A friend of mine has struggled with some pretty strong chronic anxiety issues for many years now and things have worsened. Mostly, he is constantly anxious and worrying all of the time. I've looked into what I can find on my own, other than the usual, avoid these foods, eat these foods, exercise...etc., but is there any other effective option? I've even tried looking into supplements, which seems to have helped him some, but it's not 100%. Are there any studies of parasitic infections that could cause this? Maybe he needs prayer as he could be under attack from the enemy? I'm at a loss. He has even prayed over it and he has told me he keeps running into all sorts of signs telling him to trust God and not worry in various forms. When he seems to get the message, he stops seeing those signs and he relaxes for a while, only to revert later. He has even gone to random churches where a pastor straight up said he felt compelled to give a specific sermon over again and it would pertain to his anxiety. He will see the same numbers on the clock over and over, feel like he has to look up a bible verse and it ends up being along the lines of trusting God (Psalm 91, John 11:11 for example) I think it helps him, but he still struggles. Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations? Clearly, I think God is answering him and telling him to be calm.
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Doing the hard work. Work thru what is triggering the worry/fear/fight-or-flight/lies/trauma/self. If someone can help with this, counselor, therapist, good friend, it's helpful.
Control the thoughts. If a lie comes thru, counter it immediately with truth or even something else. Like "Hell" comes in my head, I counter it with "Heaven" or sometimes "Hello" to get my mind out of that rut. The mind can be changed out of destruction and toxic thoughts, it takes time and work.
Fill the mind and heart with scripture.
Mindfulness and looking for positive. My mind wants to make lists of the bad things, I have to force myself to look for good things.
Listening prayer with God. Time alone with Him, thinking of something good and pleasant (like a memory of a good time). In this joyful mode, ask Him what He wants you to know. He can give a word or a picture that makes an instant connection with our Father and Creator.
Healthy diet and good sleep of course can help. But filling the mind with good has been key for me.
I second the breathing. Practice when calm so you can do it when stressed. When stressed, take a lot of long breaths...don't do 3 and then say, "It's not working!" No, do 10, 11, 12... before giving up : )
Thank you!