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12 Important Tips when Counselling a friend with Depression or Anxiety




     When a loved one is struggling with anxiety and stress it can really leave you feeling powerless.

In this article I will discuss the twelve tips that you should have at the back of your mind when counselling.

1. Let Them Know They Can Confide in You Without Judgement

It’s very important for people struggling with anxiety to know that you are going to listen to them openly and not judge them for what they say. 

Many times conversations will feel like a broken record because the anxious person has the same fears repeating over and over and over again. 

It is normal for someone with anxiety to struggle with the same worry each and every time. 

Help your loved one by making them feel comfortable to share their anxieties with you.

2. Be Patient With Your Loved One

Although people struggling with anxiety will often know that their fears are not worth being worried over, this knowledge isn’t always enough to stop their fears from taking over their life. 

Anxiety disorders are thought and chemical related, so trying to use logic and reasoning to combat the fears will be very difficult to do.

3. Spend Lots of Quality Time With Your Loved One

Spending lots of time with your loved ones that struggle with anxiety is not just about trying to help get rid of their fears for them. In fact, sometimes just being with them and not bringing up the subject can be the most helpful. 

By spending time with others, it will be harder for your loved one to sit and think about their fears. Which is something that someone with anxiety will spend most of their time doing when they are alone.

4. Don't Always Focus On the Anxiety

This is a hard one, especially for a go-getter like me. You want to help your loved one with their anxiety, but sometimes even just bringing up the topic can lead them to having more anxiety. 

Especially if they haven’t thought about the anxiety in awhile, it can result in all of their emotions and worries bubbling up right there on the spot. Instead, try to give them space and time. 

If they feel comfortable around you, they will open up.

6. Let Them Know You Are Always Available for Them

Because anxiety can isolate people, it is so important for them to know that someone who loves them is only a phone call away. 

Just talking to you will help to comfort and calm them down.

6. Work On Your Own Anxieties 

This tip is very important if you are trying to help a loved one with anxiety. 

Make sure to take the time to work on your own stress levels, so that when you spend time around your loved one, your anxieties are not rubbing off onto them.

7. Give Your Loved One Lots of Tolerance

As mentioned above, anxiety is not only a thought disorder, but as chemistry one, too. For this reason, the inbalance in an anxious person’s bodies chemistry can result in uncontrollable irritability. 

Therefore, remember to be as forgiving as possible with your loved one and allow them the grace that we all deserve. 

If they know you won’t hold a grudge and will keep the relationship, they will begin to feel more comfortable around you.

8. Give Your Loved One The Time to Make Progress 

As is the case with most anything in life, overcoming anxiety takes time, patience, and practise. 

Taking each step to overcome their anxiety slowly will lead to a better result than if they try to hurry through it. Rushing through the process can sometimes leave people with worse anxiety than they had in the beginning. 

As they go through this process of working through their anxiety, many fears and doubts are going to pop up along the way as they dig themselves out of the worry. This is completely normal and healthy.

9. Encourage Your Loved One to Get Outside in Nature

One of the best things you can do for your loved one is encourage them to get outside for exciting activities. 

Particularly anything that will get them active and moving so that their endorphin’s can be sparked. 

When your loved one has an opportunity to create fun new memories they will be more capable of dealing with the worries of life.

10. Don't Try to Make Them Feel Bad

The biggest struggle for someone who struggles with anxiety is that it is very hard to get out of their own head. They want desperately to connect with people and yet their thoughts can keep them from doing that very thing. 

If you make them feel bad for not paying more attention or spending more time with you, they may start to withdraw further and further into their 

11. Let Them Know How Proud You Are of Their Progress

People who struggle with anxiety are prone to read facial expressions and mannerisms as much more negative than they actually are. 

This is why it’s very important to clearly express your happiness and pride in them. When they make a great step forward in their recovery from anxiety, make sure to let them know how happy you are.

12. Stay Positive and Hopeful

Anxiety is hard to get out of and might seem like the end of the world, but it definitely is treatable. In fact, it is probably one of the most treatable conditions today.

You don’t need to change anything and they wouldn’t want you to, anyways. You are in their life for a reason so make sure to have fun, be yourself, and give lots of love to that special person in your life..

Although it is not a condition others can always physically see, anxiety is very real, and it can leave your loved one feeling isolated, even when surrounded by friends and family that care.

Thanks for being here and goodluck on your journey to optimal health and wellness. I hope you enjoyed reading this piece. 

I invite you to check out more of my over a hundred health and beauty articles that may interest. Please use the search button at the top of the page. See you in the next one. Ciao. God-isLove.


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