These days, a lot of people live with some kind of mental disorder. Whether that is depression, anxiety, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), or ADD, some are more severe than most. They aren’t always easy to treat, and sometimes we let them get the best of us until we learn how to keep them under control. If you are dating someone with anxiety, there are some things that you should know that can help you understand the thought process of an anxious person or give you some ideas of how to handle their anxiety attacks.
1. It’s not that we don’t trust you, it's that we're worried for you.
When you go out without us and we start trying to get you to Snapchat us, text us, and call us it’s not because we think you’re up to no good. We genuinely feel relief knowing you’re safe and thinking of us. When we don’t hear from you, our mind will play tricks on us and convince us that there is something wrong or you are in trouble. We try to resolve this by trying to get as much of a response out of you as possible.
2. Refrain from words like 'relax' or 'calm down'.
We’ve heard it a million and a half times. Trust me, it doesn’t work. If simple phrases such as these really helped, we probably wouldn’t even consider anxiety a thing. Anxiety cannot be solved with a word or two. These might do exactly the opposite of what you’re trying to do. We need reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
3. We know we sound crazy, but it’s not our intention.
On more than one occasion, even though we know we might sound crazy, we have to say something to our significant others because if we didn’t, it would eat at us. It becomes the only thing to consume your thought process and sometimes, even if we think it’s a bad thing to talk about at the time we still would feel better getting those thoughts out there. These conversations have been rehearsed in our heads in 50 different ways with a hundred different endings and it still might not sound right when leaving our mouths. Be patient, because it needs to be said.
4. We are sensitive to certain phrases that are connected to our insecurities.
For instance, if we’re already self-conscious about our looks, whether that’s our weight, skin, height or whatever, maybe it would be a good idea not to check out other people when we’re together or talk about an ex. Our minds flood with questions that you didn’t even think about before doing it. “Why would he or she even bring them up? Are they better looking than me? Do you think they want them more than they want me?” Now, it’s not easy to pick apart every conversation you have with your other, but stopped in your tracks before starting a conversation, and think “this might be a touchy subject” then maybe, you shouldn’t mention it.
5. It’s the little things that make us feel better.
A text every once in a while letting us know you’re safe and that you’re thinking of us can be one of the easiest little things to do to really help us. Consider making a time to call your boyfriend/girlfriend just to chat and send a “goodnight” or “good morning” text. These let us know that you’re thinking of us, and can keep our fits of panic under control, at least when it comes to you and your safety.
6. It’s all worth it, because you will never find another love like ours.
We will have our moments where, honestly, we are too much to handle. We have bad days just like everybody else, just in our own insecure ways. But I promise that there will be no one else who will love you and care for you more passionately than we do. We have thought about every scenario in our head, and you are by far, our favorite possibility.
