Being in a relationship with someone who suffers from
anxiety can be challenging at the best of times. Anxiety presents a whole new
skill set you need to master, and here are some frank tips from the pro who
lived through it and came out the other side:
1. Learn to Recognise the Triggers and Symptoms
Learning how your partner responds to
things is tough0especially when they can be as small as running out of milk, or
as big as a major health scare. Your
partner will experience a range of symptoms and may not even recognise it
themselves while they are caught up in it. Having that extra set of eyes and
ears to help curb the impact makes a big difference.
2. Always have a Plan B, C, D and E.
People with anxiety from moderate to
severe, often turn to what they believe to be solid, fool-proof planning to
assist in minimising their feelings relating to a loss of control. They will
often have a ‘to-do’ list with a certain number of tasks that need to be
completed each day, which helps to keep them grounded and in a routine.
3. Change is Terrifying
Any changes to a routine or lifestyle can
be absolutely terrifying to someone who finds comfort in the routine life they
already live. Therefore, discussions about shifting or changing their lifestyle
may not initially go down well. This person needs time and space to be able to
think it through, and overcome the challenges they see in it on their own-of
course with your support.
4. Medication Isn’t The Answer
Being medicated isn’t fun for anyone. It
can produce unpleasant side-effects like sleeplessness, depression, weight
gain/loss, or even psychosis. Medication is a tool that is used to assist in
keeping someone with anxiety or other mental health issues stable and safe to
work through their challenges. It might take a few swaps of brands and dosages
to get it right, and it might take months for it settle into your system, but
it will help in conjunction with other tools.
5. It’s Intense
Depending on your situation, anxiety can
also present a wide host of other emotions often felt intensely from sadness,
numbing, anger or nervous to joy, happiness, triumphant or gleeful. It can be a
roller-coaster of emotions that you need to be able to read and
recognise-especially if there is any pattern to how often they appear and recur
again.
6. You Will Get To Know The Doctor
As a main support system for your partner
going through this, you will probably get to visit the Doctor a lot with them.
It will mean you might be asked to be watchful of their patterns, remind them
to take medications or perform tasks, or get them to their appointments. You
will be the second set of eyes to supervise their recovery and able to be the
voice of reason and love during these doctors appointments.
7. It’s Not Embarrassing
Almost everybody suffers from a mental
health condition at some point in their lives and it is ok to seek help and
assistance to recover from it. There is no shame in admitting you or your
partner need some expert help.
8. Caring For Yourself
If you are caring for someone suffering
from anxiety, you probably experience feelings of rejection, resentment, anger,
frustration, and a yearning for it to just bugger off. It’s important to
remember that you need care too-the world doesn’t revolve just around your
partner! You must take care of yourself in every way from the basic food and
water needs to those of your spirit or soul. If you find it overwhelming, say
so. If you need some time out, arrange it. You must care for yourself!
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