Have a Friend With Anxiety Disorders? Here's How You Can Help

I know it may not be good talking about a friend with anxiety disorders. But if it can help others, then why not? Yes, a good of friend of mine has this kind of psychological problem but I will not mention her name here. At first, I did not know about this condition and I did not realize she has one.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one who helped her and I'm not here to praise myself for what I have done. I just want to share my experience with my friend and what I learned about anxiety disorders. So if you have a friend with the same situation or you think your friend's attitudes are leading to have this disorder, the tips below can definitely help.

Recommend professional help

As a friend, you are willing to help in the best way that you can. However, you also have limitations. Situations like these need professional help. Sites like PCHtreatment.com offer assistance to people having significant psychological problems such as anxiety disorders. They specialize in treating such conditions through an intensive and safe treatment program. You can be sure that patients will be treated in a safe and comfortable treatment center.

Understand the problem

Do research online and offline. There a lot of useful reading materials such as medical books and websites. According to ADAA, there are different kinds of anxiety disorders, such as GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and specific phobias. The more you educate yourself, the more help you can do to your friend.

Be very supportive

Showing support is not only by helping your friend and get treated and trying to understand his problem. It is also by being open to hear his stories without judging him. However, it will not be good if you always ask him about it because it might trigger another panic attack. Instead, assure your friend that you are always available to comfort him. Tell him to he can call you anytime he needs someone to talk to. But of course, you also need to be very patient with him.

Have fun together

People with anxiety disorders should also have fun. In fact, having fun with a friend that a patient can trust is a very helpful activity. Just make sure that you will avoid doing things that can trigger the fear or something related to his disorder. If your friend has agoraphobia, or being afraid of walking alone in an isolated place, this is a case where a person really needs a trusted companion. This is also the reason why you should know the kind of anxiety disorder your friend has.

Take care of yourself

Although your friend seems to be in serious problem, don't forget to take care of yourself too. Make sure that you are also doing something about your own anxiety and don't let it affect your personality. Do regular exercises, eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, and take a rest when needed. Remember, you should also be mentally and physically fit to be able to help your friend efficiently. In fact, this can even help you while you are helping your friend.