Maintaining Friendships With Anxiety!

Maintaining Friendships With Anxiety!
Anxiety

Maintaining Friendships With Anxiety!

If you are someone who has anxiety, maintaining friendships and relationships isn’t easy – especially with those who do not have experience with it. It gets trickier to maintain these friendships because your anxiety causes you to cancel plans, stops you from showing up to things, and sends you down a weird guilt trip for doing all that. Cherry on top, you are unable to convey why you are doing all this to your friends till the time you are stopped from being invited to places or gatherings. This is how you lose touch with friends old and new, which makes you feel that you aren’t likable or loveable.

Losing Friends Because Of Anxiety?

Maintaining Friendships With Anxiety!

If you were nodding your way through the last paragraph, it is okay. I can understand your situation. But you need to know that your anxiety does not have to define your friendships. They may change in some ways, but you should not let go of the people around you because of this reason. This is why here are some tips that will help you maintain friendships with anxiety:

Be Honest!

Yes, it is as simple as that. Tell your friends how you are feeling. Communication is always the key. Be open and honest with your friends about your condition and feelings. Tell them what ways of being with them work for you better than the usual hangouts and stuff. If the reason you do not want to meet them, attend that gathering, or have fun at that party is that you are anxious, you need to let them know. Friends are friends for a reason. A good friend will never push you to do something you are not comfortable with. They will be there to help you navigate through your emotions and feelings. Hence, being open, honest, and communicating the reason for your distance is the key here.

Have Your Time Together

How to be and remain friends when you have anxiety?

So, it is okay if you do not want to hang out in public places or in front of other people. But, do not cut off the connection because of that. You can have gatherings in settings that are comfortable for you. And sometimes, you will have to get out of your comfort zone as well. Do not completely end the connection. Find ways around keeping the bond alive. Working on yourself and the relationship is a must, no matter what you are going through. Work on that! 

Your Friends Need You Too

It is a no brainer that when you are struggling with mental conditions, it is a little difficult to get out of your own space and think about others. That’s okay, but if you want others to be there for you, you need to be there for them too. Know that you might be experiencing a hard condition but others go through hard times as well. Make sure you support them and are there for them too. Keep checking upon them. Appreciate them for the help they provide you. Keep supporting them. They deserve this too. 

Let Go. . . 

Friendships when you have anxiety

If your friends are toxic, humiliate you, or make you feel ashamed for feeling all the feelings, you need to let them go. There should be no shame in having anxiety or other mental health disorders. If your friends are toxic and make you feel any less than what you are, you should let them go. It isn’t just this, but sometimes your personalities do not match and you have to let go of them. Know that it is okay to do that and you will find your tribe sooner or later.

 

Do let me know if this helped. Add in your valuable suggestions or tips so that others can benefit from them as well. 

Maintaining Friendships With Anxiety!

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