World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10 October to raise awareness, reduce stigma and push for better mental-health services and policies. It grew from a global movement and is now anchored by the World Health Organisation and partners. For journalists and workplaces in India, that single day is useful to spark conversations that should continue year-round: awareness alone doesn't treat anxiety, but it makes it more likely someone close to you asks for help. National and peer-reviewed data show anxiety disorders are common and often hidden. India's National Mental Health Survey and subsequent analyses report that anxiety disorders affect a notable share of adults and that the treatment gap remains large.
If you want to support someone with anxiety, ground your actions in what research and global guidance recommend. WHO's Practical guides outline how non-specialists can provide humane support, assess risk, and link people with services; psychological therapies such as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) have the strongest evidence base for many anxiety disorders, while medications are effective for some presentations under professional supervision. In this article, we share simple tips to help you better support someone with chronic anxiety.
Follow these tips if you want to support someone with anxiety
1. Stay calm, listen and validate
Start with a gentle question like “Are you safe right now?” and listen without judgment. Use short, clear sentences and avoid trying to “fix” feelings. This is consistent with WHO's Psychological First Aid approach, humane, practical support with dignity.
2. Grounding and breathing
Help them slow breathing, encourage grounding (popular trick is: name five things you can see/hear/touch), and stay with them until it eases. Avoid minimising statements like “Don't be silly” as these increase shame and isolation. Practical steps like these are recommended in NHS guidance and WHO resources for immediate management.
3. Offer concrete help
Offer to find a local counsellor/clinic, help make an appointment, attend with them, or call a helpline together. If distance is a barrier, suggest video or phone consultations. Tele-MANAS and other Indian tele-mental-health services provide free or low-cost first contacts. Practical, hands-on offers increase the chance someone will follow through.
4. Encourage evidence-based care
Explain that anxiety is treatable. For many people, CBT is first-line, while medications are options for some conditions. Frame treatment as skill-building, not “fixing” a moral failing. Refer to WHO or Cochrane summaries when you need to be precise.
5. Safety and escalation
Urgent red flags like ongoing suicidal thoughts or plans, severe withdrawal from all activities, inability to care for self, severe substance misuse, or psychotic symptoms should be looked out for. If present, call emergency services or a helpline and stay with the person if safe to do so. WHO and national guidelines emphasise linking to specialist care quickly in such cases.
6. Longer-term support and boundaries
Help build routines like sleep, movement, small achievable tasks, encourage social contact, and normalise therapy. Set boundaries since you can support, but you're not their therapist. Self-care for supporters prevents burnout. You should seek your own support if you're consistently distressed helping someone else.
Make sure to always show support and validate their emotions. Avoid terms like, “Just calm down,” “It's all in your head,” or “Others have it worse” — these responses invalidate and increase shame. Instead, say things like “I believe you,” “You're not alone in this,” and “How can I help right now?”
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
References
World Mental Health Day (campaign page) — World Health Organization (WHO), 2024.
Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers — World Health Organization, 2011.
Prevalence and its correlates of anxiety disorders from India's National Mental Health Survey 2016 — Indian Journal of Psychiatry / NCBI (NIH), 2022.
Prevalence of Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis — NCBI (NIH), 2022.
Cognitive behavioural therapy and third-wave approaches for anxiety and related disorders in older people — Cochrane Collaboration, 2024.
Anxiety Disorders (overview: treatment, signs and research) — National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH/NIH), last reviewed 2024.
Get help with anxiety, fear or panic (self-help & practical steps) — NHS (UK), 2019–2025 pages.
