Most of us feel nervous or worried at some point in our lives, such as before starting a new job, giving a speech in public, or while waiting for medical test results. And that’s normal.
However, people struggling with chronic anxiety feel this way on a daily basis. For these people, anxiety is much more than just occasionally feeling nervous, stressed out, or worried. Rather, it’s living with a feeling of fear or apprehension which can descend on them anytime without any warning. It’s living with a sense of panic or danger that can be temporary or lingering.
For these people, anxiety is like a sneaky little monster which lurks behind every thought, decision, and action of theirs. It’s doubting their qualities and feeling weaker than the rest.
This is the world of a person who has anxiety. Unfortunately, those who don’t have this condition don’t understand that this is what’s going on in both body and mind of someone struggling with anxiety.
In this article, we’ve compiled a list of 10 things people suffering from anxiety go through and that they want their family and friends to know. We hope this will provide insight to help you be a more patient, compassionate, and supportive friend for them.
1. They often struggle with unrealistic, paranoid thoughts.
Regardless of how positive or safe a situation may be, anxious people will always think about all the potential bad things that could happen to them or, at least, not go according to plan.
As it’s difficult for people with anxiety to control the negative, paranoid thoughts, these only grow stronger and more intense over time, and sometimes even cause them to have panic attacks.
2. They overanalyze conversations.
Almost all of us generally think back on the things we said during talking to someone or the texts we sent to a person and wonder if we chose the right things to say or write. However, those who have anxiety tend to overanalyze every little thing which came out of their mouths. Not only is this exhausting, but it’s also extremely stressful.
3. They have disturbed sleep patterns.
People with anxiety have unhealthy, disturbed sleep patterns from constant overthinking, worrying, and feeling stressed out. They either go to bed very late at night or they have a hard time getting any sleep at all.
4. They compare themselves with others.
People struggling with anxiety tend to compare themselves with those surrounding them, especially their family and friends. The reason they do this is that they think other people are better and more successful and accomplished than them. As a result, they undermine the importance of their own successes and achievements, and some even feel inferior to those who don’t have this condition.
5. They take other people’s advice and opinions to heart.
While most of us usually ask our friends or family members for advice or an opinion about an important or difficult decision we have to make, individuals struggling with anxiety take other people’s opinions and advice to heart. In their view, the opinion or advice from their family, friends, and even partner is as accurate as a diagnosis given by a professional therapist.
6. They often feel guilty.
We all feel guilty when we know we did something bad and hurt someone’s feelings as a result, but those who have anxiety feel guilty on a completely new level. Even if they didn’t do anything that they should feel guilty about, they’ll always find a reason to feel remorse and guilt. And even if something didn’t go the way they planned or wanted to, they feel like they’re the ones to blame for it.
7. They have a hard time making friends.
Due to their social insecurity, people suffering from anxiety don’t feel free and comfortable meeting and hanging out with new people. It is hard for them to start a conversation and express their opinions and ideas in front of someone without fearing that the other person might judge, criticize, or make fun of them.
That’s the reason why they may sometimes appear unsociable and distant, but avoiding hanging out with others and mingling with the crowds is just their way of hiding their social insecurity.
8. They overanalyze and magnify their mistakes.
We all make mistakes. By making mistakes, we learn what the right way to live is. We learn what values and moral principles matter in life. We learn how to become more responsible and better people. However, this is not the way people struggling with anxiety perceive their mistakes.
Rather, they take their mistakes quite seriously, see them as a personal failure, and dwell on them for a period of time way beyond what’s normal and healthy.
9. They often feel exhausted.
And not only physically exhausted, but mentally and emotionally as well. Considering the amount of time and energy they spend overanalyzing their conversations, obsessing over unimportant details, and dwelling on their insecurities and fears, it is no surprise they often feel drained. That’s why they often end up feeling restless throughout the whole day or sleeping many hours.
10. They worry excessively about their future.
No one knows what tomorrow might bring, but this uncertainty puts a lot of pressure on those struggling with anxiety. Not being able to know whether they’ll manage to fulfill all their goals, see their plans come to fruition, or just what might happen to them tomorrow, makes them feel overwhelmed and fear their future as well.
Riley Cooper is a professional writer who writes informative and creative articles on topics related to various fields of study. Written with love and enthusiasm, her articles inspire readers to broaden their knowledge of the world, think and get ready to act. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
