Christians suffer from anxiety because they're no different then anyone else...Jesus.

i struggle to believe in god with what im going through and so many others suffering for how long must this anxiety i battle with go on?

Anxiety is a real illness, just like the multitude of others. The difference is, this one impacts the mind. Could be due to a chemical imbalance or learned behaviors from traumatic past experiences that have trained and conditioned our bodies and minds to react a certain way.

I'm a Christian. I'm the head of my church's drama team, and I work with the youth. I also suffer from anxiety and depression. The existence of this condition doesn't mean God doesn't exist, anymore than the existence of influenza or West Nile or anything else.

Becoming a Christian doesn't make all of the the things that led us to this point go away. Traumatic situations are traumatic situations, regardless of the disposition of one's faith. We aren't immune to a childhood full of trauma, or a genetic chemical imbalance that predisposes us to be anxious or depressed.

People of faith can use this condition to grow in their faith. I can tell you that since my anxiety got really bad, just before Christmas, I've taken some strides in the understanding of my faith. Rather than let it cast doubt, I chose to use it to grow and learn. This is true no matter what you believe or where your faith is.

We can allow our suffering to strengthen our faith, but we still need to move forward and treat it, just as we would any other ailment.

It is a very difficult test of faith. What we have to remember is that it's okay to have doubt and sometimes to not believe in God. God does not expect us to be unshakable. He knows that we are human and that we are both good and evil at the same time. He forgives us when we stray and welcomes us back with open arms.

I didn't have a relationship with God for many years. When I surrendered my life to Christ, and began to know our Heavenly Father, I started to learn about spiritual warfare. Christians aren't exempt from any efforts by evil forces to turn our heads. I'm happiest when I am humble and helpful. People trying to serve the Lord are at their humanly best when doing the bidding of God. What better way for evil to triumph than to make us defective with something like anxiety? Being stricken with an anxiety disorder doesn't mean we're being bad or aren't trying to be good Christians. It merely means that we're in a target group for Satans attention in his battle to turn people away from Him. Evil knows we can't be loving, giving, helping, if we're consumed with anxiety. It means we need to push back. Faith without works is dead. I need to focus on faith (trusting the Father and believing in His power), and doing my work here on earth to get better... counseling, education, and medication. This is what I believe. Everybody is free to agree or disagree.

it is hard for me with anxiety and all the worrying b/c my religion is about not worrying and putting ur trust in a higher power....so it helps to think tht its a test of fears something to make me stronger :-)

My opinion only- God is Pure Unconditional Love and He place His Holy Spirit whithin each one of us to remind us of that Love which is Always present. But think of how we use our minds - when a situation or fear presents itself, do we DO what helps us go to that loving Prescence? Or do we rely on our own past learning "the ego"
oh, this is the way it happened in the past, so I'm stuck" we only see things through the filter of our own thoughts, beliefs and emotions.
But God has a higher vision for us - but it takes dedication, a desire to see through"illusions" and ask for help, sincerely.
Whne we are feeling alone, separate, etc. it is because we have gone into a place in our minds that God cannot go - go know nothing of fear - fear is a human emotion and has been with us for millions of years and created countless destruction. But there is a light within you - not up in the "sky" but within your own being.
As you book said, Would God put the answer somewhere where you culd not find it? All the great spiritual teachers say we must go within our own minds and find what is blocking the awareness of love from our life. And in every case, it will be a something other than an awareness of love for yourself or another. These are the things that keep the awareness of God's love from us.
If you notice your talk during the day, and if you are attacking or condeming yourself - you are doing that (innocently - forgiveness and lovetoward these thoughts is the only remedy) know that you are doing this to God's precius child.
He can never stop loving you - it is impossible - it is only you listening to your own unloving thoughts about yourself. Once you accept that God loves you (warts and all) you can start dropping the lies that you've been telling yourself.
THAT is spiritual "warfare" in my opinion - not demons or the like,, but the lies that we have accepted into our holy minds given us by God.
Pursah

Sorrry for the horrible spelling - did that quickly
Purrs

I am a Christian (not as good as I want to be) but I know that my Lord and Savior is watching over me. I also feel that as weak and scared as we feel 99% of the time. I feel that he has picked US, because we are stronger than we believe we are. I have my good days and I have a ton of bad days, but thru it all at night I thank him for this. Because when I do have the good days it makes me appreciate the smaller things more.

Prayer and talking to God have helped me a lot. It consoles me.

You have to remember that anxiety and depression are illnesses. So even though being a Christian, living by Bible principles, can help our lives, it's not medicine. Just like someone with a physical/medical illness needs medication to feel better, those of us who suffer with mental illness/depression/anxiety may need medication or therapy to feel good. It certainly isn't an indication of a lack of faith or anything like that.
Hope that helps a little...

I remember having a bad panic attack and crying out to god to help. He didn't. I told my girlfriend that god didn't help. She gave the best advice anyone has ever given. "Maybe god is telling you to go see a doctor". So I did. I am on medication. It has given my life back. If anyone of us were a diabetic we would not hesitate to go on insulin if we had to. We would not hesitate to go to a doctor for a physical illness. So trust in god that he gave us doctors to treat mental illness. It is not a lack of faith but just plain practical. I totally related to your story and have had my own struggles with faith. I still pray to god but I will also see an optometrist for my eyes. I have a tumor which I am going to have surgically removed. I will also get psychological help as well. God has blessed us with so many gifted people to also help us.

I have also had anxiety since I was a child. I am 57 so there was not much treatment avail other than Valium. My mother told me this several years later. She would not put me in Valium. I found being educated about panic attacks really helped. I suffered for many years without really knowing what I had. I just thought j was crazy. I must say that I have a great empathy for mental illness and wish that people were more accepting and knowledgeable of it