Helping people deal with anxiety

Over the last few years, anxiety has become a significant term in our society. One can’t plan and structure their external lives to combat the internal battles that result into anxiety. It can’t only be traced by observing a person’s body language but, it also lingers in their silences, avoiding conversations and situations; mainly escaping everything you feel is a trigger.

Medication and expert advice surely helps bring in a sense of balance as far as panic attacks, social anxiety, avoidance behaviour are concerned, but it also needs support of a listening ear, an understanding mind and just reaching out.

We all look for assurances in all stages of life for survival, peace and what we call a ‘stable’ life. As some burrow themselves avoiding communication, some subconsciously make it a behavioural pattern and the only response in that case is fear and anger, interrelated to each other in a vicious cycle.

The following practices can help anyone battle anxiety and develop a healthy coping mechanism:

BE EMPATHETIC

Anyone coping with a certain condition doesn’t need sympathy as it can also lead to further low self-esteem and a streak of negativities as a part of their existent coping mechanism. Try to feel and understand what they are going through as closely as you can and help them journey through it and get help accordingly. The sufferer feels bad enough already so try to make them feel that they are not alone battling anxiety.

TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY

If you feel that the person’s behaviour is perennially reactionary and odd, don’t deject and avoid them. Try to figure out what’s going on with them. Maybe there’s something that has to do with a physical memory or trauma that they are unable to talk about due to societal stigmas. Tell them it’s okay to feel that way.

BE PATIENT

The key to help someone is patience. We all have a certain bandwidth to come with situations and issues of our own as well as the people we care about. There is a certain level of restlessness that you might come across in someone coping with anxiety and avoidance behaviour. So, give them some time to be strong enough to talk about their issues and any traumatic experience that has led to the anxious behavioural pattern.

TALK LESS, LISTEN MORE

It’s a good thing to have an opinion about everything but the timing and situation has to be in accordance. A listening ear goes a long way and one feels that they are heard and understood. Doing that can be encouraging for the sufferer and will help them face themselves in a better way.

YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS RESTLESSNESS IN SOMEONE COPING WITH ANXIETY. GIVE THEM TIME TO BE STRONG...

PHOTO: ISTOCK