It is a normal part of life to worry. But when the worrying interferes with your job, family, friends, and other activities, you may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, sweating, heart palpitations, insomnia and other concerns that impact your day to day functioning. 

It can be difficult for family and friends to know how to support someone that is experiencing anxiety. You may not know what to say to make it better or how to help talk someone out of having a panic attack. The good news is that with treatment and your support, your loved one can overcome anxiety symptoms that impact both of your lives. 

Some recommendations to help a loved one with anxiety:

Don't Be Judgmental. Try to be as supportive, understanding, empathetic, and patient as you can be. Try not to minimize your loved one's feelings and experiences and remember that it takes time for an individual to learn tools to help them cope with their anxiety. 

Encourage your loved one to seek professional help from a Professional Counselor, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist. If you are unsure of whether your loved one has an anxiety disorder, a professional can help you identify their diagnosis and create a treatment plan to help lessen the impact of anxiety. This is also helpful in gaining support from a non-judgmental professional that has experience with treating anxiety.

Get informed about anxiety. Try to learn as much information about anxiety disorders and symptoms so that you have a better understanding about what anxiety is and try to put yourself in their shoes. Knowledge is power!

Take Care of Yourself. Supporting someone with an anxiety disorder can be difficult so it is extremely important to take care of yourself to avoid burnout. Build your own support network and learn healthy ways to cope with your stress.

A professional counselor can help you learn ways to cope with anxiety. If you are looking for counselor in Schaumburg, please call our office at 888.234.7628 or contact us online.