While the stigma surrounding mental health is slowly starting to break away as people discuss their problems more openly, it’s still a topic that can be tough to shed light on, particularly in Christian circles. The church has unfortunately been late to the game in understanding the physical and chemical components of mental illness that can’t always be prayed away or healed with “enough faith.” But, Lauren Daigle has been part of the change. The award-winning artist has been transparent about her own anxiety.
Lauren Daigle Shares Her Struggles With the ‘Taboo’ Subject of Mental Illness
But that’s not to negate the fact that reliance on God can play a HUGE role in tackling the fear-rooted monster that is anxiety head-on.
In a vulnerable Q&A interview in Knoxville, Tennessee, singer Lauren Daigle bravely decided to reveal her own battles with anxiety in an effort to remove the “taboo” label surrounding these important types of conversations.
When a fan asked Daigle how to cope with anxiety, the Grammy-award-winning artist spoke freely about how she handles crippling episodes of anxiety in her own life.
RELATED: 10 Powerful Bible Verses for Overcoming Anxiety
And the chart-topping songstress is far from alone in her struggle. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America, affecting 40 million adults (or 18 [percent] of the population each year), according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Sadly only about one-third of sufferers ever seek treatment.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m an anxious person, until anxiety comes,” Daigle explained. “It happens a lot…There are times when it’s like ‘this isn’t me!’ ”
But one particular Bible verse spoken to her by a friend ignited a major shift in her personal war against anxiety.
It was 1 John 4:18: “Perfect love casts out all fear.”
“I listened to that over and over again,” said Daigle, adding, “I know someone who loves me beyond my wildest dreams. He has a love that is so rich for me. He’s actually looking out for yesterday, today and tomorrow.”
The singer shared that her anxiety levels have elevated tremendously recently with her “Look Up Child” tour coming to an end. She found herself overly worried and fearful about what was to come next.
“Last night, I just started crying out of nowhere. I realized it was anxiety,” she revealed. “I was anxious about coming off the road and going into a different pace of life.”
In response to the young fan who brought up the topic, Daigle reflected on her own experience of trusting God moment by moment when fear tries to take her down.
RELATED: The Promises of God: Unveiling God’s Assurances
“God saw me through every single day, and his love was always available,” said the 27-year-old. “He was always looking out for me in places that I could not see. That’s what I focus on — your love is better than me trying to control tomorrow. Your love is better and will have my back better than I have my own.”
