Don’t forever in any foreseen circumstance baby her. Don’t look at her with a worrying gaze every time she tries to reach her hand out to you. She isn’t broken. She isn’t mental or crazy. She’s only human.
When she has a panic attack at any time or anywhere, don’t forever assume that she’s faking it. Trust me while I share this with you as I have been there most times where she is and that she isn’t. Please hold her gently through her shaking, and tell her she is going to be OK. Tell her everything’s OK. Don’t forever think for one second that she’s doing this for attention. She can’t help this. She can’t help what’s going through her mind. Don’t say that she should get over it! Don’t say that she has a choice. Believe me, she would love to switch off her mind for one second so that she doesn’t feel as if she’s ruining your day and hers. She’ll just need you to stay with her and talk to her through it. She needs you to tell her and reassure her that you’re there for her.
Do not forever pity her. Do not keep her inside to shield her from the world. Let her live. Let her breathe. Have her face her fears. Support her as much as you can.
Take her on fun and exciting adventures. Watch her warm smile light up at the world around her. Know that sometimes, her world is more beautiful than yours. Know that her world is more beautiful because you are in it and having you in it makes life so much brighter and easier for her.
Don’t freak out when she has a bout of anxiety for no reason. Don’t get mad, and blame her anxiety on just a bad day. Be patient. Validate her feelings. Validate how she is feeling.
Respect her. Do not push her to overdo it. When you notice her hands start to tremble, ask what is wrong. Ask what you can do to help her to reduce as much stress off her as possible. Don’t let her go into a state of overdrive. And stay calm, because although she may look good on the outside, her insides could be screaming.
Understand you will never understand how debilitating anxiety
can be unless you have been through what she is going through. Understand you will never truly feel what it’s like to have a panic attack, or to have your heart beat out of your chest, and to have your throat close up.
Just do your best to be there for her. Listen. Respond. Take care of her. Soothe her. Ease her worries when she lists every single thing that makes her afraid. Tell her you understand. Tell her she isn’t insane. And tell her you will be there by her side. No matter what happens.
Realize and understand that she wishes she wasn’t like this. She wishes she didn’t have these thoughts running through and screaming in her head. She gets scared sometimes which is okay, thinking that she’s too much for you. She gets worried you will one day leave her.
Show her that you won’t. Show her that you’re the type of guy to stay. The anxiety doesn’t matter. Show her that you love her too much to go. Show her you care too much to ever leave her in the first place.
