Is Anxiety a Hidden Path to Holiness? How Mental Struggles Can Lead Us to Heaven

Can anxiety lead us on a path to holiness?

In a compelling episode of The Catholic Gentleman, host John Heinen explores an intriguing connection between anxiety and spirituality.

In the episode entitled, "Addictions, Extreme Excellence, and Total Conversion," Heinen's guest, successful business owner and devout Catholic David Kruse, shares his personal journey from anxiety-ridden adolescence to spiritual rebirth.

As a troubled teenager, Kruse sought solace in music and battled substance abuse. However, a remarkable encounter at a music festival transformed his path.

"It was like the Lord saying, 'David, where are you?' ...I immediately felt sober... I knew I had to get out of there," Kruse shares.

Inspired by this profound experience, Kruse made a commitment to daily prayer, marking the beginning of his spiritual journey. Yet, it was not a straightforward path.

Anxiety, often seen as a debilitating mental health issue, was for Kruse a past "addiction." This led him to mindfulness, journaling, and an embrace of the present moment.

"If I can actually just engage in what I would now call ‘the sacrament of the present moment’ … it goes away, that narrative actually just starts to go away."

Kruse's story provides a unique perspective on mental health within the Church and promotes a discourse on faith's role in mental health recovery.

"We pray because it's a conversation with Christ. We pray because God is seeking after you. That is how we grow in holiness.”

Kruse leaves us with a powerful message: "Don't miss any opportunity you have to grow in holiness.”

Here is the episode below:

Let’s view our hardships not as barriers, but bridges to a closer relationship with God!

"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 6-7)