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Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalised Anxiety Disorder is a term used when anxiety is attached to nothing in particular, often anxiety takes a form such as Phobias, OCD etc.
In the modern world when stress and worry is upon us we may become fearful even though we may not always recognise it, or know what it is. We develop a general feeling of anxiety or unease (fear), GAD is the result of feeling this general unease and our ability to not manage it well, often due to the way we perceive things as negative and so worry about them. Over a time we become sensitized by our nerves by constantly worrying. Our nerves are being put into a state of readiness for action, as we await the danger, and the danger often never comes, as the danger is imagined or made larger than it really is, but our body believes it to be real and immediate and so prepares a flight or fight response, some kind of action, keeping us in a state of fear. This can be very confusing for a person to continually have feelings of nervous agitation and worry.
When we begin to understand this process, we can see that actually it makes perfect sense, and that the body and all these strange feelings we are having, are feelings for someone in a state of readiness for action to danger, to fight the danger or run away. The heart speeds up pumping blood ready for action, blood may be moved to areas in the body that will be more useful, our thoughts may become more concentrated on looking for the danger, and we may look to seek out what it is we are feeling frightened of, a sort of suspicion or paranoia.
As we begin to except these feelings as normal for a person in a state of sensitivity, we lose our fear, the grip on us lessens, our nerves begin to relax, the more they relax the more we feel comfortable, at peace as God intended us to be. The more we feel like this our body and mind start to believe that the danger has passed and we start to recover. Sometimes people suddenly feel anxious again, but remember: if you have been sensitised for a long while then you’re nervous system will be ready to jump to any sudden response again, acting for your safety to any danger. If you understand and see this in this way, then you send out messages to yourself that you are not in danger, and that this is just your defence mechanism, and once again your nervous system relaxes. After a time you become de-sensitised, and you have the confidence that should you experience anxiety again, you have the information to understand what is happening, and the knowledge to recover. God wants you not to be anxious becouse it can stop you focusing on him and experiencing real joy. Anxiety was never in God’s plan for a perfect world for us. Man brought on anxiety themselves with the fall of man in Genesis.
Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Philippians 2:28 NIV
God wants to help us reduce our anxiety’s, the teaching of the bible are so reassuring and allows us to see things differently, to break the chains of bondage, to set us free, to view the world in a different way, Gods way. The things we worry about have less of a hold on us, we are set free to live a more happy and contented life. Having a place to go with our worries and concerns is a wonderful blessing, God will never let us down, and he is always with us, the beginning and the end. Studying the words of the bible and of Jesus can give great relief to the feeling of anxiety giving us everlasting hope and direction, so much is given as the answerer to anxiety and depression, and so many people are looking for answers, and here they are in the bible, the answers we have been looking for. God is so amazing.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:50 NIV
Many have found that the emphasis in the modern world on acquiring material possessions and having to compete and be successful has squeezed out the inner spiritual core of a person, leaving an inner emptiness and sense of un-fulfilment. We at Christian Anxiety believe that addressing this spiritual dimension is key to resolving anxiety, and so would encourage you to read the Bible verses and pray the prayers.
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
A simple prayer:
Dear Jesus, I thank you and put my trust in you, you are always at my side even when I am at my most anxious; I know that you will never let me down, forgive me for the times that I have disappointed you, guide me and teach me, fill me with your power, I pray for healing and peace in the love and assurance that you died and rose again for me, amen
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