Make a Plan!

Do you panic?  Do you have flashbacks that are difficult to control?  Do you have suicidal or depressive thoughts that lead you to situations that may not be in  your best interest?  One thing that helps many people in these situations is to have a written plan.

How do you do this?  While you are calm, think back to a time when you were panicking, suicidal, depressed, having flashbacks, or generally just behaving in a way that wasn’t working for you.  Think of some things that you could have done in that moment to snap yourself out of that thinking.  Think of things you could have done differently that would have led to less exposure to trauma, more structured or rational thinking, or even just a healthier response.  Write those things down on a 4x6 index card.

Now think of where you are when you experience those symptoms.  Put your index card in an easily accessible and visible place in the area where you are when you experience those symptoms.

For example, if you typically experience panic thoughts and symptoms while driving, make an index card plan and put it on your visor.  That way, when you begin to feel the thoughts and symptoms coming on, you can easily see that you have other options and you know what to do to stop those thoughts and symptoms before they overwhelm you.

Here is an example of what this could look like for someone who often panics while driving:

1. Find a parking lot and pull in.  If no lot is available, pull onto the shoulder.  If no shoulder is available, pull into a driveway or onto a side road with little traffic.

2. Take a few deep, calming breaths.

3. Assess thinking.

4. Apply the 3 rational questions.

5. Read over the list of replacement thoughts that are located on the opposite side of the visor.

6. Continue to breathe deeply, read the list, and apply the 3 rational questions until calm enough to drive safely.

Having a plan like this can make all the difference in a panic situation, and can calm the situation down much more quickly than just riding out the panic with no plan.  Take the time today to plan ahead and take care of yourself.  You are worth it!

Is Suffering Always Bad?

I don’t think so.  Suffering is bad when we get nothing from it, when we learn nothing from it, and when we are unable to use our suffering for our benefit or the benefit of others.  But suffering that leads to God is actually GOOD suffering.
I can hear the sneers now.  Really?  You really think that suffering can be good?  My answer to that is…absolutely!
A family was torn apart by infidelity.  The track that the parents in this family was on was not one that led to God.  It led to selfishness and greed.  When the divorce was final, one parent decided that seeking God was the thing to do.  The children were then raised in a much more godly environment, which led to much more godly marriages for them and lives full of the Holy Spirit.
Not enough suffering there? Okay, a single lady LONGS for a godly marriage.  While still single, her focus is on God and knowing Him more intimately.  She has served the Lord by educating and loving the children of missionaries in Africa, and by leading His people to more healthy and fulfilling lives here in America.  Does she suffer?  Every day.  Is her suffering in vain?  Absolutely not!  Her relationship with God is one that most people only wish they could imagine!
A young couple faced the unthinkable.  After being married only two years, cancer struck the husband.  He also had a stroke due to the type of cancer he had and was forced to push himself through over a year of rehabilitation just to be able to speak and to walk.  Another side effect of his cancer left them without the ability to have children.  This suffering was and still is tremendous for both of them.  Is it necessarily bad?  Well, the couple has begun the process of adopting children, and each of them has a stronger relationship with God due to what He has brought them through.  The husband is able to share his testimony in his blog.  Their friends and family have gathered around them in a way they never would have if this family had not faced such hardship.
Has all this suffering been in vain?  I don’t think so.  God is redeeming each of these situations and is using them for His glory.  Each of these situations is real, and each person has found hope and purpose in their situation as they have also sought God. When we understand that the purpose of life is to bring glory to God, we find that suffering has a real purpose, and it is not always bad.
For more on finding purpose beyond your pain, go to http://purposebeyondpain.wordpress.com/ to read my friend, psychiatrist David Henderson’s, blog and book Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain.