Avoiding what you’re feeling, denying the brokenness in your heart, and shoving down what’s weighing in all for the sake of appearing to be spiritually solid is not sustainable. This can so easily lead to dips of depression and anxiety that can paralyze, or push you to reach for unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to mask what you are feeling.
I’ve been there.
Keeping busy.
Overeating.
Vegging out with entertainment at your finger-tips (eh-hem, social media).
Alcohol, drugs, a high need for fitness…even a constant need to go, be, serve, do in order to avoid what’s aching in your heart.
Not every coping mechanism is obviously harmful. We have to know what’s driving us—if it ain’t peace, it ain’t Jesus. Jus’ sayin.
For me, trying to be strong, ignoring what I was feeling, led me to over eating and vegging out with TV (this was before smart phones and social media—yep, I just dated myself 😆). This cycle led me to deeper depression and isolation that kept me in the most lonely prison…and I needed out!
Here’s what I learned:
- Denying what I’m feeling doesn’t make it go away, and faking strong when I’m not blocks God from being my strength when I need Him the most.
- Food and entertainment addiction has the same dopamine release that makes you feel good momentarily but comes with a serious crash, creating heavy exhaustion, and depression deepens. The overstimulation with screens and visual entertainment increases brain activity. An overstimulated mind increases panic attacks, anxiety and then the big crash of depression comes. Look it up. These “escapes” will not lead you to the inner peace your soul is longing for.
- When I learned to intentionally remove everything that was my automatic go-to for comfort and went directly to God, my emotions that were shoved down surfaced. To be honest, it was a bit overwhelming at first, but that’s when I met His healing touch and His peace that surpasses human understanding.
Family, let’s stop faking strength, and turn to Him in our most vulnerable moments and experience a supernatural strength and lasting peace that can only come from Him. 🤍, J
