The worst things to say to someone with anxiety—and what to say instead

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August 06, 2025 The worst things to say to someone with anxiety—and what to say instead By Angela Haupt Editor, Health and Wellness As a lifelong anxious person, I'm used to people trying to calm me down—but inadvertently agitating me instead. That's why, for this week's TIME to Talk, I asked experts to share the worst things to say to someone with anxiety, and which words actually help them. READ MORE » If you have 1 minute to spare, please take a quick survey to help us gain a better understanding of who you are and what the most interesting health topics are to you! Take the Survey WHAT ELSE TO READ Chatbots Can Trigger a Mental Health Crisis. What to Know About 'AI Psychosis' AI companies need to do more to protect users' mental health, experts say.   What to Know About New York's Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak The likely sources of the outbreak are cooling towers, health officials say.   Trump Administration to Wind Down mRNA Vaccine Development The move will impact 22 projects worth a total of nearly $500 million.   If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, click here. Today's newsletter was written by Angela Haupt and edited by Mandy Oaklander.   Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.         Subscribe to TIME TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via Facebook | Twitter | Newsletters PRIVACY POLICY | YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS Questions? Contact newsletters@time.com Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2025 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States of America Terms of Service