Breaking Through: A Christian’s Perspective on a Journey to Freedom from Anxiety and Fear by Royanne Mitchell
When you struggle with anxiety, just beginning the recovery process can be daunting. Where do you start? Who do you turn to for help? What method is right for you? The task becomes yet another source of anxiety, a condition which leaves its victims feeling overwhelmed and powerless, like nothing is in their control.
Royanne Mitchell’s book, Breaking Through: A Christian’s Perspective on a Journey to Freedom from Anxiety and Fear, provides a pathway for those seeking to address their anxiety from a spiritual standpoint. Through telling her own personal struggles with anxiety and revealing the research she’s uncovered about the disorder, Mitchell relates to her readers and offers them a guide towards healing. What ensues is a compilation of spiritual strategies and effective coping mechanisms she’s gathered along her journey.
Her Personal Story
Mitchell’s story began with a pre-workout caffeine pill.
COVID restrictions were finally starting to lift, and she awoke excited to return to her old gym routine. But on her drive there, she began to feel weak and jittery, her heart beating faster and faster. She thought she was dying. After experiencing a few more similar instances, a paramedic diagnosed that these were panic attacks. The diagnosis left her bewildered — what did she have to be so anxious about? Why now, why so suddenly?
She saw doctors and ran tests, hoping for an immediate solution to the problem. When she found none, she began the long and hard process of tackling her anxiety. She became conscious of her triggers and started avoiding certain places and activities — such as the simple act of driving. She couldn’t understand or rationalize what was happening to her, and that just made the anxiety worse.
For those with anxiety, this story may seem similar to your own. But the story is far from over. In sharing her personal journey, Mitchell reveals how she broke through the constraints of anxiety.
I have come a long way, and I want to encourage and help others navigate through their fears and anxieties to the point that those impediments no longer exist … For anyone who is going through similar struggles, it is my hope that this book will encourage you and help you in a profound and healing way.
Helpful Tips & Insights
Mitchell reveals a number of insightful and effective coping strategies for managing anxiety, both in the moment and in everyday practice.
She begins by addressing the power of the breath, as well as some other common strategies for tackling panic attacks (including thought exercises and speaking aloud). However, Mitchell goes beyond the surface level of these practices and urges the reader to go deeper and reflect on their faith while doing such practices.
She also reminds readers that they are mighty warriors equipped with the all the tools they need to be confident and victorious in their spiritual warfare. In order to strengthen oneself for the impending battles, she gives examples of some spiritual disciplines for readers to focus on, such as scripture reading, prayer, fasting, worship and fellowship. She advises readers to apply lessons from the scriptures in everyday life, and to encourage positive thoughts by nourishing one’s mind every day “with things that are enriching, godly, uplifting, and positive.”
Mitchell dedicates multiple chapters to the power of faith and positive thoughts, reminding readers that “our thoughts are so powerful, what we think we tend to draw to ourselves.” She reassures readers of God’s love and — though anxiety may blind them — reminds them of all the good things sent into their lives. She encourages worship during times of stress, recognizing our triggers and invoking God’s presence to aid us from the approaching darkness.
Powerful Faith
As an active congregant and staff member of her church, as well as a long-time gospel singer, Mitchell’s expertise on the scriptures really shines through within these pages. Not only does each chapter conclude with helpful “Scriptures for Meditation” and “Declarations” (similar to mantras or affirmations), but the pages are littered with Biblical examples.
Breaking Through is a good source for people to turn to when looking for a spiritual path toward healing from anxiety. The book includes insightful information for not only those suffering from anxiety, but anyone wishing to help a loved one dealing with anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.
Mitchell reminds readers to have patience — anxiety is not an overnight fix. But above all, she tells readers to never lose hope; faith will help you break through these challenges.
About Royanne Mitchell:
Royanne Mitchell is an accomplished gospel singer, a gifted songwriter, a dance choreographer, an administrator and an entrepreneur at heart. Coming from a musical family, singing from a very tender age, and dancing from the age of nine, Royanne, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, currently resides in the USA. She has performed at numerous gospel concerts and among distinguished guests in the Caribbean, the United States of America, South America, and on a wide range of special occasions.
Royanne is an active congregant of the Fountain of Life Faith Center in South Florida where she is the Chief Executive Administrator of its sub-entities, one of the Lead vocalists as well as the Arts and Media Department Director, just to name a few. She studied music and piano performance for a number of years and has earned distinctions from the Royal Board School of Music of the United Kingdom. She is a Licensed Realtor who holds a Master’s in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s in Dance with emphasis on Dance Education, and an Associates in Biblical Studies.
