Living With Worry And Fear

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 

  

  With illness and disability, worry itself can be a symptom of chronic illness. The constant stress, the adjustment to endless difficulties, the frustration of daily dealing with affliction, these things invite worry, fear, dread, and doubt. 

  Sometimes medication is necessary to help us with the anxiety that arises from living with chronic illness. Counseling may be helpful, finding a sympathetic ear to pour out our worries and cares from the constant tension of affliction is necessary, for no one should carry the constant stress and worry of affliction alone. 

  It adds insult to injury when on top of our illnesses and disabilities we are struck with anxiety, worry, and fear. These things can be crippling in themselves, causing us to dread leaving our house because of our limitations, and can keep us from developing friendships, from reaching out to others. 

  Our fears can imprison us, making our affliction doubly crippling. Sometimes it is anxiety, panic, and fear that are the afflictions that disable us, limit us, and keep us from living a full life. Others might believe we can merely “lift ourselves up” from such crippling feelings, but anxiety is an illness is its own right, and can do much harm. 

  Worry and fear are no strangers to those of us suffering affliction. We worry about how our illness limits us, how our affliction affects our family members. We worry whether we will ever truly be happy, if our affliction will rob us of living a “normal life”. We fear a downturn in our health, a worsening of an already intolerable situation. Fear and dread of the future based upon the hardships of today multiplies our difficulties. 

  It may be that part of your thorn in the flesh includes worry, fear, and dread. You may be living with full blown anxiety and panic attacks. Medicine and therapy can help, finding others to talk about how you are feeling can help, and pouring out our fears and concerns to God is very helpful. 

  Today you may feel overwhelmed with fear, your affliction may directly involve fear, or it may be secondary to your chronic illness, but however it arises, seek help, talk to others, see a doctor, meet with a therapist. And take your worry and fears before God in prayer seeking His help, guidance, and wisdom. But don’t suffer alone. Don’t deny yourself help when it is needed. 

  Prayer: Dear Lord, our fears seem overwhelming, our doubt and dread grows large in our minds, help us to find healing and peace for our worry weary souls. Amen.