> And it's a social faux pas to suggest to someone with anxiety (particularly someone you are not super close with) that if they altered their behavior and cons

> And it's a social faux pas to suggest to someone with anxiety (particularly someone you are not super close with) that if they altered their behavior and consciously tried to work on their thought patterns, that they could get better. We seem more attuned to emotional distress. And illnesses like anxiety present as acute distress, usually. We naturally want to assuage the person. And a person with anxiety naturally learns all sorts of avoidant coping mechanisms. We seem to have entered some sort of negative feedback cycle there. Medications do help some, but it goes best with therapy, and the mainstay is basically exposure therapy. Face your fears, and struggle through something uncomfortable, until you learn to tolerate it. People should be gently nudged in that direction, not encouraged to lean into their withdrawal from the negative triggers.