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What to Do If You Have a Loved One with Anxiety

Having a loved one with anxiety can feel confusing and infuriating. You may not understand why they do some things. Fortunately, there are people who understand those suffering from anxiety. In fact, mental health treatment programs can help your loved one to learn strategies to handle their anxious thoughts and break free of their intense fears. But, the first steps include recognizing that a problem exists and learning where to go for help.

Symptoms of Anxiety in a Loved One

Anxiety can manifest in multiple ways. In fact, chances are that you know more than one person with anxiety because it affects up to 18% of people. Often, anxiety will have vastly different impacts on the behaviors, thoughts, and physical feelings of people.

For example, age and temperament play roles in how someone experiences anxiety. While not everyone will have all symptoms, most people will have at least a few of the most common signs of this condition. Therefore, if you suspect that you have a loved one with anxiety, watch out for the following:

  • Lightheadedness, sweating, dizziness, fatigue, or insomnia
  • Seeking reassurance, second-guessing, avoidance of feared situations, or irritability
  • Constant worry, all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralizing, or expecting the worst

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety comes in a spectrum of disorders. Yet, having any of these disorders does not mean that a person is weak. In fact, very emotionally strong people can experience anxiety. Anxiety disorders are real conditions that require professional anxiety treatment.

Some anxiety disorders have a basis in a single fear, as happens with phobias. However, not all people with anxiety have phobias. Another form produces worried thoughts without a cause, as in generalized anxiety disorder.

Another anxiety condition may develop in response to a traumatic experience triggering anxious thoughts. Thus, this form of anxiety is post-traumatic stress disorder, better known as PTSD.

Behaviors linked to anxiety can also lead to another form of this disorder. When obsessive thoughts cause compulsive actions that a person feels control their life. The anxiety disorder falls under the term obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

At the beginning of treatment, a therapist will help your loved one with anxiety to determine the type they have. By knowing the form that the anxiety takes, a therapist or treatment program can offer your loved one the best chance of succeeding in fighting their condition.

Treatment for Anxiety

Anxiety treatment often involves having your loved one talk to a professional about their thoughts and fears. The therapist may recommend various actions and methods, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, to help the person work through their feelings and thoughts. Methods used to guide a person to learn to live with their thoughts and to be productive and happy despite them vary depending on the individual’s needs. Only a professional can determine the best choice for a person to recover from anxiety.

Effects of Untreated Anxiety

Ignoring anxiety will not make the condition go away. In fact, some people do not cope well with constant worry, leading to more serious problems. Untreated anxiety can lead to mood disorders or substance use problems.

How Promises Five Palms Can Help

At Promises Five Palms, you can find treatment programs geared toward helping those suffering from anxiety and other mental health conditions. We offer the following among our quality programs:

If you have a loved one with anxiety, they can get relief at Promises Five Palms. Don’t let your loved one’s mental health condition cause harm to their life. Contact us at 1.844.675.1022 for more information about our anxiety treatment programs and help your loved one to reduce anxious thoughts and fears.

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