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10/27/2009
Resources for Counseling for Anxiety:
by James and Lynelle Buchanan, M.S., www.bbc.edu Crawford, Mark. The Obsessive-Compulsive Trap. Ventura, CA: Regal, 2004. You may be familiar with the television character Monk. He is a former detective who was removed from the force because of an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Each week he is able to overcome his disorder long enough to solve whatever mystery is at hand. While OCD in Monk’s case is played for laughs, it is no laughing matter for those who suffer from this particular anxiety. Most people will not struggle to the extreme as Monk, but it can be very debilitating for the person dealing with it. This book helps to address the issue from a medical standpoint, explaining what the difference is between obsessive and compulsive disorders. The author reveals the many causes of OCD, and why it also occurs in teenagers and children. He also examines the spiritual issues related to the disease, and how to help counselees overcome OCD. Medicinal options are explored at the end of the book, revealing some of the confusion regarding medicating OCD. This is a great primer into OCD. If you are helping someone with OCD, or are just interested in what it really looks like (apart from television land), pick up this book. Hart, Archibald. The Anxiety Cure. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999. Most people are familiar with the term, “panic attack.” They may even know someone who has suffered from one. However, most of us are uninformed as to what a panic attack actually is, much less how to help someone who suffers from them. Dr. Hart’s book is designed to help us better understand what is happening within our minds and bodies during such attacks. He explores the science and medicine behind modern attempts to help those struggling with panic attacks. He also reveals some of the very basic activities that people can incorporate into their lives to help prevent these attacks and lower their overall stress level. The main claim of the book, however, is a proven method to help overcome these attacks. It involves a seven-week program that focuses on different areas each week, with homework that carries over throughout the length of the program. Be careful in assuming that this seven-week program will “fix” your counselees, but this book is filled with other helpful tips and suggestions that counselors can use in their sessions. Young, Ed, Jr. Know Fear. Nashville, Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003. Fear is being fed to us everywhere we look. Whether it’s the newspaper, nightly news, Internet blogs, everything is bleak, and fear is seemingly the only natural response. Yet for the ones who have faith their faith and trust in Christ, fear is not necessary. Pastor Ed Young has written this book to help Christians overcome major fears like that of helplessness, the future, commitment, failure, loneliness and death. In each chapter, he continually points us to solutions found in the Word of God and in the person of Jesus Christ. The closing chapters of the book are designed to remind us of the need for a biblical fear of God. What is great about this book is that each chapter concludes with the main points of the chapter summarized with appropriate Scripture written to support each statement. It makes for great advice and Scripture to give to counselees to memorize in their struggle with fear. A word of caution, though. Pastor Ed has a unique way of communicating truth. His brain operates on a wholly different level than most people who walk this earth. He is able to make connections that, to him, make sense, but you might struggle to make the same connections. Nevertheless, it is still a good book to own. Alcorn, Randy. If God Is Good. Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2009. Perhaps the greatest argument against a belief in the God of the Bible is the reality of evil and suffering in the world. Many, if not most, of our counselees will be touched by that suffering. As a result, we will find ourselves answering questions like, “Why did God let this happen?” “What did I do to deserve this?” “Where was God when I needed Him most?” Randy Alcorn has done the Christian community a huge service by writing this extremely personal book on evil and suffering in the world, and how to develop a proper world view in the midst of tragedy. Written mostly to deal with the atheists who use the argument of evil to disprove the reality of God, there is much in here to help us answer those difficult questions listed above. There are forty-five chapters broken into eleven major sections, each dealing with a different aspect of the problem of evil and suffering. Each chapter is filled with personal stories and biblical truth, all of which lead us back to trusting in the God who is sovereign over all.
