How to help someone with anxiety

We want those we love and care for to do well. Yet, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to help — especially when it comes to mental illnesses.

Anxiety is particularly prevalent. The likelihood that you have a family member, friend, or colleague with its symptoms is high. While the responsibility for their betterment isn’t on your shoulders, it’s still helpful to know the practical steps you can take to help.

In this article, we’re detailing the three steps you can take to help someone with anxiety: notice the signs, heed the intervention options, and consider your role in the overall intervention strategy.

Anxiety disorders in Australia

Approximately 43% of those aged 16 – 85 years old have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their life¹. Of that group, just over 17% have experienced anxiety for 12 months or longer¹ — making anxiety the most common mental illness across the Australian populace.

The Australian Government released a list of policies, proposed legislation, and initiatives that intend to strengthen the Australian mental health system². Vision 2030 is one such initiative: According to its website, Vision 2030 is “a vision to provide easily navigated, coordinated and balanced community-based services that are offered early to meet each individual’s needs and prevent escalating concerns.”³

While Vision 2030 and other government initiatives are necessary for providing well-rounded care, those battling anxiety also greatly benefit from leaning on their friends and families. If you have someone in your life suffering from anxiety, considering the following three steps can put you in a position to help them get the personal and professional support they need.

Firstly, notice the signs

If the person you’re looking to help hasn’t been formally diagnosed by their GP or mental health provider, noticing signs is the first step.

There are various types of anxiety, each with its own specific diagnostic criteria. For our purposes, we’ll let you know the signs of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) — the most common form of anxiety.

If you’re ever in doubt and are concerned that your loved one may be experiencing anxiety, even if their symptoms don’t match the following verbatim, it’s better to be safe than sorry and encourage them to speak with their GP, or with one of our doctors at MedReleaf Clinics.

The DSM-5 GAD criteria are as follows⁴:

1. Excessive anxiety and worry, or apprehensive expectation, that persists on most days for at least six months — concerning various events or activities, such as work or school performance.
2. Difficulty in controlling the worry.
3. Anxiety and worry are characterised by experiencing at least three of the following six symptoms for more days than not over the past six months:
   • Restlessness or a feeling of being on edge.
   • Easy fatigability.
   • Difficulty concentrating or moments of the mind going blank.
   • Irritability.
   • Muscle tension.
   • Sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless, unsatisfying sleep.
4. The disturbance cannot be more accurately attributed to symptoms of another mental disorder, such as the anxiety of experiencing panic attacks in panic disorder, fear of negative judgement in social anxiety disorder, obsessions about contamination in obsessive-compulsive disorder, and the others mentioned in section F⁴.
5. The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms lead to considerable distress or dysfunction — significantly affecting social, occupational, or other vital areas of life.
6. The disturbance cannot be explained by the physiological effects of a substance (such as a drug of abuse or medication) or another medical condition (such as hyperthyroidism).

If it seems like your loved one may align with some or all of these criteria, encourage them to speak to their GP. Moreover, if you notice signs that your loved one is experiencing threatening symptoms, particularly suicidal thoughts or behaviours, then call Lifeline Australia immediately on 13 11 14.

Secondly, heed the intervention options

Intervention plans are generally composed of a mixture of medications, psychotherapies, and lifestyle adjustments — depending on the different factors at play for each individual.

It’s widely accepted that psychotherapeutic interventions are more effective, in general, than medications. Yet for some, medicinal interventions prove highly effective. That’s to say that, for your loved one, the first port-of-call should be their GP or one of the MedReleaf Clinic doctors, who can provide medical advice and put together an anxiety treatment plan based on the individual.

Medicinal options

Prior to being prescribed any particular medication, your loved one’s doctor will consider a range of different factors, including the possibility of the anxiety symptoms being linked to another condition — such as thyroid issues, heart disease, or hormonal imbalances. Moreover, they’ll consider their current medications and how they may interact with prescribed medications, and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.

If you or the individual you’re caring for have any questions about the various medication types, your doctor is there to answer those questions. It’s common to ask questions about side effects, long-term vs short-term use, and any other risk factors that may be on your mind.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is a commonly utilised intervention strategy as they’re highly effective, researched, and low risk. On this, the American Psychological Association states, “Research generally shows that psychotherapy is more effective than medications, and that adding medications does not significantly improve outcomes from psychotherapy alone.”

Note that this is a general statement. Some individuals benefit from a combination of medications and psychotherapies, while others respond differently.

