11 Things You Should Never Say To Someone Who Has Anxiety | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

11 Things You Should Never Say To Someone Who Has Anxiety

Let's face it, everyone gets nervous about at least one thing every day. But there is a difference between getting nervous and having anxiety.

530
11 Things You Should Never Say To Someone Who Has Anxiety
Ihor Malytskyi

Let's face it, everyone gets nervous about at least one thing every day. But there is a difference between getting nervous and having anxiety. Anxiety is a disorder that can form from a traumatic experience, be passed down from generation to generation, or from within a person naturally. There are many different types of anxiety, including social anxiety and panic disorders. This is a generalized list of the top eleven things you should never say to someone with any type of anxiety.

1. "Calm down."

I'm sorry, but telling someone to calm down when they are experiencing a panic attack is not good advice. This causes more stress and even some anger because depending on what is being stressed over, it can feel nearly impossible to just 'calm down'.

2. "I'm stressed out too."

We get that everyone is stressed about something, but telling someone who is visibly upset and can barely function with their anxiety that you are also "stressed out" really doesn't help the situation.

3. "We have to talk... but I'm busy so I'll talk to you later."

Hearing this from a good friend, partner, or parent is probably the most terrifying line to ever be said. What could they want to talk about? Did I do something wrong? Do they hate me? If you're going to talk to someone about something, don't push it off until later. That anxiety will build up and it's a dark place in their minds when it does.

4. "You should try to be more positive."

Trust me, being positive is a lot harder than you think when your mind just keeps thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong when faced with a new situation. Just be encouraging and let them go at their own pace.

5. "I know exactly how you feel."

Anxiety and panic attacks are different for everybody. Some people have social anxiety, or anxiety caused by stress and fear. No one disorder is exactly the same as another, so it's very unlikely you know exactly how they're feeling at that moment.

6. "Life's too short to stress."

This causes even MORE anxiety because now you have just reminded them of how short their life really is and this just leads to a thousand other thoughts for them to worry about. How short is it? I'm wasting my life. There's nothing I can do. Just, don't say that.

7. "It's just all in your head."

Yes, it is very much so in their heads, which is essentially the problem.

8. "Just let it go."

Letting things go becomes a lot harder for someone with anxiety. They keep thinking of all the possible outcomes of just letting things go, which, depending on what they're thinking about, could lead to another panic attack.

9. "Things could be a lot worse."

Oh, they know. They've probably already thought of a thousand different ways things could get even worse.

10. "I've already told you this."

It's hard to assure yourself of something when you have anxiety. The possibility that you're forgetting something important eats you from the inside out. So don't get too strained when they have to ask you something repeatedly in an attempt to relax their mind.

11. "Have you tried yoga?"

For some individuals, yoga can help calm the mind and relax your thoughts. For some, yoga just allows time to be in a completely silent room with nothing but your thoughts. Did I forget to do a huge assignment due tomorrow? Did I leave the door unlocked? I could be studying for that test I have next week. Yoga may help some, but like stated above, everyone is different and they should be encouraged to use whatever techniques they can that is beneficial to them.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

Pros And Cons Of Having A Birthday Near The Holidays

The truth of what it is like having a birthday around the holiday season.

2190
Christmas decoration
Flickr

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! But for some people, including myself and my Dad, it can have its ups and downs when it comes to having a birthday near and around the holiday season. I personally share a birthday with my Dad two days before Christmas. Yes, Christmas Eve Eve is our birthday. Here are a few pros and cons for having a birthday near the holidays.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas Tree Lights
Pixabay

It is that time of year again. Christmastime. It is one of my favorite seasons for a myriad of reasons. Here are just a few reasons why I love Christmas. This list is in no order of importance.

1. The Christmas decorations

I am that person who will decorate directly after Thanksgiving is over. This year, my roommates and I put the tree up in our apartment before we even left for Thanksgiving break. It is a great stress reliever for me to just sit in my living room and work on the huge amount of work I have before the semester is over.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl with santa hat
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

'Tis the season to be jolly folks, and if you're anything like me, then at the stroke of midnight on Halloween your home went from wicked to winter

Keep Reading...Show less
mistake
Project Eve

Mistakes are something we all make, no matter how old we get. Most of the time, the mistakes we made are little and sometimes due to something out of our control. Yet, there are mistakes that are bigger than others. Personally, I have mistakes that I wish I could go back and undo. Here they are:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

13358
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments