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Any Christians who believe in Christ but still have anxiety/doubt about their salvation?

kodadog1024

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Haven't been here on a really long time. Long story short, I went to the doc last week and my BP was really high. Well, that just resurfaced my anxiety that was really bad about 5 years ago. It didn't take long for it to perpetuate into something more than maybe it shouldn't. Now I'm doubting my salvation, am I praying correctly? Is it really what I feel? Am I doing it right? This wasn't an issue BEFORE I went to the doctors. But after I heard I had high BP, it led to worry about my heart again, dying, going to Heaven, then now about my salvation. I've caught myself praying to God to come into my heart, accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior, etc, more than a few times. I can tell my mind is already exhausted. I keep getting these small waves of panic/anxiety and I just try to ride them out. So I'm back on Venaflaxin ER, working out still, trying to eat right, etc. Any other suggestions? Anyone else go through this junk? Thanks in advance.
 

Far Side Of the Moon

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Yeah I know how you feel..however for me, I dont doubt my salvation I know what I did sealed me on the spot as God's...but I'm concerned with how I live..barely pray,read ECT....wondering if that'll disqualify me for heaven... But somewhat like you, I get anxious thoughts when I read or pray..which has lead me to not doing much of either...im just here to say that I get it.
 
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kodadog1024

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decent day today, except for a few hours I was just exhausted mentally from worrying and the waves of anxiety. This is my routine, for the most part:
• 6:15 am workout (40 minutes)
• kids to school then off to work
• work from 8-5 LOVE my job
• try NOT to be on here or Googling for relief/reassurance
• I put myself back on Venafaxine ER 75 MG last week today, hoping to see better improvements in the next 2 weeks
• TRY to self talk (I've done this before, God has it, etc) pray every day for God to give me HIS strength and wisdom to walk through this on His terms.
• I can't even pinpoint what exactly I am afraid of, other than being where I was 5 years ago. It's just waves of anxiety, and then my mind races at every second then I get a slight break and prepare for the next wave and so it becomes this hamster ball effect.

Any other suggestions as to what to do to beat this (faster?) Last time it took be a better part of a year to get over it.

Also, staying away from fast food, candy, caffeine (1 cup of coffee in the morning)

I think I'm most worried about just feeling this way, how long it'll last, etc.
 
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Far Side Of the Moon

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decent day today, except for a few hours I was just exhausted mentally from worrying and the waves of anxiety. This is my routine, for the most part:
• 6:15 am workout (40 minutes)
• kids to school then off to work
• work from 8-5 LOVE my job
• try NOT to be on here or Googling for relief/reassurance
• I put myself back on Venafaxine ER 75 MG last week today, hoping to see better improvements in the next 2 weeks
• TRY to self talk (I've done this before, God has it, etc) pray every day for God to give me HIS strength and wisdom to walk through this on His terms.
• I can't even pinpoint what exactly I am afraid of, other than being where I was 5 years ago. It's just waves of anxiety, and then my mind races at every second then I get a slight break and prepare for the next wave and so it becomes this hamster ball effect.

Any other suggestions as to what to do to beat this (faster?) Last time it took be a better part of a year to get over it.

Also, staying away from fast food, candy, caffeine (1 cup of coffee in the morning)

I think I'm most worried about just feeling this way, how long it'll last, etc.
I'm glad you had a good day, and as for anxiety I get the confusion tou feel..wondering why you still feel anxious after exercising and being productive. Sometimes anxiety is like that, no real explanation ..just comes and goes.. But I feel , I think anxiety comes and goes as it pleases because we allow it. I'm very guilty of this, I just let anxious thoughts swarm in my head BC I'm taken aback by how scary they are..so I'm paralyzed. I get that.

It seems you've gone the extra mile by getting on medication and I'm happy youre trying, that's good. I'd love to give you some additional help :) ... Have you tried taking these wrong thoughts captive and casting them down like the bible says? ( casting down every vain imagination) you dont have to sink in your anxiety.

Just look up scriptures to combat your anxious thoughts, like say -- you have anxiety about sleeping ...you get scripture , the one that says God will allow you to lie down in peace and safety ( not sure which verse lol..work with me :) ) and you cast down the anxious thought, you can say, " I cast down down that thought in Jesus name, God says i will lie down in safety and my peace will be sweet " ... And you just keep doing this till you see results.

