It’s a pretty safe bet that there isn’t a single soul in America (and most of the world) over the age of 12 that hasn’t felt a little bit of anxiety over the last year and a half. We’ve been through a lot, and while worry is a completely normal part of life, sometimes we are pushed beyond our normal limits, and our worry becomes anxiety. 

Some anxiety is normal. As a student, you may have experienced some nerves before a big test. Athletes have first-inning jitters; new brides have cold feet. We have a million different names for anxiety, and most of the time, this feeling is situational and short lived. But, what happens when it is no longer fleeting, but a relatively constant feeling of worry? With all the stressors that we face on a daily basis, how do we know what is normal anxiety and what is stepping into “anxiety problem” territory?

First things first: Let’s cut the stigma. Every human feels anxiety. As Nicole Golden, pastor of women's leadership at Centerpoint, states, “You are not a mess. You are a feeling person in a messy world.” 

Anxiety may feel complex and terrifying sometimes, but it’s actually pretty simple. We humans were designed with emotions. There are certain stressors in everyday life that can trigger our emotions. Sometimes, when we go through particularly difficult seasons, a lot of those emotions are triggered at once, and our body sends up a smoke alarm to let our brain know that we need to slow down and process these emotions.

However, when we live in a fast-paced world, we don’t always listen and slow down. Instead, we stuff our emotions down to “deal with them later” and keep going at our breakneck pace. But our emotions don’t go anywhere. Pile enough things under a rug, and eventually you will trip and fall. Stuff enough emotions down and eventually you will implode, and then you will have to sort through all those emotions at once. 

And that is what happens with anxiety.

So, the question really isn’t whether you have anxiety, because we all experience moments of anxiety throughout life. The question really becomes, am I handling my anxiety in a healthy way, or is my anxiety handling me?

How to identify an anxiety problem

There are several signs that you are working through an anxiety issue, but the most telling one is whether you’ve lost your joy. Anxiety tends to rip us away from our present circumstances and focus us on the negative what-ifs. If you find yourself repeatedly unable to focus on your present moments because your mind keeps playing out different scenarios, or if you consistently try to control your situations for fear that losing control will lead to A, B and C negative outcomes, you may have an anxiety issue. 

According to BetterHelp.com, a therapy platform, there are 10 common signs that may indicate you have an anxiety issue:

1. Excessive worrying.

2. Difficulty sleeping.

3. Fatigue.

4. Concentration issues.

5. Irritability.

6. Increased heart rate and palpitations.

7. Sweating and hot flashes.

8. Trembling and shaking.

9. Chest pain and shortness of breath.

10. Feeling of terror and impending doom.

Now, symptoms 6-10 describe anxiety attacks (or panic attacks) more than day-to-day anxiety issues. If you identify with symptoms 1-5, there is a good chance that you have anxiety. 

You weren’t meant to live under the weight of anxiety

OK, you have anxiety. Welcome to the club. More than 40 million adults in the U.S. alone have an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to break the cycle of anxiety and find your peace again.

You were never meant to live under the weight of anxiety. In fact, Jesus spent a lot of His time talking about how to live in peace and joy. While his teachings are legit, some Christians have taken to the view that having anxiety means you don’t have enough faith. Or that anxiety can be prayed away. 

Now, yes, Jesus does do miracles. But very few Christians would have the same mindset if you sprained your ankle while running. Most people would tell you to rest and to go see a doctor. Your mind is the same; an injury (anxiety) requires rest and to see a doctor. For many people, simple cognitive therapy is enough to treat an anxiety disorder. Cognitive therapy is a type of talk therapy that works to identify and retrain the behaviors of the brain. 

Think of your brain like a Hot Wheels track. There are ramps and groves where your thoughts run. If one of your anxious thoughts is triggered, it immediately will go zooming down the track that you have built in your mind. It may even get stuck in a loop and continue to run on repeat. Cognitive therapy works to identify the “tracks” in your mind and reconstruct them so that you are able to focus on your reality instead of getting sucked down the “what-if” trails. It works to separate your feelings from your thoughts, so you can think through situations without the crippling fear and anxiety that sometimes accompany them.

In some cases, medication is both necessary and recommended. That is OK, too. In the same way that there is no shame in taking blood pressure medication or diabetes medication, there is no shame in taking medication necessary to keep your mind healthy. This stigma around mental health has to end. The brain is simply another part of the body and should be treated as such. 

For more information about anxiety and finding hope through mental illness, check out these messages:

• Shattered

• Rejected

• I Declare War