Weekly Prompt #33: How open do you feel about talking about your anxiety with others?
Hello all and welcome back to another discussion,
A couple of weeks ago we discussed: How are you feeling right now? Thank you to all who participated and shared your thoughts with us. I appreciate you all. I hope all who may read it find it relatable too. If anyone hasn't shared yet, please share them here and I look forward to reading and discussing them with you.
This week's prompt: How open do you feel about talking about your anxiety with others?
The topic of discussing anxiety with others carries a weight of vulnerability and courage. It's not easy to open up about our inner struggles, especially when it comes to mental health issues like anxiety. Yet, the act of sharing our experiences and emotions with others can be a powerful step towards healing and connection. Let's get started and share your thoughts with us.
Also, it is time for periodic feedback on these weekly prompts.
- On a scale of 1-10, how helpful did you find these discussions on anxiety so far? (10 being most helpful)
- What specific topics related to anxiety would you be interested in learning more about or discussing further?
I don't like telling people about my anxiety because they can be judgemental and they use it against, is my experience
@compassionateCar7091 That makes sense, Car. Anxiety can be difficult to discuss due to fear of judgment. How has experiencing judgment from others impacted you?
@ASilentObserver Very wary sometimes opening up to some listeners here who either don't bother typing replies or just disappear offline leaving you feeling incredibly flat and wary of opting for another listener! Listeners who do that should be banned. Imagine opening up to a therapist and he or she just got up and walked out. Online the feeling is no different and this behaviour needs to be stopped.
@thoughtfulBunny8587 I am sorry you had such negative experiences. I understand how frustrating it can feel when you open up and then get no response back. It can leave you feeling let down and hesitant to open up again.
@ASilentObserver I sometimes get nervous opening up but holding it in hurts more so I try to joke about it instead of being serious because being sad and stuff makes me uncomfortable and sometimes makes others uncomfortable so I try to joke about to make it easier.
@RUMBUM II am glad you are trying to find ways to cope with difficult emotions by using humor, which can be understandable. What do you think might happen if you allowed yourself to be sad or serious about these feelings?
@ASilentObserver im scared people might think of me differently
@RUMBUM I can understand how you are afraid of how others may view you if you let them see the real you. That can bring up difficult feelings. What would it mean to you to let others see the real you?
@ASilentObserver I might be able to be more vulnerable and happier but I also might lose some friends
@RUMBUM seems like you are concerned about how showing your true self may impact your friendships. It can be difficult to balance being authentic with maintaining relationships. Which aspect worries you more, losing friends or being happier?
I can share about my anxiety. Sometimes it helps to talk about it and sometimes it doesn’t, but I think, if it helps other to not feel so alone then it’s meaningful.
@Olive1Q82 Yes please do and know you are not alone in this. We are all here with you to listen to and support you.
@ASilentObserver Well I have no one to talk to
@secretVase857 you have us here Vase. You can always talk and share with us anything and everything you want to. please know you arent alone in this.
@ASilentObserver
How open do you feel about talking about your anxiety with others?
I use to be more open talking about my anxiety with others. However, in work responsibilities, as well getting older (elder age), I find colleagues either 'avoid' the conversations, turn the conversation back on me as a 'me' problem (again avoidance or used against me, for their gain - ie -reporting to supervisor/management) or give advice. I work with a lot of 'high context' people, where, in their personal culture, mental health issues are not discussed openly, unless you understand their language, nuances or culture, about such things.
@CaringSub
On 7 Cups - I am ok talking about it, 1 on 1. In main rooms, I am careful, as I have leadership responsibilities, that may distract from my duties/or appear 'unprofessional'. So, yea, I do refrain from talking about it here too - depending on the circumstances
I have no problem with discussing my anxiety, or pretty much anything else for that matter.
I only have a small problem with the generalized structure of how to handle or manage it. That is only because I am probably one of the few that solutions that work on the majority do not on me. I have had to come up with my own techniques to help manage things.
I have written a lot of things here about myself and my laundry list of struggles, crossing many topics . I consider myself an open book.
Reading about others and what they are going through and how they are trying to cope is a helpful resource for others seeking something to grasp to help maintain.
@Iamwhoiamwhoami thank you for opening up with us. i am glad you are comfortable being open about your experiences. It is great that you have found ways to manage your anxiety that work for you, even if some common strategies don't. What kinds of things have helped you develop these coping methods?
@ASilentObserver
I have hidden my issues and struggles so deep inside and I have basically created a separate personality when having to deal with the public. It is a huge internal battle to switch into this persona. For example, going to work everyday I really struggle with trying to leave my place of security hiding in the darkness amongst my severe depression and social anxiety being two out of a laundry list of issues, leading the fight. I struggle to force myself to put on that bodysuit that everyone else sees of me. The bodysuit that hides the depression which is amplified 100 fold along with all my other struggles. If I get overwhelmed while in this suit, I find a place I can hide until I can get things back in check. The social anxiety would be the thing that is probably what makes putting this suit on so difficult. When I was young I actually read books about emotions and facial expressions and the like. All so I could practice in front of a mirror and try and be “normal” while in public. I don’t have any actual methods. I have panic/anxiety attacks but I have more hidden them, at least the symptoms , under my old man, cranky, testy persona. At least enough to go hide and have the battle with shoving the struggles back underneath the mountain. Yes, there is some deep breathing of sorts and probably parts of the hundreds of other techniques involved in doing this . But my way was figured out over a lifetime in my during my own personal internal battles .
Anyway after I am able to escape society I can basically collapse and try and slink out from underneath this bodysuit which regardless of how long I have been forced to wear it, has become so overwhelmingly heavy and I am so weak , escape to safety is a battle. Once I am out I am ask physically and mentally drained I am done with the possibility of doing anything else.
I am struggling with focus , but I have many posts under multiple topics/titles. If truly interested maybe look into finding and reading through them. I am very open here about pretty much everything about myself.
When it comes to handling my anxiety when around others, I take a caution to not only myself but theirs as well. I also apply boundaries just in case because when speaking on sensitive things sometimes things can come off in ways they are not meant to or someone can have a silent trigger response and not know about it
@InsightfulPhoenix It sounds like you care deeply about others and want to protect them and yourself from potential triggers. How do these efforts impact how you feel about yourself?
Depends on the situation and the person. I have to get a certain vibe from a person before opening up. I am always afraid of the stigma of mental health and how people may view me or judge me, not knowing who I really am or what I go through. If I am comfortable with someone I will open up about everything. It is nice to share these things with others besides my therapist and psychiatrist. But beyond that I feel that it in some way hinders the relationship because people don’t know how to react to my issues or problems and I feel that it somehow puts a wedge between us.
@Ramsdekm that feels like you are hesitant to open up to others due to fear of judgment and uncertainty around how they'll respond. What kinds of situations or vibes make you feel more likely to open up to others?
I feel like I can talk to my family and friends, but not my sig-o. He either won't admit that he feels anxiety, almost like it's something to be ashamed of, or he really never experiences anxiety like I and my friends/ family members do, if at all. I feel that every time I bring up my anxiety or laugh and joke about it with my sisters or friends, he looks at me like I'm an alien like he has no idea what it's like. He has even stated to me he doesn't get anxiety. Yet, he's a high nail biter and leg jiggler when I can see he's uncomfortable talking or thinking about something and often ends up in long, off the wall tangents in front of new people. His ability to pick up on social cues completely diminishes as well.
@Amakub28 It feels like you are feeling misunderstood by your significant other regarding your anxiety. It is difficult to have him react to your openness about your struggles as if he doesn't understand what you're going through. How does that make you feel?
