panic attacks

Will these panic attacks ever go away?

February 19, 2012 by Russ Pond

I’ve asked this question hundreds of times, maybe thousands of times. I’ve even waffled in my answer over the years. Am I destined to live with panic attacks the rest of my life, or can I be free?

When I was younger and the panic attacks were frequent, I was desperate for hope. I was searching for something to alleviate that onslaught of fear and confusion. Alcohol provided temporary relief, but it always left me more anxious and panicky the next day when it wore off. Medication was helpful, but like alcohol, the panic and fear would return after the medication was out of my system.

I spent lots of time sitting in front of counselors, psychiatrists, doctors, psychologists–anyone who could help me get out of this terrifying condition. But for years, there was no relief. It was then that I landed at the conclusion that maybe, like diabetes or high cholesterol, I would have this “disease” the rest of my life. I had lost hope.

Then, something happened that changed everything. I met a gentleman who had lived a life of fear and panic attacks, but now he was free. Could it be? Can you get free from fear and panic attacks?

This new information set me on a course to learn as much as I could about freedom from fear, anxiety and panic attacks. And, here’s what I learned:

Freedom is possible

Too often, we convince ourselves that freedom is impossible or elusive. Or maybe we believe it’s possible for others, but not for me. We often let our experience and feelings determine what’s true for us. We may even start to think freedom is possible, and then hope builds, but WHAM! an attack hits and we lose hope again.

The key for freedom is what you choose to believe. You have to believe that freedom is possible. Freedom will never come if you cannot change the way you think. If you don’t know where to start, then start with a prayer asking God to transform your thinking.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think (Romans 12:2).

I believe that everyone can experience freedom from anxiety, fear and panic attacks. It is not something you have to live with the rest of your life. You can be free!

Freedom is a process

Most people want instant freedom, but this often leads to discouragement. We want to pray a power prayer to receive a heavenly zap that’ll take it away. But, I don’t know that prayer. It has been my experience that freedom is a process. For some, it’s a quick process and for others, it’s a bit longer.

The key is to get started. Once you can believe that freedom is possible, then you can start taking steps to get free.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin (Zechariah 4:10).

A couple of years ago, I blogged a series of articles on Freedom and summarized them all in this blog post. It’s a great starting point for those of you seeking freedom.

Freedom is for everyone

Sometimes, we convince ourselves that freedom is for others, but not me. Again, we often let experience and feelings dictate this “lie” in our lives. We want freedom, but we don’t experience it, so we wrongly conclude that we’ll always have this “condition.” That’s just not true.

It is absolutely essential for you to understand that freedom is available to you. Jesus paid an incredible price so that you can boldly approach God in your time of need.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

In Christ, you have everything you need to receive freedom (Ephesians 1). Let this message plant a seed of hope in your heart. Today, I am walking in incredible freedom from fear and panic attacks. And so can you!

Prayer: I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

Stopping a Panic Attack

February 5, 2012 by Russ Pond

For anyone who has experienced a full blown panic attack or anxiety attack, it can be quite terrifying. The confusion and terror make it difficult to think clearly. Stopping the attack seems impossible while it’s happening. The key to stopping a panic attack is to plan ahead and know how to respond before it happens.

It’s important to remember that panic attacks are both physical and mental.

Physical

They are physical because your body is releasing adrenaline and triggering the fight or flight response. Stress and trauma can increase the sensitivity of those fear chemicals making the it easier to slip into panic.

One method for reducing your sensitivity to panic attacks is to exercise and monitor your diet. They can help reduce or eliminate the excess adrenaline in your body. In my own life, exercise and diet have played a huge role in stopping the attacks.

Mental

Thoughts, memories and emotional wounds can often trigger the body’s release of adrenaline. And in most cases, the emotional pain is so deep and hidden that we don’t even know what’s triggering it. I have found that digging deep into my own personal freedom has been very, very helpful in finding the cause of those mental triggers.

