Welcome to Hope in the Morning. turning tragedies and tears into testimonies of hope. The dictionary defines anxiety as intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. The National Institute of Mental Health approximates that 40 million American adults experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year. Today, we're going to take a biblical look on anxiety, and joining me is someone that I love dearly.
It's my cousin, Elise Thompson. Elise, thank you for joining us today. Thank you for having me. I wanted to just kind of jump in and ask you first. When you first noticed anxiety, how young do you think you were?
I think that I had my first anxiety attack. I was like in preschool or kindergarten. Wow. I was like, we were at church and I noticed my heart was racing and The world though The room was spinning and I told my church. leader, I was like Can you come?
My mom, and she called my mom. And at that point, my parents didn't know, like, they. Yeah, they didn't think that it was anxiety and I was too young to know. what anxiety was. But yeah, I would say probably preschool or kindergarten.
Wow. Did you did you see that grow in intensity as you got older? I yes, and my parents did too, but at that point they thought that it was defiance.
Okay. And I was just stubborn and, you know, oh, well, she doesn't want to do this because she is stubborn, but really it was my anxiety was Holding me back from things.
Okay. So you were actually. It was coming out as fear, but your parents thought that you were just being stubborn and not wanting to go do things or not wanting to participate in things. But in reality, it was rooted in a fear within you. Yeah, exactly.
Okay. At what point did your parents come around and realize this is what's going on? I think they started getting Counseling, probably when I was in about third grade, and then I started counseling therapy in fifth grade so.
Okay. Did you find those to be helpful? I did, and so I started with therapy in fifth grade, and it was a. It was Like um a worldly therapist, but he was Christian. Um He didn't really bring the Bible in or Christianity into the conversation, but he did I look back and I think, okay, well, he probably He rooted his What he was telling me in Christianity, even though he wasn't saying, like, oh, this is what the Bible says.
So it wasn't biblical counseling, but. It w yeah. And then I started medication. I think like four months into therapy, maybe less than that. And I've been on medication ever since.
So So with with the therapy that you were getting, like what were some of the practical tools that they gave you? Um Mind over matter, which Uh I think is We can look at it in a biblical way. And like Philippians 4:8 says, whatever is truthful, whatever is honorable, whatever, you know, all the. Like that. words after that.
The mind over matter was he was saying, Okay, you need to look at the truth. And right now, you're in a safe space. You're not, you aren't passed out on the side of the road. You, you know, there was the He was very focused on okay, that what's true right now.
So I would say might never matter. Being aware of my surroundings.
So when you have a panic attack, Um you kind of get tunnel vision and try to Train yourself to think, okay. I need to be looking around and thinking, okay, what am I smelling right now? What am I seeing? Like, pick five colors that you like in your surroundings. And then He encouraged me to journal, which I was not very good at when I was younger, but I've started to be better at that.
And that has been a help too, because now I can look back on times in my life that I've had anxiety and I kind of can pick out s Um Common denominators. Um And then also exposure therapy, which was The, I think, the biggest thing where so. I was terrified to drive, for example, on my own. And so he was like, okay, well, we're going to do baby steps and We're going to start where your parents are in the car. We're going to start, so you know, you're just going to drive from your driveway to the two doors down, this, you know, two houses down the street, and just slowly exposing myself to the things that made me anxious.
Um, that was a I would say that was the probably the biggest thing that got me. to where I am now.
Okay. So I'm I'm very curious as a parent, like Did one of those counselors call them in to where you could have a discussion about the things that you were struggling doing, where they'd ask you to do them, but you really were. fearful or anxious about? I would say I hide my anxiety really well. And so, I don't think that my teachers or anything noticed it.
I think that it was my parents. And so, my parents were the ones who reached out. Two. uh therapist and then therapists Open the conversation. If that was that was a well, I know what you were in.
I think, are you asking, like, did the therapist bring your parents in on some of that so that they would kind of know how they can help you? Because Fifth so fifth grade, was it about eleven? Were you about eleven? Yeah, probably.
Okay. So, I mean, your parents had to play a really heavy role. Obviously, the driving part was not at 11, hopefully. But yeah, that's what's fascinating to me is that you know, I can immediately go back to myself when I was that age, and I was terrified of certain things that really upset my parents that I wouldn't do. I literally, if somebody said, Robbie, go into the store and buy some gasoline or whatever.
I remember my sister one time, I think she was going to scratch my eyes out because I wouldn't go, and she didn't know that it was anxiety that was keeping me from doing it. And it's so helpful that you bring that out because a lot of times. You know, people think that it's it's Yeah. Like you said, The kids are, you know, being defiant, and that's just not the situation. That's beautiful.
