A few simple changes in attitude and behavior can go a long way toward helping your friend or family member recover from panic disorder.
Be patient. Encourage them to seek treatment if they haven’t yet seen a health care professional. Therapy for these disorders does work!
Try to live your life as usual, but be ready to be flexible sometimes to accommodate your loved one’s needs. When you see the person with panic disorder making progress toward overcoming the issues surrounding his or her disorder, recognize the accomplishment (no matter how small) and let him or her know how well he or she is doing.
And keep this in mind as well: Understand that the road toward a more normal life can sometimes be slow—especially through times and/or events that may be more stressful for the person with panic disorder. Not everyone progresses at the same speed. Don’t measure your loved one’s success against someone else’s success with recovery or by what you personally think is right. Patience and understanding on your part is key in helping your loved one back on the road to a happy and healthy life.
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