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I have been dealing with panic attacks/ uncontrollable shakiness, anxiety, stress for a long time now. It is ruining my life. It has gotten so bad, I can't even control my thoughts that are full of worry. Sometimes in my panic attacks, I can't even think about anything other than "panic!". Any time I am put on the spot, whether I'm being observed by my boss, being asked about my faith, having a personal meet, talking to specific people, talking about specific things, thinking about preaching the gospel, or even sharing my testimony, I can't seem to do any of it with peace. I don't know what to do or how to get in the habit of having positive thoughts. Its like I think I'm going to fail before I even do. Its really hurting my opportunity in life because I feel called to evangelism but when I even think about evangelizing, I panic. I can't even enjoy the good things in life the way I used to. I used to be so energetic and happy without a worry. Nothing interests me anymore and I feel like a zombie most of the time. I really have a problem with what people think about me and I don't even really know what I think about myself. I have to take some pain killers just to get me through the day, so that my mind doesn't run away from me. I am my own worst enemy and I don't know how I can beat my own thoughts about myself. Even when I want to say something in bible study I get nervous and I get really nervous to even just introduce myself in a big group. I read the bible and ask God to free me from all of this but something inside me can't let go.I have had bad past experiences in life and tend to focus on them. Even when I don't want to or try not to, I focus on the negative thoughts I have and the fails in my past. Like running through them over and over. I hope that I can one day live in peace and have the confidence I always wanted so that I can allow God to work through me without me getting in his way. I want to laugh a real laugh again without worry someday. I want to have the ability to focus on in the time I'm in now and not the future or past. I want to care for people and stop caring about what people think about me. Please pray for me.

Welcome to Christianity Oasis Danny,
I'm so glad you found this site and shared your struggle with us. I've only been here a couple of months. For me, I can say this site has been LIFE CHANGING. I've been a Christian for almost 30 yrs and gone to several counselors (Christian and secular) but it hasn't been until I applied the Word of God (THE TRUTH) to my emotional/spiritual issues that I could be set free.

I'm sorry to hear of your severe struggles. I know them well personally myself and have already prays ed for God's release from the enemy's bondage for you. My belief is that the enemy is being particularly obnoxious now because he knows his time is drawing near. He is trying to unleash fear among God's people but this is a lie. II Tim 1:7 - "He has not given us the spirit of fear but rather the spirit of love, power and a sound mind."

I have done 2 of the studies here and currently am doing a third one. God has used these studies to release me of many things. I would encourage you to take part in the Christian Counseling Study that is at this place where you posted your message. I believe God has a powerful plan for you. Dig into this study and let God heal you. More will be revealed to you and all of us we walk with Him one day at a time.

God Bless You Danny
Jamie

p.s. if you're ever on the chat and u see me please say hi !!!!!

Thank you Jamie for your words and prayer. I can already feel God working in my life. I'm on step three of the counselling program. I have looked at these things as lies from the devil and my constant worry of the subject has only watered the weeds. It really helps to know its not a fight between myself but a fight with the devil. How can I apply these " Truths " to my situation. The truths are scriptures in the bible that contradicts my thoughts, am I correct? To apply them should I just meditate on them?
The thing that keeps me worrying now is, even when I feel like I have peace but then when anxiety opportunity comes, I lose all my confidence that I thought I was gaining. How can I stay focused in times of trial. What kind of things should I think about that can help me in those times?

Also, I'm wondering if I should be addressing the issue in my mind. Such as, focus in my mind being confident in the future or should I just totally stop focusing on the situation but focus on Gods peace, and love only? I understand you who may read this might not have all the answers but just your opinion on what you have learned through this course. How do we pull the weeds? Or will this be covered in the next stepping stones after lesson 3?

Wow! I think I can completely relate to your anxiety. They can debilitate you if you let them. I wish it were as easy as setting something down and not picking it up again but the problem is we all have an amount of anxiety. Even the most relaxed people have a small amount. It is what keeps us alive. Or part of what keeps us alive. To have absolutely no anxiety is to be dead.

I can share what I try to do.

Anxiety of the past....usually turns to self hate. I try to remind myself that others don't think about me and the mistakes I've made nearly as much as I do. I'll remind myself that God loves me despite anything I've done and even if everyone else in the entire world left me or didn't like me I have God and He really is all I need. That seems to help me with my past mistakes. Past abuse is something that needs to be dealt with. A counselor can help you stop when your mind wants to go to far and push you into anxiety over memories. Or I should say a counselor SHOULD help you to stop working through past abuse if you need to while helping you stop working on problems that cause you anxiety when you get over whelmed with them. The weed here is you made a mistake in the past. Pull it by not allowing yourself to think about it. Replace it with good thoughts of Gods love and grace and mercy. Or good things you have done or good things that have happened. Or good things you expect to happen.

Present Anxieties: I often ask myself what is the worst that can happen and usually the worst isn't that bad. It's things I can handle if I have to. Pray through it as well. And remember to breathe deeply. Do you have some coping skills to help you calm down? One of my favorite coping skills is to pretend I have a cup of warm tea in a nice big tea cup. The tea cup is brown and green and warm in my hands. The tea is steaming and the smell is fragrant. Very relaxing to my senses. It sounds weird but after doing this a few times I've learned to lean on small things like this to help me calm down. I also have a place by a lake that I meet Jesus (all in my mind). So I can meet Him there any time of day or night and anywhere I may be. It's a safe place and only what God or I allow into this place can be there. Ask God for a mental place to help you calm down.

