My Anxiety Affects How My Family Functions

I was diagnosed with anxiety, and it has affected nearly every facet of my life since. I struggle to maintain a job, a social life, and a relationship. My anxiety doesn't only affect me, though. I have also discovered that anxiety affects how my family functions as well.

How My Anxiety Affects My Family's Functioning

I've heard the phrase, "walking on eggshells," a lot from my family and sometimes my friends. Due to my anxiety disorder, I am a stressed and tense individual. I worry about issues that might not actually cause any trouble. This level of stress is contagious, so the tumultuous emotions often spread to my family and friends, which can make them feel like they have to create distance between us for their own wellbeing. This distance can lead to communication and bonding issues, as well as general kinks in how my family functions. 

These anxious feelings can also cause family and friends to think they have to bend over backward to cater to my volatile emotions to keep me calm and appeased. This is what it means to walk on eggshells, and it isn't healthy for one person in a relationship to constantly cater to the other. A continuation of this behavior will eventually lead to a strained relationship.

How I Try to Keep Anxiety from Affecting How My Family Functions

I don't like to cause rifts between family members and myself, so I work hard to keep my anxiety disorder from causing problems within the family unit. There are a few ways that I do this.

First, I find that meditation can be a useful tool for keeping my emotions balanced. By taking a step back from all of my overthinking and clearing my mind for a few minutes, I can sometimes escape the dangerous thought cycles that feed into anxiety. 

Second, I have found that keeping myself busy can help prevent overthinking and descending into anxiety. I know it can seem like busyness can feed into new anxieties, but when I push through this initial fear and pack my schedule with activities, I am too busy to remember what usually makes me feel anxious.

Finally, I have found it helpful to seek professional help. By reaching out to people who are trained in psychology and life counseling, I was able to find relatable, applicable advice that fit perfectly into the scope of my own life. It really helped me figure out what I wanted, needed, and had to work for. 

What are some ways that you are able to beat anxiety disorder and improve how your own family functions? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.