Yeah. You know, I think that that brings up a good point, as you're saying, Robbie, as parents is. to have a broader view. on things and what what could be troubling our kids. You know, I think that knowing what kind of tools that you can give your children, especially, you know, at 11 years old, you know, you did not have a relationship with the Lord at that time.
And so you couldn't necessarily root your mind in. Your relationship that you had with the Lord and the grace that that gave you.
So have you found that your parents have kind of been a played a pivotal role? Oh, absolutely. I Like if I had not gotten counseling Or therapy, I would have.
So I was anxious, but then I was also severely depressed, and I would have probably committed suicide because it was just. I didn't even know the weight of the anxiety and what it was taking, how it was taking a toll on me until now I'm looking back and I'm like, whoa. Um So yeah, if they had not stepped in and done what they needed to do and They also like they started me on medication and I know that's kind of a can be a touchy subject for some people, but I really, if I had not got in the therapy and started on medication. Things would not have been the same.
So, I, my parents, I commend them for. I think they were both raised. And I think it's become a little bit more acceptable to go to therapy, like these days, but you know 12 years ago, or however many years ago, 11 years ago, 24. They Sure. saw a need and they weren't afraid to to seek help and so that's definitely They're pretty good parents, I guess.
That's brave, right? And it's huge because unfortunately, there's a stigma there for a lot of folks. And they think, well, you just need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, grab a hold of this, and those kind of things. But a lot of folks Freedom comes through a combination of Medication and counseling and all sorts of resources that are available. But I love the fact that they sought out Christian.
um counselors and doctors which You know Obviously, going to use all those tools as well. Yeah. You know, I mean, it showed that, as Robbie was saying, that they were not afraid of the stigma, that they loved you more than what people's perception might be in that moment, especially, you know, as the people that are living with you, they know you best. They know what. what you're unwilling to do, what you're terrified of doing.
And, you know, I know I know you have a sister as well that is very much the opposite. You know, she's just about as chill as they come. And so I that was probably a pretty eye-opening just comparison for them to see. You guys are only a year apart. And so that's a pretty easy thing to spot, that you've got one child that is having these intense fears and debilitating really.
And then one that is the same age that has no fear at all. What, just for our listeners that have never experienced anxiety, just so they can kind of understand, you've explained a little bit about the tunnel vision and you know, things spinning. What were some other ways that anxiety Kind of showed itself. in your body or in your mind even. Mm-hmm.
Um, for me, it's the heart racing. Um Nausea. uh feeling of lightheadedness Uh I get hot very easily. Um And I think that there's different, obviously, for every person.
Some people. Start to I don't know, they Well, I don't know. I can't speak for anyone else, but um, it The overall thing is just this weight. And it really does, it can feel like a physical weight on your shoulders. And my therapist described it as like, it's like a monkey on your back, and you cannot get that monkey off.
And so it's just like there, and it's just kind of like this. doom dooming presence Um And You can't get it off. Yeah. Did your parents do things with you like go through different scriptures that you could meditate on. I know that you had mentioned Philippians.
Was that something that you committed to memory at a as a young child or not till after you came to faith in Christ yourself? It was after. I think they were, and I think for both my sister and I, they've been good at, like, we've. Always gone to church. We did awanas.
We, you know, vacation Bible school. We went to a Christian school for a little bit. But they haven't. They saw that I wasn't really interested in Christianity or God, um And I mean, maybe they would say that they would do things differently now, but they weren't. They didn't.
Their idea was not to push Oh, well, this is what the Bible says.
So, we're going to, you know, oh, the Bible says do not fear, so you should not, you know, don't fear. But it yeah, so it was it was after I had I came to my own Relationship with the Lord that the scripture memory and Um That aspect of it came into the picture. But I know that my parents on the behind the scenes were praying and. memorizing scripture for themselves. Um But they yeah, they didn't Force it on me.
Yeah, I th I what you're saying is so critical of an understanding uh that that I've come to understand myself and in my own family that you know, anxiety, depression, their illnesses and Yeah. You know, if somebody has cancer or something, they're going to come bring you chicken soup. But if you're having anxiety, you know, they think there's something wrong with you. You know, you must have done something. Like you talked about, like Job's friend saying, What did you do to cause all this?
You know, and it's, it's, you didn't want it any more than the person that wanted cancer or anything else. Yeah. And he wrote, he wrote this beautiful article. He said, the disease that gets no chicken soup, you know, because if your friend tells you they have anxiety, you know, you're not going to bring them dinner or anything, you know, like you would. But these things are completely debilitating.
