Have you read the other posts in this series?

• My Anxiety Disorder: Part 1 -Vice of Fear
• My Anxiety Disorder: Part 2 – Glimpse of Hope
• My Anxiety Disorder: Part 3 – How bad was it? And have you got one, too?
• My Anxiety Disorder: Part 4 – The Physical Fix – Are Drugs the Answer?

When I look back on the year the Lord set me free from my life-long anxiety disorder, it seems to have been nearly instantaneous and effortless. I give God all the glory because:

• though I did pray about my problem, it was not with the vigilance which I was certain I would have to exercise to be delivered.

• though I did try to renew my mind with Scripture, I did not achieve the saturation that I thought would be necessary.

What I’m saying is, it wasn’t all me and my efforts that brought healing - I was not alone in this. God stepped in, made up for where I was lacking, and brought deliverance though I did not earn or deserve it. I praise and thank Him!

But when I looked back in journal #60 to research for this post, I found an entry that showed that there were steps I took and hard things I did to facilitate freedom and healing. The following is a situation in which I had to consciously choose the way of freedom and turn from the thoughts and actions that were binding me in a prison of stress.

Jeremy and I had been married 1 ½ years but there were still people who didn’t recognize us as a unified couple or respect our identity as husband and wife. I would occasionally receive a phone call in which someone wanted to relay a message to Jeremy through me. Not a big deal until you understand that the message was something they didn’t feel comfortable saying to him personally, so they were using me as a go-between. Otherwise known as a pawn. You can imagine the stress potential here, right?

One morning such a phone call came and I decided to put my self-conscious, quavering foot down. This was a decision only possible because my mind had been renewed by scripture and Godly counsel to the point where I understood I actually had a choice here! I took a deep breath and calmly told the individual that if they had a message for Jeremy they would have to call him themselves.

This annoyed my caller, who immediately launched into full manipulation mode (it had always worked on me before!). But I would have none of it. Caller became angry…and…hung up on me.

Oh, no! what had I done!!!? For the first time in my life, I had consciously made someone angry enough to hang up on me! And someone I cared about, too!

But wait – what had I done? Nothing. Nothing but what I was supposed to do. Their anger was their problem and for the first time in my life, I didn’t make their response my responsibility. I didn’t let someone else’s opinion keep me from doing what was right for me and my family! I was free!!!

…And sick to my stomach. And shaking. And weeping — crying out to God for strength and an accurate perspective on what had just happened. I couldn’t wait for Jeremy to come home so I could cry on his shoulder and hear him say I’d done the right thing.

Jeremy was a great coach during the season in which I had to relearn thought patterns and my responses to people. He could care an owl’s hoot for what people think of him. He is a very considerate, thoughtful person, but he doesn’t obsess about other’s response to what he feels is right. His example has done much to teach me balance in this area.

If you know you need help in this area, I strongly encourage you to find a mentor, coach, or friend who can help you see things from a more balanced perspective. Jeremy found scripture for me that counteracted the lies I was believing, he prayed over me, and he kept me accountable by challenging me whenever he saw me slipping into people pleasing mode again.

But most importantly, don’t forget to reach out for help to the One who created you, knows your inmost being, and died so you could be free.

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I firmly believe that anxiety and mood disorders have their root in the physical, emotional, and spiritual spheres of life. We must address each one to get to a place of complete freedom. I’m going to address each one from my experience. Please don’t use these posts to self-diagnose or treat anything that may be a real problem. My goal is to inspire you reach out for help and wisdom with what you’re struggling with, and to give you hope. 

I believe there is a place for drugs – sometimes it’s the only thing that will quiet the voices long enough so you can deal with the emotional side of things.
But keep in mind that though they may address a root problem like chemical imbalance, they needn’t be a long term solution. I strongly believe that if you have an anxiety issue, you should be looking at nutrition and your over-all health. Food sensitivities, undiagnosed allergies, digestive issues, stimulant addiction – these can all put a physical strain on your body that can have a huge impact on mental health.

Malnutrition can also be a factor. Listen to this: moods are triggered by hormones. Hormones regulate themselves only when proper nutrition is available to fuel them. The main fuel for the hormone system is fat. If you say, “Oh, well, I’ve got plenty of that!” you’re thinking of the wrong kind of fat. I’m not talking about body fat, I’m talking about adding rich, saturated, nourishing fats in your diet like butter, lard, and coconut oil. If you think you’re not getting enough saturated fats in your diet, coconut is one of the tastiest ways to supplement your fat intake. With its mild, pleasant favor and workable constancy, it delightfully incorporates into many familiar recipes, or you can simply add a dollop to your next smoothie. (Remember, it ain’t fat that makes you fat, it’s usually carbs and sweets!)

I feel one must take a holistic (whole-body) approach to anxiety disorders. Realizing there can be many factors and triggers to your symptoms can do much to alive guilt — it’s not just in your head or all your fault! A holistic approach gives hope because you have more than one place help may come from.

So, did I do drugs? I would have if necessary, but we began by addressing the nutritional area and never got to the point of needing drugs. I went off all processed foods, especially refined grains, because we knew my digestion was weak and breads and pastas were putting a huge strain on me. I also avoided all sweeteners except honey, and any stimulant like caffeine. I focused on regularly consuming super foods like yogurt and bone broths, and a fresh vegetable fruit juice blend I made fresh each day.

Wonder how we learned all this about my system? My naturopath had me do a simple urine and saliva test (pee in a cup, spit in a cup – very simple) as well as a single blood test (one finger prick, with a drop of blood transferred to a slide and viewed under a microscope). That was all that was needed to reveal the areas my body was struggling. Naturopaths are great at non-invasive diagnostics!

The good news is that I did not have to restrict my diet forever. Learning to properly prepare grains and adding lacto-fermented drinks and condiments to my diet have allowed me to add much back into my menu without adding strain to my system. Also, a diet focused on nourishing, whole foods such as homemade soups, whole milk, and good fats has restored and renewed my body so that I am healthier and have more energy than I’ve had since my teens.

If you are on drugs, think you need them, wonder if you would be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder if you went to a doctor, or suffer from insomnia, I encourage you to look at everything that might be affecting your mental health – mind, body and spirit. All three collectively hold the key to emotional health. I highly recommend seeking the advice of a naturopath or holistically-minded doctor for non-invasive diagnostics and whole-body support. Think outside the box and your health blueprint and consider that the answer may come where you least expect it. Like a delicious, full fat, coconut yogurt smoothie. Mmmm.

Next Time…The Mental Fix…Quick and Easy?

It’s been great to connect with other women who have struggled with anxiety through this series! I recently ‘met’ Amy (we’ll meet in person at Relevant – Whoo-hoo!) and she has willingly shared her story of getting a diagnosis on a life-long anxiety disorder, treating the chemical imbalance with medication, and, most recently, discovering that gluten intolerance may be at the root of her health issues. I hope you’ll jump over and be encouraged by her story – to be assured, yet again, that you are not alone and there IS hope!

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