Jordan Crossings Blog
Navigating the Waters of Faith & Mental Health
Anxiety is a Good Thing
My car hit the shoulder of the road. My heart raced as I turned the steering wheel back to the left and got centered in my lane. My breathing was quick and shallow. My mind was swirling with panicky thoughts. I took a few intentional deep breaths to calm myself.
Encouragement for Battling Social Anxiety
As I walked down the long hallway to the room where the moms’ group was meeting, my heart beat faster and faster. “Deep breaths. It will be fine,” I said to myself.
Walking into a room of strangers, I saw the eyes of about twenty seemingly perfect women peer up at me, smiling. Hesitantly, I found an empty seat and sat down.
Restore Your Joyful Heart-A Reflection for Women of Faith
I sat across the table, not knowing what to expect, eagerly awaiting the results. The doctor pulled up my test results and asked, “Brittany, have you ever been to therapy?”
A staggered response, “Yeah, it wasn’t really my thing…"
What a weird way to start a doctor's consult.
She continued, “Tell me what you do for you.”
Silence.
“Brittany, you have to make some changes. And if you don’t make them quickly, you will literally have a stroke.”
Trigger word.
Stroke.
Possibly death, possibly permanent disability, if I continued to ignore my need for peace.
How to Change Your Unhealthy Thoughts
I sat in my car sobbing ugly tears. The angry thought running through my head repeatedly was, “Why do I ALWAYS mess EVERYTHING up?”
“I’m a failure.”
“I suck.”
“I just can’t do anything right.”
I was feeling defeated. I was ready to give up. I was stuck in an unhealthy thought pattern.
Working From a Place of Grace
“You don’t have what it takes to make it as a writer.”
“You are too much of a perfectionist.”
“You are not smart enough.”
The accusations about my work snowballed, leaving me anxious about my work ethic, writing abilities, and basically anything related to my performance. But, while these thoughts were especially pervasive that Friday morning, they were not new. My work-related doubts have haunted me ever since I could make out a grade on homework assignments, dubbing me either smart or hopelessly incompetent. I believed the old, passed-down tale that my work defined my value. Yet the gospel tells a different story.
Now Seeking Guest Blog Posts!
Are you a writer? Do you have a story to tell? I am currently looking for guest blog posts about personal experiences with mental health and recovery from a Christian perspective. Whether you have a message or a testimony to share, I’d like to hear it! Fill out the form below or contact Megan for more details: meganjean@jordancrossings.org
