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I Have Anxiety, Now What?

Writer's picture: Peace And PreparationPeace And Preparation

Updated: Sep 30, 2024




I need help!


I’m not the first to admit this and I won’t be the last. I hope.


Why, do you ask?


I ruminate.

I have excessive and racing thoughts. I'm a stickler for time, to the point that I get anxious if I’m late, or if someone else is late. At times I can become restless, agitated, tense and on edge.

I panic when people I’m closest to don’t respond to me, especially if we are experiencing conflict. Which is why I tend to avoid conflict. Sometimes I experience tightness in my chest, and the only relief I experience is when I take a deep breath.


I’m suffering internally and it's impacting me in ways that I dislike.  In romantic relationships, I obsess, fantasize about the future and become preoccupied with my partner. Being anxious impacts my personal and interpersonal relationships. It has hindered and limited me both past and present.  


Sound familiar?

Well, all of the above are symptoms of anxiety and trauma responses. 


Does this sound surprising to hear from a mental health professional?


I hope it doesn’t. If anything it helps me, to help you. My experiences allow me to be empathetic towards yours in understanding the mental health challenges that you’re facing.


So what do we anxious, trauma-ridden individuals do?


We heal.

We face our brokenness, accept it for what it was/is and challenge ourselves to take the steps necessary to heal. Below are a few steps that you can take on your journey to healing. 

  1. Acknowledgement Don’t avoid and run away from your symptoms. Acknowledge that they exist! Writing out what you are experiencing helps to identify and pin point each symptom.

  2. Disconnect from shame and guilt Understand that you are not perfect, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Often we are ashamed of what we are experiencing and become hard on and overly-critical of ourselves. Our Creator, who is gracious and merciful to you, isn’t as hard on you as you are on yourself! So take a step back and refrain from judging. 

  3. To Change or Not to Change Upon acknowledgement and self-discovery, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to change. In my role as an LMSW, I assist and have assisted client’s by helping them to identify trauma, triggers and unhealthy patterns. However, it was/is the client’s responsibility to partner with me on assessing their behavior and utilizing the tools I provided to reconstruct their thought processes in order to experience change.

  4. Practice, Practice, Practice Learn about your symptoms, and traumas. Read, listen to podcasts, and watch YouTube videos! Educate yourself on anxiety and how it impacts your daily functioning. Familiarize yourself with the root cause of it and push yourself to practice the coping mechanisms/modalities that counteract your symptoms. 

  5. Be Patient I will be the first to say that this is an area that can be tested. However, it’s necessary to practice patience, as healing isn’t an overnight process, and realistically speaking you are up against years of behavior patterns that you are now journeying to change and modify. Give yourself grace, especially in moments when you are expecting immediate results. 

  6. Celebrate Too often we don’t take the time to thank God, and how far we have come. We don’t reflect on how we are no longer immediately reacting to a negative response from a family member. We no longer panic at the thought of having to express ourselves or share our feelings. We are no longer avoiding intimate relationships out of fear of being hurt. We don’t stop and celebrate the barriers we’ve overcome, whether big or small, but you should and you can. So celebrate the small and big feats, as these are all empowering aspects of your journey to grow and outgrow behaviors that no longer serve the healing version of you.

  7. Continue Last, but not least, please continue. Please continue to show up and become the happier, healthier version of you. I’m not saying that there won’t be days when you experience the triggers from past traumas. However,  I will say that God has given you the tools and the power to overcome these adversities. Believe it! Tools are the innate abilities within you. They show up as good friends, ministers, the bible and other self-help books. They come in the form of podcasts and YouTube videos that empower and encourage you to face your deepest fears. Continue!  You are capable and more than able.


I can go on and on, but then I wouldn’t have anything else to share or speak about! So, I leave with this. If anything I’ve written has resonated with you, pray on it and seek God’s guidance. He will always lead you to places of transformation and revitalization. Trust me, as I have experienced His goodness and mercy!


As always, if you have a question or comment, please feel free to share below or email me at peaceandpreparation1on1@gmail.com.


Peace and Blessings,

I’Asiah


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