Yeah. And they greatly affect your life, require as much prayer, require as much healing, and a deeper dive with Christ. And I love the fact that you're on that journey. Yeah, absolutely. And not only that, but.
Those are results of a fallen world. like all of our physical ailments that we get. Things like anxiety and depression, those are why we want to cover things like that on hope in the morning, because those are true. Points of mourning. It makes it so that you feel like you can't engage with the world around you.
You feel like you're different than everybody else. You feel hopeless. You know, you shared with us, which I so appreciate your vulnerability in sharing this, the fact that you feel like if you had not gotten the help, if your parents had been dismissive of it, that it may have resulted in you taking your own life. And it doesn't get more hopeless than that. And that's what we want to do: come alongside people and show them the hope that we have in Christ.
It doesn't mean. That all of our infirmaries go away. We still live in a fallen world. And as we get ready to go to break, I'm just going to read that verse that you were talking about in Philippians before we go real quick. It's Philippians 4:8, and it says: Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Join us in just a moment on Hope in the Morning. As a grief counselor with years of experience, I can testify that Hope in the Morning is one of the best resources out there. Out of all the grief books I've purchased and that others gave me, this is the book that has helped me the most. These stories don't showcase the individuals as heroes who battled and conquered the worst. The stories of Hope in the Morning provide a marvelous perspective, allowing the listener to focus on Christ rather than self.
These stories remind me of who my Savior is and that there is truly hope in the morning. To learn more, visit us at hopeinthemorning.org. John 13, 35 says, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Do you know how to best love and serve your hurting brother or sister in Christ? Listen to Hope in the Morning and be equipped to offer the hope of Jesus to every hurting heart.
To learn more or to partner with our ministry, Visit us at hopeinthemorning.org. Hope in the morning allows you to lean into the suffering of others. and helps equip you to purposefully mourn with and meaningfully minister to those suffering in your midst. May these testimonies cause you to see our God with fresh and thankful eyes. and may you seek to be his hands and feet to every weary heart.
Visit hopeinthemorning.org to learn how you can partner with us in ministry. Anxious thoughts swell within my worn and weary soul. forlorn, forgotten and dismayed, left to suffer all alone. O God, where is your comfort, as my cheeks are drenched in tears? Where is the solace for my heart to quiet all my fears?
Hear my longing pleas As I stammer in the night With groaning spirit intercede, Have mercy on my plight. Then softly laid upon my mind, He patiently replied, Surrender your worries, precious one, and I will lift you high. I'll place your feet upon high ground, and plant you firmly there. No longer will your trial surround, nor shall your heart despair. This was a poem that I wrote called Surrender, and it's rooted in Habakkuk 319, which says The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet.
and makes me walk on my high places.
So joining us again today on Hope in the Morning is Elise Thompson. And she's talking with us about really her lifelong. battle with anxiety.
So Elise, as we continue this conversation. You know, I'd love to kind of hear about your testimony too and kind of what led you to Christ. Yeah, so I was raised in a Christian home. My parents have been Christians for. I don't know, their most of their lives, both of them.
We were heavily involved in church and Iwana's VBS. We went to a Christian school. And so I always knew about God and I knew about this guy named Jesus. I did not didn't really think about him unless I was at church. And then fifth through eighth grade, I was at that Christian school, and that was The darkest time of my life, the anxiety was at an all-time high.
I was depressed, suicidal. Bullied. all things. Um and I really only thought about God when I. Truly, truly needed him.
And obviously, that's not the way to think about God, but that was where I was at. And then. High school chain, like I switched schools, my life circumstances got a lot better. Um, I still kind of only thought about God when I was at church or if I really needed him. But I think the Lord was slowly kind of working on my heart.
I was going to youth group. had a sweet small group leader who would, you know, pour into me. And then at the summer after high school, I had a friend die in a motorcycle crash. And at that point I was claiming to be Christian. Stubborn I didn't like read my Bible very much or pray that much.
But I considered myself a Christian, and I was like. in the world standards a good person, so Why Sure, I'll say that I'm a Christian.
So, anyways, the friend died in the motorcycle crash, and that's when I realized: whoa, he was not a Christian, he was not a believer. And if I say that I'm a believer, I should really know more about Who I'm believing in. And that is when I started taking my faith. And at that point, I started going to the college ministry at our church, and through that. Probably a year and a half.