The psychotherapies that are most commonly used for anxiety include:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): CBT is the most commonly utilised therapeutic method for treating anxiety. During CBT, patients are guided to recognize and assess the accuracy of their negative thoughts and to replace these with more realistic and balanced ones.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): ACT functions to increase individuals’ psychological flexibility by teaching them to accept their thoughts and emotions as they are, while committing to behaviour changes consistent with their personal values.
• Exposure therapy: 60% to 90% of people have either no symptoms or mild symptoms after completing exposure therapy⁵. This form of therapy works by gradually and repeatedly exposing individuals to the objects, activities, or situations that they fear, in a controlled and safe environment. This process helps individuals face their fears and reduce their anxiety responses over time.
• Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT): MBCT combines cognitive behavioural therapy techniques with mindfulness meditation practices to help individuals recognise and alter negative thought patterns in a non-judgmental, present-focused manner.
• Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): IPT is a structured, time-limited form of psychotherapy that aims to improve symptoms by enhancing interpersonal functioning and social support, focusing on current relationships and communication issues rather than past conflicts. It typically involves a 12-16 week active phase and addresses specific relational concerns, such as relationship conflicts, life transitions, grief, and difficulties in starting or maintaining relationships.

Some who suffer from anxiety may use various of these psychotherapies, while most will use CBT — primarily due to its research-backing and long-term efficacy. When comparing the long-term viability of CBT in comparison to general counselling, researchers found that CBT tends to maintain its effectiveness over a longer period, with a sustained recovery rate of 59%, compared to 43% for general counselling⁶.

Lifestyle changes

Alongside medications and psychotherapies, lifestyle changes can have positive effects on those battling anxiety.

“Lifestyle” refers to the fundamental building blocks of our lives: our habits related to food, exercise, relationships, living conditions, hobbies, and community engagement. If fundamental lifestyle factors aren’t accounted for, the treatment plan will likely prove less effective.

Diet, for instance, is directly correlated with anxiety. The gut and the mind are closely connected, often referred to as the “gut-brain axis.” Those with an unhealthy gut are likely to express symptoms of anxiety⁷. This extends to the requirement for individuals to consume the necessary nutritional components that support mental well-being and healthy functioning more generally.

Thirdly, consider your role in the overall intervention strategy

For anyone battling anxiety, help is available. When aiming to care for someone with its symptoms, know that the responsibility of care isn’t on your shoulders and that professionals and mental health resources are readily accessible.

Yet, alongside professional help, the involvement of friends and family goes a long way. Here’s a handful of considerations to make when helping someone with anxiety.

1. Aim to understand: It’s always best to adopt a disposition of understanding, rather than judgement. Anxiety can manifest in various ways — some sufferers are high-functioning while others struggle with regular daily tasks. However it manifests for your loved one, ensure that you approach the topic with understanding and empathy, recognising the complexity of the mental health condition.
2. Don’t impose: Particularly when it comes to someone we love deeply, it can become easy to insist on courses of action. As a general rule, aim to simply walk with your loved one through the therapeutic process, per your healthcare professional’s recommendations. You should only impose immediate actions if they’re exhibiting dangerous or threatening behaviour to themselves or others.
3. Take care of yourself: It’s difficult to care for others if you’re not first taking care of yourself. Prioritise your own well-being, whether in a lifestyle sense or taking steps to see a mental health professional for yourself. The healthier you are, the better positioned you’ll be to adopt the kindness and patience often required for helping a loved one battling with mental health.
4. Walk them through the therapeutic steps: If your loved one needs extra support and depending on their treatment plan, consider going to appointments, adjusting your own diet to help them keep up with their own prescribed food requirements, providing extra structure to establish routines, and simplifying medication management alongside them. Just remember that it may sometimes be enough to offer emotional support. If you’re ever in doubt as to how you can best walk through the therapeutic steps with the person you care for, have a chat with your doctor — they’ll be able to guide you based on the specifics of the treatment plan.

Gain access to help with MedReleaf Clinics

At MedReleaf Clinics, we take a holistic, person-centric approach to medicine. When we treat patients with anxiety, we ensure all factors are accounted for prior to administering a tailored treatment plan.

Our doctors are based Australia-wide and have the expertise and experience necessary to help address your loved one’s anxiety.

Learn more about MedReleaf Clinics.

Reference list

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2023). National survey of mental health and wellbeing. Australian Bureau of Statistics. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release
2. Department of Health and Aged Care (2024). What we’re doing about mental health. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/mental-health-and-suicide-prevention/what-were-doing-about-mental-health.
3. National Mental Health Commission (2020). Vision 2030. National Mental Health Commission. https://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/projects/vision-2030.
4. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2016). Table 3.15, DSM-IV to DSM-5 Generalized Anxiety Disorder Comparison. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t15/.
5. Exposure Therapy and CBT for Anxiety Disorders Frequently Asked Questions. Evidence Based Behavioral-Practice. https://ebbp.org/resources/Anxiety_ExposureTherapyandCBT_FAQ.pdf.
6. Pybis, J., Saxon, D., Hill, A. and Barkham, M. (2017). The comparative effectiveness and efficiency of cognitive behaviour therapy and generic counselling in the treatment of depression: evidence from the 2nd UK National Audit of psychological therapies. BMC Psychiatry, 17(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1370-7.
7. Wood, M. (2023). Researching IBD and mental health through the gut microbiome. Uchicagomedicine. https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/gastrointestinal-articles/2023/june/searching-for-links-between-ibd-and-mental-health-through-the-gut-microbiome.