Telling Your Friends You Suffer With Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Picture the scene.
It is a beautiful sunny day, you are invited to a barbeque with friends and looking forward to it.
Ten minutes before you are due to leave you start to feel the rising pressure in your chest which you know is the start of a panic attack.
Sounds crazy doesn't it but it is very real and has in fact happened to me.
I have had to lie to friends and employers which only increases the anxiety and possibly leads to feelings of guilt and a further loss of confidence.
It is very easy for a downward spiral to occur.
It is a huge step to talk to someone about your problem.
For so long there has been stigma attached to mental health issues, fortunately things are changing.
You may be surprised by the reaction of a close friend.
You don't need to say "I have panic attacks", you could try, "I've been having a rough time lately, not coping so well".
A friend or family member who knows you well will be able to sense your apprehension and be prepared to listen, even if it takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
Never a more true work spoken than, "A problem shared is a problem halved".
I found that it is surprising and perhaps frightening how many people suffer with mental health problems once you open up and talk.
It seemed for me that everyone knew someone who had suffered.
Once you break through the barrier of telling the first person it gets easier.
I now am almost proud to tell people that I have suffered depression and anxiety and am living proof of what can be achieved.
There are ways of coping with panic attacks.
Practical tips, cognitive therapies and medication.
Different people have success with different things.
We are all individuals after all.
It is a beautiful sunny day, you are invited to a barbeque with friends and looking forward to it.
Ten minutes before you are due to leave you start to feel the rising pressure in your chest which you know is the start of a panic attack.
Sounds crazy doesn't it but it is very real and has in fact happened to me.
I have had to lie to friends and employers which only increases the anxiety and possibly leads to feelings of guilt and a further loss of confidence.
It is very easy for a downward spiral to occur.
It is a huge step to talk to someone about your problem.
For so long there has been stigma attached to mental health issues, fortunately things are changing.
You may be surprised by the reaction of a close friend.
You don't need to say "I have panic attacks", you could try, "I've been having a rough time lately, not coping so well".
A friend or family member who knows you well will be able to sense your apprehension and be prepared to listen, even if it takes a while to get to the bottom of it.
Never a more true work spoken than, "A problem shared is a problem halved".
I found that it is surprising and perhaps frightening how many people suffer with mental health problems once you open up and talk.
It seemed for me that everyone knew someone who had suffered.
Once you break through the barrier of telling the first person it gets easier.
I now am almost proud to tell people that I have suffered depression and anxiety and am living proof of what can be achieved.
There are ways of coping with panic attacks.
Practical tips, cognitive therapies and medication.
Different people have success with different things.
We are all individuals after all.