Future anxieties are a tuff one. The devil can sure get us in a whirl wind over them at times. We do a pretty good job getting ourselves uptight about the future as well. Trust is the key. Trust that He has gone before you and made a way in every situation possible. When you begin to stress over the future remind yourself that He is already there and making a plan for you. That is pulling a weed. The weed is something in my future is going to be bad. Pulling it is not believing it and then you replace it with positive thoughts. Over and over until the weed stops growing back.

I hope this helps. It's a daily battle..sometimes moment by moment battle but it gets easier the more experienced you are with working with your gardening tools. :D

Take care and God bless you!
Saying some prayers for you brother.

Wow Danny,
Look at the progress you've made already in such a short time. To me it's progress just to get clarity (distance, if u will) from the engulfing nature of intense emotions. U are doing SO GOOD man to start this study. Please persevere through it no matter what your head is telling you. You will be richly blessed.

I was just thinking of something else I do that has helped me. First I realize I have no power over my anxiety monster. In other words I agree that it's too big for me. Does this make sense ? This is not defeat or something to be shameful about, it is the truth because what you are learning in your study is that your strong anxiety is all based on lies. Lies that seized the opportunity to attach to our soul because of events, things that happened to us and the way our mind interpreted them at that time. Who is the father of lies ? Hmmmm ? Can you and I defeat the devil ? NO WAY ! I do not want to get in a wrestling match with his lying schemes. But.....ta dah !!!! Jesus not only can defeat the devil, HE HAS ! Where does Jesus live right now ? YES. He lives in us with his Holy Spirit. So.............because Jesus, yes GOD himself, lives in us with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in us and Jesus (the living word) can defeat the enemy in our lives and will in very practical ways. So for me, my victory comes when I don't fight my anxious thoughts. Instead I just tell myself and God that I am powerless over my fears. I admit defeat (agree w da truth) but also admit (agree) that He has overcome my fears, he has defeated my foes, he has set me free. So I just agree w God that my enemy is too big but accept God's victory.

Verses that I use a lot are:
II Tim 1:7
God has not has not given us the spirit of fear but rather of love and power and of a sound mind
II Cor 10:4-5
The weapons we fight with are nor the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to DEMOLISH strongholds. 5) We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and TAKE CAPTIVE every thought to the obedience of Christ.

One other thing that God has taught me is to "make friends" with my anxiousness. Sounds weird huh ? Phil 4:6-7 says:
"Do not be anxious about anything but in all things by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" God KNOWS we're gonna be anxious - or why did He put this verse in the bible ? So a friend told me one time...When u see ur anxiety comin ur way, pull up a park bench have a seat and ask him (anxiety) to sit down next to u and put ur arm around him and say "hi buddy, how u doin ?" It's the idea of embracing truth, right ? If we're anxious why do we want to pretend that we're not. Just accept it. We can't give away something that's not ours right ? Or something we haven't accepted ? So we accept that we are anxious and then give it to God.

This all sounds good on paper - . But takes practice in real world. I got to go to dinner at my nieces house tonite. We don't have to be there for 4 more hours but I can already feel the uneasy mess of "the anxious one" creeping in on me !
Guess I get to practice all the things I've said here today.

God Bless you friend Danny,
Jamie

I'm praying for you !!!!!!!!

Jamie and Pine. I thank you both for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts with me. Today I see you as friends and even my brothers in Christ. This is how Christ has called us to be. These verses are very good to know and to meditate on and the ideas. I don't have much time to write now because its late and I have church in the morning but I just want to tell you guys that I really can feel God working in me with these Truths and the encouragement from you guys. Something I once heard was nice to hear: "I need to stop caring about what people think about me, and to start caring about how I think about them". I just read the Who I am study in stepping stone #7 and its so amazing to see how we are made in God's image, isn't it?! This is stuff I have never heard or known about before and by God's grace, I'm truly believing it. Something that has helped me a bit during anxiety is to imagine myself already dead to the world and alive with Christ. And any judgments that people have of me goes straight to my dead self, not harming who I am with Christ because I'm born again. This is good and also biblical truth that we have died to the world and have been born again in Christ. Thank you so much for your prayers and I will keep you in mine.

Wow that is good. The imagine of being dead in the world and the worlds negative words going into the dead flesh is powerful! That must of been a God given thing. I love it when He gives us things that sticks!

Hey thanks for sharing! I am going through something similar. I have had anxiety all my life but all this year I have basically had no anxiety until a few days ago. All that day I felt weird and all of a sudden felt like God was calling me to go to this church I did not want to go to. When we panic I think sometimes we are "self-destructive" and make ourselves think that we have to do something we don't want to do because we are angry with ourselves. However, it could also be a test from God to see if you are faithful. I question myself so much on whether I should go to that church or not. I constantly come up with reasons why I should or should not. It has caused me a lot of turmoil and sadness because I feel so confused. I do not want to disobey God, but I'm not positive it is the route He wants me to take.
Some advise I received was that if it doesn't hurt you to try then you might as well do what it is you're afraid of doing. So I have decided to go this weekend even though I still do not want to. I hope this helps, you can message me if you want