Anxiety is what happens when we place our faith in fear. Depression is what happens when we place our
doubt in love. And these two walk hand in
hand.
What would cause me to think and say such a thing?
Anxiety and Depression come in all types and sizes. To suggest any kind of “one size fits all”
here is more than a bit disingenuous. But,
I’ll invite you to read on anyhow.
In my new book, “Love’s Resurrection: its power to roll away
fear’s heaviest stone,” I assert that there are two primary forces working in
conflict within the human mind. One is
fear and the other love. I also contend
that facing future uncertainty is universally met with faith that is based upon
past experiences of fear and love.
Everyone who believes there will be a tomorrow lives with faith. Those deeply frightened by past traumatic
stressors find it natural to have faith in fear where tomorrow’s uncertainties
are concerned. Their faith in fear
produces some level of anxiety in mind and body. So I can probably connect the dots between
past trauma and future anxiety with at least that much rationale.
But where does this notion of Depression being our doubt in
love come from? Why would I even think
to go there?
Traumatic stress triggers both faith and doubt, I believe. Only in reverse order to what had been
before, which is why it is called trauma.
Whether we experience a life-threatening incident ourselves, or in
relation to a loved one, we entertain doubts where faith once proudly stood. We wonder if love will really last
forever. The biblical promise of I Cor.
13:8 that “love never ends” begins to seem “too good to be true.” Faith in love’s fairness and future
assurance gets lost in the mess of traumatic stress. Doubt begins to take over and create what I
then call a faith vacuum where the future is concerned. Rather than despairing about our future
uncertainties without any faith at all, we defensively develop a faith in fear
itself. This takes over in our minds
where doubt in love leaves off. Out of
our Depression comes new Anxiety.
Clinically, when our Depressed mood turns into feelings of
profound fear and anxiety, we may use the term Major Depressive Disorder to
diagnose what is happening in our minds.
We may notice changes in our minds.
Or, if not, we may experience Major Depression as a bodily change replete with jitters, hyperventilation, or other panicky sensations in our
bodies. Not to mention utter fatigue,
or a drained feeling of emptiness in either mind or body.
Treating such misery as is found in our experiences of
Anxiety and Depression is not easy, though it is simple. Simply producing more doubt in fear and more faith in love accounts for successful outcomes. But that’s never easy. Possible, yes. Easy?
No way.
Many people look for a pill to swallow that might magically
cure us. Not that easy, as a rule. Rather, what works with or often without any
pill is something called “cognitive behavioral” therapy, where we learn to assess
our fears in line with the facts. This
helps us challenge our old faith in fear’s story for our future. We begin to doubt that our past traumatic events had the power to kill love in our lives. We begin to see that love still remains alive. And we go on to doubt that
fear of tomorrow’s uncertainties will have the power to kill love in the
future. From these doubts in fear’s
ability to destroy us past, present, future, we begin to regain our sense of
faith in love. Our future can now be
restored or re-storied from one of fear to one of love. Anxiety and Depression can be most
effectively treated and relieved in this way.
So why am I bringing up this topic now?
Because tomorrow’s US election day is filled with uncertain
outcomes, whether in the short or long range future. And
many of our friends and neighbors are anxious.
They fear the worst, especially if they experienced the worst possible
outcome in a past election. In the
run-up to tomorrow’s actual count, which could extend into days in some places,
there are people on both sides of the partisan divide who are afraid of
America’s future. Their faith is in
fear. And, regardless of the count,
some will then find themselves doubting in love’s certainty against a backdrop
of our national uncertainties.
If you are one of the many who are feeling anxious about
tomorrow’s election results, here are some questions you might ask yourself yet
today or tonight before going to sleep.
If the worst possible results should happen to occur, how will you be
personally affected? Will you be afraid
to go on living? Will fear have the
power to stop you from loving or being loved?
Will fear have the power to control your thoughts every day? Will it have the power to stop you from
helping and influencing your close friends or even unknown strangers? What can love help you do in the future that
fear may try stopping you from doing?
When love and fear have their future arguments inside your own mind
after this election, which side will you take?
How will that make a difference in your future regardless of this
election?
You see, in a very real sense every day is election day in
our world. Everybody is voting one way
or the other inside their own minds.
Some will take sides with fear against love. They will place their faith in fear, and
their doubt in love. Some will instead
vote for love against fear. But life is
one grand election and we get to vote again each new day. Every day is election day.
Tomorrow’s results are no more certain than the next day’s or
the day after that. Uncertainty demands
faith. And doubt. Those are givens. But the best given of all is that we can
choose between the truth of certain love and the lie of uncertain fear. And in that sense, our own preferred side can win every future election.
