Latest / Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast / How Fear Rewires Your Brain and How Faith Helps You Break Free

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How Fear Rewires Your Brain and How Faith Helps You Break Free · Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

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  Speaker 1: Life Audio. What if I told you that fear doesn't
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  Speaker 1: just affect your emotions? It actually changes your brain. What
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  Speaker 1: if the reason you keep replaying worst case scenarios, struggle
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  Speaker 1: to make decisions, avoid opportunities, or feel constantly on edge
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  Speaker 1: isn't because you're weak or lacking faith, but because fear
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  Speaker 1: has been quietly reshaping the way your brain processes information?
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  Speaker 1: The truth is that fear is one of the most
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  Speaker 1: powerful forces affecting our thoughts, our bodies, our relationships, and
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  Speaker 1: even our spiritual lives. Fear can convince us that danger
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  Speaker 1: is everywhere. It can cause us to expect rejection before
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  Speaker 1: it happens, assume failure before we've even tried, and imagine
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  Speaker 1: catastrophe where God has already prepared provision. Yet, scripture repeatedly
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  Speaker 1: tells us, do not fear. Why would God command us
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  Speaker 1: not to fear unless he also provided a way to
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  Speaker 1: overcome it? Today, we're going to explore what fear does
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  Speaker 1: to the brain from a neuroscience perspective, why fear becomes
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  Speaker 1: so difficult to break free from, and how faith literally
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  Speaker 1: helps retrain the brain toward peace, courage, confidence, and hope.
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  Speaker 1: If you've ever felt trapped by anxiety, overwhelmed by worry,
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  Speaker 1: or exhausted from carrying the weight of fear, today's episode
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  Speaker 1: is for you. So settle in, take a deep breath,
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  Speaker 1: and let's discover together how faith changes everything. Welcome to
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  Speaker 1: your hope-filled perspective, where it's always our goal to restore hope,
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  Speaker 1: renew minds, and empower listeners and viewers to live in
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  Speaker 1: your God-given identity. We combine biblical truth and brain science
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  Speaker 1: to renew the mind, strengthen emotional health, and deepen our faith.
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  Speaker 1: I'm your host, Dr. Michelle Bankson, board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, author, speaker,
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  Speaker 1: and passionate believer that no matter what you're facing, God
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  Speaker 1: always offers hope. Today, we are talking about a subject
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  Speaker 1: that touches every single one of us, fear. Fear shows
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  Speaker 1: up in different ways for different people. For some, it's
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  Speaker 1: fear about health. For others, it's fear about finances. Some
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  Speaker 1: fear rejection. Some fear failure. Some fear the future. Some
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  Speaker 1: fear losing someone they love. Others fear making the wrong decision.
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  Speaker 1: And while fear may be universal, God never intended for
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  Speaker 1: fear to become the place where we permanently live. Fear
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  Speaker 1: is meant to function like a smoke alarm. It alerts
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  Speaker 1: us when danger exists. But when fear begins sounding the
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  Speaker 1: alarm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even
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  Speaker 1: when there is no immediate threat, it starts damaging our emotional, physical, relational,
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  Speaker 1: and spiritual well-being. Today, I want to help you understand
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  Speaker 1: why that happens and even more importantly, how faith becomes
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  Speaker 1: one of the most powerful tools God has given us
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  Speaker 1: to overcome it. We'll dive into that right after this
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  Speaker 1: brief word from our sponsor. Welcome back. Before we talk
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  Speaker 1: about unhealthy fear, let's acknowledge something important. Fear in itself
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  Speaker 1: is not sinful. Fear is actually part of God's brilliant design.
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  Speaker 1: When God created the human brain, he equipped it with
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  Speaker 1: a protective system designed to help us survive dangerous situations.
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  Speaker 1: Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff. Fear tells
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  Speaker 1: you to step back. Imagine seeing a car speeding towards you.
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  Speaker 1: Fear motivates you to move out of the way. Imagine
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  Speaker 1: hearing an intruder in your home. Fear mobilizes you to respond.
