My wife of 18 yrs shows all the signs of anxiety and is of the opinion that if she gets rid of me her anxiety will go away. Not long ago she told me I was becoming the man of her dreams and that I was her best friend. We've had a stressful year through outside influences and I know we can make it through our storm if she will open herself up to the Lord's leading in her life and treating the anxiety she is unwilling to treat. How can I most effectively get her treated when she won't listen to a word i say and we are now separated?
Thanks for your question and welcome to AnxietyConnection.com.
I am sorry you have been experiencing such a difficult year and hope that things will soon turn around for you.
I am not a medical professional and would not be able to give you medical advice.
It is always so difficult for family members when someone has mental illness and is not willing to accept treatment. We frequently watch as someone we love "self-destructs" and we feel helpless. Unfortunately, if the person does not want to seek treatment, our hands are tied as we cannot force them into treatment, unless they would pose either a danger to themselves or to someone else.
You can offer your love, your support and your encouragement. You can offer to attend treatment sessions with your wife and offer to work with doctors in creating a treatment plan and doing your part of the plan. But it is your wife that must want the treatment.
Providing information on anxiety disorders, the treatments that are available and information on how so many people have been helped and can lead satisfying lives may help her to see why she should enter treatment.
Please remember that you must take care of you. So often, as family members, we put so much time and effort into caring for a family member with mental illness we barely leave enough to care for ourselves. This is so important.
I am giving you some links to information on helping family members:
Helping a Loved One with Anxiety: What to Do and What Not to Do
For Family Members: Are You an Enabler?
I hope this helps
Eileen
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Anxiety can be of any sort or due to any reason. There are some forms of anxiety which are very natural and common in humans. But when the level of anxiety grows then it is a matter of concern.
There can be various methods of curing anxiety naturally. Deep breathing exercises are excellent for anxiety and many people report positive results from meditation. Some other natural anxiety remedies to look into are St.John's Wort, SAMe, L-Theanine, and Tryptophan.
It is important to remember that just because a product is natural does not mean it is safe or cannot cause side effects. As with any medication, you should speak with your doctor before taking any supplements. These can cause side effects as well as interactions with other medications.
Eileen