Saints' Discussion Forums

'With the single exception of sin, anxiety is the greatest evil that can happen to a soul. Just as sedition and internal disorder bring turmoil to a state and make it helpless to resist the foreign invader. So also if our heart is inwardly troubled and disquieted it loses both the strength necessary to retain the virtues it acquired and the means to resist the temptations of the enemy. And Satan then uses his utmost efforts to fit in those troubled waters.'

St. Francis de Sales

'Peace I leave to you, my peace I give to you. not as the world giveth, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor fear.'

John 14:27

'He has not treated us according to our sins. For we are his children. How do we prove this? The only Son died for us so that he would not remain the only child. He did not want to be alone, who died alone. The only Son of God made many children for God. He bought himself brothers and sisters with his blood; rejected, he accepted us; sold, he bought us back; dishonoured, he honoured us; killed, he brought us life.

So then, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world; that is, rejoice in faithfulness and not in iniquity; rejoice in the hope of eternity and not the brief flower of vanity. Rejoice thus, and wherever you are here, as long as you are here, the Lord is very near: do not be anxious about anything.'

St. Augustine

One of the things I have found in life, is there are a significant number of people who have difficulties with anxiety. Lord have mercy.  :crucifix:

Looking up more information about it, it seems that this is perfectly normal, and often enough hereditary. It's part of life for a certain percentage of people to have this issue, and nothing to be ashamed of. One institute puts the amount of people with it at 18% of the population, that's almost 1 out of 5 people.

People with anxiety often enough may fail to realize it, if it is a hereditary issue, they will have had it since childhood and not know of another way of life. And from what I read from one source, about only 1/3rd of people suffering from anxiety receive treatment.

People who have anxiety can have unreasoning fears about many things. And they may think it reasonable to some degree that they have them, if they do not realize they have a disorder, and are anxious or upset habitually and excessively.

A government source says these are the signs and symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder:

    Restlessness or feeling wound-up or on edge
    Being easily fatigued
    Difficulty concentrating or having their minds go blank
    Irritability
    Muscle tension
    Difficulty controlling the worry
    Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless, unsatisfying sleep)

And these are the symptoms of a panic disorder:

    Sudden and repeated attacks of intense fear
    Feelings of being out of control during a panic attack
    Intense worries about when the next attack will happen
    Fear or avoidance of places where panic attacks have occurred in the past

 And these are the symptoms of a social anxiety disorder:

    Feeling highly anxious about being with other people and having a hard time talking to them
    Feeling very self-conscious in front of other people and worried about feeling humiliated, embarrassed, or rejected, or fearful of offending others
    Being very afraid that other people will judge them
    Worrying for days or weeks before an event where other people will be
    Staying away from places where there are other people
    Having a hard time making friends and keeping friends
    Blushing, sweating, or trembling around other people
    Feeling nauseous or sick to your stomach when other people are around

Risk Factors:

    Researchers are finding that genetic and environmental factors, frequently in interaction with one another, are risk factors for anxiety disorders. Specific factors include:

    Shyness, or behavioral inhibition, in childhood
    Being female
    Having few economic resources
    Being divorced or widowed
    Exposure to stressful life events in childhood and adulthood
    Anxiety disorders in close biological relatives
    Parental history of mental disorders
    Elevated afternoon cortisol levels in the saliva (specifically for social anxiety disorder)

There are many different helpful treatments for people with anxiety disorders, there is help and greater health out there, and people wishing to give a helping hand.

I hope that folks who have issues with anxiety will seek help in the Lord, and through better health care.   :crucifix:

 :+: