As humans, I have come to the conclusion that we are all subjected to our own tedious miseries. What isn’t put explicit enough in our society is that no matter how one may perceive another’s struggles to be in terms of greatness or little struggle – we are all struggling. Some people often forget this. In truth, globally, 1 in 13 suffer from anxiety.
You may know somebody with anxiety, a family member, a friend or someone at work. Suppose there have been times which you may have accidentally made the situation worse, or not know what to say to them.
Here are 3 things not to say to someone with anxiety (and what to say instead) which I have collected based on my own personal views and experiences:
1: “It’s not a big deal, I’m stressed too”
Some sufferers of anxiety choose to deal with their problem by seeking reassurance. If your friend seeks reassurance about a particular situation they’re anxious about – this is one of the worst reactions. By responding in this manner, not only are you belittling your friend’s anxieties by comparing them to your own – you are belittling the way in which they cope with them. This could lead to your friend believing they are weak in comparison to you and how you deal with the situation. Instead, perhaps listen to your associate’s difficulties. It’s good to share.
2: “Worrying won’t make a difference”
The word ‘worrying’ is most likely that of a fraction of what your friend is feeling. The word ‘worrying’ is so trite that it almost dismisses the entire disorder as a common felt minor feeling. Instead, offer positivity, how your friend could tackle their fear – that they may grow as a result of feeling it. Insist they acknowledge the fear, this way they may be able to rationalise.
3: “Calm down”
This simply affirms the objective of the anxious person without providing any aid what-so-ever. In many cases, the sufferer of anxiety has attempted every single way to remove their anxiety from their life or at least minimize the effects of it just to calm down. Suggesting to ‘calm down’ is pointless because the majority of us anxious folk have tried to calm down and it clearly hasn’t worked up to now.
Attempting to help rationalize with them positively is considerably more effective than stating the obvious. More importantly, in this situation – your anxious pal may need a bit of patience.
