Anxiety, Medicine, and Faith: Navigating with Godfeatured
Philippians 4:6-7, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”
As far as mental health goes, and specifically anxiety, I believe that only God genuinely heals us. Unfortunately, most psychiatric medicines that are available at our disposal primarily treat symptoms and are not disease-modifying. For more information about this, please listen to this lecture by psychiatrist Dr. Ghaemi, who is a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and lecturer at Harvard Medical School: Episode 6: Psychiatric drugs: Symptomatic versus disease-modifying.
Learning about anxiety in medical school
I have never considered myself an anxious person. Sure, I’ve had my moments, like everyone else, of some mild nervousness or sadness, but nothing that hinders me. I honestly didn’t think much of these diagnoses and didn’t consider them to be a “big deal” when learning about them in medical school.
While in medical school, the psychiatry course was a breeze for me, and one where I simply read the curriculum days before the test and still managed to do well. The real focus was all the other “stuff” in medicine, or so I thought.
My wife “crashes” with anxiety
Years later, working as an attending physician, my dear wife, Rachel, experienced a severe bout of anxiety. In the past, she had a few episodes of anxiety, but never this intense. Her anxiety was persistent and debilitating, to the point of despairing even of life itself.
Rachel worried nonstop and had difficulty with chores like cooking, cleaning, driving, and making decisions. Most importantly, she couldn’t care for our three little boys – at that time, they were 1, 3, and 5 years old. So we didn’t wait long before calling her parents, who live in McKinney, Texas, for assistance. They came the next day. Thank the Lord for your family!
I quickly coordinated with a colleague who prescribed a medication for her. That was just part of her treatment plan since we also tried other modalities for her, including counseling, a variety of supplements, chiropractor sessions that included acupuncture, IV ketamine, and hormonal replacement. And yet nothing seemed to help her, which was very frustrating to me. How could she not respond to something? I even prayed to the Lord to please allow me to take all or some of her anxiety into myself so that she would get better.
Her anxiety lasted 3-4 months, but I just thank the Lord that in His timing, Rachel improved.
Contributing factors for anxiety
Anxiety. It sounds so simple, but it can disable a person. This mental problem is usually multifactorial and usually associated with depression. The combination of being glued to our phones, the explosion of information, and lack of human interaction – leading to increased isolation- are big culprits to the exponential growth of anxiety. Do you remember how simple life was before social media and iPhones?
Our overloading our minds with anxiety from phone usage equates to the decreased quality of our diet- where food is much more processed, packed with coloring agents, preservatives, hormones, and pesticides/fungicides that are detrimental to our brains. You don’t have to be a detective or a high-IQ nutrition wizard to realize that our poor diet has caused the vast majority of chronic medical problems that plague a good percentage of people, and mental health problems are no exception.
Brain-healthy diet
I wanted to share with you a few key things that are extremely beneficial for mental/brain health. If you would like explore this topic more deeply, I recommend you read the book, “The End of Alzheimer’s,” by neurologist Dr. Dale E. Bredesen, and “The End of Mental Illness,” by psychiatrist Dr. Daniel G. Amen. Please consult with your physician on anything that may be interpreted as medical advice from me or these physicians before you attempt any, but in a nutshell, this is what I tell my patients:
- Work out frequently- especially get sun and fresh air- every day.
- Eat healthy fats (organic MCT oil, fish oil, salmon, mixed nuts, and avocado), fresh fruits and vegetables, and a variety of meats, preferably organic.
- Cut down on simple carbohydrates.
- Fasting is essential – whether intermittent fasting or prolonged fasting.
- Limit the use of your phone or other electronic devices.
- Grab a physical book, and read it! Read the Bible!
- Do medicines help? Absolutely! But only for symptoms (with the exception of certain mood stabilizers and lithium).
So dear neighbor, if you or someone you know is suffering from debilitating anxiety, do not despair! I do recommend you seek medical advise from a professional. For your soul and spirit, nourish your mind with the word of God, and have people who genuinely love the Lord pray for you. Wait on the Lord, and wait for your body to heal itself. It will not last forever.
May God give us more wisdom on caring for our bodies, brains, and minds. May the Lord lead us to a simpler way of living with healthy habits and hobbies, the best nutrition, and connecting with others.
“He sent forth His word and healed them…” Psalm 107:20
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