Why Is It Bad To Mask Anxiety?

You will go through many things in your life that can be stressful. However, it is helpful and healthy to deal with it. While masking anxiety may seem like the best solution to begin with, it can be harmful in the long run.

When things change, you feel scared and anxious. We’ve all been there. Anxiety is a mental state where you feel insecure and worried. That’s when you only think about what can go wrong. When you do not know what to expect, you feel anxious about the future.

Physically, anxiety can make you sweat, bite your nails, walk back and forth and feel chest pain, among other things. It depends on the situation as well as how worried you are.

Nevertheless,  another response to stress may be to mask anxiety. You may notice this in people who are under a lot of stress but do not express it. These people act as if nothing is wrong. Their  lack of expression is just a tool  to deal with the difficult situations.

To mask anxiety

Everyone expresses emotions in different ways. Some people show classic signs of anxiety, such as sweating, having a higher heart rate and irritability. But some people are different and they express their stress through masked anxiety.

They use lack of expression to mask anxiety. Therefore, in difficult circumstances, they act without emotion. Although they are anxious, they hide their anxiety. That does not mean they are heartless. It’s just their way of dealing with stress. In the same way that some people freeze in stressful situations, these people do not.

People who mask anxiety seem numb. It is a facade to deal with stress, and to avoid people asking them awkward questions.

Are these people stronger than most? Maybe maybe not. They simply hide their feelings to avoid being stormed by others. While they may feel terrible, they will not discuss it with others.

What makes you mask anxiety?

Knowing that you are anxious can be even more stressful. Anxiety is not always bad as it helps you stay alert in dangerous situations. It depends on the situation as well as how you decide to deal with it. What makes you mask anxiety?

• Being under extreme stress. When people around you do not know how to handle the situation and you feel compelled to take control. For example, take care of the arrangement for a funeral of a loved one.

• Do not want to show your pain. It can be even more painful. Sometimes, you feel that people will not understand what you are going through.
• Freeze solid. When you are so scared that you can not move or think.
• An excuse. You do not want to deal with a seemingly complicated situation.
• Private problems. You do not want anyone to know what is happening to you, so you are expelling yourself.

Although some people only use these strategies sometimes, there are other people who always react this way. You might think they’re cold, but they just want people to let them be.

How to deal with someone who masks anxiety

These people can be hard to get to know, especially if you think they are insensitive. This is not always the case as some people have fewer problems expressing their thoughts than others. That’s just the way they are.

When dealing with someone who masks anxiety, try to understand why that person has difficulty expressing themselves. You must not judge him or her. You need to help the person become confident in himself or herself  so that he or she, sooner or later, will talk about his or her feelings.

Sometimes, people who mask their anxiety may be afraid of being hurt again. This is where  you need to reassure them and make them feel valued again. It’s a way for you to show respect.

Keep in mind that not all expressionless people are good. Some people do not have emotions because they lack empathy.

Benefits of not masking anxiety

There are moments in life where you have to think clearly and leave your feelings at the door. Nevertheless, it has certain advantages not to mask anxiety, such as:

• It leads to experiencing more authentic relationships.
• It relieves stress.
• It leads to increased empathy.
• It increases your knowledge of yourself.
• It gives a better self-esteem.
• It creates more honesty.
• It provides an increased calm.
• It gives a greater ability to trust others.

In itself, anxiety is not good or bad. You decide what you make of it. Deal with your anxiety by not masking it. You will find a way to show to others and yourself who you really are.

Being numb is not the same as being strong. It’s fine if you can not handle a situation. It’s okay to feel sad, helpless or not knowing what to do. Allow yourself to express your deepest feelings and let others help you. You do not have to deal with the burden on your own. Live in the present.