Joan Anzia, M.D., Northwestern University
Question: Whom in my life should I tell about my anxiety disorder?
Answer: Well, certainly those people who are close to you -- your loved ones, people who are living with you. Because those individuals are probably worried about you if they've noticed your symptoms, they're concerned about you, and it really can help them and relieve them to know that you're getting help and that there is a treatment. Most of the anxiety disorders can be treated very very effectively in a reasonable length of time. So this will be a relief to them to know that you're getting treatment. Also, this can relieve them of concern that perhaps they've caused your symptoms or are making them worse. So all around the people who are close to you, who live with you are the people you should tell.
You do not have to tell an employer unless you think your symptoms are visible at work, or in the case of social phobia or agoraphobia, that your symptoms are keeping you from going to work regularly. In that case, it's best to let your employer know what the problem is.
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