It may feel silly at first, but its needed BC the battle really begins and starts in the mind..

Also praying and pleading the blood of Jesus over your thoughts ,mind and what every else..helps alot..

Keep me updated and have a blessed day :)
 
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Far Side Of the Moon

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Also by casting down these wrong thoughts... Youre renewing your mind like the bible says... And getting closer to attaining the mind of Christ.

I feel anxiety, while it may run through our genes...and we might be predisposed to it...I think it anxiety develops from thinking negatively constantly over a long period of time.

So we have to start now to fix our messed up thinking.
 
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Mediaeval

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Trying to pray correctly and do it right cannot provide a stable basis of assurance. We have to look away from our works to God's grace. Assurance comes from outside ourselves, from the objective word of the Gospel: God is our Father, we are His children, Christ is our Redeemer and Savior.
 
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DannyKing

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• I can't even pinpoint what exactly I am afraid of, other than being where I was 5 years ago. It's just waves of anxiety, and then my mind races at every second
In the past 5 months, during my period of anxiety, I have been reading lots of books on anxiety and psychotherapy. When anxious people do not have something in particular that they fear, they probably have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Have you ever used or been treated with CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)? Since you have been suffering from anxiety for years, you probably already know this but just in case you don't, you might want to read a book on it. I read Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Teach Yourself series) by Christine Wilding and it has helped me understand how my anxious mind tortures itself. But even better, go see a CBT therapist.

CBT teaches that our negative thoughts bring about negative emotions, negative physical symptoms and negative actions which, in turn, reinforce and feed the negative thoughts. CBT teaches us to challenge these thoughts, question them and replace them with more realistic, positive thoughts. CBT works especially well with GAD because the fears are on things that don't exist, which make them easier to challenge. I find CBT harder to use in my case because the thing I fear is real and menacing. But even in my case, my fear is exaggerated.

One thing wrong about Christians is that we tend to overspiritualize mental disorders, which we don't do with physical diseases. When a person is having a heart attack, we don't just tell him to pray more or trust more, do we? Instead, we waste no time in calling an ambulance. But that is exactly what we do with anxieties and depressions, which also are diseases.

My counselor, who is a Christian and the director of a Christian counseling center, tells me that it is a terrible tragedy that some churches reject psychotherapy and medication and as a result, many Christians suffer unnecessarily.
 
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highhopes

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I have been there too! For the past 5 years or better I have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks. A lot of it comes from the instability I have lived with for so long. It has almost become a bad habit. The thoughts are worst on my days off work. I work out on the days I work but on the days I don't work...I have no strength or desire to even do it.

Every time I feel anxious, I start to ask God for help...but the anxiety then gets worse and I don't understand that at all. The only thing that helps is trying to do something else...playing my piano, etc. It does help but it can be very very hard to talk myself into focusing on other things. I am sick of dealing with it and wish I was more of a positive thinker. The more negative the thoughts enter my mind, the more I focus on them and the more anxious I get. I try to be positive but since I am in general a negative person, I need to learn how to de-program my mind of the old. Boy is that hard to do!!!!

My heart goes out to you and I am so sorry that you are struggling with it too. I will say a prayer for you.

God Bless You!
 
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kodadog1024

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Do you guys experience that your worry / anxiety changes constantly? Mine is about God, death and the fear that this episode I won't be able to handle it and spiral out of control like I did 5 years ago (5 years ago, I didn't even know what it was so before I could see a therapist, I was already 4 months into it, having been diagnosed with GAD). So throughout the day, I worry about God, then I will be ok with that, then my mind starts worrying about "death" and suicide. I'm generally happy and a goof-off, but this crap can rob you of that rather quickly. For instance, my mom and I were at the hospital last night for her, and she brought up that my brothers wife is "high" on the suicide tendency because she lost her job, she has a mental illness (she is bi-polar) and some other things. So, the first thing that runs through my mind is, "[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse], do I have to worry about suicide, will I get through this, am I a candidate, what if I have bi-polar like her and I don't know it"... so then I ruminate on that. I guess my question is, what tools do you guys use when those thoughts come up to "let them just be"? And then I'll ask myself, should I give this attention? Maybe I should be worried. Even writing this now makes me a little worried... You'd think after experiencing this 5 years ago and beating it, I would know how to deal with it by now. Thanks.
 
