I have a friend whose response to my mentioning my anxiety is to suggest she gets anxious too. I don't wish to invalidate her feelings but it is obvious that her level of anxiety in no way reaches that which we here all describe as something debilitating we are going through. In a way I feel she is trivializing the disorder. Supposing she does have anxiety in her life it is certainly not debilitating or all life consuming to her. She doesn't appear to be sick in the way I have been for months. She also has a tendancy to discredit anxiety by saying things like, "You just have to be strong.""You just have to stop thinking negatively." I feel she is poo-pooing my problem.

So I have stopped confiding in her my problem(s) and how it is impacting my life.

This is a shame as it is affecting what has been a very good relationship. And yes, I find myself calling her an aquaintance more and more.