FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions about
Overcoming Anxiety, Panic and Fear
This is a new addition to our site! Keep checking back for questions asked by visitors. Angela will respond and answer the most frequently asked questions about anxiety, panic and fear.
QUESTION: What can help to restore our mind after shock and trauma? Is it just a matter of quoting the truth of the Word when fear tries to come in through intrusive thoughts?
AustraliaANSWER: I do know that overcoming fearful thoughts takes time. It becomes such a habitual path that our minds go down and it can take some time to retrain them. Hebrews 9 and understanding how the blood of Christ cleanses us is truly helpful. Dr. I.V. Hilliard from Texas (www.newlight.org) says in his PTSD cd that cleansing is a process. Think of a stain in your laundry. Sometimes you really have to scrub it clean...it doesn't just come out all at once. You have to put laundry stain remover on it over and over. And God's word is cleansing like that. It washes us clean over and over and keeps getting us cleaner and cleaner until there is not even any "residue" of the former life or trauma.
Dr. Creflo Dollar (www.creflodollarministries.org) said on one of his programs that you don't fight thoughts with thoughts, you fight thoughts with words...specifically the word of God. Getting His word into our mouth is so important, and speaking it into the atmosphere, confessit over ourselves each day to affirm who we are in Christ builds our faith and confidence in Him. I mentioned to another e-mailer recently that the enemy is afraid of the Word of God, the Blood of Jesus, and the Name of Jesus. I encourage you to bind those thoughts in the name of Jesus, forbid the spirit of fear and torment to operate in your life, and releae the Holy Spirit of love, power and a sound mind to fill you and help you build and increase your faith.
QUESTION: Has anyone else had the problem where you read about a fear that you don't have or never heard of, and then you fear that you will get that fear? An example is when you hear about someone's anxiety reaction to a situation (like they fainted) and then you have the fear that will happen to you. Any thoughts on this? Canada
ANSWER: I remember when I used to watch a television program, like 48 hours or some other investigative show, and if they had a woman on there who hurt her children, then I was afraid I was going to do the same thing. Or if someone had bipolar disorder and stopped taking their medicine and ended up living on the street in a cardboard box, then I was afraid I was going to do that too.
It is all whispering lies of the enemy. He tries to come in and plant more seeds of fear. Here is what I would suggest: When you sense that fear seed trying to plant itself, we know that we have the authority in the name of Jesus to tell that thing to go. Fear is not inherently a bad thing...it tells us to run to safety when we are being chased, it keeps us from hurting ourselves. But when it gets out of balance, that is when we open the door to an inordinate spirit of fear sent by the enemy to torment. We must take dominion over it! We can, in the name of Jesus, refuse to let it in and command it to go! Jesus said in Luke 10:19 that He gives us that authority. We can stand on God's promises, and He will never fail us!!
QUESTION: How can you be sleeping and then wake up with a panic attack?
ANSWER: I will try to give you my best input on the subject of waking with panic attacks. First of all, I would recommend that you get checked out for sleep apnea or heart arythmia, just to make sure that everything is okay physically. Also, avoid caffeine in any form after about 3 in the afternoon -- caffeine is a stimulant and makes our heart beat faster, among other things. So stay away from teas, coffees, chocolates, sodas with caffeine if you are having trouble in this area.
Next, in my opinion, the reason that one can still awaken with panic/fear is because fear actually inhabits the thoughts. And our thoughts are still active when we are sleeping, although it is in the subconscious state at that time. So it is possible for fear to infiltrate our subconscious and dreams and thus send us into a panic attack during our sleep. Again, this isn't going to be a medical answer, this is a spiritual answer.
I would, if I were you, stand on Proverbs 3:24 that says that "our sleep will be sweet." And Phil. 5:7 that says "He will keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus." Based on Matthew 18:18 and Luke 10:19, we have the authority in Jesus' Name to bind the spirit of fear and forbid it to operate. I would pray in Jesus' name at night before you go to bed, and bind the spirit of fear, forbid it to operate, and thank God that based on His word you are trusting Him for peace during your sleep.
Also, I don't know if this pertains to you or not, but I used to not be able to watch certain shows on television before going to bed. Anything that would be disturbing in nature, I couldn't watch because I would become preoccupied with it and couldn't get it out of my mind. What works for me is to watch some Christian television before I go to bed, and then read a bit of the Bible or a good Christian book and really fill your mind with the Word and prayer before you drift off to sleep. And throughout the day, relace any fear-filled thoughts with faith-filled thoughts. Since fear sets up camp in the thoughts, it is important to get rid of any negative thoughts and replace them with faith. That way when fear comes back to try and get back in, it finds that there is no place to live anymore!
QUESTION: I am scheduled for an upcoming hysterectomy. Of course, I will be put to sleep. I am 48 years old and have only been put to sleep for surgery once when I was 13 and didn't suffer from agoraphobia. Can you help me with the fears surrounding surgery -- fear of dying in surgery, fear of riding the elevator up to surgery, fear of the medicine, fear of being confined for 3 days in the hosptal, etc. I am born again, but I still have fears.
