Overcoming Anxiety & Addiction | My Story

I’ve struggled with bad habits and addictions ever since I was in high school. A hit from a friend's vape and a sip of beer quickly turned into hard liquor, cannabis, and prescription pills. I never thought I would become addicted but every time I would try and get clean I fell right back into the same bad habits.

Fast forward a couple of years and I got radically saved during my first year of college however, the feelings of anxiety, depression, and temptations to return to the former things got worse as time went on. The following year I decided to start fresh at a Christian schooling program in Colorado.

When I first arrived, I was so anxious I could barely even function. I had driven across the country because of a word from God but nearly turned around and went home just less than a mile away. I started asking myself questions like, what have I done, did I make a mistake, what if I don’t fit in, and is it too late to go home. They were fleeting thoughts but with them came the overwhelming feelings of anxiety and loneliness.

Satan gave me any and every reason for why I should get away from this place of discomfort and go somewhere I could feel like myself again. I had asked God to put me in uncomfortable situations so I could grow and rely more on Him but at that moment, I was overwhelmed with fear and regret.

I'm thankful that glad that God gave me the courage to make it there, I not only met my beautiful wife Anastasiya but my two best friends Josh and Daniel. I couldn't imagine what life would be like if I had listened to the lies of the enemy and turned around that day. 

It’s easy for me to think back and tell myself what I should have done having already gone through this, take a deep breath, pray, and read some scripture. However, my relationship with God had only just begun, I didn’t have any weapons in my arsenal to fight against the attacks of the enemy, no scripture I could quote, psalm I could pray, I was flying blind.

The trials that God put me through have allowed me to fully understand how hopeless, broken, and empty the things of this world will make you feel. Only by God's grace have I been able to overcome these bad habits and develop new ones. Wherever you are, the Lord wants to meet you there, he has been waiting for you this whole time, all you need to do is ask Him for the strength.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

The Cross is a perfect reminder for everybody when we are feeling anxious to take a step back from everything going on in our head or around us, take a deep breath, and ultimately rely on God to give us peace.