10 Things You'll Learn When Friends With Someone With An Anxiety Disorder

Relationships aren’t easy and take a lot of work — we all know this. But there is a special kind of challenge involved when it comes to being friends with someone with an anxiety disorder. Often, the person suffering from the disorder will have had time to come to terms with their challenges and been taught how to manage and deal with these however, we rarely take a moment to appreciate and comprehend the struggles involved with making a friendship work from the other person’s perspective. You accept your friend for the way they are because, regardless of their challenges with anxiety, they're still really great to be around and believe it or not anxious people make the BEST friends but here's 10 things you'll learn throughout your friendship...

1. You'll learn to read a room like a pro.

It's essential that you know when your friend is freaking out and needs to be left alone, and when they need to be reassured and comforted.

Moods will vary and the only way to ensure the relationship works is learning to recognise when you're needed and when you aren't.

2. EVERYTHING is the end of the world.

It can be the smallest of things that trigger an anxious spell, sometimes so small the person suffering from the episode won't even recognise the cause. Everyday tasks such as finishing a project for work or making a call to the doctor can cause great amounts of fear and although these things may seem small and insignificant, the feelings the person is experiencing certainly aren't.

While you might be tempted to give the worlds biggest eye-roll, please don't!

3. You ALWAYS have to make the plans.

People with anxiety do not want to have to make the plans. They are very indecisive and on a bad day, even the smallest of choices, such as which restaurant, could put them off their appetite and even their entire upswing for the day.

4. If he or she is in the middle of something, you know not to speak.

When mid-task, people with anxiety are not to be interrupted. Their train of thought is set on something and it needs to be finished before they can pay attention to anything else.

5. The person can sometimes be manic and overwhelming.

Living with people with anxiety isn't easy. Sometimes when they're feeling especially anxious, they can be exhausting, talk extremely fast, be extremely restless and have scattered thoughts. All of this can be difficult to keep up with, It's best you just try and listen and to remain calm yourself until this passes.

6. You will always have a drinking buddy, but hangovers are 100x worse.

You dread the next day because its never a good one for anxiety. Alcohol provokes the symptoms of anxiety and while your friend might feel better during the night out, the next few days are sure to be a trip for his or her nerves.

Herbal tea and long walks can be a lifesaver during these bad times!

7. You can't act like you pity him or her.

People with anxiety never want to feel like they're being pitied. It's already easy for them to feel like there's something wrong with them, like they have a flaw in the foundation of their character that they can't control or change. It's important that you treat them as normal as possible.

8. There's no talking someone out of a panic attack.

There is no rhyme or reason involved in an anxiety disorder. When an attack comes on, no amount of saying "Calm down!" is going to make it stop and accusing the person of being dramatic or irrational will only make things worse. All you can do is be there to hold their hand, let them know they will be ok and allow them to take as much time as they need to calm down.

9. It's not intentional, so you can't even get mad.

Sometimes you need patience that you don't have. He or she can be the crazy to your logic. It's important to try to be as empathetic as possible because this person can't help the way that they're feeling.

10. You need to learn to embrace it.

Don't hate or perpetuate! The only way to have a successful relationship with a person who struggles with anxiety is to love him or her regardless of it. If you can learn to embrace this part of their personality as a quirk, you'll be far better off.

When the anxiety does set in, the only thing you can do is reassure the person and wait for them to be ok and this always works better if you feel at ease. There is no cure anxiety, so there is no way for the person to just make it stop. Usually people learn to manage this quite well though and it doesn't mean things will always be bad.

You have to remember that this state is temporary and it can make your friend think and behave differently sometimes, It's not about you or them, it just happens!

REMEMBER, IT ISN'T ALL BAD...

BE PATIENT & BE HONEST!

If we're talking to you about our anxiety it means a lot! Mental health issues are still stigmatised, so it can be awkward to open about them.

9 times out of 10, people with anxiety disorders will be the nicest people you will ever meet because they are so worried about hurting or annoying the people around them. Being honest and direct with them in a supportive way can help them understand their problems and gives them clear boundaries.

Doing the smallest things will ALWAYS be appreciated

People with anxiety will adore even the tiniest of favours because they tend to become overwhelmed so easily.

When you know they're freaking out, just making them a cup of tea will come with the highest of thanks. They need your support and your patience, and it will always mean more than you know. It's one of the nicest things about them, as a friend you will never be taken for granted, so thanks for being there!