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  Speaker 1: In those situations, fear is functioning exactly as God intended.
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  Speaker 1: The problem isn't fear itself. The problem occurs when the
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  Speaker 1: brain begins perceiving danger where no danger actually exists. The
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  Speaker 1: brain was designed to protect us, but because of sin, brokenness,
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  Speaker 1: painful experiences, trauma, disappointment, and uncertainty, that protective system can
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  Speaker 1: become overactive. Instead of responding to real threats, it starts
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  Speaker 1: responding to imagined threats. Instead of helping us survive danger,
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  Speaker 1: it begins limiting how we live. And that is when
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  Speaker 1: fear becomes a prison. I want to turn our attention
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  Speaker 1: to the neuroscience of fear. Let's talk about what's actually
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  Speaker 1: happening inside the brain. One of the key structures involved
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  Speaker 1: in fear is called the amygdala. The amygdala functions as
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  Speaker 1: the brain's alarm system. Its primary job is to scan
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  Speaker 1: the environment for threats. And when the amygdala perceives danger...
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  Speaker 1: It immediately activates the body's stress response. So adrenaline is released.
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  Speaker 1: Heart rate increases. Muscles tense. Breathing becomes more rapid. Blood
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  Speaker 1: flow shifts away from long-term thinking and toward immediate survival.
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  Speaker 1: This process happens incredibly fast. In fact, the amygdala often
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  Speaker 1: reacts before the thinking part of your brain has had
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  Speaker 1: time to evaluate whether or not the threat is real.
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  Speaker 1: That's why you jump when you hear a loud noise
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  Speaker 1: before realizing it was only a door slamming. Your alarm
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  Speaker 1: system activates first. Reasoning comes second. Now here's where things
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  Speaker 1: become especially important. The more frequently the brain experiences fear,
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  Speaker 1: the stronger those fear pathways become. Neuroscientists often summarize this
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  Speaker 1: principle with a simple phrase, neurons that fire together, wire together.
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  Speaker 1: The brain becomes more efficient at whatever it practices repeatedly.
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  Speaker 1: If you repeatedly practice gratitude, gratitude pathways strengthen. If you
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  Speaker 1: repeatedly practice hope, hope pathways strengthen. And if you repeatedly
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  Speaker 1: practice anger, Fear, fear pathways strengthen. Over time, the brain
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  Speaker 1: becomes increasingly skilled at anticipating danger. You begin expecting problems.
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  Speaker 1: You become hypervigilant. You scan constantly for what might go wrong.
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  Speaker 1: You start living in preparation for threats that may never occur.
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  Speaker 1: And eventually, fear becomes your default operating system. One of
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  Speaker 1: the greatest dangers of chronic fear is that it changes
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  Speaker 1: the way we make decisions. When fear dominates the brain,
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  Speaker 1: activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area of our brain
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  Speaker 1: responsible for wisdom, judgment, planning, reasoning, and decision-making, that becomes
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  Speaker 1: less effective. In simple terms, fear makes it harder to
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  Speaker 1: think clearly. Have you ever made a decision purely because
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  Speaker 1: you wanted relief from anxiety? Have you ever avoided an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity because you feared failure? Have you ever stayed silent
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  Speaker 1: because you feared criticism? Have you ever remained stuck because
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  Speaker 1: moving forward felt uncertain? Fear often disguises itself as wisdom.
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  Speaker 1: It tells us we're being careful. It tells us we're
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  Speaker 1: being practical. It tells us we're being realistic. But many times,
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  Speaker 1: what we're actually doing is allowing fear to make decisions
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  Speaker 1: God intended faith to make. Fear asks, what if everything
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  Speaker 1: goes wrong? Faith asks, what if God is already there?
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  Speaker 1: Fear asks, what if I fail? Faith asks, what if
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  Speaker 1: God sustains me? Fear asks, what if I can't handle this?
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  Speaker 1: Faith asks, what if God provides exactly for what I
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  Speaker 1: need when I need it? You see, that difference is profound.
