel syndrome. Neither is healthy.
Panic Disorder2 is a more severe condition:
Panic attacks come on suddenly and hit hard. Many people who suffer these attacks feel as though they are having a heart attack. The mystery of Panic Disorder is that it can manifest for no apparent reason.
It is obvious to me that anxiety/worry and Anxiety/Panic Disorder are entirely different. To declare the someone suffering from Anxiety Disorder does not have a disorder but is in sin because they do not trust the Lord and worry too much, that they need merely trust the Lord more, pray harder and read the Bible longer is, in my opinion, no different than telling a Christian with a broken leg, cancer or heart condition that they don't need to go to the ER or seek medical treatment. They just need to read their Bible and trust the Lord for healing. Anxiety Disorder is considered a physiological response to triggers, identifiable or not. In situational Anxiety Disorder, healing can require finding the root cause and desensitization to that trigger situation. Some triggers will never be resolved without a touch from the Lord and supernatural healing. Trauma, extreme stress, sudden loss, and abuse can contribute to the development of Anxiety/Panic Disorders so addressing these causes would be important.
I have personally experienced a magnification of my own symptoms after eating sugar or simple carbs. When I go through times of eating sugar (I typically try to avoid sugar as I am trying to prevent the onset of diabetes), I can become very irritable, experience obsessive thoughts, and even heart palpitations. I have known of others who have had a near cessation of depression and anxiety symptoms by avoiding simple carbs. That said, I believe that medical conditions such as diabetes, hyper/hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia and adrenal imbalances should be investigated as possible causes of Anxiety Disorder and its symptoms. In these cases, treatment would involve resolving the imbalance or deficiency. Emotional treatment can range from talking about the symptoms with a trusted counselor/pastor and changing the diet to medical treatment which could include thyroid medication, anti-anxiety medications, antidepressants, and therapy.
As Christians, we should provide support and care, especially prayer support, for those who are dealing with Anxiety Disorder. Denying their condition does not bring healing. It alienates and drives away those who need not only physical healing, but emotional healing and Christian fellowship. Being a good listener, showing compassion, and loving those who suffer from Anxiety Disorder provides practical support. Do you judge those who struggle with Anxiety/Panic Disorder or do you allow the Lord to soften your heart and show compassion through you? What would Jesus do?
"...God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong." 1 Corinthians 1:27
©Copyright 2007 by ADHD of the Christian Kind.
Submitted by Michele Haynes.
Footnotes:
1The Solutions to Anxiety Problems by Susan Saunders, BC, MSC, Psychologist.
2Panic Disorder - Medline Plus
3Conquering Anxiety, Depression and Fatigue Without Drugs - the Role of Hypoglycemia by Prof. Joel H. Levitt
More Information:
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Anxiety Disorders - NIMH