Diagnosing Anxiety Disorders: 5 Tips for Family and Friends

A mental health disorder like an anxiety disorder doesn’t just change the daily life of the affected person, but also the lives of their family, close friends, or partner. As a close contact, you are an important part of the treatment process, but the disorder can also bring many challenges and sometimes be very burdensome. We want to support you as a loved one by making life easier and relieving some responsibilities. But doesn’t this only encourage the person’s dependence? And what does a loved one’s disorder do to us, and why is it so important to protect ourselves, too?

In this article, you’ll learn how to master the balancing act between providing support and maintaining your own health.

Communication

As a trusted person, you are especially important to someone with an anxiety disorder. Always take the other person’s anxious feelings seriously and never mock them, even if the fear seems unwarranted. Avoid phrases like “Stop overreacting” or “Pull yourself together.” Instead, express your understanding and listen first.

In an acute anxiety or panic situation, the person may not be able to communicate fully. Speak in short sentences that can be answered with a nod or shake of the head. For example, you could ask, “Would it help if I sat next to you?” or “Should I come with you?”

Help Through Therapy

It often takes years before affected individuals seek help from a therapist. This is mainly due to the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and psychological assistance. If the affected person isn’t seeking help, you can initiate a conversation. Be honest and share your perspective, but remain calm, understanding, and respectful. Make it clear that seeking psychological support is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it’s a sign of courage and strength to seek help and face problems.

Finding a therapy spot isn’t always easy. For the interim, you could recommend the prescription app Mindable: Panic & Agoraphobia to the affected person. This app is covered by health insurance and can be a great support. You can find information about the app and the prescription process here.

The Right Support

If someone in your family or your partner has an anxiety disorder, it can often disrupt everyone’s plans. For instance, you might take a detour to avoid a tunnel, or cancel shared outings and activities. The whole daily routine may suddenly revolve around potentially threatening situations and how to avoid them. It’s essential to ensure that you’re not unintentionally reinforcing the avoidance behavior. Don’t take over all responsibilities for the affected person; instead, encourage them to confront challenging situations. Setting concrete goals can help gradually tackle their fears. Make sure not to pressure them and acknowledge even small achievements. Only through direct confrontation can fears be reduced in the long term.

Let the affected person know that you’ll always be there when they need you. Otherwise, allow them as much independence as possible.

Gathering Information

To better understand the challenges of an anxiety disorder, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the condition. Here you can find an overview of different anxiety disorders.

If you have further questions, schedule an appointment with the treating psychiatrist or therapist. Ask whether the affected person would agree to you attending a session or go to the appointment alone. Learn about symptoms, medications, and treatment progress. Some clinics and organizations also offer free information sessions or hotlines for family members. Understanding the anxiety disorder allows you to recognize behavioral changes and better assess the situation. Moreover, it helps you empathize with the affected person, realizing their behavior isn’t intentional.

Taking Care of Yourself

The diagnosis of a mental health disorder can evoke a wide range of feelings in you as a loved one: compassion and understanding, but also uncertainty, helplessness, and shame. Whatever emotion you experience, take the time to process it.

Your support and understanding are crucial for the affected person. However, as a loved one, you may also face many challenges and burdens. If you’ve reached your limits or even exceeded them, it’s time to protect yourself.

This can be difficult because you might feel like you’re abandoning the affected person. Remind yourself that no one benefits if you also start to suffer. You have every right to set boundaries if you notice effects on your health, your lifestyle, or your well-being. Take care of yourself by maintaining your social contacts and integrating activities into your daily life that bring you joy. Always ensure that you manage your energy wisely.

Seeking Help

You can further protect yourself by sharing responsibility. For example, you can seek professional help. Some clinics offer support groups for loved ones, where you can exchange experiences, discuss concerns, or share advice with people in similar situations. Another option for deeper exchange and support is self-help groups or hotlines. You can also contact therapists yourself, who can guide you on managing and coping with the situation.

Here you can search nationwide for self-help groups.

You can also use hotline services:

• Nummer gegen Kummer
• TelefonSeelsorge Deutschland
• Seelefon