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  Speaker 1: One perspective focuses on our limitations. The other focuses on
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  Speaker 1: God's sufficiency. One area where fear often does its greatest
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  Speaker 1: damage is in our relationships. Many people don't immediately recognize
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  Speaker 1: that what appears to be relational conflict is often fear
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  Speaker 1: operating beneath the surface. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment,
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  Speaker 1: fear of disappointment, fear of vulnerability, fear of being misunderstood,
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  Speaker 1: or fear of being hurt again can quietly shape the
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  Speaker 1: way we interact with others. We've talked about many of
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  Speaker 1: those types of fears and the result in other episodes
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  Speaker 1: on this podcast. And if any of them ring true
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  Speaker 1: to you, I would invite your friend to go back
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  Speaker 1: and listen to those episodes where we cover them in
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  Speaker 1: much greater depth. When fear takes hold, it often pushes
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  Speaker 1: us toward one of two extremes. Some people withdraw emotionally.
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  Speaker 1: They stop sharing openly, avoid difficult conversations, and build protective
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  Speaker 1: walls around their hearts. Others move in the opposite direction,
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  Speaker 1: becoming controlling, overly dependent on reassurance, or constantly seeking validation
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  Speaker 1: from those around them. While those responses may look different
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  Speaker 1: on the surface, they are both attempts to manage fear.
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  Speaker 1: I've worked with countless individuals over the years who believe
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  Speaker 1: they had communication problems, marriage problems, or friendship problems only
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  Speaker 1: to discover that fear was actually driving much of their behavior.
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  Speaker 1: Fear convinced them that opening up was dangerous. Fear convinced
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  Speaker 1: them that trusting others would inevitably lead to disappointment. Fear
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  Speaker 1: convinced them that they had to protect themselves at all costs.
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  Speaker 1: The challenge is that fear rarely produces the very thing
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  Speaker 1: we're hoping to achieve. The walls we build to prevent
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  Speaker 1: hurt often prevent connection the control we attempt to exert
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  Speaker 1: to feel safe often creates distance the reassurance we seek
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  Speaker 1: can never fully satisfy when fear remains unaddressed within our
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  Speaker 1: hearts This is one of the reasons that scripture places
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  Speaker 1: such a strong emphasis on love. 1 John 4, 18
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  Speaker 1: tells us that perfect love casts out fear. And notice
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  Speaker 1: that the verse doesn't say fear casts out love. It
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  Speaker 1: says love casts out fear. God's love has the power
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  Speaker 1: to accomplish what our self-protection never can. His love provides
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  Speaker 1: the security our hearts are searching for. The more deeply
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  Speaker 1: we understand his unwavering love for us, the less dependent
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  Speaker 1: we become on circumstances or people to provide the security
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  Speaker 1: only he can give. Fear isolates, but faith connects. Fear
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  Speaker 1: causes us to retreat inward, while faith gives us the
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  Speaker 1: courage to move forward towards others. Faith reminds us that
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  Speaker 1: even if people disappoint us, God remains faithful. Even if
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  Speaker 1: relationships become difficult, God remains present. Even if we experience rejection,
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  Speaker 1: our identity remains secure in Christ. So let's turn the
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  Speaker 1: conversation to talk about the connection between fear and anxiety.
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  Speaker 1: Many people use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably, but
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  Speaker 1: they aren't exactly the same thing. Fear is typically a
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  Speaker 1: response to a specific identifiable threat. Anxiety often develops when
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  Speaker 1: the mind begins anticipating future threats that may or may
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  Speaker 1: not ever happen. Fear says, there's danger right now. Anxiety says,
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  Speaker 1: what if danger shows up tomorrow? The problem is that
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  Speaker 1: the brain doesn't always distinguish between an actual threat or
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  Speaker 1: an imagined one. If your brain represents repeatedly rehearses worst
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  Speaker 1: case scenarios, your body may respond as though those scenarios
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  Speaker 1: are already occurring. Your heart rate increases, your muscles tense,
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  Speaker 1: stress hormones begin circulating through your body, sleep may become difficult,
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  Speaker 1: and concentration suffers. Decision making becomes more challenging. In many ways,
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  Speaker 1: anxiety is the mind's attempt to predict and prepare for
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  Speaker 1: every possible negative outcome. Unfortunately, because the future is unknowable,
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  Speaker 1: the brain never reaches a point where it feels fully prepared.
