People who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks know how hard it can be to go about their normal life. When an attack happens, they feel helpless and overwhelmed. There are many coping mechanisms that help patients with their symptoms, but it is also had for the loved ones in their life to see them struggle.
That’s how this boyfriend felt seeing his girlfriend suffering from an increase in her anxiety and panic attacks. So he created a thoughtful solution to help her feel loved.
Riley Rankin knew his girlfriend was having a rough time with her anxiety.
Riley Rankin and his girlfriend, Denisha Bracey, have been together for two years. Denisha has been dealing with her anxiety since she was a teenager. They had spent the last year in Germany with their families back in Canada. Riley knew that Denisha was having a tough time with her anxiety and panic attacks, especially for the last few weeks leading up to their anniversary. So, Riley got creative and thought of a beautiful gesture on how to make his girlfriend feel loved.
For their two-year anniversary, he made her “love pills” filled with notes.
Riley is not a doctor and they are not real pills, but knowing that his girlfriend was struggling, he wanted to do something to help her. So he thought of a creative gift. Riley Rankin found empty gelatin capsules that he purchased from Walmart and filled them with handwritten love notes. Each pill contained a thoughtful, but short message that she could read when she was feeling stressed or anxious. Taking him more than two hours to write all of the notes, he painstakingly stuffed each tiny note into each pill. He created 60 “pills” filled in a fake prescription bottle.
The instructions read, “Take 1 pill as needed. Maximum 3 daily.”
Each note has a different message either telling her how much he loves her or a good quality that she has. All of the notes are to encourage Denisha and make her feel loved. When she runs out of the “pills”, he said she can ask for a refill.
“I said to her that when she goes through them all, she can come back for a refill,” said Riley.
Riley’s gift is a great reminder of how to show compassion.
Denisha was worried in the beginning before telling Riley about her anxiety, but it turns out, Riley has also been diagnosed with the same thing his girlfriend is suffering from. The couple knows the importance of honesty and being there for each other.
Riley explains the need to, “just be really compassionate. I forget that a lot too, it’s hard to remember because sometimes it’s hidden, you don’t notice – somebody can be smiling but they’re really not feeling good inside. It’s important to just remember that and be compassionate.”
What a great example of love this couple has shown one another by recognizing they can help each other with their anxiety and making one another feel loved.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
