7 Things Not To Say To Someone with Anxiety

Did you know anxiety is the number one type of mental illness? Do you know someone who is struggling with anxiety?

#anxiety #thingsnottosay #psych2go

Credits
Writer: Chloe Avenasa
Script Editor: Kelly Soong
VO: Amanda Silvera
Animator: Karen Hu
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

References:

Stearns, P. N. (2012). American Fear: The Causes and Consequences of High Anxiety. Routledge.
American Psychological Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th Ed. Washington, DC, USA: APA Publishing.

Barlow, D. (2002). Anxiety and Its Disorders: The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety and Panic. New York Guilford Press.

[RussiangirlKsenia]

1. “There’s someone at the phone who wants to speak with you”.

[bigleo]

"There's people that have it worse than you."

No duh, Sherlock, but that's not helping the person right in front of you.

[BbyLexx]

"Stop making everything about you"
"Stop overanalyzing things"
"You always want to go into the negative"
"It's like you like being negative all the time"
"Stop thinking to deep into things"
"Stop overthinking so much "
"Stop crying "

All of the words I hear from my mom when I try to get emotional support or sympathy 💔😭

[bluebookchair]

Something that I hate hearing is: Everyone feels this way.

No everyone does not feel this way, and all you're doing is making me feel worse

[seamellow]

“You’re faking it”
“Stop crying”
“Calm down”
“You chose this life”
“You’ll be fine”

[veniecechan]

"you're acting"
"you just want attention"
"stop crying"
"it'll be fine, you'll get over it"
"stop making faces"


As a friend to someone who has anxiety, I learnt that these make everything worse for them. Never say anything like this to them. Their mental state cannot handle it. Just give them a hug and stay there with them until they say that they are fine, out of THEIR own mouth. Don't force them to be "fine"

[anindya_srg]

"Stop overreacting"
"Stop being wierd"
"Its just in your head"
"Here we go again"
"Get off your phone"
"We all have problem, just stop over reacting over it"
And when i try to explain why i stop go out /hangout with others they say "its just your lazyness stop make nonsense/stupid reason"
Then i done explain to anyone, i realize that they would never understand :/

[faithrichardson]

The one i hate the most “we all feel anxious sometimes”

[ChocoMilkTea]

Request(?): *Things Not to Say to Someone with Suicidal Thoughts*

[timlmazan]

“You’re too young to have these feelings.”

“You haven’t even matured yet. When you grow up, you’d realize that all your feelings are for no reason.”

“You’ll be fine.”

[Baddie]

When I say that I have anxiety or that “i just feel empty today” my sister calls me “cringey” or says that “I’m faking” and that I’m “ just saying it for attention” she’s mostly the reason I don’t tell people about my feelings

[nearyrathbo]

Today I decided to confess to my brother again about my struggling with social anxiety in college. He kept saying that everybody goes through this stuff and told me to just go out more. If what I'm going through is normal, I wouldn't cry before and after class about how overwhelmed I feel everyday.

[warriorsclaws]

"You could be In war."
"You're overreacting"
"Youre to young you have nothing to be anxious"
"Youre Excusing"

[buryurban]

"stop faking it"
"dont be so dramatic"
"u aint having anxiety"
"stop trying to get attention"

[eggyboi]

i hate it when people say "just don't care what people say about you!" it makes me feel like i can just stop the feeling. It's like telling a cancer patient to "stop having cancer"

[tina-santheartistichuman]

“You’re getting yourself worked up” - my mum whiles I was having a panic attack.

Seriously, I am so sick of hearing that from people.

[OnlineLifeGuide]

7 Things Not To Say To Someone with Anxiety (Summary):

1 - It's all in your head
2 - You're getting anxious over nothing
3 - Everything is going to be fine
4 - Stop acting like that, It's weird.
5 - Oh, here we go again.
6 - I know exactly how you feel.
7 - Is it me? Did I do something wrong?

[adriannanicole]

The most annoying and toxic thing I hear is that “kids don’t have stress”
Oh and Tysm for 1k likes!

[estherjedidiahcmeneses]

"It's all in your head!"
"Nobody else can help you but yourself"
"Just stop it. Don't think about it."

Never felt so alone after hearing these

[stinkybobinky]

"You're just acting shy. You'll get over it"

Is one that affects me tbh.