Looking for ways to help my friend/myself

[beachdaze]

Hey,

So I'm kinda looking for somewhere to turn and I figured this would be a good place. My best friend who I love to death is suffering from severe anxiety. It has started to impact every aspect of her life and to some extent mine. While I love her to death her need for me to be there to reassure her that she is okay has become overwhelming. It cuts into my sleep/class time as well as her. Anxiety truly does effect everyone in some way shape or form. I'm looking for any suggestions that can help me help her and also looking to hear from anyone who has possibly been in my position before.

[I MedusaX I]

Sorry for your situation. Everyone does suffer from some form of anxiety, but if it is interfiering with life, such as social situations, work, etc, you need to seek help. Depending on the circumstances of how "severe" her anxiety is, she may need to be treated by a Psychiatrist. Does she have Panic Attacks? Such as vommitting, shaking, sweating, dizziness, etc? If she does, seek immediate help from a doctor because these can be dangerous. Constant high blood pressure, additional turmoil that can lead to other disorders like Agoraphobia, and substance abuse for example. Talk to her, tell her how you feel, tell her she needs help, and tell her you will support her along the difficult process. Patience is key however, as an anxiety disorder can take a very long time to get under control. What symptoms does she have and what "sets her off"?

[MikeJsimon]

One of the biggest things people need to take into account with depression and anxiety is how severe these things are. Are they on an everyday level or on rare occasions? Everybody experiences some anxiety depression but they generally can crawl themselves out of the funk. They should also consider how long the anxiety depression episodes last.

Quoted from:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Depression-and-Anxiety-Disorder---Signs-and-Symptoms-to-Look-For-and-How-to-Overcome-Them&id=3893749