Do not make anxiety your identity. I repeat. Do not make anxiety your identity. Over the last couple of years, I’ve felt a shift in the mental health community. Or maybe this mentality was always there and I’ve only recently become aware of it. It’s this idea that anxiety is welcome. Anxiety is a “friend.” There’s this acceptance of anxiety as if it is some old pal that’s welcome any time, any place, and without warning.
I refuse to make anxiety my friend. Anxiety is not a friend. Anxiety is a problem. You wouldn’t hear a cancer patient saying, “Yes, I welcome back my cancer. My cancer is my friend. It’s who I am.” And yet, I feel like the millennial and gen z generations have shifted over to idolizing and downplaying the negative power anxiety can have over the human mind. We make so many jokes out of it. But enough is enough.
Do not treat anxiety as a staple personality trait. When left untreated, anxiety can lead to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and literally give you a disordered mind. Why are we cheering for anxiety to win? I think a part of the reason why we let anxiety win is due to a lack of hope. We have lost hope that anxiety can leave us. We have lost hope that we can have fully healthy and restored minds.
Well, since this is Hopeful Song blog – let me offer some hope. You can live a full, loving, joyful life without anxiety. You do not need this crutch. Do not accept it. Treat it for what it is – a problem. Work on yourself. Seek help. Seek God. Seek community. Work towards change. It is possible!
There have been SO many occasions where my peers and I would run into a shared situation and people would be freaking out but I would feel at peace. I am not saying this to brag about myself. What I’m saying is I have been aware and learning how to fight against anxiety over the past nine years. Yes, I still have anxious moment but they are sparse now. My mind has changed.
Before, life felt like climbing up a mountain. But lately, life feels like walking on water. Change is possible, but first we must believe it is possible and that healing can happen. It may seem like I am making a major complaint about a subtle issue – but I don’t think that’s true. If we lose sight of the problem, we can’t come to a solution. Your mind is gullible, meaning it’s malleable. It changes constantly. Don’t believe the lie that it doesn’t. Beliefs, perceptions, self-image, confidence – literally all of these things can change and they have changed in my life.
So don’t lose sight folks! Don’t let anxiety win by not calling it a battle. Call a spade a spade. Anxiety is a bad thing. It isn’t welcome here or in me or in you. You can change. Your mind can be renewed. You can experience the freedom of peace and calm after the storm.
One verse that I say to myself probably on a weekly basis is this: “I believe; Lord help my unbelief.” When you feel yourself losing your resolve to fight the good fight, try saying this to yourself. “I believe, God help me to believe.” That’s all for now. Keep fighting for what’s better friends!
Hopeful Song Blog 