Life Issues
Struggling with anxiety? If a person feels worried and stressed, they will often reach for food, alcohol, porn, drugs, shopping, or something else to help soothe and calm them. If left unchecked, anxiety can make someone turn to addiction to cope.
But there is a tool called a thought record that can reduce anxiety. A thought record can help people identify automatic negative thoughts and check to see if their thinking falls into one of the many distortions that increase stress, such as catastrophizing. How it works is that a person will write down an alternative balanced thought which states the truth.
For example, let’s say a person thinks that if they try to go to a Life Recovery Group to connect with others, it will be terrible. This would be an example of catastrophizing because they’ve already determined how something will be a disaster beforehand. (more…)
Addiction/Recovery
What’s the key to overcoming addiction and anxiety? Acceptance! Let’s say someone is trying to self-medicate from anxiety using drugs, alcohol, or something else. They must accept that addiction is not the answer for their anxiety and get into recovery. Dr. Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, put it this way, “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.”
Once in recovery, an individual must also accept anxiety and learn how to deal with it in healthy ways. If not, fear will destroy their efforts to recover completely, and they’re likely to relapse. Scripture confirms that anxiety can wreak havoc when it says, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up” (Proverbs 12:25, NIV).
Anxiety can be such a burden that it’ll cause a person to do anything to find relief. One central fear is that of the unknown. (more…)
Life Issues
Is anger a sin? No, anger itself is not wrong. The Bible says, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26-27, NIV). Although anger is not a sin, it’s a signal that calls you to action. It alerts you that something is wrong, and it gives you a desire to respond. Sometimes our response results in a sinful reaction. You’ll need to first look at the root cause of your anger.
Root Causes of Anger
Hurt is a root cause of anger. If someone hurts you, you get angry. Let’s say your significant other was having an affair. (more…)
Life Issues
A panic attack is a sudden overwhelming fear that comes without warning. Your heart begins to pound, and the room spins. Sound familiar? If you struggle with panic attacks, it can be a terrifying experience that feels like a heart attack. Even worse, it can paralyze your entire life with fear, wondering when your next panic attack might be. To help you, here are a few ways to deal with panic attacks.
Get Help.
What are some of the signs and symptoms of a panic attack? (more…)
Faith/Spiritual
“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and the raging waves. Suddenly the storm stopped and all was calm.” – Luke 8:24
Are you going through some storms in your life? If so, don’t give up! A story from the Gospels offers tips on how to safely navigate choppy waters.
In the book of Luke, Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22). So when they got in the boat and started across the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up. But it wasn’t just a few waves—it was a violent storm!
As the storm got worse, Jesus was asleep down below. (more…)