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9 things people with anxiety would rather not hear you say

This post is one for those of you without anxiety.

It's a cheat sheet for hanging out with your friends who do have anxiety... A few helpful hints on what not to say. It was put together by our friends over at Juno Medical.

Of course, if you want to annoy them, these are all excellent things to say.

They will not apply to everyone. Not everyone with anxiety has social anxiety, for example. Some may enjoy hanging out with friends constantly and endlessly talking.

I have a secret strategy for finding out how my friends feel about things: I ask them. Crazy, no? Of course, we can all think of that. But many people worry they will upset someone by asking about their mental health.

That is a risk, of course. But usually, people are pleased to be able to talk about their issues to their close friends. Especially if it allows you to be more supportive towards them. They may hide it in everyday conversation because they worry people will get sick of them talking about it: but a chance of offload is a delight (with a capital "D").

Anyway, here is the list...

If any of them were to slip out, don't sweat it too much: we're all only human after all.

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Published 2 October 2017. Written by Chris Worfolk.