How to Help Someone with Anxiety

Supporting a loved one with anxiety can feel overwhelming, but your empathy and patience can make a world of difference. 

If you know someone who’s struggling with anxiety, we’re here to walk you through its causes, common symptoms, and treatment options, so that you can understand what your loved one might be experiencing. You’ll find practical tips on how to help someone with anxiety, from maintaining open communication to practicing patience and protecting your own well-being. We also explore preventive strategies to help manage anxiety before it becomes overwhelming. 

Get our tips for helping a loved one who’s struggling with anxiety, and call us today if you believe professional support is necessary.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural response to stress, characterized by feelings of worry, nervousness, or fear about future events or uncertain outcomes. While occasional anxiety is normal, anxiety disorders involve excessive, persistent worry that interferes with daily life. Symptoms can include rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling, and difficulty concentrating. 

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions, affecting millions globally. Effective treatments include therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. 

What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

Anxiety disorders are typically caused by a combination of factors, rather than one single variable. Here’s a list of risk factors to be aware of:

• Hereditary factors 

• Financial struggles due to lower income

• Relationship problems like divorce, break up, separation, or being widowed

• Previous substance abuse problems

• Personality traits like shyness and introvertedness

• Suffering from chronic health conditions

Common Anxiety Symptoms

Common anxiety symptoms include persistent worry, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can vary in intensity and duration, significantly impacting daily life and overall well-being.

However, since anxiety disorders encompass a range of mental health conditions characterized by excessive fear or worry, these symptoms can change according to the diagnosis. Here are brief overviews of symptoms of the four common anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

 GAD involves persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, such as work, health, or social interactions. Symptoms include restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.

Social Anxiety Disorder

This disorder is marked by an intense fear of social situations where one might be judged or scrutinized by others. Symptoms include extreme self-consciousness, fear of embarrassment, avoidance of social interactions, sweating, trembling, nausea, and difficulty speaking.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks — sudden episodes of intense fear that trigger severe physical reactions. Symptoms include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, and a fear of losing control or dying.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety. Symptoms include excessive cleaning, checking, counting, or arranging items, and significant distress or impairment in daily functioning.

How to Help Someone with Anxiety

Supporting someone with anxiety involves patience and understanding, and it’s crucial to recognize that anxiety is a mental health condition requiring proper strategies and treatment. Here are some general tips if a loved one is struggling with anxiety:

• Open Communication- Let the person know it's perfectly alright to open up about their issues. Please encourage them to develop an honest and comfortable communication with you. Tell them that you are there for them if they want to share any of their inner thoughts, turmoil, and feelings.

• Avoid Aggression- Do not get frustrated and display aggression when they do something illogical. Emotions have little to do with logical actions. A person wrought with anxiety can do and think illogical things. So try to be patient with them and do not display negative emotions.

• Spend Time- People suffering from anxiety can isolate themselves. This creates a huge problem when they are in need of help. So, as someone dear to them, stay connected and close with them. Show that you are there for them whenever they require help. 

• Avoid Reminders- It is important to not remind the individual about anxiety issues. It is a little difficult since talking and opening up about their problem is essential. But do not ask questions like "How is your anxiety issue?" or "Do you have anxiety attacks?". Such questions can trigger the person. 

• Practice Patience- If you really want to help someone with anxiety, you have to be patient and tolerant of their mood. People with such a condition can burst emotionally and become irritable. Please do not lose your cool and criticize them.

• Protect yourself- Make sure that their anxiety, depression, and panic do not affect you. There have been instances where helping a person with anxiety has triggered their own emotions. So do not let their emotions overwhelm you, and if it does, seek help. 

• Set Realistic Expectations- Anxiety is not a physical condition that can be treated overnight or within a fixed time. It is a mental issue that can be time-consuming. Do not expect full recovery or instant improvements. Such things take time. 

• Appreciate Improvements- Celebrate improvements regardless of whether it is small or big. Show them that you are proud of their achievements. Let them know that their hard work toward getting better is appreciated by you. 

• Do Not Guilt Trip- Guilt-tripping them into getting better is highly detrimental. It can create even bigger issues than what they are dealing with currently. Do not push them hard to get better. Let them improve at their own pace.  

How to Prevent Anxiety

There are various ways one can prevent anxiety from overwhelming them. Keep in mind that not everyone with anxiety has anxiety disorders; people can have symptoms of anxiety while not suffering from any underlying mental health conditions, and can significantly benefit from the coping strategies and preventive tips mentioned below. Let's look at some healthy prevention strategies:

• Relaxation techniques are central to calming anxiety. Try doing meditative activities like yoga, tai chi, massages, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation techniques, and mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety. 

• Avoid things that contribute to worsening the anxiety symptoms. This includes drugs, alcohol, and caffeine-containing products. Limit the intake of alcohol and caffeine while prohibiting addictive substances altogether.

• It is important to get proper sleep while dealing with stress and anxiety. Develop a healthy sleeping pattern with a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. Try to have extra rest to calm your stressed mind and body down. 

• Physical activity and movement are important. It positively affects the symptoms of anxiety. This is why I try to engage in active physical activities like exercise, sports, or even dancing. Develop a daily routine.

• Deep breathing helps in calming the anxiety. Take deep breaths and develop such momentum.

• Try to maintain a positive outlook on life. Do not wallow in self-pity and negative thoughts. Try to develop coping strategies where you are able to replace pessimistic thoughts with optimistic ones.

• Having positive relations and an active social life is vital. Keep in touch with your family members and friends. Reconnect if there has been any gap. Also, get involved in community activities by volunteering at events. 

These strategies and lifestyle tips are effective in coping with anxiety. However, in case they don't have a positive effect on your symptoms, it's best to seek medical attention. Get a formal diagnosis from a mental health professional and get comprehensive treatment. Have a look at the diagnostic producer and treatment options available for treating acute anxiety. 

Closing Thoughts: How to Help Someone with Anxiety

Supporting someone with anxiety requires patience, understanding, and effective strategies. If you know someone who’s been struggling with anxiety, you now have a wealth of practical tips on how to lend a hand, keep open communication, avoid aggression, and more. We also discussed the need to protect oneself from being overwhelmed, and to set realistic expectations for recovery. 

Lastly, you dug into the common anxiety symptoms and disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and gleaned prevention strategies like relaxation techniques, avoiding triggers, ensuring proper sleep, and maintaining physical activity. 

Still, cases of severe anxiety are best treated by professionals – either by mental health experts, or a mental health treatment center that you trust. 

Helping Someone with Anxiety? We Can Lend a Hand.

If you have a loved one struggling with anxiety, remember that help is available. Here at The Forge Recovery Center, you’ll have a dedicated team of mental health experts and a range of therapies designed to guide your loved one toward mental stability and confidence. 

Your support can make a significant difference in their journey to well-being. If you’ve noticed a loved one struggling with anxiety, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help them regain control and improve their quality of life.

Written by

The Forge Recovery Center

Reviewed by

Jeremy Arzt

Chief Clinical Officer

July 14, 2024