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| Newsletter | Inspiration, Insight & Information
March 2011 | |
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OVERCOMING FEAR AND ANXIETY WITH GOD'S WORD
By Theresa Sakyiama, M.D.
We live in difficult and challenging times and there is a real temptation to be afraid and to worry. We come face to face with different storms in this life and there is turbulence all around us. Adults and parents worry about the future for themselves and their families, especially their children. Children worry too about their parents, the financial status of the family, their education, and their friends. Clinics everywhere report an increasing number of adults, adolescents and children presenting with anxiety and mood disorders in these challenging times.
As people of faith, we have a sure hope and foundation in Christ and in the Word of God. We can trust God's Word in Philippians 4:6 & 7 "Have no anxiety about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
We serve a good God who cares about us and has asked us to cast all our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). This does not mean we just relax and do nothing about our situation; but rather the Word of God should galvanize and empower us to seek help if we have clinical anxiety or depression, as well as take the necessary physical actions we need to take to change our situation. Philippians 4:13 states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Therefore, with Christ's help and strength, we can take necessary steps to change or improve our situation.
It is important to identify symptoms of anxiety and fear and to seek help. Anxiety symptoms may present as excessive worries, nervousness, feeling tense, having butterflies in the stomach or frequent stomachaches, frequent headaches, poor appetite or increased appetite (comfort eating during times of stress) with weight and bowel (diarrhea or constipation) changes. Anxiety attacks may also occur with symptoms of racing heart beats or palpitations, hyperventilation and a feeling of dread that something bad is going to happen.
Children and adolescents tend to have more physical symptoms when they are anxious such as frequent stomachaches for which no physical or medical cause is found, headaches, nausea, and feeling sick. These symptoms may occur frequently on school mornings with heightened anxiety and may lead to school refusal, missing several days of school, and academic difficulties or poor grades. They may also be irritable with anxiety and may be more prone to anger outbursts. Children also need treatment for anxiety symptoms especially if severe and if symptoms interfere with the child's ability to learn, attend school or function adequately at home and school.
God has made provision for us to get help through His Word and through Christian health workers. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7, "God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind." You no longer need to suffer in silence.
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 Theresa Sakyiama, M.D., is a double board certified Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist with Meier Clinics in Wheaton, Illinois. She treats a wide range of mental health problems such as ADHD, Depression, OCD and Bipolar disorders in addition to Anxiety Disorders. For more information about Dr. Sakyiama, Meier Clinics services, locations, and other staff, visit www.meierclinics.org.
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WORDS TO LIVE BY
By Lon Adams, MA, LMFT
The Psalmist said "Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Ps.119:11). The word of God certainly has practical value in our personal relationship with God, which I want to examine with you. It helps create in us a godly perspective of right and wrong, and reading, memorizing, and meditating on it enables us to know God's will and do it.
How do you personally regard God's word? Do you see it as spiritual nourishment that we must feed on daily? Do you see it as divinely inspired and good for guiding our decisions and actions in daily living? Paul told Timothy (2 Tim 3:17) that scripture is able to make the man or woman of God "complete. . . equipped for every good work."
Do we view the Bible with awe and reverence? Do we see it as something we must make time for daily? Or, has it become mundane and taken for granted? We're cautioned in Hebrews 6 about the dangers of "falling away after . . . having tasted the word of God." How vigilantly are we honoring, reverencing, and using God's word?
My own personal experience with the word of God began as a relatively new Christian teenager, being introduced to a Scripture memory system. I was challenged to "hide His word in my heart" by memorizing it. That quest lasted for about three years. The reality that His word is "living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword" (Heb 4:12) has forced me to realize that's how the Holy Spirit "convicts the world of sin" (John 16:8), and keeps us vigilant about God's will in our daily lives. It keeps us living life with an eternal perspective.
I want my life to reflect God's will, and to know that it's a fit place for His Spirit to dwell and work. Therefore, I desire to appropriately honor God's word, and experience the benefits of having His word in my heart. More importantly, I want to know that my words and actions are under the powerful influence of His word.
