He could find his way to my doorstep blindfolded. He always takes the same route—by way of prolonged physical illness, sustained stress, or painful loss. Without fail, he shows up at the most inconvenient times and walks in as if he owns the place. He is that dreaded and unwelcome visitor, Depression. You don’t have… Read More When Depression comes knocking

I was 25 years old when I scored my dream job—working as an editor on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. After growing up in California, I fell head-over-heels in love with the East Coast and decided I’d stay put. Until I landed in the ER at 3:00 a.m. one morning with what I thought was a heart… Read More Panic Attacks: What I’ve learned along the way

“They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.” Jeremiah 6:14 Can anything feel more elusive than peace? You know, the kind of calm-to-the-core, happily restful feeling you get when life is good? I remember the Summer of ’09, when I left behind an extremely… Read More Peace

Anxiety for me has come in two forms: the spiritual kind (worry as sin) and the physiological kind (chemical imbalances that lead to panic attacks, etc.). It’s been so helpful for me to sort these out so I can address them each properly. What I share below largely has to do with sinful worry, but my… Read More When I’m anxious and fearful…

Depression first found me when I was an idealistic 19-year-old with plans to change the world. Panic attacks and obsessive thought patterns soon followed, and the promise and excitement of my 20s was to be often overshadowed by mental and emotional angst. I’d grown up reading the biographies of dead saints: men and women who… Read More When darkness seems to hide His face