10 Things You Should NEVER Say to Someone Suffering with Anxiety

Get over it

Ah, if it were only that simple. There are some things that people living with anxiety would like you to know, beginning with the fact that it’s impossible to just get over it. “Anxiety, like all mental health states, is personal and subjective,” says licensed psychotherapist Amy Axtell, MA, of Tuscon, Arizona. How we react to anxious friends, family, and acquaintances should be equally personal and subjective. But that reaction should never be dismissive. “Not only does saying get over it dismiss the sufferer’s experience, but it also ignores what may be the actual degree of severity,” says Axtell.

Instead, Axtell suggests leading with a sense of sincere interest. “Ask your friend or family member what they’re feeling. What’s triggering them? What do they normally do to find comfort?”