Here's What I Do to Help My Anxious Loved Ones

Do you have a loved one that's suffering from anxiety? This video will give you four empowering strategies to help them and you until we get them through this tragic scene and get them back on track to a happily ever after. Do you ever notice how the nervous thoughts of your loved ones are taking over their life? It's almost as if you can see by the shift in their spirit when they're ruminating on the very thoughts that are dragging them down into a pit of despair. It's so hard to watch anxiety dampen the light of those we love, whether it be a family member or a partner or a spouse, a husband, wife, son, daughter, friend, or even a close relative. The effect is the same when someone in our life is anxious. You can feel it. Anxiety robs a person of their joy, their time, and their sense of well being. At times, anxiety can be so debilitating that people develop insomnia or lose weight or have a difficult time accomplishing their daily living tasks. It's awful to witness and seeing someone close to you in the grips of anxiety is so devastating and I want to get in today on how you can help a loved one that's suffering with anxiety. For those who have tried to help their loved ones with anxiety, you know that anxiety is an awful invader of the mind and body. I'm Dr. Nicole Cain and it's my pleasure to save you years of research and experimentation that I've been through as I've helped thousands of people get through the challenging chapters of anxiety and in seeing how it's helped them get their life story back. I want to help you help your loved one put anxiety in the past so that they can write their own adventure and be back on their way to that shining soul that you know and love. The first step is knowledge and power. Educate yourself. It's important that you understand anxiety and you know what you're dealing with and you know what your loved one is dealing with so that you can get to some of the basics of what works to help decrease anxiety. If it turns out your loved one needs serious help, you will also want to know what treatment options are available in your area and what your loved one's healthcare coverage will cover. If you're looking for some complimentary support right away, I've developed a free seven day Anxiety Freedom Challenge that anyone can try out from the comfort of their home while they're determining what their treatment options are. You can grab that for free over at my website or click on the link in the description below. It's a powerful step in the right direction and it's totally free. Step two is to engage your loved one on the topic of anxiety. The top priority as we attempt to be open in a dialogue about anxiety is that the person feels loved no matter what. We do not want our loved ones to feel judged or stigmatized for being anxious. That means we must approach them with humility in a non controlling manner. We want to speak to them from the heart and let them know that we have noticed that they appear to be suffering. We want to provide empathy, not sympathy, and we want to mention exact instances rather than making sweeping generalizations that can leave others feeling judged, evaluated or criticized. We could also ask them what would support look like for you? We can inquire what would you be willing to look at in terms of getting support for you? Would you be willing to do the Anxiety Freedom Challenge with me? We can't force someone to seek help, but we can be there with ideas and inspiration that might help them open up to new possibilities. We can open a line of communication about what anxiety might be costing them and inquire about their motivation for change. We can ask politely if they'd accept our help. The next step would be simply asking permission to help them figure out solutions for their anxiety, their worry, their jitters, or whatever they call it if they have admitted to suffering from it. I don't want to make you feel like I'm getting in your business or trying to tell you how to live, but I care about you and I was wondering if I could have your permission to help you find some solutions to what you're going through. That's a great way to word it to them to help them know that you're supporting them and that they're the ones driving the car. If your loved one agrees, I recommend formalizing the process by asking them when they would be available to meet with you to brainstorm solutions. Then, when you meet together, the first step is asking them what have you tried for your anxiety? What do you know about anxiety? What is it doing to your life? What interventions are you interested in? Trying to write down everything that they say on a piece of paper and then determine your approach. One idea is to ask their permission to share what you have learned about anxiety and if that goes well, you can present to them different solutions that you've learned. The Anxiety 7 Day Freedom Challenge is a great start and furthermore you could present them with options, starting with listing the most non invasive ones like an online course or workbook, and slowly move your way up to discussing in person interventions like seeing a therapist or a doctor, it is important to start with the less intensive interventions to determine their level of engagement. Once this has been accomplished, give your loved one time before you push for an immediate fix or plan. Ask their permission to meet formally the next day and discuss what they believe is the best first step for them. Step three is to negotiate a plan of action. One of the key elements of helping a family or a friend with a plan of action is to acknowledge and honor how difficult the anxiety is and that feeling of paralysis that comes with this anxiety. People often feel like, I can't start something new. I am already totally overwhelmed. At times it may be necessary to encourage them and participate in options for treatment. However, many times, getting a person suffering from anxiety to begin with any type of intervention at all is a huge positive first step and can make a big impact. We do not want to overwhelm our loved ones, so I recommend beginning with only one type of solution at first. And if your loved one wants to participate in more than one intervention, by all means encourage them. After goals have been set, help them break down the goals into simple, doable steps. Ask them how you can help them with the steps and if possible, write down dates and times that they are committed to beginning the work of recovery from anxiety. Remember to give them positive praise for their healthy behavioral changes as opposed to criticizing their fears and other anxiety driven behaviors. Another tip is to work together on a way to measure progress weekly based on their individual situation, not on some idealistic perfection. Helping yourself when a loved one is suffering is so important. It's often been observed that caretakers and partners often neglect their own health in order to help their loved ones. It's so important and definitely not selfish to make sure that you are taking extra good care of yourself at this time. Don't change too much of your schedule. Don't stop your outside interests and activities and hobbies. Don't take a break from things that are supporting you in your own daily life. If you continue to remain engaged in your own activities, you will find yourself better prepared to face the challenges and generally be healthier and happier overall for your loved one. Do not let yourself be mentally consumed by your loved ones. Anxiety will actually help them more effectively if you can maintain your own sense of well being at this time. Stay connected too. When your loved one is going through a difficult time, it's vital to make sure that you have a few key people that you can confide in, whether they're friends, family or a therapist. It's so important that you are emotionally supported during this time of working to help your loved one set boundaries. This may seem difficult to do when a loved one is suffering. However, it's important for your health and the health of your loved one to be clear on what your personal boundaries are while helping them. For instance, if your loved one decides that they're going to reject all help and not develop any goals or plans to help themselves overcome anxiety, you might have to tell them what your limits are. Overall, it's important to let them know when you're available to help and when you need some time for yourself so that you can maintain a healthy balance even during difficult times. Seek professional help for yourself if necessary. The recovery process can be extremely stressful and taxing for the loved ones of people who suffer from anxiety. If you need someone to talk to, or if you think you may be suffering from symptoms of anxiety or depression, contact your doctor or consider visiting a mental health professional such as a counselor. I've developed hundreds of tools in video, audio and written formats and I want to share them with you. If you want a more in depth approach to defeating anxiety and helping someone close to you, Sign up for my free 7 day anxiety freedom challenge Anxiety should not be a life sentence. True mental health is a lifestyle that anyone can learn to live. I became a doctor to help people achieve physical and mental freedom and as an anxiety expert and integrative mental health consultant, my aim is to help as many people as possible get rid of anxiety that is slowing them down so that they can achieve true freedom. Are you ready to join me on this journey? If so, click the link below to sign up for my free 7 day anxiety freedom challenge so that you can complete the challenge yourself or help a loved one sign up. It's free and easy. Looking forward to working with you.