Depression/Anxiety Emergency Pack
If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, and/or panic attacks, here are some life-giving words for you!
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Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name [insert your name here], you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:1b-3a |
Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 |
Tip: write these verses out on a card to carry with you and repeat them every time you are tempted to spiral downward. Focus on the meaning that God is with you; you are not alone; nothing can harm your soul because He is your protector.
Read Psalm 31 repeatedly. This is the narrative of King David's experience with depression and anxiety. Notice how he gains victory. (See my commentary on Psalm 31 HERE.)
Lou Giglio of Passion City Church, who suffers from depression, gives a fantastic message on his experience and how he deals with it (click button for link:).
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Try Softer
Aundi Kolber In a world that preaches a “try harder” gospel―just keep going, keep hustling, keep pretending we’re all fine―we’re left exhausted, overwhelmed, and so numb to our lives. If we’re honest, we’ve been overfunctioning for so long, we can’t even imagine another way. How else will things get done? How else will we survive? It doesn’t have to be this way. Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life. In Try Softer, you’ll learn how to:
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A Small Book For the Anxious Heart
Ed Welch (CCEF) Fear and anxiety are chronic struggles for many people that are only intensifying and increasing. Best-selling author Edward T. Welch shares the comfort and peace of Jesus in fifty brief readings for those who wrestle with fear. A Small Book for the Anxious Heart is a small but powerful devotional to remind men and women of the encouraging, beautiful words in Scripture to anxious people. While many books on fear and anxiety exist—promising to help men and women manage their struggles with methods and formulas—this devotional reaches deeper into Scripture, making the Word of God more accessible. Don’t put a Band-Aid on your fear and anxiety; rather, learn to bring your fear to Jesus, relying on his Word. Welch has been counseling for over thirty-eight years and is the author of more than a dozen books, including A Small Book about a Big Problem, Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest, Shame Interrupted, When People Are Big and God Is Small, and many others. Jesus cares for us, and in these readings, Welch invites readers to trust him for today, knowing he goes before us always. |
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When I Am Afraid
Ed Welch (CCEF) If you are tired of dealing with anxiety and worry on your own, then the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation's (CCEFs) When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety is for you. As you go through each set of meditations by Christian counseling expert Edward T. Welch, anxiety will gradually yield to hope, peace, and rest. Of course, this is a lifelong process, but going through this devotional guide, either on your own or with a small group, will kick-start the process and bring lifelong change. Because when you regain your spiritual and remember that the kingdom is about God and not you, anxiety becomes less prevalent in your everyday life as a Christian. |
Personal Exercises to help:
1. Keep a journal, and spend a few minutes each day recording thoughts like:
3. When you catch yourself in an unhealthy thought, pray and ask God to help you correct your thinking to truth
4. Remember that fact, reality (perspective), and truth are three separate (and possibly unrelated) concepts
4. If your depression/anxiety is a result of trauma, part of your experience will be grief. Allow the grief to be what it is, but give yourself a break from it several times per day. Watch an uplifting or neutral show (avoid intensity), read a work of light fiction, do a puzzle, or play
5. Eat. wholesome food
6. Avoid alcohol (which exacerbates your condition)
7. Engage in moderate exercise daily
8. Spend at least 15 minutes per day in unfiltered sunlight
9. Identify "safe" people, and plan at 2-3 activities a week with them (preferably of your own gender)
10. Avoid developing a new romantic relationship
11. Play worship music in your home and car
12. Do constructive work 4-8 hours per day
13. Enjoy an occasional treat, like a favorite food
14. Practice healthy self-care, like getting enough sleep
15. Practice healthy boundaries (limits on self) so as not to over-extend yourself (it's okay to say "no")
1. Keep a journal, and spend a few minutes each day recording thoughts like:
- What you're thinking about when you experience depression/anxiety
- Identifying false beliefs that cause you to think anxious/depression thoughts
- Refuting lies with truth from God's word
3. When you catch yourself in an unhealthy thought, pray and ask God to help you correct your thinking to truth
4. Remember that fact, reality (perspective), and truth are three separate (and possibly unrelated) concepts
4. If your depression/anxiety is a result of trauma, part of your experience will be grief. Allow the grief to be what it is, but give yourself a break from it several times per day. Watch an uplifting or neutral show (avoid intensity), read a work of light fiction, do a puzzle, or play
5. Eat. wholesome food
6. Avoid alcohol (which exacerbates your condition)
7. Engage in moderate exercise daily
8. Spend at least 15 minutes per day in unfiltered sunlight
9. Identify "safe" people, and plan at 2-3 activities a week with them (preferably of your own gender)
10. Avoid developing a new romantic relationship
11. Play worship music in your home and car
12. Do constructive work 4-8 hours per day
13. Enjoy an occasional treat, like a favorite food
14. Practice healthy self-care, like getting enough sleep
15. Practice healthy boundaries (limits on self) so as not to over-extend yourself (it's okay to say "no")