Anxiety is a confusing topic. Many of us wonder if we have an anxiety disorder. Many of us might be accused of having an anxiety disorder by those around us who experience less anxiety. Consider the following: Anxiety set in context of particular situations may not be reflective of generalized anxiety disorder but can be a normal emotion to the situation. For example, if someone’s late for an important meeting, or their child is sick enough to take to urgent care–these are situational and you can experience many emotions when faced with stressful scenarios. When anxiety appears for no reason–watching television, waking up with it when there is nothing stressful going on–you might see a professional for better understanding of your issues. But when it is situational consider our need to control and what and where are faith is in the moment. Often I find my anxiety is a fear of the unknown and can be related to moments where my faith is not as strong as I want it to be. The serenity prayer is a great tool for centering myself in those moments. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” Another prayer I find helpful is my own, “God, if I am meant to experience this emotion help me find what I am supposed to see and learn from this moment so I may work through my anxiety, and if I am feeling this way out of fear give me the faith to release this emotion.” This works for any emotion we are uncomfortable having, because emotions themselves are not bad, what we do with our emotions dictate our emotional character and emotional integrity.
Mental health is not to be taken lightly, and the above is meant for informational purposes and not to diagnosis or treat an illness. If you suspect you have mental health issues, please seek professional help.