IO5200 Written Communication I

Journal # 1 (May 27th, 2021)

Diana Verónica Piedra Brenes

How to support a friend who is going through an episode of anxiety

Topic sentence: It is important to know how to support a friend who is going

through an episode of anxiety, follow these tips to do it correctly.

I. Identify

a. Isolation

b. Accelerated breathing (hyperventilation)

c. Quietness

d. Sweating

II. Do not say this

a. Calm down

b. Be more positive

c. This happens to everyone

d. Is not that difficult to get through, for I have too

III. Do say this

a. Validate the situation

b. Let them know you are there

c. Breathe

d. Recommend therapy
 IO5200 Written Communication I
Journal # 1 (May 27th, 2021)
Diana Verónica Piedra Brenes

How to support a friend who is going through an episode of anxiety

It is important to know how to support a friend who is going through an

episode of anxiety, follow these tips to do it correctly. To start, you need to identify

the episode of anxiety by paying attention to the person, notice if your friend seems

isolated, this happens because the person gets consumed by undesired intrusive

thoughts, as well if it’s hyperventilating, also if there is an unusual quietness and if

it’s sweating. Then, you must know what not to say during an anxiety crisis or in

general to a person that has anxiety. Do not tell your friend to calm down, let the

person feel the anxiety, because it is necessary for it to leave, this along with other

phrases that you may think can be encouraging at the moment, but that actually

are not, as telling the person to be more positive, or that having an anxiety episode

is something that happens to everyone and that it is not that difficult to get through

since you have had episodes as well. Remember that each individual is different,

therefore, the fact of you having an anxiety crisis does not mean that your friend

lives it exactly the same way, or that knows how to get through that kind of an

episode just as you do. After that, now you get to say some valuable things to your

friend, first tell your friend that it is fine to have anxiety, this way you get to validate

the situation by letting the person know that it is normal and you know it, this is

important because sometimes the person that is in the anxiety crisis may worry

about what other people may think. Then, let your friend know that you are there by
telling him or she that If there is anything you can help with, then you will be more

than glad to do it. Afterwards, it is normal for the person to start breathing rapid, so

help your friend by doing breathing exercises such as inhaling for 5 seconds, and

then exhaling, try to repeat this at least four times. Finally, when the episode is

over, hopefully after five or six minutes, you can recommend your friend to go to

therapy if this is something that he or she hasn´t done, since therapy can help the

person to manage anxiety, and to reduce the crises. In conclusion, these steps will

make those five or six minutes of anxiety more bearable for you and your friend.