What I Wish My Ex Knew About My Anxiety
Start writing a post
Swoon

5 Things I Wish My Boyfriend Understood About My Anxiety Instead Of Ending Our Relationship

I wish he'd listened to me instead of brushing it off.

58
5 Things I Wish My Boyfriend Understood About My Anxiety Instead Of Ending Our Relationship
Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels

Sometimes people just don't listen to you regardless of how many times you try to make your voice heard. This is even more common in anxiety, making the numbers only 36.9% of people in the United States being actively treated for their anxiety disorders. The most common anxiety disorder, and the one that I have, is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Here's what I wish my ex could have known about my anxiety:

1. You did NOT cause my panic attack.

You have no idea how stressful it is to try to explain to your significant other that they did not cause your anxiety or your panic attacks. Every time that my ex would blame himself for my anxiety, it only made things worse. I wanted to lock myself away and cry, and I know I'm not the only one with an anxiety disorder that feels this way. Stop blaming yourself for anxiety.

2. You can NOT force somebody to take medication.

I CANNOT STRESS THIS ONE ENOUGH!

My ex tried to force me to get prescribed medication for my anxiety, even going as far as nearly breaking up with me because I didn't want to be put on medication. The more you try to force somebody to take any type of medicine, the less likely they are to actually use it.

Yes, I'm now on medication. However, I did that by my own choice.

I reached out to my parents and the doctor on my own, not because somebody told me that it would be the best thing for me.

3. Breaking up with somebody over a mental illness is NOT okay.

Seriously. I dealt with a ton of things that I could have avoided if I broke up with my ex, but he thought it would be completely fine to say he was going to break up with me because I had a bad panic attack when he wanted to go out on a date once. Nice try, but that makes you seem like a jerk. Don't do this.

SEE ALSO: Even Though It’ll Test You, Please Stay With Your S.O. Through The Worst Parts Of Their Mental Illness

4. I just need a shoulder to cry on.

Whenever I started to feel upset, degrading me for it would only make me worse. I needed a shoulder to cry on, someone to lean on, someone to make me feel like I was loved. I needed someone to make me feel like I had a purpose, not like I was a disgrace that nobody needed in their life.

5. Sometimes I cannot leave my house.

My ex never understood that there were some days that I just needed to spend the entire day snuggled up in my bed with my cat and Netflix. Some days I just couldn't force myself to face the judgment of the world outside of my room. Some days I just wanted to sleep all day or play video games on my own. Some days I just wanted to sketch and listen to music and be left alone. Anxiety is a mental illness that has symptoms very similar to depression, and some days those symptoms made themselves more known than the symptoms that he was more used to me showing.

Report this Content
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

56196
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

36201
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958144
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

187871
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments