The Flame Within

Part 1: “ Recognizing the Anxiety Spiral and Taking it Captive”

Anxiety often shows up as a sense of overwhelm.

It can feel like panic…
racing thoughts…
or intense fear about failure.

Sometimes it shows up before a job interview.
Sometimes it hits students before a big exam or project.
Other times, it comes after a conversation you replay over and over in your head…

“Why did I say that?”
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
“I probably sounded stupid.”
“What if I offended them?”

It can come from finances.
From relationships.
From uncertainty.

At the core of it all…
anxiety is often rooted in rumination.

⸻

So what is rumination?

Clinically, rumination is the repetitive, passive focus on distressing thoughts,
where your mind keeps going over the same situation, mistake, or fear…

without actually moving toward resolution.

It’s like your mind gets stuck in a loop.

Replaying.
Reanalyzing.
Rehashing.

But not solving.

And the more you ruminate,
the more intense your anxiety becomes.

⸻

So the first question becomes:

What are you thinking?

Because many times the thoughts sound like this:

“I’m not smart enough.”
“I messed that up.”
“If I fail this… I’m a failure.”

And here’s what’s important to understand…

When you think those thoughts, your body reacts as if they are facts.

Because your brain is very literal.

It does exactly what you tell it.

So when you say, “I’m a failure,” your brain doesn’t filter that.

It hears:
“We are not going to survive.”

And suddenly, your body responds like you’re in a life-or-death situation.

⸻

That’s why it’s so important to recognize what you’re feeling.

Pause and ask yourself:

What am I feeling right now?

Sadness
Discouragement
Fear
Anxiety
Dread
Helplessness
Powerlessness

Then say it out loud or write it down:

“Right now I feel overwhelmed.”
“I feel anxious.”
“I feel scared.”

Because when we name our emotions, something powerful happens…

Anxiety can decrease by 35–50%.

Why?

Because when emotions stay inside, they build pressure.
They sit in our bodies and start to feel overwhelming—almost like they’re stuck or poisoning us.

But when we identify them and put words to them,
we begin to process them… and feel relief.

⸻

Another important thing to recognize…

You may be “should-ing” all over yourself.

“I should have said less.”
“I should have said more.”
“I should have done better.”
“I should have gone a different direction.”

And let’s be honest…

That never makes you feel better.

It leads you straight into a spiral of discouragement and dread.

So part of stopping the anxiety cycle is learning to catch those thoughts and shut them down quickly.

⸻

Scripture speaks directly to this.

In 2 Corinthians 7:8–10, it talks about the difference between:

• Worldly sorrow, which leads to death
• Godly sorrow, which leads to life

When we beat ourselves up with “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,”
that is worldly sorrow.

It leads to discouragement, shame, and heaviness.

But godly sorrow looks different.

It sounds like:
“Next time I can do this differently.”
“I can grow from this.”
“I am not defined by this moment.”

That leads to life.

⸻

Another key piece to understand:

The enemy uses partial truths.

For example:
“You’re a failure.”

Well… we all fail sometimes.

But that does not mean you are a failure.

The enemy takes a moment…
and tries to turn it into your identity.

⸻

I see this even in my own life.

If I lose my patience and yell at my kids, the thought can come:
“You’re a bad mom.”

But that’s not truth.

Yes, I may need to take responsibility, repent, and repair…

But a bad moment does not make me a bad mom.

A pattern of neglect and harm would define that—not a moment of frustration.

⸻

The Bible tells us in John 8:44 that the enemy is the father of lies,
and in John 10:10 that he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

And one of the main ways he does that…
is through distorted thoughts and partial truths.

⸻

So when you find yourself in an anxiety spiral, remember:

• Recognize what you’re thinking
• Recognize what you’re feeling
• Speak your emotions out loud
• Challenge the lies
• Identify the partial truths
• Speak truth back in
• And most importantly… be kind to yourself

Because when you’re stuck in your head like this…

it becomes very difficult to think clearly or reason well.

⸻

Reflection

Take a moment and sit with this:

What thoughts have been looping in your mind lately?

What are you feeling underneath those thoughts?

Are you speaking to yourself with truth…
or are you “should-ing” and tearing yourself down?

⸻

Scripture reminds us:

In Philippians 4:8
we are called to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

In Philippians 4:6–7
we are reminded not to be anxious, but to bring everything to God—and His peace will guard our hearts and minds.

In 2 Timothy 1:7
we are told that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

And in 1 Peter 5:8
we are reminded to stay alert—because the enemy is actively looking for ways to devour.

⸻

So today, gently ask yourself:

What would it look like to think differently?

What truth do I need to speak over myself right now?

And how can I be just a little more compassionate with myself in this moment?

Look for part two of recognizing the anxiety spiral and taking captive.

Blessings, Crystal Ridlon, LPC