Sometimes we unknowingly are controlled by the thoughts we think upon. Proverbs 23:7 Reminds us that the way we think is how we are. With that being said, may I ask “How are you?” To answer that question accurately, you must stop and recognize what you have allowed your thoughts to be on… If your thoughts have been all over the place and primarily on negative things, then you may not be in a good place emotionally right now or for awhile.  This means that if negative thoughts dominate your thinking, then negative emotions are flooding you as well. ( Negative thoughts, trigger negative emotions. Negative emotions trigger negative words or actions.)

Let’s take this a step further: Did you know that each time your mind has a negative thoughts, toxins are released into the brain? Over time these toxins can actually cause brain damage.

Anytime negativity dominates our thoughts, we also can experience physical ailments. (Migraines, fatigue, physical pain in the body, tense muscles, irritable bowels, chest pains and possibly restricted breathing, insomnia etc.)  We also experience the emotional stress factors associated with negative thoughts. ( Anxiety, fear, crying, doubt, worry, sorrow, loneliness, panic, confusion, etc.)

It is fair to ask, is it the negative thoughts that caused all these complications or the toxins released in the brain?  (Both) It is overwhelming the amount of damage caused by toxins in the brain that prevented dopamine ( our well being neuro- hormone)  from being released. This prevented the well being of a person;  leaving them with even more negative thinking due to how bad they felt emotionally and physically. The worse they feel, the worse the thoughts get, the more the toxins are released in the brain causing damage.

What do you think the outcome of this will look like? I assure you not good at all… The person experiencing this struggle will have it long term and will miss out on living life because most of their time will be spent trying to feel better. Either they will sleep their days away, or hold every distraction in hopes something will make them feel better. This is not to say they won’t try to self- medicate, because often times they do. They often are thrown into what I call panic mode, which means they react off of what they feel at the moment which can lead them down a destructive path. Instead of living, they become stuck in their shell, simply existing… They sink deeper into a depressive state of mind experiencing a comfortless and lonesome life.  They are miserable in every area of their life. They forfeit trying because they have felt defeated at every turn.  If they are not careful they can take on a victim mentality, which only keeps them wrapped up longer; focused on themselves and their pain. This means they see no way out of the emotional prison their mind got them into and may also blame others for the situation they are in… To make matters worse, they begin seeing relationships dissolve either in their marriage, with co-workers or friendships. This only intensifies their loneliness, doubt and fears. Their self value is questioned while each moment of their day is dreaded. Hope escapes them as dread floods them… Deuteronomy  31:6 Reminds us not to dread or fear but unfortunately not all of us succeed at that. In fact dread begins overpowering us when we reach that low point. Dread for being around certain people for fear of them seeing us that way. Dread doing things simply because all interest has been lost. Once interest is lost, escaping from our prison seems impossible…

One reason people become so complacent and do nothing about their situation is because they believe the thoughts they have focused on to be truths;  instead of seeing them as the lies they are. You read that correctly… The Lord holds purpose for each and everyone of us believers. Who better to interrupt our well being than the enemy himself?   John 10:10 reminds us that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy.  The thief is the devil. Did he steal part of your life by killing your hopes and dreams; while destroying any opportunity that was sent in your direction? Did he use people you trusted to harm you emotionally or physically?

Please be looking for Part Two:  Escaping your emotional prison (It will be up shortly)

Blessings,

Robin Worgull

via Still down and struggling?

Some of you struggle daily with emotional pain that has you wincing in physical pain. It gets so bad that the only choice you feel you hold is to lay down until the pain eases up. You often question, how other people are able to function but why you struggle so often. You may even be the person who holds a number of excuses as to why you are the way you are yet secretly question if you are justifying or if it really is that way; simply because you are sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time… You go to the doctor and walk out with the same thing, pain medication, antidepressants and possibly muscle relaxers or anxiety medication. You faithfully take the prescription as told and wait until it finally begins working yet all the while you feel tired, groggy and are expected to still function in the home by family members. No matter how hard you try to hide your physical pain or emotional it always seem to knock you out of the game and throws your butt in bed until relief comes… This leads you to feeling guilty because those who depended on you were let down once again and the love you hold for others is not being seen because the symptoms you endure are seen and heard louder than any love you offer. Am I close or did I hit the nail on the head?

I get it, you have had a hard life. Something happened that led you to believe, “It’s all downhill from here”.  (That’s also the day all motivation was removed from you and never returned either, Right?)

As you lay there trying to get relief from your pain, your mind is flooded with negative thoughts that no matter how hard you try; these thoughts just torment you and lead you onto a road of fear and anxiety… So what started as an emotional morning, turned into a wasted afternoon with physical pain that had you bed bound and ample time to ponder on all the thoughts running through your tired mind… (It’s like a prison sentence at home.)  Let’s not forget to mention you will be up all night with horrible insomnia and still no closer to a quiet mind.  Then if you add in fear and anxiety, then you can expect greater physical pain from being so tense, swollen eyes from crying and trouble breathing from the anxiety that really feels like a heart attack…

~~~~ Imagine for a moment while you are enduring the struggle that someone asks you, “What happened or what started this today?”  Most of you who can relate to this can also relate to holding no answer to the question asked… (More than likely you brush it off as having a hard day or over doing it…)  STOP right there and let’s have serious talk:

How many bad days can one person have but hold no answer as to why these bad days keep happening? If laying in bed helped then ask yourself how long you had to lay there before relief was felt and also who was it that walked in the front door and their very presence alone brought enough comfort that allowed you to get up and get moving even though the pain had not subsided? Did you catch that? Someone came home and their very presence was enough to get you out of bed. Why was this person worth the effort you made but you couldn’t make the same effort for yourself ?  I will tell you why…

Your focus was solely on yourself, (Your pain, trauma, mistreatment, words spoken in hate towards you, neglect, abandonment, unhappiness, loneliness  and all the other horrible things we could mention on here but hold no time to get into.) The person who walked in the room, you could clearly see they needed you more than you needed them at the moment which was all it took to get you up. This means your focus shifted off yourself and onto the person in front of you. (this has love written all over it and screams you care.)

Some of you have made the comment, “I’d give anything to not feel this way anymore, I’m tired of this  pain. I’m missing out on life .”

If that is so, please join me back here Friday and find out how to live instead of just existing. Too many people are simply existing instead of truly living.  (If you are afraid of missing Friday’s post just sign up with your email to be notified of each new one I put out. )

When your focus is not where it should be the body tends to follow… None of us were meant to spend most of our time  laying down, just waiting… You hold a great purpose in this life. We all do,  but existing is not fulfilling purpose; it is merely avoiding it…Hope to have you join me on Friday.

Blessings,

Robin Worgull