It seems as if every “disorder” or “addiction” has been labeled in our society. We might as well walk around with a piece of paper on our backs, specifying what type of disorder we have and let it define us.
Being a 19-year old in the 21st century, I've heard many different labels and categories of disorders and addictions that humans have. Anxiety seems to be one of the most discussed “disorders” on social media. Having anxiety myself, I understand how difficult it can be trying to cope with it. We put so many burdens on ourselves, and we believe that we have full control over our lives. So we're told to take medications, or to turn to alternatives such as running, meditating, and the like.
However, the issue is that the ongoing labeling seems to be putting us in invisible "boxes" to somehow categorize us. Therefore, we often forget to look at people as people and know for who they are as individuals. In all honesty, medications are oftentimes just used as quick fixes, and they have side effects. Therefore, medications aren’t going to resolve the issue, per se. We can't merely rely on medications for long periods of time, because these "fixes" are only temporary.
What we don’t always think of when we struggle with fear and anxiety is that we're all broken. We have all sinned and struggled with some sort of insecurity and fear, but what I've come to realize, as a Christian, is that we cannot rely on ourselves to carry the weight of the world. You see, God has been carrying us all along, and therefore, He is the most consistent and most reliable source of help that we need in our daily lives. Truth is, God is the author of our stories, and He has control of absolutely everything in our lives, even if we don’t realize it.
The Lord has been my strength when I am at my weakest, and has humbled me without having the interference of my anxiety. Therefore, if anxiety or any type of “disorder” that society has labeled is troubling you as of now, don’t let it define you. Believe me, we all have some kind of temptation and anxiety. The most important thing that God wants us to do as His children is to cast our cares onto Him. We don’t face our trials alone when we walk with God.
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” (Matt. 6:25-27).
As the Bible verse above states, as humans, we aren’t supposed to be anxious about anything, because we aren’t wholly in control of the things that occur in our lives as God is. In other words, the events that happen in our lives are often in God’s hands. God also tells us in this verse that we must take care of our bodies, because our bodies are God's temples. That being said, I've learned that the only one I should be fearing is God, not the circumstances of my sins, nor the worry of tomorrow, just God. This is because we're never going to be fully content or satisfied with our lives, but we can always attempt to make a better tomorrow by having faith.
One of the best coping methods I've ever done while having anxiety is by praying to God and lifting my cares and worries on His shoulders. I cannot stress enough how important this is. However, if you aren’t Christian and have different beliefs, I advise you to journal your thoughts, pray about things, or talk about what you're struggling with. The only way we can improve our anxieties is if we talk about them and leave the past within the past. Just remember, never let the labels of society define you.
