3 Things Anxiety Sufferers Want You To Know About Them

“Some People Expend Tremendous Amounts Of Energy Merely Trying To Look And Feel Normal.”

Many people generally do not understand what anxiety sufferers have to endure on a daily basis. Below is a list of 3 things that anxiety sufferers what you to know about them and their current lifestyles.

1. The symptoms of anxiety can be both internal and physical

Anxiety sufferers do not only experience different kinds of emotional upheavals. Anxiety can take a huge toll on our mental, physical, social, and work life. Anxiety is often accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, muscle aches and pain, dizziness, panic attacks, fatigue, nausea, and many more. All these things can make the sufferer feel even sicker.

Anxiety is considered an invisible ailment as the symptoms are usually not seen, but they are usually internal and felt just by the person going through it. But such internal symptoms can be as debilitating and distressing as the externally noticeable physical symptoms. Anxiety sufferers do not have any choice to separate themselves from the adverse effects and have to deal with them on a daily basis.

The misery associated with anxiety is typically carried by the sufferer towards their choices, thoughts, relationships, and other aspects of their lives. The weight of these adverse symptoms can sometimes be so heavy and bothersome that anxiety sufferers eventually experience them as being physical symptoms.

2. Anxiety is of several different types and each one manifests in different ways

The most common anxiety disorders include panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
GAD is characterized by incessant and irrational worrying about different aspects of daily life, which include even minor things like going out to purchase groceries.

Panic attacks refer to sudden and repetitive onsets of episodes marked by excessive and unreasonable fear about varied things along with extreme worrying and anxiousness between such episodes. Social anxiety disorder refers to fear of other people or being in social situations, interacting with other people, and afraid of being judged by others.

It may be noted that the symptoms experienced by anxiety sufferers with the same type of anxiety may manifest in different ways. Thus, it is not a good thing to assume what a sufferer may be going through. Anxiety is not an ailment that triggers similarly in all people.

3. Even the simplest of tasks can be difficult for anxiety sufferers

Doing even the simplest of things like ordering food at a restaurant or speaking in front of a class or a small audience can be an arduous task for anxiety sufferers. Thus, encouragements like ‘just do it’ ‘yes you can do it’ does not work on them. It is also difficult for these people to explain the reasons for their irrational fears.

Criticism will never work; constant support and giving the person sufficient time and space is the best thing to do. Getting frustrated with the person will only make them feel guilty and sorry and worsen the anxiety. A method that promotes long term changes in thought patterns, behaviours, core beliefs and identity is crucial for success over anxiety.

Is there anything else that anxiety sufferers want you to know about their challenges? Comment below.