The other challenge with the mental side of panic attacks is that our minds will often race when the panic hits. Typically, in a fight or flight situation, there is a very real danger, and your mind was designed to respond to that danger either by running away or standing to fight. The problem with panic attacks is that it’s often rooted in an inward pain, not an outward threat. So, our minds race to find the threat but find nothing. So, we conclude that it’s something inwardly dangerous like cancer or that we’re going crazy. We must learn to recognize these lies.

Over the years, as panic would hit, I tried many different things to stop the attack. Below are some steps I’ve taken that have been very helpful in stopping an attack:

Be Prepared

When an attack hits, it can be so terrifying that it’s hard to think clearly. We tend to respond instinctively instead of proactively. It’s important to prepare yourself on how you will respond. Just like athletes train their muscles so that motion and movement are automatic, so must we train our body and mind to respond instinctively to the rush of adrenaline that triggers panic.

Recognize

Panic can often sneak up on you before you know it and set things into motion before you have time to stop it. By recognizing those feelings, thoughts and sensations, you can spot the precursors to panic giving you a heads up. Then, you can move carefully and strategically into the next few steps…

Breath Slowly

In almost every case of panic or anxiety attacks, breathing moves from a normal, slow rhythmic state to a shallow, rapid state. Your body is preparing for danger, so everything in your body changes. Your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises, and your breathing gets rapid to prepare for the dangerous situation. It’s essential to get your breathing under control. Studies have shown that by slowing your breathing, you can stop panic immediately.

Here’s what I do. I start a four-by-four breathing pattern. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold it out for 4 seconds. And repeat. Breathe deeply with your abdomen, watching your stomach move in and out. It may be hard at first because your body is not used to slower breathing in a panic state, but I have found over and over again that this step is very powerful in stopping panic.

Don’t Fight

Panic attacks are cyclic. When it hits, your mind races releasing adrenaline. Then, when the adrenaline dumps into your body, it causes your mind to race even more, dumping more adrenaline. It cycles deeper and deeper until it feels terrifying and unstoppable.

In the early 70’s, before panic attacks were even called “panic attacks”, Dr. Claire Weekes pioneered this “don’t fight” solution for those suffering with “nervous conditions.” She would often challenge her patients to not fight those incoming, fearful thoughts and just let them “float on past.” This is very helpful in stopping panic because when you fight the panic, you are doing exactly what your body is gearing up for: fight or flight. Fighting releases more adrenaline, so don’t fight it.

I have found that when panic strikes and my body starts to go numb with those sensations, if I can avoid fighting those feelings and let them sweep over me, that cycle of fear is broken immediately and there’s no panic. It’s hard, however, to let those feelings rush in without resisting. They are terrifying. But, that’s why I…

Pray

Faith has been essential for me in breaking the cycle of fear and panic. The more I learn to trust God, the more I can resist the urge to fight those feelings. I encourage you to learn more about what God thinks of you and how he wants to help you.

These are some scriptures I often remember when panic strikes:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

These steps have helped me break the cycle of panic attacks. Today, panic no longer has a grip on me. There are a few, rare occasions where it rears its ugly head, but the cycle is broke quickly and the panic never spins out of control. I call them “zaps of adrenaline.” As you learn these steps and trust in God, I am confident that you too can stop the cycle of panic attacks.

Prayer: “Father, help me learn these steps before any panic strikes so that I can break this cycle and stop the panic attacks.”

Grace: Do I Have a Sinful Nature?

December 11, 2011 by Russ Pond

As we continue to grow in our understanding of grace, it is essential that we really understand this concept of “sin nature”. What is it and how does it apply today? I believe most churches teach a wrong concept of “sin nature”, and in doing so, many people are trapped in a fear-based, anxiety-provoking understanding of sin.

What is a “Sinful Nature”?

The Bible says we are born with a nature to sin–an inward motivation to sin. We don’t learn to sin; rather, it comes natural to us since birth. When we come into this world, our spirits are dead and we must be born again (John 3:3-7).

Today, under the New Covenant, there are only two states of existence: the natural and the spiritual. This is how Paul describes those two states by comparing Adam and Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:47-49,

The first man was of the earth, made of dust;
The second Man is the Lord from heaven.

