The Benefits of Talking About Anxiety
Anxiety, depression and stress related conditions are hard. They are had to detect, hard do diagnose and hard to treat. Maybe most significantly is that they are hard to communicate about. Instead of talking about it, people fake it. But there is a danger in not talking about anxiety.
Stress related conditions are at epidemic levels in all areas of society but there is not nearly enough said about it. Thousands of children in our schools suffer from anxiety. Our workplaces are flooded with people suffering from anxiety. Families are breaking down and lives are being severely impacted by stress related conditions. This epidemic is so prevalent in our society and in our cultures. In fact, in many cases stress, anxiety and depression has become the norm. So much that people live with day in and day out without talking about it. Faking it. This has an enormous cost.
Love and Care
Talking about anxiety has several very important benefits. Firstly, it lets other people know what is going on. This gives people that care the opportunity to care. The opportunity to help. Support is so important for people suffering anxiety related pain. Just knowing that others are there and they care is vital. Talking about the pain gives people (friends, family, coworkers, etc.) the opportunity to step up. Anxiety and depression effects how we think, behave, and work. Letting the people around you know what is going on so they can understand when you are not yourself or able to perform the way they are used to. It gives the people around you including spouses, coworkers, supervisors a heads up to what is going on so they can support. This takes their pressure off working, parenting, performing, living …. exactly what is needed.
Therapy
The therapeutic benefits of talking about anxiety and depression cannot be overstated. It is so important to talk about this. Therapy and counselling often have such a negative stigma and people are embarrassed. In all actuality, counselling is a wonderful thing and saves lives. Everyone should have some form of counselling or coaching. We are seeing this more and more with athletes getting sport psychologists, executives getting stress performance coaching, etc. Good counselors can help work though underlying issues, assess lifestyle, help direct toward constructive thinking and behavior, and if need be provide help from a medicinal standpoint. The key is good counselors. Find them. It is worth it.
Our Experience
Todd:
When my wife was suffering from PTSD triggered anxiety one of the best things that she could do was talk about it. And she did. She was one of the few that did not try to hide it. Although at the time, to be completely honest it was overwhelming to me. I thought that she was talking about it too much and I was concerned she was talking herself into more anxiety. In hindsight, I needed help as much as she did and I should have talked more about it. Looking back now, I am so thankful that she was communicating to me and the people around us. By doing this she found amazing people that really stepped up. She found support groups. Most importantly, through talking about it she found great counseling.
Liliana:
Going through the war (Sarajevo Story) was nothing compared to going through anxiety. Talking about what I was going through
To see more on the value of talking through anxiety and depression see our member forum
