Anxiety?

Don’t be anxious or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Philippians 4:6-7 

Ever been anxious?  I'm not talking about being nail-biting upset.  I am talking about paralyzing anxiety that makes you fearful to do anything because you feel it might be the wrong thing to do which would make the situation worse.  I am talking about the anxiety that makes breathing a struggle and you feel as though your heart will explode.

Let me be completely honest, when someone is enduring an anxiety attack (and enduring is the closest word I can use to describe it), the absolute worst most worthless thing to tell them is "Calm down" or "What have you got to be so upset about?"  

One of the best things those who deal with anxiety can do, is keep an ongoing conversation going with God.  Time after time, God reminds us that He has ALREADY made a way for us.  God is ALREADY aware of out situation.  God has ALREADY heard our spirit's cry and has ALREADY set His plan for us in motion.

Let me give you a few practical things you can do to help someone enduring an anxiety attack:

1.  Remain calm.  Speak to the person in a calm and reassuring tone.

2.  Remind the person to breathe.  To take slower breaths.

3.  Do NOT touch them without their permission.  Ask them, "May I sit next to you?"  "May I hold your hand?"

4.  Ask the person to focus on your face and your voice.  Reassure them that you are going to stay with them until the attack subsides.

5.  Ask them to Help You Understand what is going on with them.

6.  Pray for them silently as you listen.

God reminds us over and over that nothing surprises Him.  So the anxiety attack doesn't surprise Him.  As a matter of fact, God may even allow you to be around someone who is having an anxiety attack to teach you. 

God is practical like that.