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  Speaker 1: There is always another what-if to consider. another possibility to analyze,
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  Speaker 1: another outcome to fear. This is why anxiety can become
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  Speaker 1: so exhausting. The mind was never designed to carry the
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  Speaker 1: weight of controlling the future. That responsibility belongs to God alone.
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  Speaker 1: One of the enemy's favorite tactics is to keep our
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  Speaker 1: attention fixed on imagined futures rather than God's present faithfulness.
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  Speaker 1: Anxiety thrives in uncertainty because it continually asks questions that
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  Speaker 1: have no immediate answers. What if I lose my job?
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  Speaker 1: What if my health declines? What if my children struggle?
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  Speaker 1: What if things don't work out? Faith doesn't always answer
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  Speaker 1: every what if. Instead, faith anchors itself in the character
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  Speaker 1: of God. Faith says, I don't know exactly what my
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  Speaker 1: future holds, but I know the one who holds my future.
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  Speaker 1: Faith acknowledges uncertainty while simultaneously trusting God's sovereignty. This is
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  Speaker 1: why Isaiah 26 3 has become such an important verse
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  Speaker 1: for those struggling with anxiety. The prophet writes, you will
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  Speaker 1: keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because
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  Speaker 1: they trust in you. Notice the connection between the mind
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  Speaker 1: and peace. God doesn't merely address our circumstances. He addresses
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  Speaker 1: our thinking. As our mind become increasingly fixed on him,
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  Speaker 1: rather than our fears, peace begins to grow. Now let's
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  Speaker 1: talk about what scripture teaches about fear. One of the
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  Speaker 1: most fascinating observations through scripture is how frequently God addresses fear.
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  Speaker 1: Depending on the translation, some variation of do not fear
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  Speaker 1: or do not be afraid appears hundreds of times throughout
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  Speaker 1: the Bible. I don't believe that's because God expected his
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  Speaker 1: people to never experience fear. Rather, I believe it's because
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  Speaker 1: he knew exactly how often we would be tempted by it.
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  Speaker 1: Think about the individuals God called throughout scripture. Moses feared
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  Speaker 1: he wasn't qualified. Gideon feared he wasn't capable. Esther feared
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  Speaker 1: approaching the king. Joshua feared leading God's people after Moses.
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  Speaker 1: The disciples feared storms, persecution, and uncertainty about the future.
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  Speaker 1: In almost every case, God's response wasn't to eliminate the challenge. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: he reminded them of his presence. When Joshua prepared to
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  Speaker 1: lead Israel into the promised land, God didn't promise that
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  Speaker 1: there would be no battles. He didn't promise there would
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  Speaker 1: be no obstacles. Instead, God repeatedly reminded Joshua, be strong
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  Speaker 1: and courageous. Why? For the Lord your God will be
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  Speaker 1: with you wherever you go. The same principle remains true today.
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  Speaker 1: Biblical courage is not the absence of fear. Biblical courage
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  Speaker 1: is moving forward in obedience despite fear because we trust
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  Speaker 1: God more than we trust our feelings. Many believers spend
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  Speaker 1: years waiting for fear to disappear before taking action. They
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  Speaker 1: assume courage comes first and obedience follows. But scripture often
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  Speaker 1: demonstrates the opposite pattern. Obedience comes first and courage grows
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  Speaker 1: as we experience God's faithfulness along the way. Faith is
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  Speaker 1: not the denial of fear. Faith is choosing which voice
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  Speaker 1: will have the final authority. Will we listen primarily to
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  Speaker 1: our fears or will we listen primarily to God's promises?
