Anxiety and Stress

      Anxiety is a natural normal healthy response to a perception of danger. It's the reality of my situation that creates my anxiety but it is the perception of the situation that creates the anxiety. When we change our perception we can remove our anxiety. In Doctrine and Covenants section 93  revelation is given through Joseph Smith to the Lords people at the Kirtland temple which states:  

“I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness…. And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning.”

We learn from this scripture that it is important for us to know who and how we worship. It is through coming unto God through His son Jesus Christ that we can know the truth of all things. We can be made stronger through Him and have the encouragement and the help needed to overcome our stress and anxiety in life. Truth is knowledge (not speculation) of things as they are, as they were and as they shall be. As we come to know the truth we will not be deceived by speculation and be controlled by how we perceive the world but rather we will take control and be agents rather than things to be acted upon.

            We see in the world that cases of mental illness such as depression and anxiety are on the rise. I’m not an expert on the topic so I’m not sure if it’s because we’re just more aware of it now or if more people now a days are really experiencing it more or not. I’m sure there are many factors that play into it and I can’t speculate what I do not know. But what studies do show is that anxiety and other mental battles appear to be cultural. Meaning that it has to do with our beliefs. Many young adults especially fall into the trap of believing that when you struggle with anxiety or depression, etc. that they are broken and cannot be fixed. This is not true and is the furthest thing from the truth. One correlation but not causation that has been found in regards to this sentiment is that current societal trends in the United States and Canada are focused in-ward on self rather than outward. My generation for example is known as the “me” or the “give-me” generation. We tend to focus on our needs and wants and do not look out to other people and see them for who they are or what they need and want. Rather instead we compare our circumstances to theirs, believing that someone else has it better than me. Social media has been a huge influence in the rise of this external anxiety especially for youth and young adults. The need to constantly “share stories” over Facebook, snapchat, Instagram etc. all so that others can see how glamorous our lives are and the next big thing that is happening. We use filters on our photos to hide our flaws to make it appear as if nothing is wrong. However, when we do this, we are creating a false world. You’re not alone, I too fall into the trap of trying to present my life as always being amazing and doing fun activities. I too can feel sad or rejected if I don’t have fun plans but I see that others do. Who hasn’t felt FOMO (fear of missing out)? It’s normal, but we shouldn’t base our lives around external motivators for happiness. We shouldn’t let our sense of self be falsely persuaded to believe that we aren’t good enough. This is a false perception and creates our feelings of anxiety and depression.

            When we have these feelings we need to find out what it is that is causing you to be anxious. Find the thoughts that trigger these emotions and find ways to confront them. Coping mechanisms can be very beneficial when used properly. They are techniques or practices used as something put in place to hold onto, with boundaries to keep you safe. For example a coping saw in construction is used to make minute changes so that a crown molding can fit in place in corner walls. Because the time is take to cope correctly the crowning fits and holds together well under stress. Likewise, with a pool coping, it is placed on the outer edge of the pool to give the swimmer something firm and soft to hold onto when treading water, entering or exiting the pool. Likewise, it’s overhanging rounded edges helps to keep a boundary around the pool and safeguard the water inside so it doesn’t splash out too much. These are physical examples of coping however, cognitive therapy is a form of coping which teaches you to acknowledge your thoughts and fix them. It acts as a means to gain control over your life and creates boundaries to protect yourself from unwarranted and unwanted thoughts that can lead to dangerous territory. Poor coping mechanisms such as alcohol and drugs can often do more harm than good. They are notorious for changing behavior due to their ability to act as a depressant or neuro toxin which suppresses your limbic system. The limbic system is necessary because it is what protects your body from real dangers. It’s the part of the brain that tell you to pull your head down and feet up to protect your vital organs when under attack from a real threat such as an attacker, bear, etc. The limbic system keeps you alive by being in charge of your fight or flight mode. When we inhibit it by using inappropriate substances we are putting ourselves up at risk for hurting ourselves more. People often turn to drugs and other forms of coping so that they can change their perception to help with the stress, but what they dont realize is that they are not helping themselves but are actually doing more harm than good. Even denial, avoidance, safeguarding, and blaming others are negative forms of coping. Good Coping should pull people together to help you become stronger rather than turning away from others and handling it on your own. Sometimes your greatest stressors will be your greatest opportunities to strengthen your relationships with your family. God will allow hard things to happen in your family so that you can learn and grow.

If you’re interested you can also check these other sources to know more about anxiety and how to deal with it.

"when panic attacks" by David D. Burns MD. 

Movie- “Chronic State”

Last thing as just food for thought ponder this:

Weed: Things we know

1.)   Marijuana is the one drug that we know that will stop or mildly reverse the brain development (central nervous system).It is both a depressant and a hallucinogen.

2.)   The impairment in judgement, reasoning, reaction, etc. lasts longer than the high (at least 24 - 36 hours) and will remain in your system for 30 days.

3.)   Marijuana is now 9 times as potent (stronger) than it was 30 years ago. The 50 year old law makers who used to smoke a joint on the weekends are now saying that they weren’t affected at all so it shouldn’t be illegal. However, fail to realize that the weed being made today is a lot stronger than what they used to smoke for fun on the weekends. Also, as a result we are now seeing that in Colorado there are now more deaths and murder that are involved with marijuana than before it being made legal.