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My fear cycle is similar to yours but in a different sequence. Mine goes something like this:

1) I fear I might have cancer.
2) Then the fear of death will overwhelm me.
3) I pray to God for deliverance. Most of the time, prayer gives me peace but when the fear is particularly bad, I call out to Him and am met by a solid wall of silence.
4) I am then led to think if He is even there. I develop doubts of His existence.
5) This makes me panic because if my faith is in a lie then my death will lead to a cessation of my existence. This is terrifying.
6) I then chide myself for my frail faith. This makes me wonder if I have true, saving faith, if I am among the elect of God.
7) So, finally, I fear I might not be saved.

It's a horrible fear sequence. It makes my fear escalate. Just writing this makes me feel extremely uneasy. My stomach is filling up with acid.
 
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kodadog1024

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I hear ya Danny. Sometimes I just wish I could hear an "audible" voice/whisper" to reassure He is there. BUT, that is NOT what is best for either one of us, and maybe some other people too. IF He were to speak to either one of us, I'm pretty sure that we would STILL doubt it was Him speaking. Last night I was listening to a sermon on the radio and what it boiled down to was this fear of yours, this anxiety of mine, is God's way of letting us "rely " on Him, everyday, throughout the day. In our weakness, we find His strength, not ours. Ours would never be sufficient. Never. But His grace is enough for today. It's hard to focus on that when you are knee-deep in worry and fear and anxiety, trust me, I know. You almost think you are being punished, but that is not the case. He loves you man, deeper and wider than you or I can comprehend. And because you are going through this now, this is causing you to lean on Him more now than ever before. This is refining your faith like fire to gold. Polishing it.
 
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DannyKing

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Sometimes I just wish I could hear an "audible" voice/whisper" to reassure He is there. BUT, that is NOT what is best for either one of us, and maybe some other people too. IF He were to speak to either one of us, I'm pretty sure that we would STILL doubt it was Him speaking.
A couple of months ago, the senior pastor at my church, at the beginning of a sermon, said that during his college days an elder would invite him and his Christian friends to his home once a week for home-cooked meals followed by prayer and Bible study. During one of these sessions, the elder told them that he was going through a lot of anxiety, prompting him to prayer. During or after the prayer, he opened his eyes and saw a bright light in his home. After that, his anxiety disappeared. Please note that these people are not charismatics (they are from the Evangelical Free Church).

I'm not even sure why he said this in his sermon. It didn't seem to fit into the context. But those words have since filled me with a deep longing for a divine intervention of that nature. I don't understand why God did this for that elder whose faith is much greater than mine but not for me.
 
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highhopes

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Do you guys experience that your worry / anxiety changes constantly? Mine is about God, death and the fear that this episode I won't be able to handle it and spiral out of control like I did 5 years ago (5 years ago, I didn't even know what it was so before I could see a therapist, I was already 4 months into it, having been diagnosed with GAD). So throughout the day, I worry about God, then I will be ok with that, then my mind starts worrying about "death" and suicide. I'm generally happy and a goof-off, but this crap can rob you of that rather quickly. For instance, my mom and I were at the hospital last night for her, and she brought up that my brothers wife is "high" on the suicide tendency because she lost her job, she has a mental illness (she is bi-polar) and some other things. So, the first thing that runs through my mind is, "[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse], do I have to worry about suicide, will I get through this, am I a candidate, what if I have bi-polar like her and I don't know it"... so then I ruminate on that. I guess my question is, what tools do you guys use when those thoughts come up to "let them just be"? And then I'll ask myself, should I give this attention? Maybe I should be worried. Even writing this now makes me a little worried... You'd think after experiencing this 5 years ago and beating it, I would know how to deal with it by now. Thanks.

Yes I do find that it changes. Like I said, when I am at work, I am ok. It is when I am at home where it is the worst! I know that it is the devil trying to make me live in fear, and you would think that knowing that, I would be able to push the thoughts away but it doesn't work that way for me.

The only thing that helps is to try and do something to distract my mind from the thoughts. I have been writing those thoughts down too. I really wish I could say that it will go away on its own but we need to re-condition our thought patterns, which can be really hard to do.
 
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