How to Support a Loved One Living with Anxiety or OCD

Practical Strategies for Partners, Parents, and Caregivers

Watching someone you care about struggle with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can be overwhelming. These conditions often affect daily routines, emotional balance, and family dynamics. However, with understanding, patience, and the right approach, you can offer meaningful support and play a valuable role in their journey toward wellness.

This article offers clear strategies for supporting a loved one living with anxiety or OCD, including communication tips, boundary-setting, and guidance on when to seek professional help.

1. Understand Anxiety and OCD Before You Act

Both anxiety and OCD involve distressing thoughts and emotional discomfort, but OCD also includes repetitive behaviours or mental rituals meant to reduce anxiety. These may include checking, repeating, cleaning, or seeking frequent reassurance.

Well-meaning actions like helping them avoid triggers or participating in rituals might seem helpful in the short term but can reinforce their symptoms over time. Educating yourself on common symptoms, such as panic attacks, compulsions, intrusive thoughts, and avoidance, can help you respond with empathy and awareness.

The more you understand, the more effective and compassionate your support will be.

2. Foster Open and Respectful Communication

Meaningful support often begins with listening. Instead of offering immediate solutions or advice, allow your loved one to express how they’re feeling without fear of being judged.

Use validating, non-critical language such as: “That sounds really difficult,” or “I can see how hard this is for you.”

Ask open-ended questions to understand what they need: “How can I support you right now?” or “What helps you feel more at ease when anxiety gets strong?”

Avoid minimizing their experience, interrupting, or trying to “fix” their feelings. The goal is to create a space where they feel heard and safe.

3. Set Healthy Boundaries Around Rituals and Reassurance

People with OCD may ask for repeated reassurance or involve others in their compulsions. While it’s natural to want to help, constant reassurance or participating in rituals can unintentionally reinforce the disorder.

Instead, set gentle but clear boundaries. For example: “I can reassure you once, and then let’s try a calming strategy together.”

Encourage healthier alternatives, such as deep breathing, grounding techniques, or taking a short break. These responses support recovery without feeding into compulsive patterns. Boundaries also protect your emotional well-being while showing your loved one that you care.

4. Encourage Daily Routines and Self-Care

Anxiety and OCD often disrupt regular routines. One of the most supportive things you can do is to help your loved one return to daily habits that promote stability and mental health.

Encourage them to:

• Maintain regular sleep and meal times
• Take breaks from screens and social media
• Go for walks or spend time in nature
• Engage in hobbies or calming activities
• Practice mindfulness or journaling

Offer to join them in these activities. Even small shared moments, like cooking together or taking a walk, can build connection and create a sense of normalcy.

5. Know When to Recommend Professional Support

If symptoms are significantly interfering with your loved one’s ability to function at work, school, or in relationships, professional help may be needed.

Encourage them to speak with a licensed therapist, especially if you notice:

• Persistent avoidance or rituals interfering with daily life
• Increased emotional distress or isolation
• Difficulty managing responsibilities
• Constant reassurance-seeking
• Strained family dynamics
• Your own emotional burnout as a caregiver

At Hanit Therapy, we provide both individual therapy and family therapy, including online sessions, to help address the root causes of anxiety and OCD and support the entire family system.

6. Create a Supportive Home Environment

Small actions at home can make a big difference. Consider:

• Leaving thoughtful, encouraging notes
• Planning “no-therapy” times to focus on fun or shared interests
• Acknowledging their efforts: “I noticed you paused before checking—that took strength.”
• Modeling calm, balanced behaviour and healthy coping
• Limiting over-discussion of symptoms during times of rest

These intentional moments help your loved one feel supported and seen without overwhelming them or focusing solely on their condition.

7. Take Care of Yourself, Too

Caring for someone with anxiety or OCD can be emotionally exhausting. To offer consistent and compassionate support, you need to care for your own mental health.

Consider:

• Talking with a friend or therapist
• Setting your own emotional boundaries
• Joining a caregiver support group
• Taking time for activities that recharge you

A healthy, supported caregiver is far more effective in offering long-term, meaningful help. Prioritizing your own wellness also models self-care for your loved one.

When Family Therapy Can Help

Sometimes, one-on-one therapy isn’t enough, especially when symptoms affect the whole household. Family therapy provides a structured space for honest conversations, learning healthy communication skills, and reducing unhelpful dynamics.

At Hanit Therapy, our experienced therapists guide families in building understanding, restoring connection, and supporting each other with empathy and clarity.

We offer online and in-person sessions to make therapy more accessible for families across Ontario.

Final Thoughts

Supporting someone with anxiety or OCD is a compassionate and powerful act. By educating yourself, listening openly, setting clear boundaries, and knowing when to involve a professional, you create a foundation of safety and trust that encourages healing.

You are not alone, and help is available.

If you're ready to take the next step, Hanit Therapy offers personalized support for individuals and families through expert-led therapy sessions in a warm, respectful, and confidential setting.

Contact us today to learn more or book an initial consultation.