One of the areas that I get asked about a lot is medicines and what my thoughts are about using medication. They have been all kinds of concerns raised about whether or not pharmaceutical medication should even be used among Christians.  Are you lacking in faith if you use a medicine?  Why do some medicines cause side effects?  Do they even do what they are intended to do?

We’re going to discuss the good the bad and the ugly specifically as it relates to anxiety but we will tackle the conversation as it relates to health in general.

Is using alcohol or other substances helpful for the body?  By that I mean both the physical body as well as the Body of Christ.  In this series, A Little Wine for Your Stomachs Sake, we cover a few biblical concepts related to this topic.  Join us for this three part teaching with Dr. Bergina on the Hope Infusion.

Is using alcohol or other substances helpful for the body?  By that I mean both the physical body as well as the Body of Christ.  In this series, A Little Wine for Your Stomachs Sake, we cover a few biblical concepts related to this topic.  Join us for this three part teaching with Dr. Bergina on the Hope Infusion.

Is using alcohol or other substances helpful for the body?  By that I mean both the physical body as well as the Body of Christ.  In this series, A Little Wine for Your Stomachs Sake, we cover a few biblical concepts related to this topic.  Join us for this three part teaching with Dr. Bergina on the Hope Infusion.

One of my recommendations to patients is to read scripture that talks about ways to deal with anxiety, then to pray those scriptures back to God.  Prayer is simply having a conversation with God.  But I have been asked by more than one person, how do I pray?  More specifically, how do I pray about anxiety?

Here is a basic pattern.

Here is a prayer that I was asked to write for a Christian radio station.  I hope it encourages you.

Breath of Heaven, 

We take time to breathe in your spirit and breathe out praise for the life you have already given us.  Lord, you know our anxieties and worries (Psalm 139:23), we bring them to you and trade them in for the gladness of your Word (Proverbs 12:25).  We choose not to be anxious, but in every situation, we ask and thank you for the peace you give us that goes beyond anything we can understand (Philippians 4:6-7).  We ask that your peace would guard our heart, that it would guard our minds when we are tempted to be overwhelmed with thoughts of what is going on around us and sometimes within us.  Father, we will look to You, where our help comes from, You who made the heavens and earth and preserve us as we go out and as we come in (Psalm 121:1-8).  Teach us to focus on things that are True, such as your perfect knowledge of every situation, those who are Noble and Admirable like first responders and essential workers, what is Right and Pure namely you Word shared by our pastors and teachers, and people that are Lovely like our neighbors who deliver meals to those in need. We thank you for the Praiseworthy efforts of doctors and researchers who have already been working on cures, and thank you for those who have been able to apply the blood plasma from those who have recovered to those in need of healing (Philippians 4:8).  We ask that You would continue to guide us and continue to touch our hearts to give to our neighbors at this time.  

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Psalm 139 is a popular psalm that addresses a variety of concerns of King David. In this episode, Dr. Bergina shares some insights from this psalm as it relates to anxiety, anger, and other emotions.

Anxiety.  We’ve all experienced it.  Whether it is being anxious before a big meeting or giving a presentation or worry about balancing your finances, anxiety symptoms are a common occurrence.  With current concerns about health and movement restrictions, there is heightened anxiety for many people.  But the feeling of anxiety is a part of a normal physiological response.

Most people have heard of the fight, flight, or freeze response.  When presented with a threat, your body naturally releases hormones to help you stay safe.  Under normal circumstances, after the threat has passed, those hormones decrease and our body is able to return to baseline.  Unfortunately, that normal response can be disrupted and people can experience symptoms of anxiety when there is minimal or no threat.  Our modern pace can be very stressful and lend itself to the difficulty of the body being able to reset to a normal relaxed response.

There are several constellations of symptoms that put together can carry a diagnosis of an Anxiety Disorder.  Some disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or Phobias.  While people can be anxious about a wide variety of things, such as in Generalized Anxiety Disorder, they can also develop very specific fears, such as a phobia.  A person with the specific fear of spiders has Arachnophobia.  A person can experience significant symptoms of anxiety that disrupt their normal ability to function, therefore, it is called a disorder.