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  Speaker 1: Every day we make that choice and every day that
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  Speaker 1: choice influences both our spiritual lives and our brains. Friends,
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  Speaker 1: in our next segment, we'll discuss how faith literally rewires
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  Speaker 1: the brain right after this brief word from our sponsor. Friends,
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  Speaker 1: now I want to turn our attention to how faith
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  Speaker 1: literally rewires the brain. This part gets me so excited
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  Speaker 1: because one of the most encouraging discoveries in modern neuroscience
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  Speaker 1: is the concept of neuroplasticity. You may have heard that
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  Speaker 1: term before. Neuroplasticity simply means that the brain is capable
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  Speaker 1: of changing throughout our lives. For years, scientists believed the
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  Speaker 1: brain was largely fixed after a certain age, but we
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  Speaker 1: now know that the brain is continually forming new neural
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  Speaker 1: pathways and strengthening the connections it uses most often. This
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  Speaker 1: should be incredibly encouraging for anyone who feels trapped by worry, fear,
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  Speaker 1: or anxiety. The fear-based patterns you've developed are not necessarily permanent.
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  Speaker 1: The anxious thought loops you've rehearsed for years are not
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  Speaker 1: necessarily your destiny. The brain can change. What's fascinating to
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  Speaker 1: me is that this scientific discovery aligns beautifully with biblical truth.
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  Speaker 1: Long before neuroscientists discovered neuroplasticity, scripture was already teaching the
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  Speaker 1: importance of renewing the mind. Romans 12, 2 tells us,
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  Speaker 1: do not conform to the pattern of this world, but
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  Speaker 1: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Notice that
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  Speaker 1: transformation begins with renewal. God understands that lasting change doesn't
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  Speaker 1: merely happen through behavior modification. It begins with changing the
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  Speaker 1: way we think. Every thought we repeatedly entertain strengthens a
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  Speaker 1: pathway in the brain. If we consistently rehearse fear-based thoughts,
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  Speaker 1: those pathways become stronger and more automatic. But when we
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  Speaker 1: intentionally focus on truth, gratitude, God's promises, and his faithfulness,
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  Speaker 1: we begin strengthening entirely different neural pathways. Now, this doesn't
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  Speaker 1: happen overnight. Just as fear-based thinking patterns were developed over time,
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  Speaker 1: faith-based thinking patterns are developed over time as well. But
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  Speaker 1: every time you choose truth over fear, every time you
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  Speaker 1: bring an anxious thought captive to Christ, every time you
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  Speaker 1: redirect your attention from catastrophe to God's character, you are
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  Speaker 1: participating in the renewal process. What I find so beautiful
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  Speaker 1: is that God never asks us to pretend fear doesn't exist.
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  Speaker 1: He doesn't ask us to deny reality. Instead, he invites
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  Speaker 1: us to view reality. through the lens of his truth
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  Speaker 1: rather than through the lens of fear. So what does
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  Speaker 1: renewing the mind actually look like in everyday life? For
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  Speaker 1: many people, renewing the mind begins by becoming aware of
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  Speaker 1: what they're thinking and Most fearful thoughts happen so automatically,
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  Speaker 1: we don't even question them. We simply accept them as true.
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  Speaker 1: A thought enters our mind like, something bad's going to happen.
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  Speaker 1: And then another thought follows. I won't be able to
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  Speaker 1: handle it. And then another. Everything's going to fall apart.
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  Speaker 1: Before long, our emotions and our physical responses are reacting
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  Speaker 1: to assumptions that may not be true at all. One
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  Speaker 1: of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself, is
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  Speaker 1: this thought based on fear or is it based on truth?
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  Speaker 1: That question alone can interrupt a fear cycle. Another helpful
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  Speaker 1: practice is intentionally replacing fearful thoughts with biblical truth. When
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  Speaker 1: fear says you're alone, Remind yourself that God has promised
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  Speaker 1: never to leave you or forsake you. When fear says
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  Speaker 1: you can't handle this, remember that God's strength is made
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  Speaker 1: perfect in your weakness. When fear says the future is uncertain,
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  Speaker 1: remember that God is already present in every tomorrow you'll face. Friends,
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  Speaker 1: this is not just positive thinking. This is biblical thinking.
