What You Need to Know About Your "Flaky" Friend With Anxiety

We’ve all had friends cancel plans on us — and it can definitely be disappointing. Maybe you have a close friend who consistently cancels last minute, and you’ve found yourself getting frustrated with them. For some people, though, there’s something going on underneath what appears to be always “bailing.” Sometimes, what seems like being a “flaky" friend on the outside is really a way of coping with debilitating anxiety on the inside.

So if a friend is constantly canceling plans, don’t automatically assume they don’t care about you or the plans you’ve made together — there could be a reason why they canceled.

We wanted to know what people who have come off as “flaky” had to say about this, so we asked members of The Mighty's community who struggle with anxiety to share one thing they wish others understood. We hope their answers can shed light on how to support a friend who is struggling with anxiety.

This story was originally published on The Mighty, a platform for people facing health challenges to share their stories and connect.