You are driving the speed limit.
The windows are down.
It's a beautiful day.
Your children are in the back of your car chatting to each other.
You drive through an intersection, look to your left and see a semi just yards away, getting ready to slam into you and your family.
Close your eyes.
Can you feel that? That rush of adrenaline, the sweaty palms, churning stomach, swirling head? Can you feel the racing heart and the weakness in your body?
That feeling right there is what an anxiety is.
I know. Because I've been having an ongoing dance with anxiety for the past month.
This isn't the first time I've gone 10 rounds with panic. I've done my fair share of time fighting this particular demon.
However, this time it is prolonged. It is severe. And it is debilitating.
I am still functioning. I can get up, take care of my kids, and appear to be my normal self. But underneath the exterior I show everyone else, I am in an almost constant state of panic.
It comes from nowhere, slams me down and holds me there. A wave of panic so severe that I want to run far far away.
Ive tried everything to stop it. I've hidden it from almost everyone.
I've been ashamed. After all, it seems so self indulgent. So selfish. So petty and small.
I'm a seasoned pro at pretending everything is okay. And I've hidden it well.
But hiding it makes it worse. Imagine being in a room full of people you love where you are safe...and yet feeling like you are drowning. Lonely is not the word for that feeling.
This didn't come out of nowhere.
There are life changes behind this anxiety. Tough times. There is alot I have buried that my writing has begun to dig up.
As with anything hard, I have learned that God teaches through it.
I'm just waiting to learn.
(hint hint, God. Go ahead and school me, already!)
I am also a pro at never ever wanting to burden anyone. And never ever wanting to accept help.
But I am learning that I can't do that anymore. The people I have been given in my life are there for a reason. For me to serve.
And also, at times like these, to be served in turn.
So. In the past few days I have been saying- "I am scared. I need help. I don't know what to do."
And you know what? Nobody has rolled their eyes. Nobody has sighed and thought me dramatic. Nobody has acted as if I was being foolish.
All anybody has said is- "I am here for you."
So maybe God has already taught me part of this lesson- that pride and friendship cannot go hand in hand. That asking for help is an important part of my spiritual walk. And that being humble often includes admitting you are troubled and in need of prayer and love.
I can't say when and if this will end. Will it be with new medication? Will it be when our troubles are lightened? Will it be when life settles and I can see the light again?
I just don't know.
But what I do know is that I am not alone in this darkness. I have people who love me enough to walk with me until the light shines again, until this panic subsides.
They are willing to love me even when I am not the person they knew. They are willing to wait and pray until I return to myself.
I hope that when that happens, I will have learned what God is trying to teach me.
