Humans share with other animals a set of instant responses which protect us from threats. Our brains trigger our bodies to flight, fight or freeze before we have time to think. But when we get stuck in stressful situations these reactions can get unpleasant and unhelpful. In this blog, Silvia Purdie maps out the stress response system, and asks ‘What is anxiety?’
Anxiety feels dreadful, and it can make us less intelligent and capable of solving problems. There’s plenty to be stressed about in 2022, but what is the alternative to chronic anxiety? Minister and counsellor Silvia Purdie identifies five strategies from the Christian faith tradition which are ‘tried and true’ – effective ways to reduce anxiety.
For the last fifty years Christians have been exposed to relational theology. Yet our understanding of Christians in relationship with God has scarcely benefited from psychological and neuroscientific advances in attachment as a foundational relational theory.