Anxiety

Hello, My Name Is Anxiety.

Anxiety is when feelings of worry or stress don’t disappear after the stressful event has passed, but continue to remain. Usually, these feelings of discomfort are so strong they interfere with your daily life. Social anxiety is one of the most common types of anxiety.

Loving someone with anxiety looks like…

At times it may seem difficult being a part of the support system of someone with anxiety, especially if things aren’t moving positively. It is important to remember that your job is not to cure the person, but to help relieve them from anxiety. Taking on too much responsibility is in fact a symptom of anxiety so don’t fall into that trap! Always try to seek professional help where possible.

Okay, now, how do I interact with them?

1) Do not tell someone who suffers from anxiety (whether it’s social anxiety, panic attacks or phobias) to just ‘get over it!’. This does not help and only adds to their stress. 

2) If the person is comfortable talking about it, ask them to share their feelings of stress and worry with you, whatever it may be. This helps with feelings of loneliness that can come with their specific anxiety.

3) Specifically with social anxiety, encouraging the person to go to social events with you can help. However, do not push them to do something they are clearly too uncomfortable to do. If they only want to stay for 10 minutes, respect that wish and congratulate it. Each step is progress.

4) Reassure the person that with time, and help, they can overcome their anxiety. Make sure they know that they are not their disease, and it is just another facet of their life. Shaming them and making them feel “not normal” is not the thing to do.

Anxiety Misnames

Attention Seeker and Immature.

Source: Berkeley, Beyond Blue; Researcher: Devmi Epaarachchi