Do you think your relationship is being affected by episodes of anxiety? We all experience anxiety at some point, but it is important to identify if this emotion has become chronic and is affecting some aspect of your life.
When it comes to relationships, anxiety can lead you to engage in behaviors that can ultimately affect the bond you have with a person.
In this article I am going to tell you some ways in which anxiety can occur in your relationship, so that you can identify it and take action on it. You will also find some recommendations so you can work on your anxiety or help your partner navigate it.
Insecurity and mistrust in relationships can occur in the form of jealousy, constant questions and the need for control over the partner, which can generate conflicts in the relationship. This is because in some cases anxious people have difficulty trusting.
Some signs that insecurity and mistrust caused by anxiety are present in your relationship:
Another consequence that anxiety can have is difficulty expressing yourself clearly and effectively within the relationship. This causes a communication problem that can end in misunderstandings or lack of understanding
Poor communication can also be reflected in:
3. Difficulty connecting emotionally
Anxious people can have great difficulty showing their feelings and needs as a couple, causing a lack of emotional connection with the other person.
4. Lack of commitment
The fears and worries caused by anxiety also represent a threat to the relationship. This is because anxious people have a hard time committing to a relationship. This lack of commitment can in turn destabilize the relationship causing even more anxiety.
How to overcome the negative effects of anxiety in your relationship?
Like everything, if identified in time, these negative effects caused by anxiety can be reversed. The key to achieving this is to understand the problem, communicate it to the couple and look for solutions together
Couples therapy is an excellent tool to acquire strategies that help work on insecurities, fears and mistrust, so that the stability of the relationship can be recovered. Anxious people may be tempted to avoid the problem. But it’s important to know that that is only a temporary solution and often ends in a larger conflict.
That said, I recommend facing your anxiety, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. If you need a third party to help foster better communication, don’t hesitate to work with a counselor, either as a couple or individually.
How to help your partner if they are suffering from anxiety?
Living with anxiety is difficult, but loving a person who lives with anxiety can be extremely overwhelming and emotionally draining because of the way your partner’s feelings affect your daily life
The truth is that many experts in the field of psychology agree that it is possible to help your partner who lives with anxiety while you take care of your mental health.
Here are some tools that you can use to your advantage and that of your partner:
1. Identify the symptoms
Something as simple as find the way in which anxiety manifests itself in your partner’s daily life can help them create strategies to deal with it whenever it appears.
2. Validate their feelings
Even if your partner’s point of view doesn’t make sense to you, try to validate their current emotions, fears, and concerns. This simple act of compassion can make your partner more receptive to the help you can offer.
3. Suggest and motivate your partner to seek professional help, do not force them
The help of a professional is key to overcoming anxiety, but always try to offer it as a possibility. You can even share names and contacts of psychologists. What you should not do is schedule the appointment for him or her. A person with anxiety must have a certain degree of responsibility for therapy to be effective
4. Take care of your own mental health
In order to help your partner with their anxiety, it is important that you cultivate your own mental health. To do this, try to create routines and activities that feed your mind and soul with positive feelings and emotions.
In summary, it is true that anxiety can represent a threat in any relationship, but if the problem is recognized, we work hand in hand with the couple and include the help of a professional, the chances of establishing healthier and more stable relationships are quite high
