Anxiety doesn’t just affect the person living with it - it touches everyone around them. For caregivers, partners, friends, and even young people in supportive roles, helping someone with anxiety can be deeply rewarding but also emotionally exhausting. The Caregiver’s Guide to Anxiety from Anxiety UK offers a comprehensive, compassionate look at how anxiety affects individuals and those who support them - and how caregivers can play a vital role in recovery without losing themselves in the process.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal emotion - until it becomes overwhelming and persistent. When it interferes with daily life, it can develop into an anxiety disorder. These may include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, agoraphobia, OCD, PTSD, and specific phobias.
Anxiety manifests in three main ways:
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Physical symptoms: racing heart, sweating, dizziness, nausea, headaches, and breathlessness
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Psychological symptoms: excessive worry, catastrophic thinking, fear of losing control or being judged, and heightened sensitivity
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Behavioral symptoms: avoidance of situations, rituals (as seen in OCD), reliance on others, or sudden changes in routines
Understanding these symptoms helps caregivers respond with empathy—not frustration.
Communication and Support Strategies
Supporting someone with anxiety means navigating unpredictable moods, changing routines, and moments of deep emotional distress. The guide emphasizes:
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Listening without judgment
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Avoid saying “just calm down” or “it’s all in your head”
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Don’t force change; let the person set the pace
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Be consistent and reliable - routine matters
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Celebrate even the smallest steps forward
Encouraging someone to attend therapy, join support groups, or engage with structured routines (including gentle exercise and distraction-based tasks) can all contribute to improvement.
Caregivers can also play an active role in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), helping reinforce techniques learned in sessions. Exposure hierarchies - small, manageable tasks that build confidence - are particularly useful.
The Impact on Caregivers
Supporting someone with anxiety can disrupt sleep, erode social connections, and lead to burnout, guilt, and isolation. Caregivers often feel invisible - particularly those supporting someone with “invisible” illnesses like anxiety. The guide urges caregivers to:
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Set boundaries to protect their own mental health
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Take regular time out without guilt
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Stay connected to friends and outside interests
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Seek their own therapy or join carer support groups
Recognizing that you are not responsible for someone else’s recovery is key. You can walk beside them, but the healing journey is ultimately theirs.
Young Carers: A Hidden Group
The guide gives voice to the nearly 1 million young caregivers under 18 in the UK who help parents, siblings, or family members with anxiety. These children often:
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Miss out on school or social development
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Feel isolated or ashamed
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Are excluded from medical conversations
Young carers need support for their own emotional wellbeing - especially when they lack language to express what they’re going through. Schools, families, and services need to do more to recognize and include them.
Practical Tips From People With Lived Experience
People living with anxiety offered their advice to caregivers, including:
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Be patient, and don’t take outbursts personally
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Help gently challenge irrational thoughts
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Stay calm and consistent, even when plans fall apart
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Allow rest without pressure
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Make space for fun - don't let anxiety define your relationship
Above all, they say: "Don't try to fix it - just be there."
Digital Tools Like Elli Cares
Apps like Elli Cares can support daily routine, structure, and communication for people with anxiety - without overwhelming them. Scheduled reminders, voice notes, and shared care logs offer reassurance and gentle nudges toward independence. For caregivers, Elli Cares provides visibility and peace of mind without constant hovering.
Final Thoughts
Caregiving for someone with anxiety is complex. There’s no perfect script. But with understanding, boundaries, and self-care, you can make a meaningful difference - while protecting your own wellbeing. As the guide reminds us, supporting someone with anxiety is not about fixing - it’s about walking beside them, calmly, consistently, and with compassion.
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