This Is Understanding Someone With Anxiety

To understand someone with anxiety means understanding that a lot of their life is what happens inside their head. It’s understanding that some things they can’t make sense of but they desperately need explanations.

Understanding someone with anxiety means not getting frustrated or annoyed when they send a double text or call too many times or jump to conclusions.

Understanding someone with anxiety means not staring or making a big deal when something has triggered them and they’re picking at their skin to a point where they might not even notice it’s now a cut.

Understanding someone with anxiety means learning when to listen. Because there are so many things going on in their head they are struggling to make sense of it themselves.

Understanding someone with anxiety means knowing when they don’t want to sleep over, the truth is they don’t want to keep you up as they toss and turn and lay there awake.

Understanding someone with anxiety means accepting apologies that they didn’t even need to say and knowing they said it for their own peace of mind.

Understanding someone with anxiety means knowing when you tell them you’ll be there it’s important to not be late.

Understanding someone with anxiety means when they say they are tired, you know it has nothing to do with sleep but there is this emotional exhaustion that exists within them.

Understanding someone with anxiety means knowing they’ll probably answer your text back really quickly and understanding how carefully they executed every word they thought about typing.

Understanding someone with anxiety means understanding how sensitive they are and how easily their feelings get hurt so you have to be as careful with what you say.

Understanding someone with anxiety is understanding the voice inside their head is their own worst enemy and you have to be the one countering those lies.

Understanding someone with anxiety is knowing how much of their life is in fast forward and they are always thinking about the next thing. To teach someone with anxiety to live in the moment is the best thing you can do.

Understanding someone with anxiety means being honest with them. They can tell when even the slightest of things have changed between you two.

Understanding someone with anxiety means you are always going to have to be the confident one in the relationship because they never will be, as their doubt plagues them.

Understanding someone with anxiety means being able to pick up on their signals. They will never tell you they are uncomfortable being somewhere but you’ll notice a change in their body language.

It’s understanding how much they struggle when someone or a group of people don’t like them and instead of trying to win them over and learn they pull away because they think those people are better off without them and their presence is just a burden.

Understanding someone with anxiety is understanding that they aren’t trying to be anti-social but they struggle sometimes and what they want most is to be accepted.

Understanding someone with anxiety means knowing exactly what to say when their mind starts to take off and wander.

Understanding someone with anxiety means nothing is ever going to be as it seems.

Because on one hand they might look like they have it all together but in reality, their hands are sweating and their heart is beating for reasons they still don’t fully understand.

Understanding someone with anxiety is knowing that their efforts are always 110% so when they aren’t the best or their effort fall short of their own expectations they easily turn into their own worst enemy and that critical voice taunts them with criticism.

It’s being the one to build them up because they will always knock themselves down.

It’s being one step ahead of their racing thoughts and knowing the phrase “it’s okay,” can be the best tool for helping them.

Understanding someone with anxiety is letting them take control of situations because, with this thing in their life, they feel like they can’t control anything so it comes out in other forms.

Understanding someone with anxiety is learning to forgive them for their mistakes because you know they will beat themselves up more than you ever can, if you stay mad.

Understanding someone with anxiety is believing that they truly are sorry when they mess up and they’ve probably spent nights thinking what to say to you.

It’s forgiving them and teaching them to forgive themselves.

It’s accepting them and teaching them to accept themselves.

It’s loving them and through that love despite the doubt that is anxiety and the negativity that plagues them, you teach them to learn to love themselves again. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Writer living in Hoboken, NJ with my 2 dogs.

Keep up with Kirsten on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and kirstencorley.com

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