{"id":315,"date":"2021-05-06T20:59:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asmymindunwinds.com\/?p=315"},"modified":"2021-05-06T20:59:24","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T20:59:24","slug":"anxiety-theres-an-enemy-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asmymindunwinds.com\/?p=315","title":{"rendered":"Anxiety – There’s an Enemy at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I struggled about whether to share my story with you, but when we\u2019re talking about an enemy at work<\/a>, the first weapon is to bring things to light. Megan Monterrosa shared the power of our stories in this week\u2019s Life and Limb Blog<\/a>. You should check it out. The reason I struggled is because it started with a not fun introduction to the spiritual realm – and I will tell you, and those of you who know me know, I\u2019m not a heeby jeeby spiritual weirdo. I\u2019m truly a very practical gal. That being said, the spiritual realm is<\/strong> real. We believe in a triune God (Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit) and we believe there is an enemy at work as we\u2019ve stated Ephesians 6:12 many times during our church\u2019s<\/a> current series –\u00a0 \u201cFor our<\/em> struggle is not against flesh and blood<\/em>, but against<\/em> the rulers, against<\/em> the authorities, against<\/em> the powers of this dark world and against<\/em> the spiritual forces of evil\u201d so permit me to share what I\u2019m about to share and gift me an open mind and perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I was five years old my sister and I shared a room and I slept on the top bunk of our bunk beds. I remember the popcorn ceiling above me very well and I would \u201cmake it snow on my bed\u201d Haha! Anyway, one night I fell asleep and had a nightmare that I was having a nightmare. In my nightmare, I woke up from my nightmare (are you following? haha) and I did what five year olds do – I got in bed my with my parents, but for whatever reason in this dream, my parents didn\u2019t put me in between them as parents usually do, my dad placed me on the end between him and his nightstand. My parents went back to sleep and I stayed awake – then a snake appeared on my dad\u2019s nightstand ready to strike! I immediately woke up from that dream and the dream about it – I\u2019m now awake in reality. And guess what? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frozen. Clearly, I can not go get in bed with my parents. It wouldn’t work! My dream has just shown me that! As I laid there frozen staring at my popcorn ceiling, I audibly heard someone laughing at me – a male laugh – dark and mean. As clear and as real as you\u2019re hearing my voice right now. Now, nothing like that has ever happened to me since. But it happened that night. You can think I\u2019m crazy or explain it away, but whatever you believe, it IS my story and what crippled me into anxiety for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that night on, I struggled with nightmares until I was 18. The lie I heard AND believed from the young age of five was I\u2019m NOT SAFE. There is NOTHING I can do to protect myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, back in the pentecostal days of the 80s and 90s, teachers and adults would tell us – would tell me, rebuke Satan in the name of Jesus! So, I would try it during or within a nightmare, but guess what? I\u2019d suddenly go mute and I\u2019d be struck with terror again as I imagined Satan laughing at my futile attempt. I\u2019m. not. safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mind at Work<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do we do when we\u2019re not safe? Two professors of Psychiatry at Wayne State University, Saab and Javanbakht, say \u201c<\/em>Our brains are built to respond. A release of stress hormones and a sympathetic nervous system is triggered. This leads to bodily changes that prepare us to be more efficient in a danger: The brain<\/strong> becomes hyperalert, pupils dilate, the bronchi dilate and breathing accelerates. Heart rate and blood pressure rise\u201d – the brain becomes hyper alert –  which for many of us, causes looping thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now remember, the message I\u2019ve learned and am believing is I\u2019M NOT SAFE. So, my looping thoughts are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n