My boyfriend suffers from anxiety - I need some advice please

[SMER]

My boyfriend and I were together nearly a year.
He had told me that he suffers from anxiety, but I don't think I really
understood. I'd not really come across it on such a personal level before.
He became quite mean, so I choose to end the relationship.
I regretted it, and felt terrible. But I felt quite mentally battered and lost.
After a 6 month break we meet up and and decided to give it another try.

Unfortunately he is suffering from anxiety at the moment.
I've done some reading and tried my best to educate myself.
Getting myself out of the mindset of being able to fix it and what
is the best way to support him

But I guess I'm looking for some advice.
We don't live together, he doesn't like to talk much when he is
feeling anxious...but will respond to messages.
Trying to understand what I should not say.
And any that I should.


And i apologise if I'm using incorrect words or language.
But very much appreciate your time and help...

[risingangel]

Hey its good that your reaching out for help!

Let him know that your always there for him and you will support him no matter what and you won't judge.

What your boyfriend is going through might be a bit hard to process but always be there for him, and if he doesn't want to talk about it support his decision and maybe talk about it later.

I hope this will help... alittle.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi SMER,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for reaching out. It's great to hear that you're trying to help your boyfriend with anxiety. It's not easy!

I want you to know that it's okay if you don't fully understand anxiety to be able to support your boyfriend. Lots of people support partners with a variety of mental illnesses and aren't always able to understand it - but that's okay. You're trying, and that's what's important.

Is he getting some support for his anxiety? Maybe you could ask him for some help - after all, he knows his own anxiety better than any of us ever could.

Feel free to ask any questions. You might also want to check out these threads on people supporting people - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/supporting-family-and-friends-with-a-mental-health-condition-(carers)

[SMER]

My biggest concern is saying something that will feel pressuring or trigger.

I need to exercise calm and patience, and your words helped a lot! Thank you!

[SMER]

Thank for responding!
Appreciate it!

He has been quieter than usual the last few days, so I suspected he wasn't feeling great.

He's come a long way since our first split 18 months ago.
He admitted he was feeling anxious and not great.
It's a big step for him

He is working a GP, but has been battling it without family or loved one support.
Hasn't shared his feelings.
But has started with me.
Hopefully if I can understand better the more he'll trust me to help him