I have lived with an underlying state of anxiety for most of my life. I think that most people living in these times live with tremendous anxiety. While the majority take either illegal or prescription drugs – or both – to keep their fears at bay; I prefer to remain alert so that I am better able to deal with challenges that are presented to me. Many keep perpetual appointments with a therapist, as well, but rarely see improvement. If we continue to focus on our problems, we are constantly feeding them and their power over us grows.
Nearly everyone that I know is taking a drug of some form or another. I will not take them. Side effects aside, drugs place a barrier to communication, between me and my body. When I have pain, my body is seeking to get my attention. If I have taken a drug to numb the pain, I will not hear what it is that my body is trying to say. If my body is fighting a battle with a pathogen, it already has its work cut out. If I take a drug, my body becomes further burdened by having to deal with the foreign substance that I have force fed it. There are thousands of plants that have been provided for us that can assist our bodies with the difficult work of maintaining health. Herbs and plants, in their natural form, which we have known about and used for centuries, are completely non-toxic and non-habit forming. Over-dose of herbs is unheard of. In addition to plants, water is the other substance that is vital to our well-being. I have seen people complain of a headache and immediately pop a pain reliever into their mouth. In many cases, they are severely dehydrated and simply drinking a couple of glasses of pure water would banish their headache.
I spend much of my time watching the birds at my feeders. There is always one or two acting as sentinel, watching out for predators while the others eat at the feeders or drink from the birdbath. If you observe birds and animals in the wild, you will see that they are at most times, in a state of hyper awareness. This alertness is imperative to their safety. Unlike humans, anxiety is saved for real and present danger and often escalates into full-out fear when the danger is imminent. If these birds or animals were to take drugs, their ability to remain alert to possible peril, would be compromised. When I sense my anxiety rising, I remember to breathe. I meditate. I pray. Like the birds, I prefer to remain alert rather than complicate any situation by subjecting my mind to the influence of a drug. I return to the present moment, like the birds, and revel in simply being.
