Endurance: The Encourager Magazine

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Encourager: Wrestling with Worry

Articles

Wrestling with Worry
If anyone has a legitimate reason to worry, it is cancer patients and their families. When you're dealing with cancer, the future becomes a mystery. You're pushed into unknown territory-forced to face a lot of uncertainty. You can't begin to manage all of the what ifs" that could happen tomorrow. So if you're already a worrier, like I tend to be, cancer is a setup for disaster.
Even apart from cancer, worry is so pervasive that many counselors consider it to be the "common cold" of emotional... (continued)

Anxiety and Panic Attacks - Worry Gone to Far
Everyone in the family loves Aunt Cora. She's full of compassion, always has an encouraging word, and has a unique way of making everyone feel special. But family members have an unspoken agreement as to how much information they share with her. They don't tell her when they fly on airplanes or travel alone. They never reveal a serious medical test or problem until the problem is either resolved or they can talk with her face to face. As far as she knows, none of her nieces or nephews has ever s... (continued)

What's Wrong With a Little Worry?
It is little wonder that the Gospel writer Luke, a physician, recorded what Jesus said about worry (Luke 12:25-26): Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?"
Apparently worry was a costly problem in Jesus' day just as it is in ours. As Jesus points out, worry doesn't accomplish anything. Instead of making things better, worry actually drains our resources. Even so, we often try to justify our worry,... (continued)

Anxiety and Panic Attacks - Worry Gone To Far
Everyone in the family loves Aunt Cora. She's full of compassion, always has an encouraging word, and has a unique way of making everyone feel special. But family members have an unspoken agreement as to how much information they share with her. They don't tell her when they fly on airplanes or travel alone. They never reveal a serious medical test or problem until the problem is either resolved or they can talk with her face to face. As far as she knows, none of her nieces or nephews has ever s... (continued)

Is it Worry or Concern?
Candice* was affectionately known throughout her office as the queen of concern." With every new program, every updated procedure, her coworkers knew what was coming: Candice had a "concern." In time they learned that Candice's concerns were usually valid (although at times exasperating). Her concerns caused her coworkers to consider the whole picture, to identify the points where problems or conflicts might arise. They then could take measures to prevent those concerns from becoming problems. C... (continued)

FAQ's of Panic Attacks
- What causes panic disorder?
There may be a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders. Many sufferers report that another family member has experienced panic disorder, an anxiety disorder, or other emotional disorder such as depression. For unknown reasons, women are twice as likely to experience panic disorder as are men.
Stressful life events, including recent loss or separation, can trigger panic disorders. Some researchers liken panic disorder to a thermostat; when stress lowe... (continued)

When Worries Overwhelm - When It's Time to Get Help
Gigie Ragan is a self-described worrier, descended from a long line of accomplished worriers. Worrying was so normal in her family that she didn't realize how debilitating it was-until she was diagnosed with brain cancer.
As often happens, the stress of her affliction brought her emotional wounds and weaknesses to the surface. Although worry was a tolerable nuisance before cancer, it became a crippling nightmare after her diagnosis. When she began to worry, she could feel her throat constric... (continued)

Take the Power Out of Worry
Worry is a formidable foe. It can take months, even years, to gain the upper hand and actually defeat this enemy. But no matter where you are in the battle against worry, you can take practical steps to help whittle worry down to size.
- Make a list. It's easy for worry to take on bigger-than-life proportions. A good step for regaining perspective is to list every object of worry. Once they're committed to paper, some worries immediately lose their significance and power. When the worries th... (continued)

Breaking the Chains of Worry
Worrying is non-productive, burdensome, and exhausting. And no one wants to be thought of as being anxious. But it's not easy to simply stop worrying or turn off anxiety like a faucet. For those who live with a serious or life-threatening illness, the tendency to worry and become anxious is especially problematic because worry and anxiety rob us of peace, exhaust us, and undermine our ability to make good decisions.
Yet God is well aware of our human tendency to worry. Scattered throughout H... (continued)

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