Battling Anxiety: How to Fight Back – 2

The problem with anxiety is that it’s an internal process. It’s invisible to those around us. As it often flares up for no apparent reason, those around us can’t often tell, or if they can, they can’t understand.

Anxiety forces us into isolation. “They won’t understand me, anyway,” is a thought that easily creeps in. We grow silent as this prison tightens around us.

Anxiety, it’s an irrational fear overload that holds us back in forming and building meaningful relationships. The unknown, the great unknown, uncontrollable, seemingly hostile. We can’t control how the other will respond to us, so we hide away.

How can we break out of this social isolation? How can we fight anxiety?

The second step in breaking free from the prison of anxiety, is by breaking the isolation. It is hard, it really is. However, the first major power anxiety has over us, is isolation. We suffer alone.

Read about the first step in breaking free here – Battling Anxiety: How to Fight Back – 1

How do we break free from isolation? Firstly, we involve people who love us and want to understand us in the process.

Truth is, not everyone understands what anxiety really is, or what its effects on us can be. However, if we don’t open up and share about what goes on inside of us, no one will ever be able to understand us.

You don’t have to share your concerns or experiences with every single person you meet. Just open up to a few close friends or relatives. Share with them how you feel when anxiety overwhelms you. Share what you need in that time, maybe even decide on a code word that will help the others at least to understand that you’re doing it tough in that instance.

Anxiety is irrational fear. You can’t easily pinpoint why it’s there. If we find it difficult ourselves to understand what’s going on, how can we expect others to fully understand?

However, others do want to know how to be our best friend in that situation. We can involve them in our journey. We can at least open up about what’s going on inside our mind. Give them the opportunity to at least try to understand.

Battling anxiety – give others the opportunity to at least try to understand. Open up. Break the isolation.

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Once you involve a close community of people around you, also talk to some health professionals. Have a chat with your GP. Share with them your symptoms and your thought processes. They can open up other avenues of help for you.

Firstly, face that anxiety is a problem. Acknowledge this robber of joy in your life, this prison. Secondly, open up and involve people you trust, people who want the best for you.

Right then, in the middle of this dark prison, we may see some light peering through cracks in our isolation. We start knowing that we’re not alone.

Believe me, I’ve been there.

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See also

Battling Anxiety: How to Fight Back – 1