Anxiety can be quite complex and poorly misunderstood at times. Explaining anxiety to a person who does not understand it may be hard for the person experiencing it.
However, effective communication allows room for fostering empathy and support. This blog will discuss how to explain anxiety to someone who doesn’t Understand, and insights that provide practical tips on clear communication of your experiences.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is the human body’s natural response to any form of stress. It depicts itself in feelings of fear, apprehension, or unease about events that may happen in the future.
Though anxiety can be considered a part of life, since every one of us experiences it at some point in life, such as feeling nervous before a big presentation, persistent anxiety may be a symptom of an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders come in different forms and include the following:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD): continual concerns about several aspects of one’s life.
- Panic Disorder: This includes the recurrence of panic attacks, characterized by sudden feelings of intense fear.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: An extreme fear of being judged by others in the course of social situations.
- Specific phobias: the excessive fear of objects or situations.
Understanding these definitions will better help you explain the nuances to someone who may not understand anxiety.
Why is explaining anxiety important?
Explaining your experience with anxiety can foster understanding ad support from those around you. It dispels myths and informs others through empathy.
Many people don’t understand how one feels because anxiety is not just a fleeting feeling but can be persistent and debilitating to everyday living.
Misconceptions about Anxiety
Before diving into anxiety explanations, it would be helpful to address some common misconceptions:
- “Just relax”: There is a belief by many that anxiety is easily handled by just calming down, which trivializes the complexity of the condition.
- “It’s all in your head”: While anxiety is a mental health issue, it does, unfortunately, become partly physical: tachycardia, heavy perspiration, and exhaustion.
- “You should just try harder”: This says nothing about the undeniable fact that anxiety disorders are difficult to control individually, oftentimes requiring treatment and support.
By addressing these misconceptions, you can create a more receptive environment for discussing your experiences.
How To Explain Anxiety Effectively?
1. Use Simple, Clear Language
When explaining anxiety, avoid using most technical or medical words that may confuse someone who is not well-versed in the state of mind. Just explain how you feel and state what happens in your experience. For example:
- “Anxiety is like a lingering feeling of worry that I just can’t shake off”.
- “Sometimes, when anxious, I feel tense or short of breath”.
2. Share Personal Experiences
Sharing your experiences will help others place themselves in your shoes. Describe any specific situations where the anxiety has affected you:
- “When I am supposed to speak in front of other people, my heart beats fast and I feel like passing out.”
- “I often worry excessively about things that others might not think twice about.”
You can do this by providing relatable examples that will help others understand what anxiety has done to your everyday life.
3. Describe the Physical Symptoms
Anxiety is not just about mental feelings; it consists of physical manifestations, too. Try helping others understand that by describing how anxiety affects your body:
- “When I’m anxious, I might sweat more than usual or feel shaky.”
- “Sometimes headaches and stomachaches come, due to my anxiety.”
This explanation emphasizes that anxiety is a real condition with tangible effects on your well-being.
4. Discuss Triggers
Knowing such triggers may particularly help others understand what might set off the anxiety. Describe any particular situations or events that could provoke anxious feelings in specific situations:
- “I feel anxious when in crowded areas or when going to meet new people.”
- “Unexpected changes in plans make me anxious.”
When you share your triggers, you are giving insight as to how you experience things, and others will know when they may need to be more supportive.
5. Emphasize It’s Not About Weakness
Anxiety is often considered a weakness of character or a lack of will. Dispel this myth by informing them that anxiety disorders are a medical condition:
- “Anxiety isn’t a choice; it’s a condition that affects the way my brain handles stress.”
- “Just like any other health issue, it requires understanding and sometimes treatment.”
This perspective normalizes the experience of anxiety as it affords empathy.
Offer Suggestions for Support
Letting people know how they can best support you during these moments of anxiety helps build understanding. Make some practical suggestions:
- “It helps when you listen without judgment when I talk about my feelings.”
- “Sometimes just sitting quietly with me during an anxious moment makes a big difference.”
In that way, by offering actionable ways for them to help, you will be empowering the people around them to be a supporting ally.
How To Help Your Partner with Anxiety?
If one is explaining anxiety to a partner or spouse, here is what else one could do:
1. Encourage Open Communication
Create an environment where your partner feels comfortable discussing their feelings without fear of judgment. Regular check-ins about their emotional state can foster openness.
2. Be Patient and Understanding
Gently remind your partner that anxiety management demands a lot of effort, time, and patience. Be reassuring during stressful situations and listen with empathy.
3. Suggest Professional Help if Needed
If the anxiety of your partner is overwhelming or has become unmanageable, gently encourage them to seek professional help from a therapist or counsellor who specializes in anxiety disorders.
Conclusion
Explaining anxiety to someone who may not get it is invariably both awkward and a necessity. You can describe what it’s like to live with anxiety by using simple plain language to explain how it feels, describing personal experiences, discussing physical symptoms and naming triggers, framing the condition as medical, and offering ways of offering support.
If you or someone you know has anxiety, remember: there is help out there reaching out for support is a big step in the process of healing.