I had the opportunity to interview award-winning bestselling Christian fiction author Jacquelin Thomas, who has published 100 books, including the Jezebel series. Over 30 years ago, she was diagnosed with chronic panic disorder. Jacquelin believes genetic predispositions and learned behaviors made her condition worse, causing her to have severe panic attacks and develop agoraphobia. Despite these challenges, Jacquelin never gave up on her writing career and now uses her stories to share hope.
Faith Amid Fear
Jacquelin was raised by her grandmother, who taught her to be fearful but also to have faith and trust God. Her grandmother was so worried about her safety that Jacquelin never even learned to ride a bike. “My grandmother taught me how to fear. It was learned behavior because she worried constantly about me getting hurt. And when I became a mother, I picked up those same traits…I had to learn to just trust God because He’s the best security guard, He’s the best security system.” Jacquelin explained.
Breaking Free From Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
Jacquelin’s struggle with panic disorder reached a crucial point while traveling to a book event. Trembling with fear, she got off the plane, unable to continue the journey. “I cried out to God, feeling utterly lost: God, I can’t live this way. You gave me this gift for writing, but I can’t,” Jacquelin said.
Another scary experience happened when she begged her husband to stop the car because she was terrified of riding through a tunnel. Her husband held her back to keep her from jumping out of the car. Her panic attacks became so intense and frequent that she started avoiding social events, making up excuses, and cutting herself off from others.
Jacquelin eventually shut down, becoming a prisoner not just in her home but in her bedroom for a whole year due to agoraphobia. She didn’t write or do much of anything during this time. “I kept it a secret for so long because I was ashamed…I thought people would see me as weak, and readers wouldn’t want to read my work. People tend to think you’re ‘crazy’ or something when you struggle with mental health,” Jacquelin confessed.
Overcoming Fear and Finding Help
Determined to regain control of her life, Jacquelin turned to her faith, doctor, and therapy. She showed signs of improvement when she could leave her bedroom, first going to the living room and eventually her office. After six months, courageously, she was able to leave her house. However, she couldn’t drive again for another three to four years.
Jacquelin’s decision to go to therapy showed the importance of breaking the mental health stigma in black and brown communities. She studied psychology to understand her condition better and how to manage it. “I allowed my fears to become an idol, allowed those fears to take control. Jacquelin said. But I learned to retrain my brain, to change my thought behavior…and to trust that God has faith in me to handle these challenges.”
Letting Go with the God Box
Jacquelin’s faith grew stronger as she worked through her mental health struggles. Like Alonzo Gaskill, Jacquelin found comfort in the teachings of Apostle Peter, who wrote, “Throw all your anxieties upon [the Lord] because he cares about you” (CJB 1 Peter 5:7). This scripture led Jacquelin to create a “God Box.” Whenever she felt worried, she wrote her fears down and put them in the box as an act of letting go and trusting God to handle them. “If I started to worry about it, I had to go back to that box and say, Father, I’m sorry, I don’t trust You with this, so I have to take this back now,” she said. This practice helped her to let go of fears and feel closer to God, improving her mental and emotional well-being.
Healing with Faith and Therapy
Jacquelin’s faith and decision to retrain her brain through cognitive behavior therapy were turning points in her journey. She saw her challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. By shifting her perception, Jacquelin reclaimed her life and continued writing. She shared, “The one thing God said that I hold on to this day is, ‘You have faith the size of a mustard seed in Me, but what you fail to realize is I have faith the size of a mountain in you,’” By combining her faith and therapy Jacquelin found healing.
Ways to Handle Anxiety
Jacquelin developed several strategies to handle her anxiety, which helped her recovery. When she feels anxious, she analyzes the situation to identify triggers, even keeping a food diary to note any foods that might increase her anxiety. She has set up her home to feel peaceful, filling it with artwork that makes her happy and calm.
She also uses essential oils, like lavender and vanilla, throughout her house to maintain a sense of tranquility. “I keep what I call my panic attack kit…I have lavender oil, peppermint oil, and butterscotch candies. Sometimes just dabbing some lavender behind my ears is calming for me,” she said.
Jacquelin’s advice to others dealing with mental health issues is to have faith in God, get help from mental health professionals, and use techniques that work for them. “Trust God completely because He honors faith, even mustard seed faith. But you also have to do what you’re supposed to do. You can’t just use Him as an ATM. You’ve got to do your part,” she stressed.
Jacquelin’s Path to Healing
Jacquelin’s mental health journey teaches us how important faith and asking for help are in getting better. Her story inspires us to face our problems head-on, lean into our faith, and use tools to help. Whether making a “God Box,” having a panic attack kit, or creating a calm space at home, these strategies, combined with faith, can help us handle challenges.
Jacquelin trusted God to guide her; we can trust that God will give us the tools needed to support our mental health journey.
Strength Through Faith
Even though I don’t suffer from panic disorder or agoraphobia, I still have tough times when I struggle. When that happens, I remind myself, “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” (Philippians 4:13 AMP).
This scripture gives me hope and reinforces my faith. However, as a Christian, faith requires action, including seeking help when needed.
Trusting God and Letting Go
I need to focus on what matters and let go of what’s not in God’s plan for me. Paul demonstrated this by giving up his Hebrew background, family lineage, and past as a Pharisee who persecuted the church.
Daily, I work on removing the things that don’t matter unapologetically!
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