29 Phrases People With Anxiety Are Tired Of Hearing

"Just think about something else."

1.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

The Priory Group asked anxiety sufferers to share the worst comments people had made about their anxiety. The results, shown in these pictures, revealed a general lack of empathy.

2.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

"Saying ‘snap out of it’ or ‘there’s nothing wrong with you’ is hugely detrimental," says long-term anxiety sufferer Jonathan. "What that person doesn’t realise is that they are embedding those thoughts into the anxiety sufferer's mind, which ultimately makes it worse."

Dr Paul McLaren, a consultant psychiatrist at Hayes Grove Hospital, agrees that people need to have a better grasp of anxiety as an illness.

"It is not easy to switch off," he said. "We need to work on educating people to help them understand that anxiety is a normal part of human experience and nothing to be ashamed of."

3.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

4.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

5.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

6.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

7.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

8.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

9.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

10.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

11.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

12.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

13.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

14.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

15.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

16.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

17.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

18.

The Priory Group

19.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

20.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

21.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

22.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

23.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

24.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

25.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

26.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

27.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

28.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group

29.

Natalie Clince / The Priory Group