I mean, obviously, I'm still growing in my faith, but it was probably a year and a half. After The motorcycle or the my friend passing that I decided to get baptized. And then That's kind of I'm just Growing my faith. Uh Yeah, now so yeah. Have you found that since you've become a believer, that your approach to your anxiety is different than it was before you were a believer?
Oh, absolutely. I think back and I've I've told I have small group girls that are in eighth grade that I I'm a small group leader with and I'm just like It it's insane. I don't know how I went so long with Out having a relationship with the Lord and still having. like I was having anxiety obviously and I Didn't have anyone to rely on because I didn't have God. I mean, I had my parents, but that's not the same as God.
And I I Just the idea that you're never alone, and he. Like, sure, he might not fix the anxiety right when I want the anxiety to be fixed, but. The fact that he's he never leaves you, that has totally changed the perspective. Mm. Yeah, and it's beautiful to think, you know, in Hebrews it talks about we have a great high priest, right, that can certainly relate.
And you picture him in the garden that night, and oh my goodness, the anxiety was some of the most unbelievable of all time through the next day, obviously. And so it's a beautiful thing as you push into your relationship with him, and that's more intimate. Wh what are you sensing from him um in the way of comfort? I think just um Just the the companionship and The I mean companionship, but also he's He's not just a friend, he's a He's my God. Uh just the piece and I guess is that what I am I answering what you peace is wonderful, I love that, yeah, because it's a fruit of the spirit, right?
And so you're gonna feel those things: love, that's companionship and joy, right? Yeah. Elise, what are some things that are not helpful to hear as someone going through anxiety? Because as we just mentioned, you know, you became a believer, but it didn't like poof, all your anxiety is gone. It's some magical elixir that you don't struggle anymore.
You still struggle, but your defense to it looks different now.
So, what is unhelpful? for people to say, for believers to say. I had Um Family members tell me that, oh, well, if you have anxiety, that's probably just a sign that you're not close to God and you should probably. Like, figure that out. And for someone who was also struggling with assurance of salvation, that just caused me to spiral.
So Yes, the Bible says do not fear. But that approach to things is not. Or saying like, hmm. Probably just a sign that you're not close enough to God, which. That's a funny statement because you're never going to be like, it's not like, oh, I reached the closeness level, yeah.
But I would say that and then I On a first date once, um, I A guy asked me, so like, what kind of trials have you gone through in your life? And I said, well, This isn't like my grandma had cancer when I was 12, but I do have anxiety, and that's something that you struggle with every day. And he was like, not the same.
So. It's not the struggle Olympics. There you go. It is real. And, you know.
You gotta you have to you can't compare your struggles with someone else's struggles, especially if you don't understand what anxiety is like. Yeah, or dismiss them. That's kind of what you are getting at, like where it seems very different. There wasn't a second date. There was no second date, unfortunately.
Yep, yeah. Oh, man. Yeah. You know, I think that knowing how you can encourage somebody, especially someone that has gone through it, I mean, you've you've lived with this like your whole life, basically.
So, you know, we just talked about things that are not helpful. What is helpful? I am at a place in my life where I have the sweetest friends who. Maybe it's not verbally they're saying like, oh It's okay if you have anxiety and you need to you know, leave this hang out early or cancel your plans, but Finding people that accept that this is something that you deal with and they won't judge you for it. I think that that has been the biggest thing.
Is there any well As someone, as a friend. As having a friend with anxiety, I think just showing grace and um Sympathy? For the people. Um and then It's not like It's not, it doesn't make me any less of a person because I have anxiety. Um And I'm still fun.
So, you are. You should still hang out with me and still, you know, be friends with me. But just showing. sympathy and grace for when people have anxious moments or you know, they need to cancel plans or. whatever, you know.
The situation is a good idea. Through the ups and the downs, not just taking you at your best, but sitting with you and walking through your worst days with you. Do you still do you still receive counseling now? Like, do you receive any kind of biblical counseling or anything on an ongoing basis? I not formally, no.
Okay. Have you found that it has equipped you to be a better small group leader? I I Would like to say so. I think a lot. I've, you said, you mentioned that the anxiety is on the rise, and I just.
S seeing these eighth graders It's crazy the things that they're going through and the things that they're anxious about. That I'm like, oh, I wasn't even concerned about that in eighth grade because. I didn't have social media and I wasn't You know, aware of the whole world, what was going on in the whole world.
So I think. Yeah, my anxiety has And going through it, I'm... better equipped to Yeah, just kind of come alongside them and say, okay, well, this is something that has helped me and This is something that hasn't helped me.
