Anxiety is complex to understand, both for the person experiencing it and for their loved ones. I don’t personally struggle with anxiety, but several key and beloved people in my life live this struggle daily. At the recommendation of a friend, I decided to tackle Pierce Taylor Hibbs’ book for the sake of learning more about their journey.
I’ll be honest — the anxiety of the people I love is often confusing to me. I love them, and I want to understand — but I can’t. This book, Struck Down But Not Destroyed, is written for people of faith suffering with anxiety or those living with someone who deals with this mental health challenge. It is written from a Christian perspective and begins by addressing some common misconceptions. He directly addresses nonsense those with anxiety might hear such as this is a punishment for sin, that if you lived with more faith the anxiety would disappear, or that using medication means you are not fully relying on God. This seems elementary, but the misinformation spread by (sometimes) well-meaning people can have devastating effects. I think of some of the lies that have been spoken to me in my areas of weakness, and I shudder to imagine the devastation that someone already struggling with anxiety would feel to be told it’s their own fault.
For the rest of the book, the author spells out many of the coping mechanisms that have been instrumental in helping him deal with his anxiety disorder. He tells many personal stories and explains in detail his experiences and the way he felt physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. He talks about being acutely aware of his breathing, of adrenaline rushes, and feeling like his throat was closing. These visceral details offered me great insight into the experience of an anxiety 'attack,' as well as the everyday challenges that others around him don't even notice typically. Others might only recall “Piece has anxiety” when he’s having an “attack,” but it’s something he’s aware of nearly all the time.
The author emphasizes the power of prayer and the support of his wife and family. His thesis is, "We are crushed to be called." He would seem to state that in any difficulty or challenge, God can bring us closer to Him. The author postulates that anxiety is no different and uses scripture, his own experience, and practical theology to construct a six-point plan for handling anxiety as a tool to draw closer to the Lord. He shares the acronym CHRIST to be helpful: consider the feelings as spiritual medicine, He knows, remember the promise, identify a focus, stay engaged, and talk.
I cannot recommend this to anyone who personally lives with anxiety, because that is not my life experience. I feel like that would be akin to recommending the best caramel candy when I don’t eat caramel. So I’ll simply say that I found this book helpful in better understanding the complex journey of someone who lives with this challenge.
