Anxious Wife: It’s Ok To Ask For Help

I knew how to manage my anxiety and depression silently, avoiding being a burden on my family. That was until all of my usual coping methods stopped working. 

The usual relief I found through the skills learned was gone, and I found no relief in prayer or pouring my heart into my Bible.

I found myself overcome with constant panic and a myriad of physical symptoms of my anxiety. I could no longer function properly and I was overwhelmed and overcome by it all. The once silent suffering became loud and noticeable to everyone around me. 

But we don’t have to be overcome by our anxiety to get help for anxiety.

Asking for help isn’t easy, because it’s an admission that we are flawed and don’t have all the things figured out. We think asking for help means that in some way we have failed. The truth, however, is that asking for help when you have reached the end of yourself is exactly what God has purposed you to do. 

Maybe you are fighting this battle silently like I was. Maybe you are afraid of what others will think of you when you step out of the silence. Or maybe you know someone who has hinted they need help. Let us never be Christians who diminish the pain of our sisters in Christ by failing to acknowledge their need for help. Whatever it is, let these words sink deep…it is never wrong to ask for help. 

Here are four ways you can seek help or help someone get help for their anxiety:

1. 1. Speak to your Pastor. I am very blessed to have a Pastor who has a heart for people, and cares very deeply about what they are walking through. He was gracious and willing to counsel me himself, but also willing to give me the name of someone outside our church who was a licensed Christian counselor. If this isn’t an option for you,, find a trusted friend our spiritual leader whom you can seek counsel from. 

• Talk to your family. Don’t suffer with your mental health alone. Share openly and honestly with your husband and family about what you are walking through. Don’t expect them to read your mind. Tell them what you are feeling and how your body is responding. They may already notice many of the things that are happening to you, but being open and communicating will help them support you better as you work toward healing.

1. 1. Find a good Christian Counselor. This is a crucial piece. There are many elements to our mental health that sometimes include a need for medication, but also for someone who can listen to our hearts and give us biblical tools to help us move forward and find healing. Click here to search for a Christian Counselor near you.

• Don’t let shame keep you in hiding. Even in 2020, there is still a stigma around mental health. Don’t let the hurtful or lack of understanding words of others shame you into continuing to hide. 

Friend, take these words to heart today – God sees you. He knows the ache of your heart and He will not leave you to walk through it by yourself.  God never leaves you alone, and He can and will bring healing in His time. Use the tools He has placed in front of you to find healing. 

Father, 

I pray for the anxious wife right now. The one struggling to find her way out of the darkness she is feeling. You see her, you know her heart. Maybe she is struggling to trust and see the good – open her eyes to the truth of your faithfulness and goodness. Maybe she is a woman after your heart, she knows all the Scriptures and has prayed all the prayers and yet her heart still aches. Strengthen her to reach out and ask for help from someone you have equipped to lift up and help your children. You care about us Father, you know the number of hairs on our head, you formed us in our mother’s womb. You know our every thought and intentions of our hearts. Bring healing and peace to the heart of the one reading these words right now. Thank you for your love and care for us. Amen.

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Michelle is a writer and speaker on a mission to equip women to thrive in their walk with Jesus by getting into God’s Word every day. She is a wife to Jeremy – a Minister of Music, and mom to three wild and wonderful kids. She loves Christmas music all year, collecting shells, crazy socks, and drinking lots of coffee. You can find her at www.displayinggrace.com, on Instagram @displayinggrace, or on Facebook @Displaygrace