So, yeah. Yeah. I hope that if they're listening, hopefully they think that it's that I've done an okay job. Yeah. You know, we were talking about that.
You and Robbie and I were talking about on the break how. Anxiety is on the rise because there's so much information coming our way. and not just information, but so much comparison. You know, whether you're comparing, like you said, someone else's trial and feeling like, oh, my trial doesn't stand up. To that, and so I guess I should just keep mine to myself because no one's gonna think that this is really.
Worth their time to dive into because it's so much smaller than this other one over here. Or if you're comparing on the other side, feeling like these people are posting. Everything that they're doing and all these adventures they're taking, and why can't I be like that? And it makes you feel like you're ostracized, like you're not quite. Right.
with them and there are so many things that we were not We weren't built to Yeah. to be in a world where we see everything. all the time. Um And so, in that sense, you know, just like Robbie had mentioned too, we all struggle with that at some point. It's not.
It's not exclusive to Just a couple people. Although I think, like you were saying. you have it on a different level. And Robbie, you mentioned that It can be a spectrum. Yeah, it is a spectrum and I there The thing I love that you said that was beautiful is that I'm still a person, in spite of, you know and and I worked with special needs children for years and years, about 20 at our school in our church.
And you know, you can take somebody that has autism at this level where they can't even speak. They have no ability to speak.
However, if you get to know that person as a person, they will blow you away with what they do have. No matter where somebody is, it it it It's a shame for to miss out on the fact that they bear God's image in some way that only that person can. And if you're missing out on that, you're missing out on part of God. I think that's so beautiful. What you just said, Robbie, like that they bear God's image in a way that only they can.
You know, God gives each of us our struggles.
So that we can praise him differently, that we can. We can exalt him in a different way because, at least, you have seen a side of. the peace of God that surpasses understanding. In a way that other people who've never struggled with something so debilitating. would have known.
Exactly. Yep. You know, I think that that is such an incredible thing. And then passing it on the eighth grader, she's comforted others with the comfort that she was comforted with, right? 2 Corinthians chapter 1.
Yeah. And they don't, you know, I'm sure that those young girls, I've seen your videos of how much they love you and how much you love them. And, you know, when you have a leader, just like you said, that you had leaders that were instrumental in your life when you were going through those times. And For you to be transparent about your weaknesses Makes it so that they can be transparent about their weaknesses too. Because none of us grow when we can't be honest.
About our weaknesses. And the Lord has worked through you in such a wonderful way. Um Yeah, I mean, what are some resources that you would either recommend or that maybe have helped you? Along your way too.
Well, I wish that I was a reader.
So I'm not a reader, but I was so I don't have any books to recommend. But um right now, one that because I'm actually it's I am in a season where I've noticed more anxiety than Maybe last year or six months ago. And I've really, it's, A very common one, but Psalm 23, just meditating on that and picturing You know, he leads me by still waters, like picturing that and really. Thinking about that, I would say that that. I would encourage anyone who's going through you know, having anxiety.
to read that. Worship music. Is a huge one. I just have a playlist and I just listen to it. And even if they're not songs about that someone's singing about their anxiety, just The idea of praising The Lord is comforting for me.
And then something that It kind of ties into what I learned in conventional therapy, but breath prayers. And it's just the idea of taking good deep breaths, which is scientifically Proven that we need Oxygen, you know, you need oxygen. And then Fine there's different prayers that it's like I think one of them is like, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. And doing certain things like that, I would say that's one of the things that I've told my girls, especially.
When they're going through anxiety, it's interesting being on the other side, like seeing someone else have a panic attack, and you're not the one who's doing it. It's that's interesting. And it's like, oh, okay, well, now I can give you my resources and try to comfort you through that. Yeah. So, yeah.
Yeah, and just prayer. Um just constantly It doesn't have to be a long prayer, but just, you know. Yeah, praying. Yeah. Well, Elise, I so appreciate you sharing all of this.
And, you know, I want to say to any of our listeners out there, too, that if this is something that you're struggling with, you're not alone. And seeking out biblical counseling, opening up to trusted, godly family members or friends can be such a healing balm in your heart. And, um, Elise, I appreciate you being willing to come on here and just talk with us openly about what you've been through, what it continues to look like, and how you place your fears in the hands of a mighty, trustworthy God.
So thank you for joining us today on Hope in the Morning.
Well, thank you for having me. Hope in the Morning is a non-profit ministry that seeks to encourage the hurting. Equip those who walk beside them and evangelize the lost with the hope of Jesus. Jesus Christ. To partner with our ministry or to make a donation in your loved one's honor.
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