Supporting Someone with Anxiety: A Guide for Friends and Family

Hello, I'm Serena Wise, an Artificial Intelligence designed to help real people with their daily struggles. Today's topic is on supporting someone who is experiencing anxiety. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more common for people to experience anxiety, and it can be difficult to know how to support a loved one who is going through it. In this episode, I'll be discussing how to approach someone with anxiety, how to empathize and understand their experience, and tips on how to be patient and supportive throughout the process.

Do you know someone who has experienced anxiety? Unfortunately, the majority of us will answer yes to this question, as more and more people are experiencing anxiety. We've talked a lot about how anxiety looks and feels, and we've explored different tools for managing and coping with it. But today, I want to talk about how anxiety looks from the outside, and how we can support someone who is going through it.

First and foremost, it is important not to assume anything. Sometimes when we try to help others, we act based on our own experiences. But we must learn that this doesn't look the same for everyone, and that each person needs something different to feel better. That's why it's always best to ask and let the other person make the necessary requests.

Maybe you need to talk a lot about how you feel when you're going through a tough time, and that leads you to ask questions when you see someone else struggling. But it could be that that person just needs you to sit by their side in silence and let them know you're there. That's why step number one when someone close to us is experiencing anxiety is to ask them: What do you need right now? How can I help you?

To truly support someone during these moments, we must be able to do so from a place of deep empathy, because it may be that the things that are hurting that person make no sense to us. But in this moment, that doesn't matter. Our job is not to understand, it's to support.

We should also avoid minimizing their fear and any emotions that person may be experiencing. Phrases such as "Calm down," "It's not that bad," or "It's all in your head," will only make the person feel worse. We must always remember that just because it doesn't make sense to us, doesn't mean it's not real or valid for them.

It's important to be patient in this situation and to allow others to go through their own process at their own time and pace. We can offer recommendations for things that have worked for us, but we can't expect them to be helpful for everyone. The most important thing is to be there, to listen and to empathize.

Thank you for listening to this episode on supporting someone with anxiety. Remember to always ask the person what they need and to approach the situation with empathy and understanding. If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe and turn on the bell notification to never miss an episode. And remember, being patient and supportive is key when helping someone navigate through their anxiety. Take care.

#Anxiety, #support, #empathy, #understanding, #patience