We are experiencing an epidemic of anxiety in America, this is society we have built……. The following is written by A.W. Tozer, an excellent message, one of the best ever, it really Preaches! Tozer lived from 1897 to 1963, what an awesome Pastor, writer and mentor he was!
How to Keep from Having a Nervous Breakdown:
I have noticed in recent years that all of the Lord’s people—–not just ministers and missionaries—-tend more and more to become a nervous and harried people.
Paul wrote to the Philippians and said, “Be anxious for nothing—-peace of God can keep your hearts and minds.”
I don’t claim to know everything about it. I only claim that there is hope and relief for the children of God in these terrible days.
It is natural that people will have fears and concerns about their families, about their safety and about their health. God has said that we don’t know what will be on the morrow.
Mostly these fears are driven inward and underground into what they call the subconscious—–that which worries underneath. It’s the thing you dream with, and the thing you worry with when you don’t know you are worrying.
The result of that is, of course, that it weakens, panics us, makes us nervous and inclines to steal away our joy.
Well, what are we going to do about it? Are we going to listen to the ‘don’t worry’ cult that says there’s nothing in the wide world for you to be afraid of?
Now, I know better than that, I’m not going to rest my nerves at the expense of my head—-that is, I’m not going to commit intellectual suicide and listen to some tabby cat telling me there isn’t anything to be afraid of in the world.
How are we going to escape fear, when there are legitimate dangers that lie all around us?
Well, here’s what the man of God says: “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Someone is looking after us. The Bible says “He careth for you.” Jesus, our Lord, says: “Your Father knows what you have need of before you ask Him.” And Jesus said,, “Let not your heart be troubled.” And in all your afflictions, He was afflicted, it says.
The Bible pictures God as a very careful, tender-hearted Father, busying Himself about the troubles of His people. He looks after them, goes ahead of them, cares for them, and guides them all the way through.
There you see the problem of worry and anxiety is solved by the assurance that while there are things about which to be concerned, why should you worry, when Somebody is taking care of you!
But, now, I just want to ask whether you are willing to let God take over? If you listen, and just feel a little bit encouraged, then you might as well have gone to a psychiatrist. They encourage you and stroke your back and make you purr a little and charge you $25.00. (You can see by that, how long ago Tozer wrote this!)
But, listen, and remember that peace of heart does not come from denying that there is trouble, but comes from rolling your trouble on God. By faith you have the right to call on One who is your brother, the Son of Man who was also the Son of God. And if He’s going to look after you, why should you worry at all!
I pray that this message really preaches to you in love and brings you renewed peace. I pray that the peace of God will come over you! We love you! Amen!
Contact me if I can pray with you.
If the problem of anxiety worsens please call your Doctor right away. If you are thinking suicide call 911 and you can also call the suicide hotline National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
From Dr. Michelle Bengtson:
After receiving a diagnosis of depression, the very next question my patients want answered is “What do I do about it?”
Perhaps the two most common recommendations to manage depression are psychotherapy and medication. Both of those can be very helpful for an individual suffering from depression. But there are also other things that are within an individual’s direct control that can have a positive impact on mood and emotional functioning.
Be Aware of Your Body’s Needs
Many medical conditions (including thyroid disease, heart disease, stroke, and vitamin deficiencies among others) can cause mood changes. Getting a general medical physical is important, to ensure that there isn’t something medically causing depression.
It’s generally good advice for anyone to ensure that you aren’t skimping on your vitamins. It’s important to ensure that your body doesn’t become deficient in vitamins which adversely affects our immune system, mood and our thinking. For example, a deficiency in vitamin D can negatively impact mood, while a deficiency in vitamin B can negatively impact energy.
Staying hydrated is also very important. Even mild levels of dehydration can increase anxiety, adversely impact mood, deplete motivation, and decrease attention and concentration.
Get Regular Physical Exercise
Research shows that as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can impact our brain chemistry and improve our mood. Individuals who are depressed often lack energy and motivation. While it takes energy to make ourselves exercise, exercising will actually increase our energy level, and increase the production of mood-stabilizing chemicals in our brains.
Exercising outdoors has the added bonus of increasing our exposure to sunlight which helps increase the production of Vitamin D. Sufficient vitamin D can improve our mood, ward off feelings of weariness, and help ward off physical illnesses and ailments. Getting outdoors for exercise also provides uninterrupted time to converse with God which can allow for an infusion of His peace and joy despite our circumstances.
Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Rest is referred to in the Bible over 100 times. We are given a Godly example of the importance of rest in Genesis 2:2 which tells us that God rested on the seventh day.
A consistent sleep schedule – going to bed about the same time every night and getting up about the same time every morning – helps our brains repair themselves. This is the time when the brain reproduces the chemicals (neurotransmitters, hormones) which directly impact our mood.
Sleep allows the perfect opportunity for us to trust God and allow Him to take care of us and sustain us. Psalm 3:5 tells us, “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.”
Engage In Social Activities
Frequently, one of the hardest things to do when we are suffering through depression is to get out and socialize. It’s important, however, because socializing helps us ward off isolation and withdrawal, both of which make depression worse.
Getting out and being around others also allows others the chance to help meet your needs and share your burdens. We are called to help carry each others burdens as believers, but when we become withdrawn others often don’t know we are either in pain or in need.
Recite God’s Word
During a particularly difficult and emotionally painful time in my life it did not help to have others spout scripture to me. Yet in my desperation I found that by reciting God’s word, especially His promises, I gained strength to keep going. Faith comes by hearing, and by reciting God’s promises, we bolster our own faith.
By reciting His promises, we also come into agreement with God about our situation. Agreeing with God is the first step to surrender. It is in our times of surrender to God, that He has the greatest freedom to intervene on our behalf.
Prayer
Have you ever experienced a time when others couldn’t relate to you or your situation because they hadn’t gone through it themselves? In the midst of depression our pain is magnified when we feel like no one understands. But the Word tells us in Isaiah 53:3 that He is acquainted with our grief. God understands and He is near to the broken hearted (Psalm 34:18). He’s just waiting for you to share your pain with Him.
The wonderful thing is that God created prayer. Because of prayer, we always have someone to talk to who will not only listen, but who has the answers we need. Prayer brings us into the Father’s presence, which helps mitigate any loneliness we may feel. And prayer opens the door to allow God to comfort us in our sorrow.
Journal
The Bible says that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). That is frequently what happens when we journal. Depression often begins because we push down our thoughts and feelings without adequately expressing them. Journaling at times is like a process of bleeding onto paper…letting our emotions out, so that together, you and the Lord can deal with them.
Journaling also offers an additional advantage. When we journal, we have a record of our past experiences that we can refer to at a later time. This offers an opportunity to look back and see just how far you’ve come, and how faithful the Lord has been. This then serves as an encouragement from which we can draw strength.
Try New Activities
Trying new activities offers us an opportunity to experience pleasure, which helps fight off the blues. When you open yourself up to trying new things, you never know when a new activity will bring you joy and delight during an otherwise down time.
Trying new activities doesn’t necessarily have to be something major like mountain climbing or pursuing a degree. It might be something as simple as learning to play a new game, reading a book from a new author, or trying a new recipe.
Laugh and Play
It’s important, especially during a period of depression, to intentionally seek out the opportunities to experience pleasure. Have you ever noticed how much young children laugh? I have to wonder if that’s part of the reason we rarely see depressed young children?
When we put ourselves in situations where we remind our brain and body what it feels like to experience joy and pleasure, we actually begin to crave more of that sensation. As we crave it more, we will seek it out more and thus combat the inertia that often accompanies depression. Maybe it’s playing a silly game, or climbing a tree, or having coffee with a friend. The point is, explore what brings you pleasure.
Practice gratitude
In being intentionally grateful, you come to appreciate the expanding opportunities to be grateful. Being grateful opens our eyes to all we have to be grateful for.
In truth, it’s hard to stay down when we’re practicing gratitude. Intentionally practicing gratitude helps us stay focused on the positive, and allows us to remember the good things in life, while de-emphasizing the negative.
I’ve offered you several tips to help ward off depression. I do not want you to feel like you have to do all of these things at once. Choose one, then another, until eventually perhaps you will be incorporating all of them in your regular schedule and enjoying the abundant life Christ came to give.
(For more hope and posts like this, visit Dr. Bengtson’s website: www.DrMichelleBengtson.com or follow her on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DrMichelleBengtson)
Posts from ther past on that you should read on depression and anxiety…….
