ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2020
Anxiety can put a great deal of strain on your relationships, which can become very isolating. Your friends and family may struggle as well, because while they don’t want to see you suffer, they might not always know how to help.
We want you to know that there are ways to cope with anxiety and nurture your relationships, both by yourself or through professional treatment options.
Let’s start by talking about anxiety and what that looks like. Then we’ll go over how anxiety can impact your relationships.
What does anxiety mean?
There are several different types of anxiety, and each can affect you and the people around you. The three most frequently seen types include Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) describes excessive or persistent worry about multiple aspects of your life for a prolonged period of time. These worries can be related to finances, work stress, family, or any number of other things. Unfortunately, you might not always know the cause of your worry, which can make this condition all the more frustrating.
More than 6.8 million people (or 3.1% of the U.S. population) are affected by GAD each year, and women are twice as likely to be impacted by this illness.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder describes a condition where one experiences recurring panic attacks without warning and not in connection to a different physical or mental condition, followed by intense fear of future episodes.
Panic attacks often feel similar to heart attacks, with intense feelings of fear accompanied by symptoms such as struggling to breathe, sweating, feeling chest pain, and having a racing heart. These attacks can be very distressing for individuals, especially when they don’t know when one may come on.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder, which is also known as social phobia, describes an extreme fear of being perceived or judged by other people.
It can affect a person’s ability to speak in front of others, order at restaurants, and build new relationships. Because many actions are centered around avoiding judgment and embarrassment when one has this condition, many gradually withdraw from social situations and avoid people as much as possible to prevent negative situations or feelings.
Other forms of anxiety and risk factors
Other forms of anxiety include agoraphobia, specific phobias, separation anxiety disorder, or selective mutism.
While there isn’t an exact cause for each kind of anxiety, there are several factors that may contribute to the development of someone’s anxiety throughout their life, including a family history of anxiety, prolonged or recent exposure to stressful situations, excessive caffeine or tobacco use, and traumatic childhood events.
Regardless of the type of anxiety you may be struggling with, it can significantly affect both you and your loved ones.
How can anxiety impact your relationships?
Anxiety can impact your relationships in a number of different ways depending on the symptoms that you are experiencing. For some, it might cause them to become overly dependent on their loved ones, while others might isolate themselves for fear of embarrassment or becoming a burden.
We’ll go over some of the common ways that anxiety can impact relationships.
Being overly dependent
Sometimes, anxiety can cause a person to become overly dependent. Their anxiety might make them nervous to be alone or to face certain situations on their own. Anxiety, and especially social anxiety, can also cause a person to question every decision they make, which can also result in a need for constant validation.
Because of this, someone with anxiety might have a constant desire for closeness to their friends, family, or partner, and crave continuous reassurance and support from them.
This overdependence can cause overthinking around social interactions, leading them to worry when someone doesn’t respond quickly via phone or social media.
People who are overly dependent on their relationships may struggle with effective communication and lash out in ways that are destructive to their relationships. This might cause friends and family to keep their distance physically and emotionally.
Social isolation
On the other hand, some people with anxiety isolate themselves and avoid relationships to prevent negative feelings, like being disappointed by a loved one or experiencing rejection when attempting to make a new friend.
It can be difficult to open up and be vulnerable with those you are closest to. Because of this, others might perceive you as standoffish or emotionally unavailable even though you long for closeness. That makes maintaining relationships and creating new ones extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible.
Chronic tension
People who have anxiety frequently feel tense or restless, and those around them can feel that tension. When someone is exhibiting tension, others often don’t know how to respond to it and might feel like they need to walk on eggshells around that person.
For example, someone with panic disorder might feel on edge, and this tension could prevent some connection and communication in their relationships.
How can you cope with your anxiety and nurture your relationships?
Anxiety is not an easy thing to overcome, and it might be something you deal with throughout your life. However, there are still ways that you can maintain and nurture your relationships despite suffering from anxiety.
Let’s focus on the three situations we mentioned earlier: being overly dependent, facing social isolation, and experiencing chronic tension. In each of these situations, you can learn to become aware of your behavior and develop methods of combating it.
When you find yourself becoming overly dependent, you can develop ways to cope with your anxiety on your own to help relieve the pressure from your loved ones. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t ask them for help when you need it, but try to find ways that you can become more independent and manage your anxiety. You might also choose to depend on a professional counselor who can provide ways for you to develop increased independence in healthy, personalized ways.
If you tend to isolate yourself and often feel alone due to your anxiety, therapy could be a great solution for you. A mental health therapist can help treat your anxiety and help you find new ways to share your emotions with others and learn to let people in. They can also refer you to local support groups that can help you make connections with other people who are experiencing similar problems.
When you often feel tense or restless due to anxiety, finding ways to relieve that tension can really help. Stress-relieving techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, and relaxing hobbies can help you manage that tension.
No matter the symptoms or circumstances of your anxiety, there is no shame in needing additional support. Anxiety is a mental illness that you can’t always control, and sometimes the best option is to seek professional treatment options.
What treatment options are available for generalized anxiety disorder?
There are two main treatment options that may be prescribed for anxiety, often in combination with each other: counseling and medication.
Counseling
Several forms of counseling exist that can be helpful for someone who has anxiety. Psychotherapy, also known as psychological counseling or talk therapy, is one method that is frequently used. This involves talking to a therapist to reduce your anxiety symptoms.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most common forms of psychotherapy that is used in treating anxiety. During this type of therapy, your therapist will work with you to develop skills that will help you to challenge negative thought patterns and learn how to replace them with more positive ones.
Medication
When seeking treatment for anxiety, you should always start by consulting a professional. Your primary care doctor, a psychiatrist, or a therapist are all good places to start. They can help you determine if medication is a viable option for your anxiety and give you direction on the best prescription to start with.
Sometimes, you may have to try a couple of different medications before you find the one that works best for you.
Reach Out Today
The medical professionals at Alvarado Parkway Institute are always available to help.
If you feel you are experiencing anxiety and would like to speak with a medical professional to get the best treatment to help you feel like yourself again, reach out today at 619-333-7050.
Sources:
https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad
