In an article in The Atlantic magazine, Scott Stossel shares openly about his lifelong attempts to deal with the anguish of anxiety. From an early age he's been what he calls been "a twitchy bundle of phobias, fears, and neuroses." Stossel writes: "Even when not actively afflicted by acute episodes [of anxiety], I am buffeted by worry." Stossel adds, "Here's what I've tried [to deal with my anxiety]:
individual psychotherapy (three decades of it), family therapy, group therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, hypnosis, meditation, role-playing, interoceptive exposure therapy, in vivo exposure therapy, self-help workbooks, massage therapy, prayer, acupuncture, yoga, Stoic philosophy, and audiotapes I ordered off a late-night TV infomercial.
And medication. Lots of medication. Thorazine. Imipramine. Desipramine. Chlorpheniramine. Nardil. BuSpar. Prozac. Zoloft. Paxil. Wellbutrin. Effexor. Celexa. Lexapro. Cymbalta. Luvox. Trazodone. Levoxyl. Inderal. Tranxene. Serax. Centrax. St. John's wort. Zolpidem. Valium. Librium. Ativan. Xanax. Klonopin. Also: beer, wine, gin, bourbon, vodka, and scotch.
Here's what's worked: nothing.
Possible Preaching Angles: This story could be used to show either (1) our need for God's grace and power to help us in our weakness, or (2) the deep pain and powerlessness of dealing with crippling anxiety or other mental health issues.