Has anyone here been delivered from anxiety?

[Dani D]

I am wondering if any of you have stories of God's deliverence from anxiety and panic attacks, phobias and the likes.
Mainly because I have been struggling for a year with it and haven't really met very many people that have been "delivered". I could use the encouragement...

[Heavensent]

I suffered from depression since early childhood. I have also suffered with anxiety. At 16 I tried to kill myself. I'm 47 now.

A little over four years ago God called me back to him....he even used the words prodigal son. There were things that God wanted to cleanse from my life. One of them was drugs. I fought God on this for a good month or so because I couldn't do it by myself. I told God if he wanted me to do this he was going to have to do it for me because the lure was too strong.

About a month after I gave up drugs I was leaving work and driving to my best friends house. While driving I realized that I was no longer depressed. It was strange because I've been depressed all my life. I couldn't pinpoint the exact time that it happened and it wasn't anything I even asked or prayed for God to do for me, but in my heart I believe that when I obeyed God and gave up the drugs that he did it for me.

It's been over four years now since I've felt that overwhelming feeling of depression. I was the number one worry wart too....that's gone. I have such a peace inside now.

I'm not saying this is the answer for everyone, but is there something that God has been asking you to do? Something that you keep telling God...yes I know I need to do this or that. I've found blessings with obedience.

I pray that God will bless you and deliver you like he did me. I pray for his peace to be an overwhelming presence in your life.

:amen

[HollowofHishand]

Dani ~ my heart goes out to you in this. I am in my last semester of a Master's program in Marriage and Family Therapy. I would be glad to try to help you with these issues if you would like to PM me.

YSIC,

Alison

[Ligitt]

......yes...i had severe agoraphobia, panic attacks....and so on.

......when i changed the foods i was eating....it all went away.....

......yes, it was that easy..... www.msgmyth.com......

[4everHis]

I had panic/anxiety attacks. I would stress and worry whenever I had to travel alone etc. I would just be terrified of something happening that I couldn't handle.
Then for some reason, I quit worrying about it and the attacks went away.

Now, I can travel long distances by myself and never suffer from these anxiety attacks. For me, the key to overcoming them was of course prayer but also just saying to myself "what is the worst thing that could happen". You know, it calmed me down and I am now free to live life without these attacks.

[alabama35565]

my second experenice with this was when i found out i was pregnant with my second child. i had almost died with the first one and i was scared to death with the thought of going through that again. i wanted to live to see my other son grow up.
i was worrying myself to death about this, even at work it was all i could think of........then one day, i went into the ladies restroom, closed one of the stall doors and started to pray........i asked the Lord to give me a sign that if everything was going to be ok so i would know..........suddenly, i felt a warmth spread across my chest, almost if someone had laid a hand on my chest.......it spread to my whole being..........:nod .........i've never felt anything like it, but i knew then what the answer was and i never worried about it again.


my first time was after my father died in 1976, i started to have panic attacks, but back then no one knew what that was.........i thought i was going crazy or having heart attacks ........i went through this off and on for 3 yrs. , i could not get my doctor to give me anything, he told me a young woman my age ( 25) did not have a nerve problem.........:doh
i was so afraid of getting addicted to stuff like my mom , taking stuff she did not need.........that even after she gave me some of her nerve meds, i would not take one unless i just could not handle it , most of the time i would only take half of one............after so long i knew i could not live this way forever, so again i called on the Lord..............i gave my mom back over half the bottle of nerve meds she had given me.........i never took another one........
when i feel one coming on, i would get off to myself and pray..........they began to taper off , to this day i seldom ever have one, but when i do, i know was is happening so i don't panic.......i just get off to myself if possbile , if not i pray silently and breathe deeply........:clap

[RobinB]

......
......when i changed the foods i was eating....it all went away.....

......yes, it was that easy..... www.msgmyth.com......


Passed that on to my dad, thanks. He gets unexplainable headaches and stomach pain.

[ChristiRB]

......yes...i had severe agoraphobia, panic attacks....and so on.

......when i changed the foods i was eating....it all went away.....

......yes, it was that easy..... www.msgmyth.com......

Wow. Something to seriously check up on! Thanks! :thumb

[James122]

Yes. One month ago God supernaturally delivered me from 2.5 years of crippling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. These were chemical imbalance illnesses brought on by the shock of nearly dying in childbirth and having permanent physical problems therefrom.

I was almost continuously suicidal, irritable, short of breath, unable to cry despite the mental pain. During 2004 I lost 80 pounds, a six-figure-income career, trust in every other person on this planet, and almost my marriage. I literally stayed in my bedroom for a year or else drove around in my car aimlessly.

