10 Ways To Tell When Anxiety Is Affecting Your Relationship

A relationship can be a work in progress at the best of times. But throwing anxiety into the mix can make things ten times harder.

Anxiety, as we’re sure you are aware, is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be summed up nicely by saying it’s a feeling of worry, fear, or unease that can be triggered by various situations. Unfortunately, anxiety can also have a significant impact on relationships. Sadly, it can even cause problems in an otherwise healthy relationship.

Sometimes it can be difficult to recognise the impact anxiety is having on your relationship, especially if you are the one experiencing the anxiety. Believe it or not, you can even experience anxiety without even realising it by merely attributing your feelings to other factors instead.

Either way, anxiety can have a significant impact on relationships, and it’s important to be aware of how it may be affecting yours.

Although this post is referring to your significant other. Relationships do come in many different forms, including friendship, parent-child, sibling, colleague and so on. So, feel free to apply the list below to those type of relationships too.

Here are 10 helpful ways to help you recognise whether anxiety might be affecting your relationship:

1. You avoid spending time with your relationship partner

You may avoid conflict or difficult conversations with your partner just to try escape feeling anxious or overwhelmed. Even if it means avoiding important issues that need to be addressed. Further behaviour could include cancelling plans or making excuses to avoid spending time together.

2. You have trouble communicating

If anxiety is making it difficult for you to communicate your thoughts and feelings to others, it can create unnecessary misunderstandings and tension in your relationship.

3. You feel insecure

Anxiety can make you feel insecure about your partnership, leading to jealousy, mistrust and other relationship problems. Despite them giving you no reason to doubt them.

4. You seek constant reassurance

If you are constantly seeking reassurance from your partner to help manage your anxiety, it can put strain on the relationship and create a co-dependent dynamic.

5. You struggle with intimacy in the relationship

Anxiety can make it difficult to connect emotionally and physically with your partner, leading to issues with intimacy in your relationship.

6. You overthink and ruminate

If you find yourself constantly overthinking and ruminating about your relationship and potential problems, it can create unnecessary stress and tension.

7. You have trouble managing stress

If anxiety is making it difficult for you to manage stress in your life, it can spill over into your relationship and create tension and conflict.

8. You become irritable or easily agitated

Anxiety can cause irritability and anger in some people, leading to conflict and tension in the relationship.

9. You rely too much on your relationship partner

If anxiety is causing you to rely too much on your partner to manage your emotions and anxiety, it could be creating an unhealthy dynamic in your relationship.

10. You feel emotionally drained

If anxiety is taking up a lot of your emotional energy, it can leave you feeling drained, unengaged and unable to invest in your relationship. You can’t pour from an empty cup as they say.

Relationship Take Home Message

First, remember these are just helpful signs, not a certainty that anxiety is affecting your relationship. Secondly, if you do feel you recognise any of these signs in your relationship, it might be a good idea to seek help from a mental health professional.

Whether that be a GP, therapist, or counsellor to help you learn coping skills and strategies to manage your anxiety and improve your connection.

Don’t suffer in silence on your own or as a pair. With the right treatment, anxiety can be effectively managed, allowing you to lead a healthy and fulfilling life and relationship.

On the topic on anxiety, its probably helpful to let you know we have a FREE on demand event called Naturally Effective Ways To Tame Your Stress & Anxiety, Without Medication. It shares 8 helpful different ways to bring calm and sanity back into your life, from practitioners in the field.

Disclaimer: The information contained on this Site is provided for general educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Please consult a qualified health care professional to diagnose your health condition and prevent self-diagnosis. We do not dispense medical advice or prescribe or diagnose illness. Read full medical and health disclaimer.