10/27/2009
One Word to Relieve Anxiety:
by William Gaultiere, Ph.D., ChristianSoulCare.com Some time ago I was meeting with Dallas Willard and in the course of our conversation he asked me, “If you had one word to describe Jesus what would it be?” How would you answer that question? Close your eyes for a moment and consider this. Write down the first words that come to mind. If you could only use one word to describe Jesus what would it be? Jesus is the Word of all words! His is the name above all names. He is so magnificent and multi-faceted how could we pin Him down to just one word! And yet, I found this to be a very meaningful exercise. The words we pick and the ones we don’t pick may have something to say about our relationship with Him. Here are the words I thought of… Jesus is… Love… Holy… Lord… Teacher… Risen… Healer… (These are all good words to describe Jesus.) Then Dallas looked into my eyes and shared with me his word. You need to know that this was a special moment for me. He’s my key mentor. I’ve read every book he’s written more than once. I’ve listened (many times) to every audio teaching series of his I can find. In the last six years he has discipled me to Jesus in ways that have impacted all that I am and everything that I do as a Christian, husband, father, friend, psychologist, minister, writer… What one word would Dallas Willard use to describe Jesus? “Relaxed.” Relaxed? I would have never thought of that word! But ever since that conversation, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Jesus being relaxed. Think about it. Jesus had far and away the most important and dangerous mission that any person has ever had or ever will have. He had to wait 30 years to begin working on His calling and then he had just three years of public ministry to fulfill it. And yet Jesus was relaxed. Jesus needed to convince a large number people that although He was a man, He was also the unique Son of God. And His followers needed to be so confident in Him as their Lord and Savior that they would give their lives to lead other people to know Him—even to the point of torture and death. And yet Jesus was relaxed. Jesus could only be in one location at a time. And when He left one city to go to another He left behind people that hadn’t been healed or discipled (Matthew 13:58). Most people—even his own family at first—rejected Him and His message (Luke 4:28-30, Mark 3:20, 31-34). Many of the people He discipled deserted Him (John 6:66). And even His faithful disciples didn’t understand who He was until after He rose from the dead (Mark 8:31-33). And yet Jesus was relaxed. The fate of all humankind—past, present, and future—depended on Jesus successfully completing His gospel mission! And yet Jesus remained relaxed! When I have big responsibilities I start to feel overwhelmed… When I am stressed by situations anxious feelings rise up within me… When I am criticized or rejected, I’m tempted to react by feeling bad about myself or getting angry… When I have lots to do I tend to hurry… But not Jesus. How did Jesus remain at peace when He was under pressures much, much harder than I face? He practiced what He preached! He lived in the same “easy yoke” that He offers to us. Jesus was the first disciple: he apprenticed Himself to the Father, learning to live out the things He would later teach. Our sinless Lord “grew” (Luke 2:52); He “learned” (Hebrews 5:8) how to: *Maintain moment-by-moment submission to God’s will, never saying or doing anything except as the Father directed Him (John 6:38, 12:50). *Pray without ceasing (John 11:42, 1 Thessalonians 5:17). *Be so dependent upon the Holy Spirit as to be filled with His presence and power without limit (John 3:34). *Bless those that cursed Him (Luke 22:34). In my discipleship to Jesus I am learning how to follow His example and walk with Him in His “easy yoke,” His “unforced rhythms of grace” (Matthew 11:28, MSG). And so more and more I too am relaxed.
10/27/2009
The Prescription for Anxiety:
Eugene R. Schlesinger and Sam R. Williams, Ph.D. This world is full of uncertainty. Despite our best efforts, we are not able to control our destiny or guarantee the future. And, in response to that, we frequently engage in the time-honored tradition of worrying. As the most common emotional issue in the United States (affecting around 25% of the population), anxiety presents a real and formidable challenge to people, and the counselors who help them. And, on this important issue, God is not silent. He frequently addresses fear/anxiety/worry in the Scriptures, and provides concrete counsel that we would do well to heed. Most are familiar with Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Part of that sermon deals with the issue of anxiety (6:25-34). With genuine pastoral concern, Jesus helps anxious people to see that there are more important things in life (v. 25); that God will take care of them, no matter what (v. 26, 28-32); that their worry is counterproductive anyway; and that their best approach is to pursue God, who meets all their needs (v. 33). In the midst of all this, He directs their attention away from themselves and their uncertain future, and toward God, who is certain. He turns their minds away from the incessant “what-ifs?” of the future to the “what-nows?” of the present, where they can actually do something (v. 34). He shows them that their faith deficit is the cause of their fear surplus (v. 30). Realizing and resting in these facts helps to quell the storms of anxiety that rage within the soul (cf. Mark 4:35-41). In addition to concrete advice for the anxious, Jesus also exemplifies the way counselors should approach the anxious in their care. Don’t miss the subtle humor, as Jesus points to the birds and flowers, for which God so richly provides, while anxious people worry that he will forget about them. As Jesus does this, He is showing His anxious people that their worries are, frankly, a little silly. It’s important that anxious people see that there is no good reason for their anxiety. And yet, as Jesus corrects them there is no hint of condescension or mockery in His voice. He is not belittling those who struggle. No, out of genuine love and concern, He shows them the futility of their anxieties. In the same way, when we approach people struggling with anxiety, we must do so with love, compassion, and understanding. There is more. We’ve seen that Jesus prescription for anxiety is to trust that God will care for them. Most people talking with a Christian counselor would affirm this. However, as we well know, anxiety often persists. People also