Since February '04 I have been taking three daily psych meds and two as needed. My psychiatrist diagnosed me as permanently disabled and recommended I apply for Social Security Disability when my year-long private disability policy ended. We even moved "to the country" to lessen my everyday stresses. Since October 2005 I began very slowly to function again minimally, slowly rebuilding physical strength from having been bed-ridden a year, and at least spending some time with my small children. Yet, even the slightest stressor, good or bad, would set me back for days.

But over the course of two days in December, I was healed. I am a new person. I am no longer continuously irritable and waiting for the next axe to fall. It is finished.

God delivered the "sermon" I needed to here in the form of a workbook by missionary John Edmiston called "Biblical EQ: A Biblical Christian approach to emotional intelligence and emotional management." This e-book is available as a free pdf file at http://aibi.gospelcom.net/beq/

Through being directed through an exploration of Christ's emotional life and understanding that God enables me to become increasingly Christ-like, I realized the truth that healing was already provided but I had not yet accepted it. (Kind of like how salvation works.)

Again, as through all my life, I was attempting to be in control and accept my diagnosed permanent illness rather than let God be in control and accept His command to set self aside and become Christ-like in my emotional behavior.

I am in no way saying that people who suffer from emotional illness have no excuse for staying where they are or taking the medications which they need. I am saying that for me, me, me this was His timing and His providence which put the materials in my hand which grew the belief in my heart which accepted what He had for me that day -- the healing I'd been praying to have for years.

Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, and by His stripes we are healed. Who the Son sets free is free indeed. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

.

[His Bride]

While many of these disorders are physical and chemical and can be addressed by a professional, I would also add to check your spiritual well being. The bible refers to fear and anxiety as sin issues that can only be addressed by confession and repentance. Those are sins that we all deal with on a regular basis. It means that we are not trusting God. Because we are tri dimensional beings it is important to examine each one of them.

God bless you.

[SeaDreamer]

Yes, I used to wake up at night feeling terrified and thinking I felt an evil presence. This went on for years.

I would pray, I'd say the name of Jesus out loud thinking it would scare "it" off, hide under my covers, etc. Nothing changed.

One night I simply got tired of worrying about it since nothing ever happened to me except deep terror and when it happened the next time I just thought "oh well" and went back to sleep. It's never happened again.

[Helen]

There are a number of causes of anxiety and this should be mentioned. Here are a few and what to do about them, starting with the physical:

1. chemical -- we are a chemical society and what we eat in terms of toxic and mind-altering additives is truly horrifying. MSG is a major problem, but cerainly not the only one. If you want to check for a chemical problem DON'T go on extra medication -- you are only adding chemicals to the soup inside you! Instead, for a week eliminate everything from your diet that is not organic and non-preserved. Make a loaf of bread for yourself, eat quick-cooking plain oatmeal, eggs, fresh fruits, -- really plain stuff (there's a lot of it out there!) and see how you feel in a week. If there is a food you don't like, for whatever reason, don't eat it, either. We often shy away from foods we have bad reactions to without realizing it. Take it easy on the salt so that your water balance in your cells isn't challenged. Eat plenty of fiber (fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains) so that you aren't plugged up inside. See how you feel. If you feel better, continue with that type of eating and every now and then try something that you used to have, just once, and see if there is a change. Wait several days in between trials of different things. If you have a chemical problem based on what you are eating you will find out this way and save yourself a lot of money with doctor's appointments!

2. From medications -- for instance the doctor had me on a statin because I am diabetic (a horse kicked me in the gut when I was 21 and I lost half my pancreas). I was started on it last September and from then until mid-December I was chronically tired and depressed and lacking energy. My husband started looking stuff up on the net and found out how nasty statins are and that something called polycosinal can do the same thing -- and it is simply a derivative of rice wax. We both switched and I came alive again! I don't know what my cholesterol is right now, but if I am going to die from it, I am going to die with plenty of energy and a grin! So check your medications and look up on the net to find out about any possible side effects if this has any bearing on you that you can think of.

3. Weather. Don't know where in California you live, but if it is in northern CA, you have had, like we have in southern Oregon, nothing but rain and yuck for a couple of months now. There is blue sky out today for the FIRST time since sometime in early November! What a winter! That much yuck can leave a lot of people depressed and anxious! Suggestion: get some vitamin D from your local pharmacy and take it twice a day. That will help overcome some of the junk from no sunshine!

4. Lack of exercise. Get out and DO something. Walk, bicycle, anything you can think of, preferably outdoors. That helps a lot.

5. Cry when you need to. Science has found tears are garbage dumps for excess chemicals. The old adage "cry and you'll feel better" has a real basis in fact.

----------

That's the physical -- on to the mental

1. Paying too much attention to yourself. Worrying about yourself will get you nowhere. Jesus told us to love God and our neighbor, and that means concentrating on them, not on ourselves. Some forms of anxiety are nothing but forms of self-centeredness.