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust;
And as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust,
We shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

To move from the natural (state of Adam) to the spiritual (state of Christ), you must be born again. Once you are born again, your flesh has been crucified. According to Galatians 2:20, it is no longer you who live, but Christ in you.

The Sin Nature is Dead in Christ

Once you have put your faith in Christ and are born again, your sin nature is dead. You have died to your sinful nature and are now alive “in Christ”. You are now a new creation:

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, emphasis mine).

Your old self, your old nature has “passed away.” All things “have become new.” It’s a finished work!

You no longer have a sinful nature. You have the nature of Christ inside of you.

Sinful Nature versus Flesh

Today’s modern teaching of the “sinful nature” is based on some recent translations of the Bible. Modern translations like the New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT) use the term “sinful nature” throughout the New Testament. However, it’s more of an interpretation than a translation. In both the King James Version (KJV) and New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, there is no use of “sinful nature”. It’s only in newer translations.

So, what is this word being used for “sinful nature”?

The Greek word that NIV and NLT translate “sinful nature” is the word sarx. It is defined as “the flesh, the meat of an animal, the body (as opposed to the soul or spirit)”.

The KJV and NKJV version simply translate sarx as “flesh”. It’s your body, the natural part of you that experiences this reality through the five senses–taste, touch, smell, hear and see. The flesh is very different than the sinful nature.

Take Romans 7:18 for example and read both the NIV and the NKJV:

“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18, NIV).
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18, NKJV).

Why is this important? Your flesh is this tangible part of you where sin resides. Sin lives in your flesh. But, if you believe that sin in your soul and spirit, that your nature is to sin, then your identity is all about sin management. But, if you can believe that your nature is good, that you are a child of God, then there is hope to live a victorious life. You can conquer the flesh, because Christ did.

But, I still sin.

So do I. As long as you are alive, your flesh will be prone to sin. But, God has somehow uniquely separated your soul and spirit from your body when you become a believer. Your body is dead to sin. Romans 8:10 says, “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” In Christ, God considers your body dead because of sin. So, we are encouraged to do the same: “Consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11).

We no longer have a sinful nature. It has been crucified and buried with Christ. Our new nature is the nature of Christ. He lives inside of us. If we can truly understand and believe that Christ lives in us and that we have a new nature in him, then it will empower us to walk in freedom. With the nature of Christ in us, we can overcome fear, anxiety and panic attacks.

Prayer: Father, show me that I am a new creation in Christ, that my old sinful nature has been crucified, dead and buried. I am alive in you.

Grace: From Sinner to Saint

November 27, 2011 by Russ Pond

Too often, we define ourselves through sin. When we mess up, we verbally and mentally abuse ourselves. You’re so stupid. Or, when we know what to do but don’t do it, then we just give up, Why even try? This vicious cycle of defeat can be terribly frustrating and create anxiety and fear in our lives.

Here’s how Paul, the Apostle, described his own experience with sin: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (Romans 7:15). When we are sin-conscious, all we see is our mistakes, our failures, our shortcomings.

The Garden of Eden is a great example of what happens when we move from being God-conscious to sin-conscious. Before they sinned, Adam and Eve enjoyed an incredible relationship with God. They walked together in the cool of day and spent time together. Their fellowship was invigorating and full of life! There was no awareness of sin. There was no right or wrong. No rules. There was no knowledge of good or evil. There was just fellowship with God.

Then sin happened. Immediately, humanity was aware of sin. They had become sin-conscious: they were hyper aware of their failures, mistakes and shortcomings. So, when God showed up, they hid themselves. Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).

The immediate response to sin is shame. When shame sets in, we hide ourselves from God and we become afraid. We often experience fear because we pull away from God due to sin and shame. I don’t believe God ever pulls away from us. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). It’s always us pulling away from him. Like Adam, we hide ourselves from him because of shame. And in the same way, God is continually pursuing us because of he loves us so much.

From the day Adam and Eve sinned, all of humanity has lived sin-conscious, defining ourselves by following rules, doing what is right and not doing what is wrong. Today, many, many people live sin-conscious. But, that’s not how God wants us to live.

When Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life and then died for our sins, he made a way for us to be sinless in God’s eyes. In Christ, we are no longer sinners. In Christ, we are perfect, holy and righteous. In Christ, we have moved from being sinners to being saints.

“But, I still sin.”

Yes, so do I. As long as we live in these physical, mortal bodies, we will experience sin. If you continue reading in Romans 7, Paul talks about this war in our members (our bodies) that wages on continually (v. 23). But, our flesh (our body) is not who we are. We are spirit and soul. The real you is not defined by the physicalness of your body. “Your real life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Sin has very real consequences in this life. If you murder, there are consequences. If you steal, there are consequences. If you treat your body poorly, there are consequences. Sin will affect your physical life. But, sin should not define you because in Christ, God does not see your sin.

Honestly, we have it backwards.

We think that because of sin God is not pleased with us, so we try harder not to sin and clean up our lives. If we can stop sinning for awhile, then we can go to God with our needs. We wait to be clean in our own eyes before we approach God. But, that’s backwards.

God says, “You are clean and holy in Christ right now. Come to me as you are and let me help you with those areas of weakness.” Strength to stop sinning does not come from us trying harder. It comes from spending time with God and allowing him to help us.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:17).

Prayer: Father, reveal to me that my sins are gone, washed away and that I am holy and perfect in your eyes.

Grace: How Perfect Love Casts out Fear

November 13, 2011 by Russ Pond

This week is the start of a new series of messages on grace. I believe grace has the power to cast out fear. As we grow in our knowledge of God’s perfect love towards us through grace, it will empower us to find freedom from anxiety, fear and panic attacks.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

I’ve always found this verse a bit cryptic and even condemning at times. The last part made me feel less loved: “…he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” I knew I loved God, and I knew he loved me, but I concluded (wrongly) that because I feared, I must have done something to push him away.

As I continue to grow in my walk with God, I’m learning everyday just how amazing and powerful grace is. So much of our thinking about God is just plain wrong. Here are three reasons why I believe our understanding of grace is inaccurate:

Wrong Education

As children, we’re often taught (directly and indirectly) that life is all about performance. Do good, and you’re rewarded. Do bad, and you’re punished. We’re constantly bombarded in the area of performance. Parents discipline their kids for bad behavior and reward good behavior. In school, students are graded on their performance. In the workplace, hard work and good decisions lead to promotion. Poor work and bad decisions lead to a dead-end job and possibly being fired. Our culture is one based on performance.

Sadly, most churches today just don’t teach the depth of God’s grace and what Christ has really done for us. Most messages from the pulpit mix grace with a list of “oughts and nots.” And, when we fail to “do good”, then God’s grace steps in brings us back to God. But, that’s not what the Bible says. As we dig deeper into grace and what it really means in our lives, we’ll learn that grace is a gift freely given and we can do nothing to earn it.

Wrong Conclusions

Way too often, we ask God for something, but when the answers don’t come, we quickly conclude that God has a different plan for our lives. Or, we conclude that our sin is hindering God’s working power in the situation. We pray for healing and it doesn’t come. So, we conclude that healing ended with the last book of the Bible. Or, we conclude that sin in our lives is keeping God from wanting to heal us. We pray for freedom from fear, but when the next panic attack hits, we start concluding that it’s our fault.

If I just had more faith…
If I could just overcome this weakness…
If I could just get past this hurt…
If I could just stop sinning…

My hope for this series on grace is to challenge these wrong conclusions. As you grow in your understanding of God’s grace, peace will flood your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We Have an Enemy

We can’t forget that there is an unseen enemy who is out to thwart our understanding of grace. The more he can confuse and disrupt our grasp of grace, the more he can keep us in bondage. John 10:10 says that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. I know first hand just how much fear steals my joy, kills my dreams and destroys my peace.

We should not fear the enemy. Jesus has disarmed him (Colossians 2:15) and has given us authority over Satan and his demons (Luke 10:19).

This week, I encourage you to start thinking about grace. What does it mean to you? How do you define it? How does it apply to your life? Hopefully, we can answer those questions in the weeks ahead.

Prayer: Father, help me understand more clearly what I believe about grace. Holy Spirit, teach me about grace and how to apply it to my life.