Anxiety & Worry in Adults
2 Timothy 1:7, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind [self-control and self-discipline].
For most people, anxiety and worry are part of the human condition that come and go as they face various stressors in life. However, for some people, living with anxiety and worry becomes a way of life in which the symptoms are significant enough to interfere in their daily lives. Physical symptoms of anxiety may include muscle tension and tightness (often in the neck shoulders, and back), headaches, nausea, sweating, etc. Worry tends to focus on real life problems (money, work, family, health, etc.) that the person can’t seem to “shut off”, playing worst-case scenarios over in one’s mind, and focusing on past mistakes or setbacks, etc. Christians with anxiety and worry often feel shame and embarrassment because they know about the Bible’s encouragement to be joyful and to “be anxious for nothing.” Unfortunately, shame often leads individual suffering from anxiety to isolate themselves from others or to try to present a happy exterior to others while suffering privately. Fortunately, anxiety is very treatable and there are many tools that can be used to overcome it. There is hope!