There’s a way out of anxiety

Ishbel Straker is a Consultant Psychiatric Nurse and one of her passions is the mental well-being within ministry. She has been working with Elim developing this provision for nearly three years and it continues to grow

Ishbel is the Founder and CEO of I Straker
Consultants, a mental health service

Despite what you may think, anxiety is a real thing. It is not simply a state that is only for the weak, it is something that when chronic is a diagnosed disorder and can leave people feeling debilitated, pastors included.

I have seen many pastors who are experiencing anxiety. I have also seen many who disbelieve it and would go so far as to say that allowing oneself to be anxious is a sin – we are told to cast our burdens on Jesus and, if we feel any other way, then we are not being obedient.

Unfortunately, as with most things, it’s not as simple as that. Anxiety is a relentless force that grabs you at times when you are trying to get a moment’s peace. It’s the tap on your shoulder as you are switching off, that asks you how you can possibly relax when there is so much to worry about. It’s the thoughts in your head that wake you up in the middle of the night. It’s exhausting, but what’s more problematic with this is when we feel unable to voice those fears.

Techniques in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, an approach used for managing anxiety, tell us to challenge negative thoughts, to face the fear of anxiety and stare down its validity. This can be a difficult thing to do when we don’t allow ourselves to recognise this as an actual thought that warrants further consideration. What we also know is that when we attempt to bury these thoughts, they become much larger and harder to manage, and the fear switches from being about the thought to fearing the fear that comes with it.

You can see its complexities but there is a way out – that is to consider it and ask yourself some questions. If the thing I fear happens, will it matter in a week’s time, a month’s time or a year’s time? Do I have any control over the outcome of the thought? Can I change my angle on it? If you are struggling to answer these questions, talk to someone who is close to you and discuss them. Consider if there is any substance to that troubling thought – what’s the evidence that it is true?

These questions will help you to not invalidate yourself, but invalidate the negative thought that causes the anxiety. This will allow you to take control and manage the bits that you are able to – and free yourself of the burden of trying to manage what you have no control over.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.

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