Panic and Anxiety: Thankful for my Thorns

Monday, December 9, 2013

Thankful for my Thorns

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I am reminded once again to be thankful for my thorns. I practice gratitude and thank God every day for all of His blessings and comfort but seem to always forget to thank Him for the pain I feel when I am in the throws of panic or after when I am feeling whole again. I tend to thank Him for healing me and the times in between panic attacks. But one day I was thinking about Paul's thorn he speaks of in the Bible and decided I must have what Paul had but my thorn was panic and that His grace is sufficient. This understanding gave me comfort. But I forget and neglect to thank Him for this thorn.

I would like to share a post I just read that helped me remember to take the time to be thankful and acknowledge my thorn as a gift that may some day help others and to remember Gods comfort is such a blessing!

Read post here from Marty's Musings.

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About Me

I am a woman who has had panic disorder for 22 years. I want to share what I have learned to help others find that the journey of someone with panic disorder can be safe. It is important to me to reach out and help as many people who suffer as I can.

I was diagnosed with this disorder by my father, who is a doctor. I described my symptoms after struggling for a long time with even how to describe my episodes.
He said "sounds like panic disorder".

I set out on a mission to find help, a cure, others of like kind, anything to use to make the attacks stop or become more manageable. My search began in 1990 and I have finally just this year found my combination of the right tools, the right medicine and the people who have had this same exact disorder for over 10 years. I have shared their stories, their words, their websites and their wisdom here on my blog along with some of my own time tested tips.

"Faith is not about everything turning out OK; Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out."

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The author Byron Katie refers to the ancient Chinese wisdom of the Tao Te Ching in her approach to shifting perspective. In her book, A Thousand Names for Joy, she says, "Inside and outside always match -- they're reflections of each other. The world is the mirror image of your mind." If you believe the world is hostile and will ultimately crush you, your experience of any situation will reflect that belief. People with this worldview often say things like, "Why does this always to me?"

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But Katie suggests a subtle, but profound shift to this belief: "Everything happens for you, not to you." You can begin to see that even the painful or undesirable experiences in life are there for you to learn, to feel something different, or to help you grow and mature as a person.

Try adopting this kind of perspective, even for a day. See if your anxiety decreases and your depression lifts a smidge as you realize there is a lot of beauty out there. You just have to look for it.

Ephesians 6:10-18

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8-9

I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Phil 4:9

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Cor 10:5

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jerimiah 29:11

Monday, December 9, 2013

Thankful for my Thorns

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