“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: They neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”
Wonderful words from the Gospel of Luke—I've recalled them often in times of worry, both great and trivial. But can we possibly live without anxiety?
Anxiety is the body's built-in response to perceived danger—the brain's “fight or flight response.” But sometimes our bodies respond as if we are in danger when, in reality, we are not. For someone suffering from anxiety, the body's reaction is out of proportion. Even small annoyances might be perceived as physical threats. Heart rate increases; we sweat and tremble; we can't focus or concentrate on anything else. We run or we fight. And we get depressed. Anxiety disorders and depression go hand in hand.
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