need to know what sort of God takes care of them, and the basis for that care. In Colossians 1:15-23, we get a picture of Jesus that should forever dispel our fears and anxieties. In this passage, Christ is lifted up as supreme over all things. All things were created by Him, and belong to Him (v. 16), and He upholds all things in their current state (v. 17). This Jesus not only cares for us, He quite literally has everything under control! So, we can say to fearful people what Peter said in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourself and put all your anxieties into the mighty hand of God, because He cares for you” (our paraphrase). Not only that, the Jesus depicted in this passage is also the Jesus who gave His life for His people (vv. 20-23). Though at one point we were alienated and hostile against Him, He has brought reconciliation to us through His death on our behalf, so that now we are holy, blameless and above reproach in His presence. This guarantees complete security. His work on the cross has secured our current wellbeing and our future destiny. This Jesus who rules over everything also redeems us from our worst enemies—sin, Satan, and self. Thus we see that in our anxieties, the same God who rules over and controls all things, loves us and is so invested in caring for us that He was willing to die for us. As the hymn says, “My strength, my solace from this spring: that He who lives to be my King, once died to be my Savior.” In Philippians 4:5-8, Paul directs Christians to “be anxious for nothing,” but rather to abound in gratitude and prayer. Gratitude recognizes all that God has done to provide for our need. Prayer expresses faith that He will continue doing so. Through this, we are assured that “the peace of God…will guard [our] hearts and…minds.” In all this we are directed to think about certain things (whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy). Though other things may fit the bill, each of these qualities is exemplified in the Gospel of Jesus. It is on these things that we set our minds, rather than the never-ending uncertainties in life. Thus, our hearts and our minds are protected from anxiety. In our anxiety, we must turn our attention away from the things that make us anxious and to God, who provides for and protects us. We turn our attention to the glorious God who has made, owns, and rules over all things, the God who shows us His love for us by dying for us, the God who promises us a life and a future, no matter what our fears may say. Jesus directs us to faith (Matthew 6:30). But faith is not a Pollyannaish notion that everything will always go right. No, faith is the recognition that we ourselves cannot accomplish what is needed, and the trust that God will and has through Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf. Sometimes fearful things will happen to us. But, with eyes fixed to the cross, we can “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” and still “fear no evil” because God is with us.
10/27/2009
The Anatomy of Anxiety:
Formatio Editorial by Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., www.bcsfn.com I believe that God intended for us to experience a mood that is the “flip side” of anxiety. If we are to understand the “disorder” of anxiety, we must understand the “order” that sin has disordered. What normal, healthy, God-given process has become perturbed in anxiety? Vigilance Anxiety is vigilance out of control and out of context. God designed us with the mood of vigilance which is meant to move us to relationship and impact. With vigilance, God puts us in fast motion, urges us to act quickly in response to a life threat. Anxiety is “stuck vigilance.” Vigilance is proper, constructive concern for the well-being of others, the world, and self. Anxiety is vigilance minus faith in the Father. Vigilance results in tend and befriend behavior. Anxiety results in flight or fight behavior. Anxiety is vigilance that does not turn us back to trust. It leads us to a toxic scanning of our environment. God says, “Be vigilant! Be alert! Take your stand, and having done all, stand firm! Quit ye like men!” Anxiety says, “What if? I can’t handle this! I have to run. I have to fight. I have to self-protect!” Anxiety is scanning without standing. Instead of scanning and standing, we scan, and scan, and scan… It is continual worry. Continued “what if?” thinking and feeling. The Family Tree of Anxiety Vigilant faith, anxiety, and anger are cousins. Their family tree? Vigor, from which we gain three related words: vigilante, vigil, and vigorous. Anxiety and anger involve vigilance without faith and without love. They are non-trust, non-relational responses to threat. Vigilance, on the other hand, is a trust, relational response to threat. It relates to others by protecting the person being threatened. It relates to others by engaging, challenging, confronting (not attacking) the person doing the threatening. It relates to God by trusting that what He calls me to do, he equips me to fulfill. Picture it this way:
- Anger: The Fight Response to Threat—Attack: Vigilante Justice. Taking matters into my own hands.
- Anxiety: The Flight Response to Threat—Retreat: Vigil without Action. Taking my safety into my own hands. “If I worry enough, at least I feel as if I have some control.”
- Vigilance: The Faith Response to Threat—Befriend and Tend (Engage and Protect): Vigorous Response.
10/22/2009
A New Name:
Yesterday we had our monthly AACC chapel service. Each month we gather as a staff for devotions, praise & worship and prayer time for the AACC and its members. The devotional was given by Dr. Eric Scalise, AACC Vice President of Professional Development (aka: VP of “Stuff”). Dr. Scalise gave an uplifting and encouraging message of hope to all of us when we find ourselves in the midst of hard times. I wanted to encourage you all with this verse he shared: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” (Revelation 2:17) I have read this passage before, but for some reason this particular verse stood out in a new way. We were challenged to remember that as Christians, our security lies in Jesus Christ. The things of this world have no power over us. God sees everything we are going through. In fact, He already has a new name planned for each of us who follow Him faithfully! He is sovereign. He is in control. He sees. He knows. Trust Him today with everything. For someday, we will see Him face-to-face, and that’s all that will matter! Amy Feigel, LPC; AACC Director of Member Care
November 2009
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