sam
10-18-2007, 05:36 PM
Tips for helping someone with an anxiety disorder
Recovery from an anxiety disorder takes a lot of time. Recovery also benefits from a lot of help. While it's true that much of the work is a solo effort, it will certainly go more quickly with the help of a solid support system. You will truly benefit the recovering person by making a definite commitment of time for helping with a specific part of recovery.
Your Objections
You feel that you're already spending way too much time helping the person, and you're not seeing any progress. As a result of all the time you're spending with the person, you're not able to spend time on activities you enjoy. Meanwhile, you feel that your own emotional health is suffering. The person you're helping is miserable constantly, and you're starting to feel that way, too. The bottom line is something's not right, and you have no intention of magnifying the problem by dedicating more of your time.
The Problems
If any (or all) of the above fits your situation, then you (and the person you're helping) must make changes now. If you do not, the person's recovery, and your relationship with that person, may suffer. First, if you're spending a lot of time with that person and you're not seeing any progress, then you are not on the right track. Second, you're going to burn out. No matter what your relationship is with the person (including spouses), you cannot spend all of your time trying to help that person. It is not necessary for you to destroy your personal life in order to help a person recover from an anxiety disorder. It is not necessary for your own emotional health to suffer.
The Solutions
A good support person is someone who will help the recovering person in a productive way while also being responsible for his/her own emotional well-being. There are six main components to being a good support person:
Build a Support System
No one recovering from an anxiety disorder should have only one support person. Unfortunately, it's our tendency to lean on only one person. This tendency should be addressed openly and honestly. A support system should consist of friends and family, support group(s), mental health professional(s), and, when appropriate, boss or co-workers. By looking at that list, you now might adjust your perception of what a support person should be. No support person can make the recovering person better. The recovering person will get well by using a variety of treatment methods with and without the help of other people. The larger the support system, the more distributed the support functions will be. Support is not the process of constant listening to a person's problems and other woes. It is a productive component of a person's
recovery goals.
(this post is big , so i have made it into two parts)
thanks,
sam.
Recovery from an anxiety disorder takes a lot of time. Recovery also benefits from a lot of help. While it's true that much of the work is a solo effort, it will certainly go more quickly with the help of a solid support system. You will truly benefit the recovering person by making a definite commitment of time for helping with a specific part of recovery.
Your Objections
You feel that you're already spending way too much time helping the person, and you're not seeing any progress. As a result of all the time you're spending with the person, you're not able to spend time on activities you enjoy. Meanwhile, you feel that your own emotional health is suffering. The person you're helping is miserable constantly, and you're starting to feel that way, too. The bottom line is something's not right, and you have no intention of magnifying the problem by dedicating more of your time.
The Problems
If any (or all) of the above fits your situation, then you (and the person you're helping) must make changes now. If you do not, the person's recovery, and your relationship with that person, may suffer. First, if you're spending a lot of time with that person and you're not seeing any progress, then you are not on the right track. Second, you're going to burn out. No matter what your relationship is with the person (including spouses), you cannot spend all of your time trying to help that person. It is not necessary for you to destroy your personal life in order to help a person recover from an anxiety disorder. It is not necessary for your own emotional health to suffer.
The Solutions
A good support person is someone who will help the recovering person in a productive way while also being responsible for his/her own emotional well-being. There are six main components to being a good support person:
Build a Support System
No one recovering from an anxiety disorder should have only one support person. Unfortunately, it's our tendency to lean on only one person. This tendency should be addressed openly and honestly. A support system should consist of friends and family, support group(s), mental health professional(s), and, when appropriate, boss or co-workers. By looking at that list, you now might adjust your perception of what a support person should be. No support person can make the recovering person better. The recovering person will get well by using a variety of treatment methods with and without the help of other people. The larger the support system, the more distributed the support functions will be. Support is not the process of constant listening to a person's problems and other woes. It is a productive component of a person's
recovery goals.
(this post is big , so i have made it into two parts)
thanks,
sam.