Caring for Someone Who Experienced Anxiety

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions. It can affect your loved one’s thinking, feeling and behaviour in many ways. They may become irritable, fearful or depressed, or they may start avoiding people and situations.

It’s normal to worry about someone you care about, but when anxiety is affecting their day-to-day life, it’s important to offer support and make them feel supported. It’s also important to remember that it can take time for people with anxiety to recover, so patience is often the key to helping them find a positive way of living.

There are many things that you can do to help someone who experiences anxiety, from listening and showing support to providing resources. But it’s crucial that you don’t do anything to exacerbate their anxiety symptoms, as that can make the situation even worse for them.

The first thing you need to do is learn about anxiety and its symptoms so that you understand what your loved one is going through. Then, you need to be willing to explore current research and effective techniques that can reduce the frequency and intensity of their symptoms.

You can do this by researching on-topic books, articles, apps and websites, online groups and podcasts or even by asking your doctor for resources that you can share with them. This is especially helpful if your loved one has a mental health expert close by that can provide them with advice and guidance.

DO listen to what they have to say and be genuinely interested in their feelings. They may be anxious about telling you about their problems, and it can be hard to understand what they are going through, so be there to listen without judgment. This can be a real comfort and it’s likely that they appreciate it if you take the time to do this.

Don’t give your loved one unsolicited advice (unless you have experience with anxiety). Some coping strategies will work better for some people than others, so it’s best to let them know what works for them.

Try not to bring up the anxiety often and avoid talking about it for a long time. This can be particularly difficult when someone is suffering from a panic attack, as it can trigger an attack and cause further stress and fear for them.

The best way to cope with anxiety is to accept that you can’t always control what happens, but you can learn to cope with it in a healthy way. It’s important that your loved one has the support they need to overcome their anxiety, so do everything you can to encourage them to seek professional help.

A big part of anxiety is a fear of the future and things that are out of our control. This is why it’s so important to help your loved one plan for their day and week, as they will be able to prepare for things ahead of time.