Concern about a friend with anxiety who has become distant

In this week's podcast we are responding to a question from a concerned friend of an anxiety sufferer.

Points covered in the podcast

The anxious mind doesn't process experiences well

It looks for evidence to support its distress

It gets stuck

It goes over and over things and often escalates them

A mind that's free from anxiety finds it easier to move on

When the mind is steady and grounded it's easier to see the bigger picture

Keep trying

Continue gently reaching out to your friend as you have been. Don't give up. Consider writing a letter assuring them of your love and desire to help them.

Anxiety can make people isolate

When in emotional pain it’s common for those with anxiety to retreat and have trouble discussing or resolving issues.

Therapy should support resolving pain and moving on

If your friend’s therapist could help him with EFT tapping he would be able to gain some distance from his discomfort and gain a broader perspective. EFT quickly reduces emotional pain and enables us to see the bigger picture - to see what might be different from our worst perception.

Empathy without inflammation

There is a lesson to all of us here that somebody expresses pain or stress over interactions with another person to try and hear them calmly and while respecting their thoughts on the matter to not add fuel to their fire.

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photo credit: Worriness/نگرانت هستم via photopin(license)