2. Worrying about real problems in your life. There is a song which gives the answer best for this:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
If you are a new, or a young, Christian, then you have not had the time with our wonderful Lord to know that He will truly take care of you in ALL circumstances and lead you as He wants you to go. He will give you His strength in all situations and His wisdom whenever you ask for it. You can also ask Him for His peace and His joy if you are His and He will not deny you any of that. He will care for you. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL THESE THINGS will be added unto you. He wasn't lying...

---------

Spiritual -- go to the Lord. No doctor and no counselor can ever do for you what He does on this level. If you have not repented of your sins and gone to Him for a rebirth in His precious Holy Spirit, you need to strongly consider that option. But it is not a light thing. It means that the you that you are now will be killed by Him and you will be given a new life inside, with a new focus and new tendencies. He doesn't mess around with bandaids -- He will replace the whole sin nature!

[His Bride]

There are a number of causes of anxiety and this should be mentioned. Here are a few and what to do about them, starting with the physical:

1. chemical -- we are a chemical society and what we eat in terms of toxic and mind-altering additives is truly horrifying. MSG is a major problem, but cerainly not the only one. If you want to check for a chemical problem DON'T go on extra medication -- you are only adding chemicals to the soup inside you! Instead, for a week eliminate everything from your diet that is not organic and non-preserved. Make a loaf of bread for yourself, eat quick-cooking plain oatmeal, eggs, fresh fruits, -- really plain stuff (there's a lot of it out there!) and see how you feel in a week. If there is a food you don't like, for whatever reason, don't eat it, either. We often shy away from foods we have bad reactions to without realizing it. Take it easy on the salt so that your water balance in your cells isn't challenged. Eat plenty of fiber (fresh fruits and veggies and whole grains) so that you aren't plugged up inside. See how you feel. If you feel better, continue with that type of eating and every now and then try something that you used to have, just once, and see if there is a change. Wait several days in between trials of different things. If you have a chemical problem based on what you are eating you will find out this way and save yourself a lot of money with doctor's appointments!

2. From medications -- for instance the doctor had me on a statin because I am diabetic (a horse kicked me in the gut when I was 21 and I lost half my pancreas). I was started on it last September and from then until mid-December I was chronically tired and depressed and lacking energy. My husband started looking stuff up on the net and found out how nasty statins are and that something called polycosinal can do the same thing -- and it is simply a derivative of rice wax. We both switched and I came alive again! I don't know what my cholesterol is right now, but if I am going to die from it, I am going to die with plenty of energy and a grin! So check your medications and look up on the net to find out about any possible side effects if this has any bearing on you that you can think of.

3. Weather. Don't know where in California you live, but if it is in northern CA, you have had, like we have in southern Oregon, nothing but rain and yuck for a couple of months now. There is blue sky out today for the FIRST time since sometime in early November! What a winter! That much yuck can leave a lot of people depressed and anxious! Suggestion: get some vitamin D from your local pharmacy and take it twice a day. That will help overcome some of the junk from no sunshine!

4. Lack of exercise. Get out and DO something. Walk, bicycle, anything you can think of, preferably outdoors. That helps a lot.

5. Cry when you need to. Science has found tears are garbage dumps for excess chemicals. The old adage "cry and you'll feel better" has a real basis in fact.

----------

That's the physical -- on to the mental

1. Paying too much attention to yourself. Worrying about yourself will get you nowhere. Jesus told us to love God and our neighbor, and that means concentrating on them, not on ourselves. Some forms of anxiety are nothing but forms of self-centeredness.

2. Worrying about real problems in your life. There is a song which gives the answer best for this:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
If you are a new, or a young, Christian, then you have not had the time with our wonderful Lord to know that He will truly take care of you in ALL circumstances and lead you as He wants you to go. He will give you His strength in all situations and His wisdom whenever you ask for it. You can also ask Him for His peace and His joy if you are His and He will not deny you any of that. He will care for you. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL THESE THINGS will be added unto you. He wasn't lying...

---------

Spiritual -- go to the Lord. No doctor and no counselor can ever do for you what He does on this level. If you have not repented of your sins and gone to Him for a rebirth in His precious Holy Spirit, you need to strongly consider that option. But it is not a light thing. It means that the you that you are now will be killed by Him and you will be given a new life inside, with a new focus and new tendencies. He doesn't mess around with bandaids -- He will replace the whole sin nature!


:thumb :thumb :thumb

Helen, that was very thorough. I'm sure everyone would agree.

[Dani D]

Thank you all so very much for your testemonies and advice! I am in tears - this is really encourageing and it helps to confirm to me that God always takes care of His children.

Last night I had a friend pray for me because I had not slept the night before and God gave me a really good nights sleep last night. It took a while for me to relax, but I got tired enough eventually that I just slept.

