Helping a Family/Friend Cope with Anxiety & Recognizing the warning signs.

Hello again everybody! This is I guess the "sequel" to my previous awareness post which talked about "coping with anxiety" so now I want to make a post dedicated to those of you who DO NOT have anxiety BUT have a friend or family member who does OR even if you do not know anybody with this disorder, hopefully this will give you some insight as to 1. How to spot the warning signs of anxiety and 2. How you can help. I want to disclose that same as my last post, everything in my posts are all opinion based on my own experience. I did not get my sources from any other website/blog (aside from photos I use which I link to that blog/website) and so if you do want to use any of my info that is fine but, please link my blog in your source

1. Recognizing the Signs

-Worrisome/stressed out/paranoid

If a person exhibits any of these signs no that does not mean they 100% have anxiety however, you do not know that for certain so the best thing to do is to analyze the situation and the person's behavior.

a. Is the person being irrational?

b.How anxious does the person seem? Do they seem to be thinking with a clear head?

c. Body language!! Are they cracking their knuckles, rubbing their palm on their thighs, biting their nails?..

-These are all symptoms of possible anxiety and in this situation it is important that you do not tell the person to get over it or just calm down etc. because, saying these things can actually make the situation worse and hence it will escalate instead try approaching the situation with a positive and reassuring attitude. Find out what it is that is making the person so worried/paranoid and see if you can't help them by giving some reassuring insight.

*Always be mindful because you never know for sure.

2.What You Can do to Help a Family/Friend Cope

1. Address the situation positively and reassuringly

2. Get their mind off of what is causing the anxiety to occur

3. Get them to talk about how they feel and WHY they feel like that

Often times anxiety escalates because the person feels alone and secluded as if they are the only person in the world dealing with this illness. They can often have low self-confidence and by the wrong words can feel utterly worthless! I know this because this is how my anxiety is and based on my own experiences I know what has worked for me and what may work for someone you know as well. I am not an experienced professional by any means but, I strongly believe that by approaching situations with a positive attitude, you can truly diminish the negative.

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