|
What helps friends and family members with anxiety?
Over 3000 people took DBSA's recent survey on anxiety
and mood disorders. Here's what they said did and did not help them when
they were dealing with anxiety.
How do your loved ones help
you?
58% They
listen to me talk about how I feel.
50%
They reassure me.
47% They remind me not to be so hard on myself.
46% They give me space.
42%
They support
the idea that my illness is chemically based and not my fault. |
In addition, many people wrote in responses. They said the best things
their friends and family did for them was to:
What do your friends/family do that you
do NOT find helpful?
49% They put
demands on me.
49% They act like nothing is
wrong.
48% They tell me to get my act
together.
47% They pressure me to go out and
do things.
45%
They blame me for what I can't help. |
Additional responses
included:
- They treat me as if I am
stupid or imagining things.
- They tell me I am selfish and
my illness is caused by bad life decisions.
- They ignore the situation and
hope it will go away.
- They tell me I need to get a
job.
- They assume I could fix it if
I didn't dwell on it.
- They get irritated and tell me
I'm getting tense.
- They tell me I need to grow
up.
- They try to run my life.
- They crowd me.
It's important to remember that
every person is different and needs different forms of support. Talk to
your loved one to see what you can do to help them.
Read excerpts
from
Talking to Anxiety, a book by Claudia J. Strauss for people who care
about someone with anxiety
Ask the Experts
DBSA's Scientific Advisory Board Members on
Anxiety
Other organizations
that offer help for anxiety disorders
The following organizations also offer help
and information related to anxiety disorders. DBSA is not
responsible for the content or accuracy of the material they provide.
| 