It's weird what has happened to me this year - or should I say last year (It started around the new year last year).

I don't take medicine (Only Advil once in a blue moon) and I eat whole foods mostly, I abstain from caffeine and try not to eat before bed. I take Amino Acids from my doctor to balance my brain chemicals (He did find I had an imbalance that lends itself to anxiety).

I even took a course at church on overcoming, called "Self-Confrontation." I stay involved with womens Bible study, I try to read God's word daily and pray, always giving up my cares to Him and asking Him to help me.

God DOES help me daily, but I can't seem to kick some of my fears, which cause anticipitory anxiety before going places and I have these phobias that make me afraid of driving the freeway and flying, etc... which are actually a fear of the panic attacks themselves.

I have been pleading with the Lord to heal me. I guess I will be praying more for faith, because God always helps me, but taking a step of faith and getting on an airplane for example is the hardest thing for me. I dread the feelings I get and would rather avoid it. Have thought about taking a course called "SOAR" for people who are afraid of flying, but I just feel like this battle is the Lord's - not something man can help...

I will take to heart some of your posts and see if God would have me examine what you all have found to be true.

[SeaDreamer]

Dani, I hope you can be set free. :):

[CINDY S.]

Here's the formula, I believe.
Take GOD at his word:

Proverbs - Chapter 3

Pro 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:


Pro 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.


Pro 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:


Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.


Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.


Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.


Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

[Dani D]

Thank you all again!
Today has been amazing -
I feel like the Lord is telling me to STOP trying to control things and He is giving me the peace to trust Him completely and see what He can do!
I think He is answering my prayers...

[LostOrFound]

This thread is very comforting knowing that there are others out there with severe anxiety and depression. I am hoping to be released from it myself. It is crippling, the readers of this thread seem to know what I am talking about so I don't need to go into details. It has been pressed on me to try volunteering. Anxiety/depression is a selfish problem, in that a person that has it tends to focus on oneself. The opposite of that is focus on someone else. At the heart of Jesus is selflessness. For me, not only do I have anxiety and depression but also social anxiety, crippling shyness. Volunteering to me seems to counter-attack those problems all at once. Don't know if that applies to everyone. I have not heeded that call, therefore I continue to suffer due to my lack of obedience. That poster is right, obedience brings peace. Bible says so too. I should give it a shot.

[OwnedByJesus]

I am wondering if any of you have stories of God's deliverence from anxiety and panic attacks, phobias and the likes.
Mainly because I have been struggling for a year with it and haven't really met very many people that have been "delivered". I could use the encouragement...
YES, praise the Lord!!!:clap :clap

I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for many years. I would not go to school (college) at times because I would worry myself so that I would become physically sick.

To make my long story short, it wasn't until I began to straighten out my walk with the Lord that I was able to over come the anxiety. I tried many meds and therapy and nothing really helped. It wasn't until I was confidant that I was in fact forgiven of my awful sins and that the Lord is truly in control and wants the best for me.
I have seen the Lord do many amazing and wonderful thing in my life! I pray I do not forget how wonderful He is to me.

I do not get nervous too much any more. Why should I? What good will it do?
Jesus is in control of my future and I'm safe as long as I stay with Him!

Give your all to Jesus, trust and obey...for there is no other way!

Praying you are able to surrender your all to Him so that you may see more fully His loving kindness!

[Dani D]

Update:
This would be weird if I didn't know it was the Lord, but I had the most amazing day today - felt better than I've felt in over two years! I had such a peace and decided to book a flight that I was hesitating to take in May with my husband. I feel like the Lord is going to take care of everything and everything is going to be alright somehow!
I don't know yet but the Lord may be delivering me from this after all!!
Maybe just sharing with you all and asking for your prayers is what God was waiting for???

[OwnedByJesus]

Update:
This would be weird if I didn't know it was the Lord, but I had the most amazing day today - felt better than I've felt in over two years! I had such a peace and decided to book a flight that I was hesitating to take in May with my husband. I feel like the Lord is going to take care of everything and everything is going to be alright somehow!
I don't know yet but the Lord may be delivering me from this after all!!
Maybe just sharing with you all and asking for your prayers is what God was waiting for???

Know it! He can and will, trust in Him!

Glad to hear you are feeling better. It's encouraging to hear such quick answers to prayer!:clap

Praise our Deliverer, for His blessings abound!!!

[architectlink]

Yes, I have had them and I have been delivered.

First, I would say that my husband becoming a Christian after years of prayer helped.

Secondly, I would say that moving to a good bible church has changed my fear

Thirdly, knowing that Jesus has forgiven me of my sins has washed me clean of my fear

I still get chest pains, but I think it is from all of the spiritual warfare...I thank the Lord for HIS blessings