About the Author

Simi was born in India and moved to Dallas, TX at the age of 7. Simi is a speaker, author, and full-time physical therapist. Her calling is to the local church and her passion is to equip women to know who they are and live faithfully right where they are....

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. Thank you for sharing this. I don’t have panic attacks, but chronic Depression, that I’ve dealt with for decades. I daily fight to replace “shame” with God’s Love, Forgiveness, Acceptance, & Promises. Your words encouraged me!

    • I am glad it resonated with you friend. We constantly have to remind ourselves that we are fully known and loved by Jesus so shame has no place anymore!

  2. If you carry all your fears and other “baggage inside and lock others out, you most likely will shrink inward to the point where you are totally isolated. That is not a good place to be. Whatever we have been through or fear to the point of paralyzing us, needs to be shared. We never know how the Holy Spirit will use it to free us and the ones who hear it!!
    2 Corinthians 1:3-7. I will just sum it up. What we go through, God wants us to use to help others. Take a minute to read it–it is worth the time!

  3. Thx for sharing. I had panic attacks years ago but don’t know what caused it. Also agoraphobia after last baby was born. I shared with my pastor’s wife &. 1 friend. They prayed me through enough to get to special church service and even though no one knew his topic he spoke about his past struggle with panic and how God cured him. I was prayed over that night and healed. I was 29 at the time, I’m 81 now. I admit there are times satan brings back those feelings a little and I have to remind myself that God is greater and I’m healed. It’s a very real thing that many don’t understand. Back then I thought I was going crazy & even my husband didn’t know I was struggling. Sharing helps and of course prayers.❤️

    • Betsy! Thanks for sharing that! God heals and works miracles for His children! Your story is beautiful, I am so glad you chose to be vulnerable and share that with your pastor! I am so glad that you were set free and able to walk in freedom! Praise God!

  4. Beautifully shared Simi John.
    Thank You for addressing this & providing valuable insight & a profound answer.
    Bless you.

  5. Yes. I am a victim of anxiety and it has succumb me into it’s webs of lies. Please, I beg on my knees to show me how to overcome this fear, for I push so many people away.

    • I am so sorry friend! I get what you are going through. I will share what helped me:
      1. Know who I am in Christ and remind myself of those things
      2. Pray for help, for strength, for wisdom, for peace
      3. Share my struggle with trusted people. I shared with my immediate family before I could share with others. If you have no one that you feel safe with then seek out a professional counselor- but speaking it out loud and bringing it to light allows it to lose power and you to experience freedom

  6. Sister Simi,
    It was very brave of you to share this. May God continue to cover and love you as his mouthpiece. You are brave and fearless to be so transparent. I used to suffer from panic attacks because of finances and extreme stress. It’s debilitating and does bring with it shame. Thanks to God, therapy and a healthy community, I am able to thrive. God bless you for your honesty. I already placed this article on Twitter and will do the same on IG.

  7. Thank you, Simi, for sharing your story. I, too, have panic attacks. It is so hard for someone who doesn’t suffer from them to understand what you are going through. It doesn’t matter what the individual’s trigger is, it is real to us. I know we are not alone in suffering from them. God always gets me through mine, praying He does the same for you. Be safe!

  8. Thank you Simi for sharing your story. I have suffered off and on for 11 years with depression and anxiety. I am now in one of those seasons of depression and anxiety… it’s been 9 months now and has never lasted this long before that I recall. It is debilitating and isolates me. It saps me of strength and affects my concentration, so I’m constantly checking things to make sure I don’t make a mistake or forgetting something. Also, my 41 year old stepdaughter and our 14 year old grandson live with us, we help to support them on our very limited social security so she can afford to keep our grandson in private christian school. My husband and I are 74 and 75. We have very little privacy if any at all. But I cling to the Lord and His promises. And I believe to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living again. For He is faithful always. Psalm 71:20,21 is one of His promises that I cling to. I have made myself vulnerable to those with whom I feel safe. I pray that God’s purpose for my life will be fulfilled and that my life will bring honor and glory to His name and that He will bring much good fruit from this to help others. Thank you again Simi for sharing your story. It helps me to not feel quite so alone.

  9. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your truth. I get it as I too struggle with anxiety and depression. I think to myself as a Christian I am not to feel this way, where’s my faith? However after decades of counseling and sharing with people I trust (my safe people) and knowing God loves me just as I am it has freed me to be me and am growing and going in a positive direction. Thank You Lord for Your unconditional Love, You are our Creator and nothing is unknown to you. It’s good to share and even talk to those who suffer with this. We can encourage and stand beside them as we walk though this journey together. 🙂

    • Amen! Thank you for those words, couldn’t agree more! It is always refreshing to me that heroes of our faith in the Bible had moments of anxiety, fear and weakness, from David to Paul. And Jesus makes Himself weak to set for us an example to show us that weakness is not un-Christlike – no matter what cultural Christianity may have taught us- we can look to Jesus and say like Paul “for when I am weak, then I am strong!”

  10. I definitely feel this, but a few months ago, I shared about a panic attack with a friend I’ve been close to for 35 years who has also struggled with anxiety. She cut me off quickly, said she couldn’t relate and we really haven’t connected since. My vulnerability cost me my friendship and I feel more shame about this than I have for a long time.

    • It’s def not easy.I am so sorry that happened to you. Relationships are always risky and some people will leave and not get it. I had people just in my extended family really mock me for my panic attacks with driving- but I had to realize that they may not be ready to process it with me now and that’s ok. God will always provide someone, someday that will be safe and be there. Please don’t let that negative experience shame you or stop you from sharing your story in the future.

  11. I too have experienced anxiety driving but by God’s Grace and faithfulness, He has protected me and given me victory, His victory!
    Thank you for sharing.

  12. Thank you for sharing this! I have had fear and anxiety about driving for a few months now after experiencing a car issue that logically I know wasn’t that bad…. yet the fear and anxiety are gripping. I have also struggled with the shame of not being able to do what comes easily for everyone else. I have only shared with a few people and thankfully their responses have been graceful and supportive. However, it is still a struggle when all you want is the freedom to do what came so easily before. I appreciate your vulnerability in sharing this. I felt a lot less alone as I read this today.

  13. Thank you for sharing. You encouraged me to share my story. Now I wish I was brave enough to do it.

  14. Simi,

    Anxiety & depression carry a stigma with them-especially in the church. It seems like no one wants to talk about it. Thankfully you others keep bringing up the topics. After all we were made for community. God expects us to share our experiences with others. In that way we can show them that they are not alone. They don’t have to be fearful or dismiss the help others are trying to give them. Thanks for being vulnerable & sharing your story.

    Blessings 🙂

  15. Thank You for this. I can relate, I am fortunate to not have noticable panics, but my brain is always overthinking…my mind is constantly twisting and turning.

  16. When we do tell our stories to the right people, it dissipates our shame. I too had panic attacks for years from an auto accident. And it was telling someone about 6 years later, that helped the panic attacks loosen its grip.

    • Yessss!!that’s the best part of sharing, it’s usually met with a “me too” which immediately takes away the element of needing to hide in shame!