Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis: 6 Tips for Family and Friends

As a relative, you are an important part of the treatment process. At the same time, the situation can be challenging for you as well.

In this article, you'll learn how you can support an affected person in everyday life and what resources are available for you as a relative.

Communication

As a trusted person, you are especially important to someone with an anxiety disorder. Always take their anxious feelings seriously and don't respond with dismissiveness or lack of understanding. Phrases like "Don't be like that" or "Pull yourself together" can do a lot of damage, even when well-intentioned. Instead, try to show understanding and listen.

In an acute anxiety or panic situation, the person may not be able to communicate clearly. If you're wondering how to help someone with panic attacks, consider the following tips:

Speak in short sentences that can be answered with a nod or shake of the head.
Ask the person to share their experience by, for example, asking: "Would it help if I sat next to you?" or "Should I accompany you?"

Help Through Therapy

It can take a long time, sometimes years, before affected individuals seek professional help. The reasons are varied: shame, stigma, but also the hope of managing alone. It's important not to put pressure on them. But if you notice that the person is suffering, you can gently start a conversation. Share your observations honestly, and remain calm and respectful in doing so. Make it clear that seeking professional support is not a sign of weakness. It takes courage to ask for help. But professional support can truly make a difference and help those affected to gradually regain more joy and freedom in their lives.

Unfortunately, finding a therapy spot is often not easy. You can find tips for the search in our article on finding a therapist. In the meantime, there are also digital options available. Mindable Health offers digital therapy programmes for various anxiety disorders, based on cognitive behavioural therapy and backed by scientific evidence. The costs are fully covered by health insurance.

-> Mindable: Panic & Agoraphobia

-> Mindable: Social Phobia

The Right Support

When a family member or partner suffers from an anxiety disorder, the immediate environment often has to adjust their plans or behaviours. For example, a detour may need to be taken during a car ride to avoid a tunnel, or joint outings and leisure activities may be cancelled. The entire daily routine suddenly revolves around situations perceived as threatening and how to avoid them.

It's absolutely essential not to unconsciously reinforce avoidance behaviour when making these adjustments. Don't take over all tasks from the affected person, but try to encourage them to face anxiety-provoking situations. Concrete goals can help gradually work toward overcoming the anxiety. Keep in mind not to put the affected person under pressure and appreciate even small achievements. Only through direct confrontation can fears be reduced long-term.

Mindable Health

Digital support for anxiety disorders

Scientifically founded, flexible for everyday life and free on prescription. Mindable's digital therapy programmes help overcome anxiety in the long term.

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Gathering Information

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

The better you understand the condition, the easier it is to make sense of behavioural changes and support the affected person. Organisations such as Deutsche Angst-Hilfe offer information and resources specifically for relatives. Some clinics and associations also provide free information events or counselling services for relatives.

Taking Care of Yourself

The diagnosis of a mental disorder can trigger very different feelings in you as a relative: from confirmation and understanding to uncertainty, helplessness, and shame. Whatever you feel, take the time to process it.

Your support is of great importance to those affected. At the same time, it's important to pay attention to your own limits. You have every right to protect yourself when the burden becomes too great. Maintain your social connections and integrate things into your daily life that bring you joy.

Seeking Help

You can also ease the load by sharing responsibility. Accept professional help, which some clinics, for example, provide. Some facilities even offer discussion groups for relatives where you can exchange experiences with people in similar situations. Self-help groups can also provide comfort, as can telephone counselling services. But of course, you can also contact therapists yourself, who can help you deal with and cope with this situation.

Here you can search nationwide for self-help groups.

You can also use telephone counselling services:

Conclusion

An anxiety disorder affects not only the person concerned, but also those around them. As a relative, you can make a real difference: through empathetic communication, the right support in everyday life, and by also taking care of yourself.

If you want to offer practical support, you can, for example, recommend digital resources such as the therapy programmes by Mindable Health to the affected person. This helps them take the first step and allows you to share some of the responsibility.