Dating : Dating someone with anxiety
So I’ve been dating my brother’s friend for about 2 months. We relate to a lot of things and he’s great to be around. However, he has awful anxiety and refuses counseling or medication. He still lives with his parents, and they’re often screaming/fighting so I can’t be at his house. The first month was way smoother, but he gets in these ruts where he has no motivation and just wants to sleep. I’m just so torn. It’s sort of mentally draining for me, but I also really like him and care about him. What do I do??
You can’t help him, he has to want to help himself first. You can be there and support him, but at the end of the day, unless he wants to change and get better, you can’t help him.
You can sit down and try talking with him, but that’s about it. Remember don’t ask him to change for you, ask him to change and get better for himself and tell him you’ll be there to support him through it.
Does your brother or any of their other friends know his anxiety or refusal to get help for it? Could try and get a group together to show that it is more than just you concerned. If he still doesn’t want help after multiple people in his life try to intervene I don’t know what else will.
Screaming/Fighting parents? I think that explains everything… My mom and my elder brother were always arguing, and it was extremely draining as they would often put me in the middle of their nonsense. I became anxious when both of then were in the same room: anything could trigger a fight. And the anxiety and dismotivation would continue for hours even after they stopped.