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  Speaker 1: Here's the difference. Positive thinking says, everything will work out
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  Speaker 1: exactly the way I want. Biblical thinking says, no matter
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  Speaker 1: what happens, God will remain faithful. And that distinction is
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  Speaker 1: incredibly important. As we get closer to wrapping up this episode,
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  Speaker 1: I thought it might be helpful to provide practical steps
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  Speaker 1: for breaking fears hold. If fear has been a significant
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  Speaker 1: struggle for you, let me offer a few practical steps
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  Speaker 1: that can help you begin breaking its grip. First, limit
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  Speaker 1: unnecessary fear input. The brain was designed to pay attention
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  Speaker 1: to threats. If we constantly expose ourselves to alarming news,
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  Speaker 1: negative conversations, catastrophic predictions, and fear-filled media, we shouldn't be
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  Speaker 1: surprised when our anxiety increases. That doesn't mean becoming uninformed.
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  Speaker 1: It simply means being intentional about what we allow to
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  Speaker 1: occupy our minds. Second, develop a habit of gratitude. Gratitude
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  Speaker 1: and fear compete for attention within the brain. When we
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  Speaker 1: intentionally focus on God's blessings, His provision, and His faithfulness,
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  Speaker 1: we train our minds to notice evidence of His presence
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  Speaker 1: rather than exclusively searching for potential threats. Gratitude doesn't eliminate challenges,
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  Speaker 1: but it changes what receives the majority of our attention. Third,
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  Speaker 1: spend consistent time in God's Word. Scripture isn't merely inspirational reading.
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  Speaker 1: It's truth that reshapes the way we think. The more
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  Speaker 1: we consistently fill our minds with God's perspective, the more
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  Speaker 1: equipped we become to challenge fear-based thinking when it arises. Fourth,
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  Speaker 1: bring your fears honestly before God in prayer. Sometimes people
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  Speaker 1: think faith means never admitting fear, but scripture demonstrates the
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  Speaker 1: exact opposite. David repeatedly poured out his fear before God
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  Speaker 1: in the Psalms. The disciples openly expressed their fears. Even
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  Speaker 1: Jesus in his humanity expressed deep anguish in the Garden
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  Speaker 1: of Gethsemane. Friends, the good news is that God is
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  Speaker 1: not intimidated by your fears. Instead, he invites you to
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  Speaker 1: bring them to him. And finally, take courageous action. One
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  Speaker 1: of the ways fear maintains its power is by convincing
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  Speaker 1: us to avoid whatever scares us. While wisdom is important,
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  Speaker 1: chronic avoidance often strengthens fear. Sometimes the breakthrough comes not
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  Speaker 1: when fear disappears, but when we choose obedience despite fear.
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  Speaker 1: Each time we step forward in faith, we teach our
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  Speaker 1: brains a new lesson that God is trustworthy. If you're
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  Speaker 1: listening today and you've been battling fear for a long time,
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  Speaker 1: I want you to hear this clearly. Fear is does
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  Speaker 1: not have the final word over your life. Perhaps you've
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  Speaker 1: convinced yourself that you'll always be anxious. Perhaps you've assumed
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  Speaker 1: you'll never stop worrying. Perhaps fear has become so familiar
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  Speaker 1: that you can't imagine living differently. But God specializes in transformation.
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  Speaker 1: The same God who created your brain understands exactly how
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  Speaker 1: it works. The same God who designed your nervous system
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  Speaker 1: knows how fear affects it. And the same God who
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  Speaker 1: commands us not to fear also provides the power, truth, presence,
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  Speaker 1: and grace necessary to overcome it. You, my friend, are
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: not powerless. You are not stuck. You are not destined
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: to live imprisoned by fear. Through God's truth, through the
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: renewing of your mind, through the work of the Holy Spirit,
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: and through the incredible capacity God built into your brain
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: to change, freedom is possible. Will fear still knock on
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: your door for time to time? Absolutely. But you don't
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: have to invite it in and give it permanent residence.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: You can acknowledge fear without surrendering to it. You can
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: experience uncertainty without being controlled by it. And you can
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: move forward with courage, even when you feel afraid, because
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: courage is not confidence in yourself. Courage is confidence in God.
