My strength in my faith and belief in God is what makes this condition tolerable. I ask God everday for guidance and help in dealing with my anxiety. My therapist told me that the people with this condition are often the people that are nice, caring, warm, and think of others before themselves. She does say that it takes a special person to have this condition. I guess a person can take that anyway that they would like to interpret it, but I would like to think that this condition makes me a better person. My prayer is that everyone here also finds peace and the patience that is needed to cope with this condition. May peace be with you as we are thankful for all that we have been blessed with. While it may seem dark at times, we must look toward the light of whatever you believe in.

I feel some of the same way as you do. I am a christian and some days I just feel like I let God down himself just by being down and not just praising him like your suppose to do in time of need. Don't know if that makes any since to you. I have a lot to be thankful for though at least.

Christbaby.....I think your screen name say's it all. I doubt your a let down to him.............Be blessed!

I think of many other things that I could be going through. As a christian I have great faith that the lord has a purpsoe for each of us. I have faith that no matter what happens the lord will not allow anything to over come us. For he has over come this world and the things in it. I think we will all have a measure of anxiety if we didn't then how would we ever trust in the lord. We would never learn to lean on him. Yes I would have loved to have never had a panic attack or anxiety but I also anm thankful because I be able to share about the lord and I am thankful I never had to take and meds for them. I know that is only because of the lord.

Faith has kept me going throughout my life. Anxiety has certainly been a cross to bear but I've learned to deal with it sometimes better than at other times. God has always been there for me. All I have to do is turn my will over to him.

I didnt read many replies but sometimes , with anxiety , I struggle in my faith with god, I believe that I somehow deserve to be cured, when I know its not the case, in fact I havent lived a live that is pleasing to him in many ways, So some days I see it as punishment, which is the WRONG way to think, But I am christian who struggles with anxiety and sometimes struggles with my faith because of it!

I appreciate your post. Anxiety mad me more compassionate...fast!! I think it's all part of my journey...it's changed from what I had planned, but so far, so good. I know it seems like there are people who breeze through life, but it's amazing what people deal with...I once heard that if you could choose any cross, you would pick your own. My faith has acutally gotten stronger in recent years...maybe anxiety helped me mature. I don't sweat the small stuff with God. He can take it!! You can be mad or doubt...someone once told me that faith and doubt are opposite ends of the same stick. Peace!

My faith in God is what I concentrate on everyday. Some days my anxiety makes it harder than others but I try to stay the course. God knows what he is doing with me, even though I dont know the purpose of this anxiety and depression he does. I have faith he will bring me through.

I like this topic, I remember a therapist saying to me that I don't seem to religious. No I wasn't quoting bible verses, or saying praise the Lord in my conversation . (I was at a clinic and they paired us up because she was a pastor's daughter and I live in a religious environment) After that I could not relate to her on any level. I was going through a time and I didn't know what to do and my mom said just pray. Did she know that is all I have been doing?

So I too questioned my faith. Do I have this problem of anxiety and depression because I did not have enough faith? If I missed mass and I have because of my anxiety and depression, people would try to make me feel guilty. Like I am having this condition because I am not going to church, I am weak.

What they don't know is that I believe Jesus is with me in my good and bad moments. If I go to church or not. I don't believe God failed me or I am failing God. But like you said I am thankful because of this anxiety and depression, I do see things more with gratitude. I have more compassion for others. I don't allow someone to treat someone bad. I know it is important to lift someone spirits, to be there for them. That a smile and human touch can change someone's day. That this too shall pass. and so much more, but I don't want to bore you. I don't think I would have appreciated all this without depression and anxiety. Peace to you too!

That was well said. No one should question another persons faith.

I am glad that you brought up this topic. I am Catholic and feel that I have a good personal relationship with God, although, I do sometimes get frustrated and question why I have this cross to bear. But then I try to remind myself that there are many other crosses to bear that are much worse, such as cancer or a disease that leaves you paralyzed. There are also people out there who don't have food to eat or homes to live in. Thinking about that always kind of makes me feel better although I would like to know what it is like to not be constantly worrying.

I know that God will get me where I need to be and I just need to look at this problem as a challenge. I also think that things would be a lot easier if people who did not suffer from anxiety would understand what we go through. I would be so much more relaxed but 99% of the time I am suffering in silence and putting on a happy face.

I will say a prayer for everyone!

I wonder if all of us are "Jesuses", in the sense that we all endure burdens and suffer.

Faith, in God, as well as in the "God" within us, that is, a God of loving kindness, always pulls me through. Whenever I'M feeling like crap, I try to do something kind FOR SOMEONE ELSE, and it makes me feel better.

I don't find faith in religion, however. Religion only adds to my anxiety. No, I prefer to worship and do God's works in my own way, a kind, gentle, slow-moving way. God moves much slower than us (six days to create the Earth are six billion years in God's time), so we need only relax and move slower to get in touch with God. We're too rushed. We're like angry ants in modern society, trying to get whatever we need before we die. Gotta slow down. It'll make us live longer, and not afraid of the afterlife, because we've already created a little heaven on Earth here and now-!

I have great faith that wavers every single day! I have learned not to try to understand what my pitiful human brain can't possibly understand. The universe and how it works and what God's plan could possibly be are beyond me. I ask Him for help. I ask Him for guidance. I try to be a good person. And I pray for relief from this nightmare I am living each day. I must believe that I can get back to myself eventually and that God will guide me. If I don't believe that then all is lost. I am so thankful for a loving understanding family and for this support group.

Perhaps I'm the only one here, but I'm an atheist and I do not believe in a God.

And so because I don't believe I don't have any faith or have any spiritual benefit to do with my condition.

However If one chooses to believe and it helps them recover from any condition or it gives them positivity or strength I think that is good for them.

Not to discount any person's faith in a higher power or lack thereof, but, when you're dying, facing the inevitable, Red, what will you be thinking then? To me, a belief in subatomic reality (call it heaven or hell or some sort of netherworld where energy continues to exist) seems the only logical solution, and there have been too many accounts of near-death experiences, where people have had the same sensation, of ascending their physical being, looking down upon their bodies on the operating table, accident site, whatever, then further ascending through some sort of corridor toward an extremely white light, only to be turned away because these souls still had some purpose to fulfill in their earthly coils, and were thus sent back to breathing in their physical bodies, for it to be merely myth or fable. I find it rather comforting really. There may not be a God, as in supreme being, a deity, but I believe there is most certainly an afterlife, a place we go when we depart our bodies. And we can enter it, to some degree, every time we sleep, in our dreams.

But that's just me.