Living with anxiety is hard, and it’s just as difficult to watch a loved one deal with it. When people don’t deal with anxiety in healthy ways, though, it can lead to other issues such as addiction. Naturally, loved ones want to know how to help someone with anxiety. The more that they know, the easier that it becomes to help those with anxiety keep it under control.
First, it’s important for people to understand that having anxiety is a normal human emotion. It’s only when anxiety interferes with their daily lives that it becomes a problem. At this point, it’s a mental health disorder.
Can Anxiety Really Lead to Addiction?
Unfortunately, anxiety can lead to addiction, which is also a mental disorder. Once the mind develops one disorder, it’s easier for it to develop another.
In most cases, people develop an addiction because they use drugs such as alcohol to numb their anxiety. These drugs provide some temporary relief from the symptoms. However, the relief only lasts as long as the drugs are in their system. As a result, they continue to take more and more drugs to maintain the relief.
How to Help Someone With Anxiety
The best option to help loved ones with a problem is to enroll them in an anxiety treatment program. With that said, there are also some dos and don’ts that can make helping them easier at home.
Let Them Speak Openly About Their Fears
In many cases, talking about whatever causes people’s anxiety can help. It’s important that they know that they can openly talk about their fears with friends and family members. During this time, it’s important to avoid judging them for their anxiety. Instead, lend a sympathetic ear.
Don’t Get Angry
Sometimes it’s easy for people to get upset or frustrated with anxious loved ones. However, they should remember that the anxiety isn’t a choice. In many cases, the disorder develops because of a chemical imbalance.
Spend Time With Them
When people suffer from anxiety, they often feel lonely. Sometimes just being around them is a big help. Also, spending time with them makes it harder for them to dwell on their anxieties.
Don’t Keep Talking About the Anxiety
People who have anxiety already think about what they fear enough. Bringing up these fears constantly doesn’t help. It just makes them think about them even more. When people spend time with loved ones who have anxiety, they should focus on positive topics.
Red Oak Recovery® Provides Anxiety Treatment for Young Adults
Do you need young adult rehab programs? Red Oak Recovery® in Leicester, North Carolina, is a great option for you and your family. We provide rehab treatment programs that young adults can count on. Most of our clients are between the ages of 18 and 30.
At Red Oak Recovery®, we know how important it is to have a variety of treatment programs. Our team is proud to offer a diverse lineup. We even create customized treatment plans for each client. Some of the programs and services that we offer include:
- Dual diagnosis treatment
- Gender-specific treatment
- Young adult rehab
- Grief counseling
- Eating disorder programs
Don’t let anxiety lead you down the path to other disorders such as addiction. Learn more about how to help someone with anxiety at Red Oak Recovery®. Reach out to our friendly staff at 866-457-7590.