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: I'd love to pray for you. Father, thank you that
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: you understand us so completely. Thank you for creating our minds,
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: our emotions, and our bodies with such incredible design. Lord,
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: you know every listener who is struggling with fear today.
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: You know the worries that keep them awake at night,
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: the concerns they carry in silence, and the situations that
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: feel overwhelming. I pray that you would help them recognize
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: fear for what it is, a temporary emotion, not a
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: permanent identity. Help them separate fearful thoughts from your truth.
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: Remind them that you are present, you are faithful, and
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: you are trustworthy. Renew their minds according to your word.
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: Strengthen the pathways of faith, hope, peace, and confidence. Give
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: them courage to take the next step of obedience, even
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: if they still feel afraid. Let them experience the peace
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: that surpasses understanding and the assurance that comes from knowing
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: you are with them. May they leave this episode encouraged, strengthened,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: and reminded that fear does not define their future. You do.
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  Speaker 1: I ask all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. Friends,
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: if today's episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: share it with someone who may be struggling with fear
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: or anxiety or who has a friend or family member
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: who does. And if you haven't already subscribed to the podcast,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: please be sure to do so so that you never
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: miss an episode of your hope-filled perspective. Remember, regardless of
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: what you are facing today, God is still at work,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: hope is still available, and your best days are not
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: behind you. Until next time, keep living. with a hope-filled perspective.
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: Until we meet again next week, it's my prayer for
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: you that you have a hope-filled week. Bye, friends.
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: It is now known that depression is our greatest epidemic worldwide.
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: It is greater than heart disease, cancer, and AIDS all
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: put together. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of biblically-based resources
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: which identify the spiritual component that will help individuals cope
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: with depression and or resources for their loved ones who
• 28:17
  Speaker 2: are trying to support them. During Dr. Bankson's 30-year career,
• 28:22
  Speaker 2: she has treated thousands of individuals with depression and has
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: also suffered with it herself. Because of her suffering, she
• 28:28
  Speaker 2: has come to understand the compelling need to address the
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: spiritual dimension of depression, along with the physiological and emotional components.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: In her award-winning book, Hope Prevails, Insights from a Doctor's
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: Personal Journey Through Depression, she shares with us her experiences.
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: She combines her decades of professional expertise and mental health
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: with her personal insights to help you overcome depression's grip.
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: Jan Silvius, author of Foolproofing Your Life and Same Life,
• 28:58
  Speaker 2: New Story, said this about Dr. Bankson in her award-winning book,
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: Hope Prevails, Insights from a Doctor's Personal Journey Through Depression.
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: It is a unique position to be both the doctor
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: and the depressed patient. Those dual experiences offer rare insight
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: into the nuances of a very difficult journey.
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Dr.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: Michelle Bankson has written a wonderful, hope-filled book for those
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: who suffer from depression and for those who love them.
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: Because she's been in the place of the patient, her
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: compassion abounds. Because she has been in the place of
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: the doctor, her knowledge is spot on. Because she is
• 29:34
  Speaker 2: a lover of God, her book offers practical, spiritual hope
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: for anyone who is searching. I Obtain your copy today
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: and begin your healing from depression. Do you appreciate the biblically-based,
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: hope-filled perspective offered each week by Dr.
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: Bankson?
• 30:07
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• 30:09
  Speaker 2: leave us a review. It's easy. Just scroll down on
• 30:12
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• 30:15
  Speaker 2: us who you are, what you love about the program,
• 30:18
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• 30:20
  Speaker 2: And while you're at it, why not hit Subscribe so
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• 30:25
  Speaker 2: episode is aired.
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: I'd like to take just a second to thank the
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: team at Life Audio for their partnership with us on
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: this podcast. If you go to lifeaudio.com, you'll find dozens
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: of other faith centered podcasts in their network. They've got
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more.