Five Ways to Help Someone with Anxiety

There are a lot of common myths about anxiety that say anxiety is a temporary problem or medications are the only solution to anxiety disorder. However, there are numerous facts that show that these myths are indeed false. 

Fact: Anxiety disorders are a type of mental illness that stems from extreme fears.

It is normal to feel anxious from time to time. However, when it is excessive and starts to take over in an individuals' daily life, this is when anxiety disorder needs to be taken seriously. 

Therefore, it is important to know what to say or how to approach someone with anxiety disorder. Here are some tips to help prepare on what to do. This may come helpful in the future and is going to benefit those who are dealing with anxiety around you. 

1. It is always best to educate yourself about anxiety since knowledge is power, and knowing more can never hurt. 

2. Help your friend or family member to get help. This can be by encouraging your loved one to see a therapist since it is always best to get professional help to ensure that all questions are answered accurately. 

3. Reassure your loved one's experiences with anxiety. This is because individuals who have high anxiety are often quite self conscious about themselves regarding their social skills or performance and wonder if others notice. It is important to destigmatize their experience and reassure them that things will be okay and so will they. 

4. Encourage friend or family members to seek other support strategies such as meditation, exercise, or self-help books. These self-help strategies would benefit the individual dealing with anxiety. 

5. Lastly, it is always best to follow up. It is a crucial step to touch base with your loved ones every other day since it helps to see how they're doing. This also allows you to check in frequently and also let them know they are not alone. 

There are numerous approaches for helping a loved one with anxiety disorder. It is important to educate yourself and learn more about the ways to help a friend or family member in their time of need. Knowledge is power and the more you are able to learn and know, the more control you will have on your life. 

If you feel like you need a specialist to talk to, give our office a call at (714) 867-7037 for more help and information.