Let's pray today that we who love the Lord are depending on His word to speak through us. And let's say along with the Psalmist "Your testimonies are my delight and my counselors."(Ps.119:24) and "I delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."(Ps.119:16).
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Lon Adams has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Counselor since 1978. He has worked for Focus on the Family's counseling office since 1985. For more information about Focus on the Family, give them a call at 800-A FAMILY or visit them at www.focusonthefamily.com. |
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"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Ephesians 4:32 |
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Eating Disorders Need to be Recognized as Mental Disorders
A recent Washington Post column introduces readers to 53-year-old Michael Prager, a 5'10" man weighing 210 lbs, and discusses the disease that took over his life: an addiction to food. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the American Psychiatric Association's guide of accepted psychological diagnoses, food addiction is not a recognized psychiatric disorder. But many eating disorder professionals, including Kimberly Dennis, M.D., Medical Director at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center, still view food addiction as an illness, not just a weakness in judgment, and appeal for its inclusion in the DSM-V Manual, due out in 2013.
Many times diagnostic restrictions, such as not including food addiction, limit access to treatment for those who need it most. If included in the DSM, food addiction would be legitimized and treatment would be covered by many insurance providers. It would also help treatment professionals work to accurately diagnose problems and provide appropriate treatment.
"We need to treat these serious diseases whether they are listed in the DSM or not. But not being listed can make getting access to treatment difficult," said Dr. Dennis. "We are able to help many women and girls obtain recovery from unhealthy relationships with food, body and exercise who may not ever be diagnosed with a formal eating disorder in many other settings," said Dr. Dennis. "But it is a serious obstacle when food addiction is not included in the DSM Manual, and we must fight for its acceptance as a real mental health disease. Stories like the Washington Post article echo the vital need for this."
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Timberline Knolls is a residential treatment center for females, ages 12 and older, nestled in a wooded area in a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Meier Clinics provides Christian counseling services for those residents who request it. For more information about this wonderful facility and program, call 877-257-9611 or visit www.timberlineknolls.com.
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SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
- Day Program for Adults is available at the following Meier Clinics: Wheaton, IL; Richardson, TX; Fairfax, VA; Bothell, WA.
- Sexual Addiction Intensive Outpatient for Adults (Pathway to Freedom) is available at the following Meier Clinics: Wheaton, IL and Richardson, TX.
- After-school Intensive Outpatient Program for Teens (Breakaway) at Meier Clinics in Wheaton, IL.
- Chemical Dependency Intensive Outpatient Program for Adults offered at Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville, IL. Meier Clinics staff provide a Christian track.
- Faith-Based Hospital Program for Adults led by Meier Clinics staff at Cedar Hills Hospital in Portland, OR.
- Residential Care for Women and Teens at Timberline Knolls in Lemont, IL, with a Christian track led by Meier Clinics staff.
For additional information about these programs, visit our website at www.meierclinics.org or give us a toll free call at 888-7 CLINIC (888-725-4642). |
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WINTER HAS BEEN ROUGH !
Across the nation, many cities were hit hard with winter weather. For the first time in Meier Clinics' 36 year history, three of our clinics had to close their offices for a total of nine days in January and February due to ice, blizzards and burst water pipes. As with other businesses, this really hit us hard financially. Keeping current with bills and continuing to offer charitable harship discounts to those in need is an especially hard challenge right now. If each of you, our readers and former clients, could give a gift of $5.00 or more, it would be a tremendous help and encouragement to our staff and those we serve. Thank you for prayerfully considering what you can give during this crisis time in the life of Meier Clinics and those we are committed to help.
Phone: 800-848-8872
E-mail: www.meierclinics.org
Mail: MCF, 2100 Manchester Rd., Ste. 1510, Wheaton, IL 60187-4561
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Meier Clinics Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization and all gifts are tax-deductible within IRS regulations. |
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Thank you for taking time out of your day to read our newsletter. We hope it has been  encouraging and helpful. If you would like more information about Meier Clinics and how we might be of service to you, please call us at 888-7CLINIC to be directed to the Meier Clinics nearest you or visit us at www.meierclinics.org.
Sincerely,
Sandy Newport, Editor
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