ANSWER: I had a hysterectomy about 5 years ago. I came through fine and was back to work in 3 weeks. Absolutely no problems with hormones or mood swings.
This battle is once again in the area of the mind. It is about driving fear out of your thoughts because that is where the enemy comes against us. And to fight this is to go through it...to feel the fear and do it anyway! God tells us to "fear not" and "fear" literally means "to run from." So He is saying, "don't run from it." Press through, experience the symptoms and do it anyway! As you continue to press through your fears, you will build your confidence and take the power away from the fear.
As for the thoughts, it is renewing your mind through the Word of God. It is getting so full of the Word that you recognize instantly when a fearful "thought-dart" comes at you. Our mind is so powerful that it literally controls how our bodies respond...So if we attack fear in our minds, then our physical body will come in line.
QUESTION: I am a Christian, but I suffer from fear and anxiety. I can't be on my own at all. I can't drive on my own. And I have difficulty going out of my house. At night I am scared to go out, I am afraid to go to banks, movies or the lower level in the mall. My life is very restricted. Can I overcome this?
ANSWER: Yes you can overcome! I used to be afraid to go out of my house and to the grocery store. And I was also afraid to be alone. This is a battle primarily in the mind, but our mind affects our physical body as well. So we experience physical symptoms too. I remember dealing with irritable bowel syndrome and being afraid to go to restaurants.
The answer to overcoming these fears is the Word of God. Bottom line is that when we are afraid, we are fearing that God won't do what He says He will do in His Word. We need to trust Him and His Word, and get it on the inside of us. It was through the Word that Jesus defeated the enemy, and that is how we will defeat our enemy. The Word will drive fear out and we need to get it in our mind and heart, and get it in our mouth. We have the authority to "call those things that be not as though they are" (faith), and tell our bodies and souls (mind, will and emotions) to line up with God's Word. And we can't let fear stop us from doing what we need to do. Like I said above, we can't run from it. We need to "feel the fear and do it anyway." We need to give ourselves permission to experience the symptoms and keep moving forward. The enemy wants to isolate us, and there is nothing more isolating than not being able to go out of the house.
I got out an index card and wrote down what I was believing God for, and I found the corresponding scriptures and wrote those too. Twice a day I would say outloud those index cards. Words, and especially THE WORD, are seeds and have power, so it is important to make sure that we speak words that line up with God's word. We have to speak faith-filled words instead of fear-filled words. This is "confessing" God's word. "To confess" means to "say the same as." So we are saying what God says...and I believe that when we say what God has already said, it confounds and confuses the enemy. He says, "Oh no, they are saying what God said!!!" That is what Jesus did when He defeated the enemy. So if He needed to quote scripture, doesn't it make sense that we would too?
We need to get tenacious about our victory. The Bible says, "the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force." We need to fight for our victory and "on purpose" do battle. Get so much of the Word of God in our minds, hearts, mouths and homes that there won't be room for fear to raise its ugly head! It is not a quick fix, but it is a process, and the process is just as important as the end result because of what we learn along the way. You'll draw ever so close to Him through this trial!
QUESTION: The hardest thing for me to deal with is the feeling of unreality, or of being detached from everything/everyone around me. I feel like I am losing my mind. I sometimes wonder if I will live like this forever. Do you have any advice or help?
ANSWER: I know what you mean by the feelings of unreality and feeling detached. It is weird and can be very distracting. But when I experienced that, I just told myself that is the way that my body was reacting to stress at that time. I would not let it keep me from doing things. My husband and I used to joke and I would say, "Well, I feel like I am about 50% here right now." I would kind of gauge how "floaty" I was feeling. But I knew that it would pass and that it wouldn't hurt me. I think it has to do with the amount of stress hormones that are being released into the body, specifically adrenaline. My sister would feel like that sometimes too when she was having an insulin reaction -- she is diabetic. And you feel kind of tired afterward.
Again, get yourself full of the Word of God. Listen to tapes, Christian music, Christian television programs like Joyce Meyer, Creflo Dollar, TD Jakes, etc., and js get as much of the Word on the inside of you so that when those fearful, negative thoughts come at you, you can recognize them instantly and say, "Nope, that is contrary to the Word of God and it has to go!" Then replace that thought with something that God said and keep driving out the fear. God's word is a weapon, a sword of the spirit, but you have to use it!
You will begin to feel normal again and anxiety won't be on the forefront of your mind all the time. Set small goals for yourself. Spend time in God's word each day, rest, practice your relaxation techniques, and meditate on God's word. That is as much a part of your healing journey as taking medication.
QUESTION: I have pretty bad anticipatory anxiety. When I think about something I have to do, be it driving or being alone, going to an appointment, or anticipating some change in my schedule. Can you please help me with what you think?
