How you can help someone with Depression and Anxiety

People with mental health issues or depression and anxiety usually have people around them that love them and care about them. These people around them are essential to their health and honestly survival. When someone with depression and anxiety feels alone, they could then end up feeling like if they died no one would care or be affected. This is a very difficult thing for people to wrap their head around. Sometimes people need someone else to live for while they learn how to live for themselves. These people can be hard to love as well because they push people away. They say they want to be alone. All they are thinking is that they need to protect you from them and it would be easier and better for you if your life was without them. Although this makes them alone even more, they aren't affecting other people's lives and hindering them. The worst feeling is when you ruin plans, a happy day, or someone else's day because of a depressive episode or an anxiety attack. I have done this so many times. I have ruined my own day, and others days. When I feel good and normal, I am a happy, outgoing, talkative person. When my anxiety shows up, it makes me close up, be quiet and tense up. I am very unapproachable when I get like this. A lot of times I feel as if no one wants to be around me. I apologize often for these times and I feel so guilty for them. With my boyfriend, there have been times that we plan on doing something super fun together with or without others and I have either freaked out or had an anxiety attack or both. These times are so very hard and I know for the person with me it is super hard as well. When I get like this, sometimes I walk away to not affect anyone but what I really need is someone to stop me and tell me they aren't going anywhere and they want to help and be by my side. What I need is someone to hold me and tell me it's all going to be ok. I need them to let me cry it out for a little and then talk to me. I need to feel important and not like a burden. I need to be told that and shown that someone cares. Sometimes I need to let it all out and just cry, but not be alone. Then when I calm down, I need someone there. When I have anxiety attacks, I need to be squeezed and be reminded to breathe.  The most important thing when someone you know and love has anxiety is to not leave them when they aren't ok. They NEED you! When things are good, you can ask them specifically what you can do for them. At the start, they may not know exactly what they need. Just hold them and be there. Having someone that listens is such an important part of being able to handle everything. BEing a