Regardless of the type of Anxiety Disorder, the symptoms can be managed and, for some people, resolve completely over time.  Untreated disorders can lead to worsening symptoms and increase risk of other illnesses.  Some patients have expressed having symptoms of Depression first, and then developing an Anxiety Disorder related to consequences of Depression.  Others also experience symptoms of both Depression and Anxiety at the same time.  Treatment for anxiety can take on many forms, but the mainstay is therapy and/or medications for most people.  There are many types of therapy, but Cognitive Behavior Therapy has been shown to be particularly successful with the treatment of Anxiety and Depression.

Treatments vary from pharmaceuticals such as SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, to more natural or holistic approaches such as a change in nutrition.  Certain essential oils, such as Lavender, Lemon and Peppermint may be helpful.  Light therapy, physical movement and exercise can also be helpful. Breathing exercises, visualization, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation can be particularly helpful for calming the body during or immediately after anxiety symptoms.

I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Hope Infusion and will join us next week for more inspiration for your journey.  If this has helped you, please subscribe here and join us on the app for one of our live recordings.  Have a blessed day, on purpose!

Imagine if you woke up every day feeling absolutely awful.  You try to treat yourself to you feel better, but it doesn't work.  You go to a specialist and you get a second opinion, but none of these doctors but no one seems to know exactly what's going on with you, or how to treat you.  You go see this radical physician who greets you warmly and patiently listens to your concerns.  He diagnoses your problem with an authority that you had not previously experienced.  It's sin sickness. It's your soul that’s sick. And it's crying out because of the severity of the problem.

You listen as he explains the procedure that will cure your problem.  The process involves a blood transfusion where he's going to transfuse lifesaving, pure, holy blood to you in exchange for tainted blood that’s causing illness. He is able to apply the blood plasma from one who has recovered, who has been cured of your illness to those like you in need of healing.  This is the backdrop for the Hope Infusion podcast, a place where we look at things from the perspective of the Great Physician.

In today's episode we talk about ways that an infusion can be helpful for us physically, and how it can also help us spiritually.  I share my personal experience with receiving an infusion and how it impacted my body and my mood. When I was pregnant with my son, my iron levels, just kept getting lower and lower. And because we knew we were going to have a C section with some anticipated blood loss. All of my doctors were in agreement that I was going to need iron infusions.

After initial lab testing my hematologist decided that I would get weekly iron infusions. And so each week I would schedule an appointment and arrive for my 10 to 40 minute infusion.  Those times of self care and vicarious care for my son helped me in more ways than I could have imagined.  I spent that time in personal study, praying for others who were receiving chemotherapy infusions in the next cubicle, and resting.

Now, If I delayed or forgot to make my appointment, if I didn't specifically seek out time to go and get this fresh infusion, then I noticed I started to feel weak and tired, and if I wasn't feeling well eventually I got kind of cranky and irritable, maybe a little short with my family.

But I also noticed that if I made my weekly appointments, my iron levels went up. I started feeling better and I started behaving better.  I was able to engage with my family and friends.  I was able to do the things that I enjoy doing including my work. And all of this was possible because I kept a much needed infusion,

you're going to have challenges and to be honest with you, they're going to be periods of time where you're just completely exhausted. You might find yourself having low energy and not feeling like being involved in things, maybe you're a little irritable or a little snappy with those that are around you.  Christians aren’t perfect.  Just forgiven and given access to the source of all Hope.

I am glad you joined us today, and I want you to think of it as keeping a scheduled appointment with the great physician.  Here His words and stories of healing here on The Hope Infusion.  Come each week for your infusion and leave better equipped to live the abundant life.

Welcome to the Hope Infusion Interactive Podcast, where we chat about ways our faith infuses hope with a focus on mental health and wellness.

The Hope Infusion co-hosts are Dr. Bergina, a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Speaker and Dr. Amir, the Medical Expert and Bestselliing author.  WeI invite you to schedule your appointment and join us each week as we bring insight and inspiration from our live recordings on the Clubhouse App so you the audience can ask questions.  We start our chat off with a time of sharing on a topic or interviewing a special guest.  During this period, the hand raising feature is turned off while we glean from our guest.  At an appointed time, the hand raising feature will be turned on and you get to ask your questions.  The final recording will be edited and uploaded to the Hope Infusion on all podcast outlets.