ANSWER: Yes, it does sound like anticipatory anxiety. I also call it "what-if-ing" or "supposed thinking." "What if this happens?" "Suppose that happens."
It is really imporant to ask the Lord to help your mind and body be at peace no matter what is going on around you. Pick some favorite scriptures of yours and write them on a 3x5 card. Memorize them and build up your arsenal of spiritual weapons.
What I also used to do is kind of answer the bewildering question that was coming at me. For example, "What is the worst that can happen?" Whatever I was afraid of, I would say, "So what if....?" "So what if I get sick to my stomach?" Then I will just go to the bathroom. "So what if I start feeling detached?" Then I will just take some deep breaths and talk myself through it. "So what if I pass out?" Then I will come to later, sit up and go get some fresh air. Just walk yourself through the worst that could happen.
Think about what you are thinking about. Where the mind goes, the man follows. So when you recognize a fear-filled thought, you have to get it out of there and replace it with a positive thought. See yourself completing your task successfully. Then, as you go through it and are victorious, each time you do, you will be building your confidence and gradually you will be able to do those things free from fear.
Anticpatory anxiety is truly fought in the mind. Most of the time, the thing we are "what-if-ing" about is much easier to just do and get it over with. The thinking about it is much worse than just doing it and getting it done. Often, I would find myself so relieved afterward and wondering why I allowed myself to get so worked up! Give yourself permission to experience the symptoms, but don't let them stop you from doing anything. When you give yourself permission to "feel the fear and do it anyway," you take fear's power away from it! Tremble your way to success!
QUESTION: Is it wrong to take medication for anxiety/stress/depression? I have never used meds before, but I was really feeling bad. My doctor gave me a prescription.
ANSWER: I do not believe that it is wrong to take medication when we need it. I had to take an antianxiety medication for a number of years, and I am so glad it was available! I believe God gave us the wisdom to develop the medication in the first place. He created us with a certain amount of natural tranquilizers, and when they become depleted, that is sometimes what causes us to feel anxious and nervous and panic ridden. If we hadn't had the natural ones to begin with that He created us with, the artificial ones wouldn't work.
Think of it like this: If your pancreas wasn't working right and you needed to take insulin, you would, right? If you had a thyroid condition and needed thyroid medication, you wouldn't think anything of it. Why is it different if a brain chemical is depleted and you need the help of Celexa or Prozac or Xanax or Zoloft?
Dr. I.V. Hilliard of New Light Christian Center Church, who I referred to in one of the questions above, says that "medication doesn't hinder spiritual development." I think that is something to remember when we need the help of medication during a difficult time.
QUESTION: I was recently attacked and stalked by a man. Everytime I think about the incident or the man, I start crying and fear and hate wash over me. Everything seems so hard for me right now. Do you think these thoughts and feelings will end soon?
ANSWER: I am so glad that you are okay and that God preserved you from your attacker! He preserves what He has a purpose for, and he Has a purpose and a plan for you! (Jer. 29:11)
It sounds like you are suffering from post traumatic stress (PTSD). You have been through quite an ordeal and I am sure that your emotions are extremely fragile right now. It is really important during these times to manage your thoughts. The enemy is going to keep bringing up the incident and he does so in our mind, because that is where he works -- in our mind, will and emotions. But you can control your thoughts and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).
During points of trauma, an opening can be created for fear and hate and other negative forces to penetrate our souls. But through forgiveness, even though it is undeserved, we can release that person and release ourselves from the ill-effects of the situation. Often, it is forgiveness "by faith" because we don't feel like forgiving that person who did something awful to us. Even after forgiving, you might still have feelings of hate and fear that you mentioned. But, I suggest you say, "By faith, I have forgiven this man, and fear and hate have no permission to operate in my life any more. In the name of Jesus, I command fear and hate to leave me. I am walking in the love, joy and peace of the Holy Spirit."
When negative, hateful, fearful thinking tries to come at you, realize that this doesn't line up with God's word and then replace it with something God says. Then use some scriptures like "I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world."
You do have a choice over what you think about, or God wouldn't have told us what to "fix our minds on."
This too shall pass! You are an overcomer! We can't be overcomers if we don't have something to overcome!
Disclaimer...
This website is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice and treatment from your personal physician. Visitors are advised to consult their own doctors or other qualified health professionals regarding the treatment of their medical problems.
Custom Search
If these articles didn't provide the information you need, please type your topic below and Google will help you find it!
Fall Free Bonus!
Those who order the Overcomer's Package in September will receive a FREE BONUS...one of our best-selling audio CDs: "Don't Let Anxiety Steal Your Joy!" Just order the Overcomer's Package in our On-Line Storeand you will also receive FREE SHIPPING! The bonus CD will be included. (We accept all credit cards via PayPal).
We recently added our archived newsletters to the site. Read them on the Articles and Frequently Asked Questions page and be encouraged with topics from codependency and anxiety, to medication, and fear due to domestic violence.
Also, visit the FREE Audio page to see our new VIDEO! You can also check the video out on YouTube.
