Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks Through Faith

From Panic to Peace: Testimony of God’s Healing

As someone now in my 40s who has been suffering from panic attacks since my early teens, I remember my very first one at age 14. My family rushed me to the doctor to rule out any heart issues, and that’s when we learned it was anxiety.

That diagnosis marked the beginning of decades filled with medications, therapy, and countless fight-or-flight moments. At the peak of my panic, I felt like I was having hundreds of attacks a day. It was nonstop—24/7. Day and night. No rest. No peace. Only fear.

Fear of death. Fear of dying suddenly. Fear of choking. Fear of being allergic to everything and having an anaphylactic reaction. Fear of car crashes. Fear of closed spaces. Fear of not waking up. Fear of dying alone at home with no one to find me. The list of “what ifs” my mind concocted seemed endless. But the root of it all was the fear of dying.

To this day, my hospital bills remain overwhelming. Panic attacks often mimic the symptoms of a heart attack, so each one felt terrifyingly real. I would convince myself I was truly dying and head straight to the ER—sometimes even calling an ambulance. I became a “frequent flyer,” something no one wants to be known as. I’ll never forget walking into the ER and hearing the receptionist say, “You’re not having a heart attack—you’re having a panic attack.” I’d insist, “No, this time it’s real. This is it. I’m dying.”

This can’t be normal, right? Do other people feel this way? Is anyone else living in the same “crazy” cycle I was? It was debilitating. It consumed my life. I knew every exit in every building I entered. I rehearsed what steps doctors should take to save me. I memorized medications and blood pressure ranges. Flying? Forget it. The thought of being locked inside a plane, miles above the earth, terrified me. I just knew that would be when “the big one” hit.

Eventually, I stopped taking medications, fearing adverse reactions. Ironically, during a C-section with my middle son, I was given morphine—and I did, in fact, have an anaphylactic reaction. My worst fear came true.

I stopped eating certain foods. When I did eat, I’d take a tiny bite, set a timer for 30 minutes, and sit in front of a mirror watching my throat, waiting for a reaction.

You’re probably thinking, That’s no way to live. And you’d be right. It isn’t. To live bound by fear is no life at all.

The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given us a spirit of fear. I knew that this fear wasn’t from God. It was from the enemy. Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Satan’s strategy is to keep us bound by fear so that we become ineffective for God’s kingdom. If we’re consumed with surviving, we can’t thrive. If we’re too scared to leave the house, how can we share Jesus with others?

Does this sound familiar? Have you ever felt your heart race, your vision blur, your arms go numb? Have you ever fainted, struggled to breathe, or had a panic attack? Do you silently suffer because you’re too embarrassed to tell anyone?

I can’t count how many times I was asked, “What do you even have to be scared of?”—as if fear works that way. Having a panic attack in public was mortifying. It’s like when someone drinks too much, does something embarrassing, and the next day has to face the fallout. That’s how a panic attack feels. You lose control, consumed by fear, and later face the embarrassment of how you looked or acted in front of others.

That shame often leads to isolation. And in isolation, depression and loneliness creep in—bringing fear right along with them. It’s a toxic trio. And that’s exactly where the enemy wants you: medicated, isolated, scared, alone, and depressed.

So what can you do? What are real, attainable steps to help yourself?

First and foremost—pray. I know that might sound cliché, but prayer is the key to freedom. God is Jehovah Rapha, our Healer. That doesn’t just mean physical healing, but emotional healing as well. Isaiah 53:5 reminds us that by His stripes we are healed—not just from sickness, but from anything that breaks us.

During my worst attacks, sometimes all I could do was whisper the name Jesus. And that was enough.

Second—praise. Praise is a weapon. When you enter His presence with praise, He enters your situation with power. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Finally—lean on Scripture. Hug your Bible. Sleep with it. Read it. Write it. Sing it. Memorize it. Carry verses like a survival kit. During attacks, Scripture became my medicine. I laminated verses, kept them in my pocket, and clung to them like life support. When your in full blows of an attack, get out your list and fight for your life. Literally. You're using the scripture as your medication. 

Because that’s exactly what God’s Word is—life.

God can’t heal what you won’t reveal. The enemy thrives in secrecy. If he knows fear keeps working against your mind, your reasoning, your emotions—he’ll keep using it until you stop responding the same way.

I know it may sound like I’m making this seem easy—but I know it’s not. I’ve been there thousands of times, and it’s never easy. Now that I’m on the other side of my own healing, I can say with confidence that it is possible—but it doesn’t happen without struggle.

It begins with shifting your focus from anxiety to God. It’s choosing to say, “God, if this really is a heart attack and I’m dying, then let me wake up in Your presence.” That mindset takes away the enemy’s power over you. The devil is under Jesus’ feet—he is nothing and has no authority or control over you.

Take it one panic attack at a time, training yourself the way an athlete prepares for a big event. For one attack, decide, “I’m going to speak the name of Jesus over and over until it passes.” For the next, try singing a worship song—even if you have to make it up on the spot: “Lord, thank You for saving me from this panic attack, fa-la-la-la…” Then repeat.

This is all part of renewing your mind and fixing your eyes on Jesus.

The truth is, God has given us power, love, and a sound mind. And when we shift our focus to Him, we can find freedom. I’m rooting for you friend. 

Questions for Reflection

• What fears tend to grip you the most?
  
  

• How has fear kept you from living out your calling or stepping forward in faith?
  
  

• Which Bible verse can you carry with you as your “weapon verse” when panic strikes?

Prayer:
Lord, I give You my fears and my anxious thoughts. When panic rises, help me remember that You are with me. Remind me that You have not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. Replace my fear with faith, my panic with peace, and my despair with hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.