12 things to keep in mind when dating a person with anxiety

Just a few do's and don'ts that may help you in a relationship with someone who has anxiety.

1. Don't leave us hanging.
   Try to get back to us as soon as you possibly can. Whether it's a facebook message, a text, or a call, try to respond in a quick fashion when possible. When you don't, our minds can race with a million different things.
   Was it something I said? Did my words or actions scare them off? Maybe they don't care for me anymore? They are a horrible person? And so on... it's not that we hate you, we just can't help it.
2. Remember that we have our good days and our bad, and on our bad days, we may need more alone time.
   Trying to deal with people, even if it's someone we love dearly, can be a bit overwhelming at times. Try not to take it personally.
3. A lot of things can set off our anxiety.
   It could be something as simple as the way you clear your throat, to something as big as the weather. We may not have a lot of control over it so.... 
4. Please be patient if we explode in a fit of rage.
   We rarely mean to.... it's just that we can't really control it. Some people with anxiety express it internally more, some externally. Or, if you're like me, a little bit of both.
5. Research.
   Join groups, Google stuff, look up what is going on with us, and, most importantly, ask! Generally, if we know you well enough, we will feel comfortable enough to tell you some of what we deal with.
6. Phone calls are awful! Well, for some of us. For those, like me, phoning people can give us a ton of anxiety. And in my case, it really applies when phoning someone I don't already know. Even then, if we get scared to make a call, offer to help, if possible.
7. We get scared that you're going to leave us, even if you aren't.
   This ties in with number one. Even if you're the nicest, sweetest guy, and even if you say you won't leave us, we worry you will. Often we worry you will leave us over our anxiety, but sometimes other things come up. Which means you should...
8. Try to reassure us as often as possible of your feelings, and, well, anything else that bothers us really.
   We don't mean to question your feelings, but reassuring us makes our anxiety a lot less.
9. Speaking of reassuring...
   We may ask the same questions multiple times.
   Try your best to answer them every single time. This also helps to lower our anxiety, and make us feel safe and calmer.
10. Listen, but don't push.
    Always try your best to listen to what we tell you. We're usually pretty honest.
    Though sometimes we can get scared/anxious to tell you stuff, especially if it is important. So while we want you to listen, we don't want you to push us to talk, if we're not ready.
11. Don't give us advice on our mental health!
    We know you mean well, and some advice is alright, once you get to know us, and what works best for us. But unsolicited advice is not only rude, it is demeaning, and leads us to believe that you think we know nothing. Trust that we know our own mental health as well as possible.
    So even if you have the best of intentions, go back to number 5. Research what we go through and ask so, so that WE can help you understand how best to help us, or how best to give us advice, if needed at all. 
12. Don't make changes without consulting with us first. This includes all changes, from something as small as what cupboards the coffee mugs go in, to big relationship changes.