Why Anxiety is not a Battle you Want to Take on Alone

Forty million Americans battle anxiety. That means for every hundred people you pass on the street, twenty of them are struggling with anxious thoughts. With such a high percentage of people dealing with anxiety, you’d think it wouldn’t be hard to talk about. But for many it remains a secret struggle. Partly, because it feels like you’re the only one facing it. But anxiety is best not battled alone. Here’s a few reasons why.

(1) When you share your struggle, you’ll discover you’re not alone.

Because so many of us struggle with feelings of anxiety, you may be the first to share in your group, but you won’t be the last. If you’re attempting the battle privately, you’ll never have the help of those around you. Empathy is the ability to emotionally experience what another is going through. It’s a word that means someone knows your secret and they cared. You will be unable to access the emotional support of others if you insist on keeping your anxiety to yourself. Furthermore, they won’t share their wisdom, if they never know your struggle.

(2) When you share your struggle, you’ll find exit ramps off a dangerous road.

There’s a reason anxiety, depression, and suicide are often talked about in the same sentence. Unchecked anxiety often spirals into depression and self-harm can follow. Imagine that you’re traveling a dangerous road, but the exits ramps are overgrown—they’re hard for you to see. But others can see the exits that you can’t.  They can clear away the brush and ease you off the road of your dangerous thoughts.  Perhaps it’s a word of encouragement, a different path forward, or simply the reminder that the dangerous cycle of thoughts can be broken. When you share with others, you’ll find advice that helps you move forward.

(3) When you share your struggle, you’ll access the prayers of your friends.

The biblical writer, James, said we should confess and pray for one another. The word “confess” in James 5:16 translates an important Greek word—exomologeo. The last portion of the word (omologeo) means to “say the same about.” When I’m anxious, I’ve been known to share with my wife that I’m “concerned.” She insightfully reminds me that I’m worrying, but I’ve called it concern. Genuine confession means that I’m not afraid to call it by its name—I’m anxious.

But the word for confess in James has a prefix: “ex” as in exit or exodus. We recognize those two letters when we look to exit a building. But here it means to “speak out” our struggle. And the benefit offered in the text is that “the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (Jam. 5:16). The only way to make sure that our friends know how to pray for us is that we’ve shared with them our struggle, and as they pray, we are healed.

Don’t be ashamed of your struggle with anxiety. It’s not a battle you want to take on alone.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series and 4M Discipleship for men. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the the Biblical Strategies family of resources.