If you’re like me, someone who suffers from anxiety, you probably try to hide that struggle. We really just want to save face. We want to seem happy-go-lucky; like we don’t have a care in the world, but that’s just not the way it is.
Despite your ability to comprehend the struggle, there are some things we anxious girls never want to hear said while we’re struggling with a fresh bout of anxiety.
1. What’s The Matter with You?
If the answer were that simple, we would find a way to fix it on our own. Anxiety is like smoke, you can’t catch with your bare hands and sometimes you don’t know where it’s coming from, so you don’t know how to put it out.
Don’t expect us to explain something that we wish we could put into words.
2. How Can I Make it Go Away?
This is sweet and all, but if we can’t fix ourselves, do you really think you can? You can just be there for us. Hold us. Talk us through it. Maybe you need to be the goofball we fell in love with and find a way to get a good giggle out of us.
3. Can You Just Act Normal?
Anxiety is a fickle little bitch that can hit at any time. It doesn’t matter if 5 minutes ago we were laughing with a group of friends; the color may randomly drain from our faces and we may get quiet and have to step outside.
Deal with it.
Don’t ever try to make us live up to your expectations when we can’t even live up to our own. Your best bet to help is to get your ass outside and sit with us for as long as we may need you. You can’t decide that you only want to be there for us when it’s convenient for you.
4. Are You Always Just Unhappy?
If you are defining our character through the effects of our anxiety, then we deserve better than you.
Don’t you think we are so frustrated that our stability can flip like a switch without our permission? We don’t need your annoyance or frustration on top of that. Lay off. Be understanding. Be our partner- through it all.
5. Do You Or I Need to Leave?
Although you may think you are coming off as understanding, it’s very easy to take this as you just not wanting to deal with us.
If we need space to muscle through an anxiety attack, we will make it happen. We don’t need you promoting it. It’s better to have us feel like you WANT to be with us than feeling like you want to leave.
We know that loving us can be difficult. The truth is, we just want you to hold our hand through our tough bits.
