24 Ways to Magically, Totally, 100% Cure Anxiety
When you live with anxiety, it sometimes feels like everyone has an opinion about how you should manage it.
So we asked our mental health community to share the the most cringe-worthy advice they’ve ever received about dealing with anxiety. Warning: These pieces of advice may elicit eye-rolling, head-shaking, sighing and laughter of disbelief. Hopefully, we can all find the humor in these attempts at helpful advice and learn to be patient with those who may not understand anxiety.
Here’s what they shared:
1. “Put your big girl panties on.” — Nell Hoyle Causey
2. “Get over it.” — Cambry Clark Huaraque
3. “You’re an intelligent person, you can think you’re way through this.” — Kylie Wagner-Grobman
4. “Christians shouldn’t have anxiety.” — Michelle Oldenburg Fong
5. “Be stronger. It’s all in your head.” — Gabriella de la Vega
6. “‘Just get out of your head for a while.’ If I could, then this wouldn’t be an issue.” — Katie Sunshine Struble
7. “Suck it up.” — Serena Leblond
8. “There’s someone out there worse off than you.” — Maria Kumler Mason
9. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself.” — Vickie Boyette
10. “Have a drink.” — Lori Simpson
11. “Essential oils will cure you.” — Misty Hyndman
12. “Get a grip.” — Jessica Coons
13. “Get a backbone.” — Heather Quintana
14. “Think happy thoughts.” — Melanie Tapia
15. “Just let it go.” — Sandie Soule
16. “A clinical psychologist once told me to, ‘Just shut your eyes and think of something else and in a matter of minutes it will disappear!’ I was stunned and simply smiled.” — Kimberley Giles
17. “You do not look sick. Just take your mind off things. Anyone can do it.” — Mel Rowe
18. “Visualize the ocean.” — Amy Mae Tuininga
19. “Just don’t think about it.” — Tiffany Davidson
20. “If you really wanted to, you could just snap out of it.” — Jessica Owens Lloyd
21. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” — Penny Crittenden
22. “Grow up. It’s not like you’re dying.” — Ashley Martin
23. “‘Put aside your worries for a little bit.’ Oh, I cant just turn it off and on like a light switch.” — Jessica Ann Hardy
24. “Just try harder.” — Amy Coleman
*Answers have been edited and shortened.