How to Support Someone With Anxiety Or Panic Disorder
Most of us at some stage have known someone with an Anxiety Or Panic Disorder, it my be a friend, or family member, a partner or relative. If it is someone that is very close to you for example your spouse, partner or a very close friend, you are going to need to learn how to support someone with Anxiety or Panic Disorder. For the sake of this article we will say it is your partner.
If your partner suffers from Anxiety or Panic Disorder, you will need to know how to assist them in their recovery. The first thing you need to do is take them and their disorder seriously, be very supportive as they are feeling vulnerable and frightened. It won’t be easy helping your partner get through this you may get snapped at, and when they are feeling the anxiety they may be in their own little world. Mainly all they want is someone to try and understand what they are going through.
Here are a few points that can help you support your loved one…
1. Never tell them they are crazy…that will only re-enforce what they are already thinking and retard their recovery.
2. Let them know set backs are normal and part of any recovery. Encourage them when they take a positive step towards their recovery.
3. If your partner has trouble leaving the house, don’t spring surprise outings on them. This will also make them more anxious and may trigger a panic attack.
4. When you are away from home with your partner play it by ear, if he or she is experiencing Anxiety let them guide you to what is more comfortable for them. If they want to change the plans or go home let them.
5.If you and your partner do go out together and you get separated plan before you go to have a meeting place where you can re-connect and be sure to head there as soon as you realize you have been separated, or it may again trigger a Panic Attack if he or she gets there first and finds you’re not there.
These are just some helpful tips for looking after an Anxiety sufferer, there are many more and you are not a mind reader so you won’t always know what your partner wants. All you can do is listen to what they are saying to you, be supportive and caring. Your partner will guide you and let you know what they need for their recovery.
Never tell him or her that their Anxiety and Panic Attacks are all in their mind and to get over it or stop being silly, they are not in control and can’t help what they are feeling. If your partner has an attack you can’t stop it and it will pass, hold them if that’s what they need and reassure them. Remind them a panic attack can’t hurt them and they will be alright.
Most importantly remember your are there to support your partner, you are not responsible for their recovery.Your partner has to learn to control his or her attacks and heal from within. Also look after your own health, being a support person can be mentally straining. You can’t be any help to yourself or your partner if you wear yourself out, be there for them don’t try and recover for them.
Social Anxiety – What is It?
Social Anxiety is another crippling Anxiety Disorder which can bring on Panic attacks and is also known as Social Phobia. It’s a fear of social situations and being judged or embarrassed when meeting or talking to other people. Social Anxiety or Phobia can be likened to shyness but with a much more intense fear. Shyness becomes an Anxiety Disorder when being around people becomes very difficult and you may stop socializing altogether or at least avoid social situations.
You may also experience symptoms much like those of Anxiety, which include Trembling, Sweating, Palpitations. sinking feeling or an almost irresistible or to run away. You may also feel like your fears are irrational and blame yourself for feeling that way, rather than trying to understand that your fears are a disorder. This is completely normal and you shouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed.
The emotional symptoms you may feel can include being self conscious or having a feeling of failure, you may avoid social situations or isolate yourself from friends or family, and you might be more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol to give you more confidence to wonder out into a social situation.
Things You May Avoid Or Be Uncomfortable With, Include:
Being the center of attention
Being introduced to new people
Being watched by people when you are doing something
Meeting people in Authority
Using the telephone
All these things are completely normal for a Social Anxiety sufferer…you are not crazy and there are steps you can take to overcome all the symptoms. Try to find someone close to you for support, they can help if you can’t avoid going out and don’t want to go alone. One really important thing is to try and avoid alcohol to give you dutch courage, alcohol is a depressant and may help you at the time, but in the long term will only increase your anxiety. I know this for a fact as I used to self medicate.
One of the first steps of overcoming Social disorder is understanding your feelings and fears, reading about your disorder or joining a forum for Social Anxiety sufferers can also help you to understand your disorder. The main thing for you do do is to realize you have a disorder and takes steps to treat it and recover, which can be done either by getting therapy or using self help as I did, and by that I don’t mean self medicate. There are self help methods that can help you and none of them recommend self medication.
Stop the Intrusive Thoughts That Can Cause Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Anxiety comes from many different aspects… Alcoholism, Depression, Grief and Stress etc. Whatever the cause your mind is invaded by worrying and frightening thoughts. In order to control these thoughts, you first need to understand why they affect your lives so much. So how do you stop the intrusive thoughts that cause Anxiety and Panic Attack.
Understanding that it is not the the intrusive thoughts that are responsible for your despair is the one of the steps in overcoming Anxiety and panic attacks. It’s the way you react to the thoughts that causes your mind and body to go into panic mode. Anyone who suffers from Anxiety and Panic Attacks know only to well how frightening that panic mode can be. I found it terrifying when I had a panic attack when I was out of the house, but found it extremely distressing when I found I wasn’t even safe at home.
My home was my safe place and when I found out the anxiety intruder could invade my home..it left me felling pretty helpless. It’s amazing how these intrusive thoughts can turn your life upside down and badly affect the wiring in your brain. I like to to compare the worrying thoughts the self esteem. Just like some people find it hard to except the positive words spoken to them, yet have no problems believing the negative things that people say to them.
It works very much the same with your thoughts, when you have negative or worrying thoughts, you tend to concentrate on them and not the positive and happy thoughts… and then so it goes… off into panic mode. The symptoms as frightening as they are can be controlled, it’s just a matter of understanding your anxiety disorder and learning some coping skills to help you over come the fear that Anxiety brings on.
Learning to control our thoughts is another step towards beating Anxiety and Panic attacks. In my case I learned that these attacks couldn’t hurt me, that was the hard part. I then learned that if I faced my thoughts and the things that made me anxious, I could take control again and not be crippled by my Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety can be overcome, sometimes in a very short time, for some people it might be a longer process but it’s one you can overcome with a little help.