Dear Loved One,
It’s me, your (wife, daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend). I know it’s been really hard lately, watching my meltdowns. I don’t think I could be in your position, witnessing panic attack after panic attack, and an overall highly anxious state. It must be utter hell.

Now imagine what it’s like to live through it. It’s worse than hell. It’s like being promised heaven, having it dangled in front of you like a carrot, and then snatched away at the last minute. You know how when your foot falls asleep and it feels like pins and needles when it wakes up? Having anxiety feels like your whole body is on pins and needles all the time.

I love you so much, but it doesn’t help me when you say “It’s going to be okay,” or “It’s fine.” Those are like empty words and they make things worse instead of better. When I’m in a dark place, I want you to climb in there with me, put your arms around me and say, “Here I am. I’m in the darkness with you..”

When you don’t know what to do, don’t improvise or make something up. Tell me, “I don’t know what to do. What can I do?” That helps more than you know.

Just be here. Just love me. Just sit next to me and be my reality. You know and I know it’s not always this bad. We’ll weather this storm.

The Anxious One