Is My Anxiety Ruining My Relationship?

Anxiety is a challenging disorder to live with, both for the individual affected and that individual’s partner.

It’s hard enough to face the hardships of anxiety alone, but when it starts to take a toll on a person’s relationships, there is often more urgency to get help.

If you suffer from anxiety and you find that your anxiety is ruining your relationship, it’s imperative that you find support and utilize helpful resources.

Read on to learn more about the way that anxiety disorders impact relationships negatively, as well as tips on how to reduce relationship strain.

Signs of Anxiety-Induced Relationship Strain

If you’re regularly experiencing the following issues in your relationship, your anxiety is likely affecting your life in a significantly negative way.

• You feel like you can’t talk to your partner about your feelings.
• You’re guarded and cannot allow yourself to be vulnerable.
• You feel like you can’t trust your partner.
• Your anxiety causes you to lash out at your partner.
• Your worrying keeps you from going out with your partner.
• You find yourself unable to experience intimacy.
• You’re defensive when your partner expresses concern.
• You constantly doubt yourself.

Even if you’re not fully conscious of these behaviors, you may have heard similar complaints from your partner, friends, and family members.

If this is the case, it’s worth self-reflection.

Looking inward can help you determine whether there is validity to the claims that they’re making, and can help you choose healthy options for recovering.

Bottom Lines on Anxiety and Relationships

When left unaddressed, a person suffering from anxiety can inadvertently damage their relationships with others.

Anxiety can impact relationships by warping the way one partner perceives the other, pressuring both partners to judge the quality of their relationship unfairly, and causing partners to send confusing mixed messages to each other.

Needless to say, nobody wants their relationship ruined by anxiety, but fortunately, there are a few actions that can help reduce anxiety and improve relationship quality.

Ways To Reduce Anxiety-Induced Relationship Strain

When it comes to reducing the strain that anxiety places on your relationships, communication is crucial.

You need to communicate your feelings with your partner, and him/her/them know that you’re having a hard time with your anxiety.

A supportive partner will try to be understanding, and will be willing to work with you toward managing your symptoms and behaviors.

While talking about how you feel or what you’re thinking about isn’t going to cure your anxiety, it will likely help the people in your life relate to you and quell some of your fears.

Aside from being open with your partner about how you feel, you can also engage in some of the following healthy relationship behaviors:

• Tell your partner about topics and issues that may trigger your anxiety.
• Maintain healthy boundaries.

Don’t distance yourself too much, but also do not expect your partner to be with you every moment of every day.

• Make an effort to get to know your partner on a deeper level.

Truly understanding your partner as a person can help you differentiate actual issues from those triggered by anxiety.

• Ask for reassurance when you need it.

Don’t depend on your partner to reassure you constantly, but asking for it occasionally can help you to delve into deep, meaningful conversations.

• Try to regulate your emotions.

Anxiety is difficult to manage, but it’s important to become familiar with your own emotions, process them, and work on self-soothing.

Anxiety Reduction

Part of preventing anxiety from ruining your relationships involves managing your anxiety as a whole.

Practice anxiety reduction techniques and make self-care part of your routine.

For example, you could engage in the following anxiety-reducing activities, not only for your relationship but for yourself.

• Meditate or practice grounding exercises
• Keep a journal
• Get moderate exercise
• Try to maintain a healthy diet
• Take necessary breaks from work or school
• Engage in a hobby that frees your mind
• Dedicate a few minutes of every day to decompress

Finally, if you find that you’re having a hard time managing your anxiety alone, you might look into speaking with a licensed therapist.

Talking to a professional about the thoughts and feelings you experience in relation to your anxiety will help you develop healthy coping strategies.

Additionally, a licensed therapist can aid you in addressing your anxiety, the impact it has on your relationships, and the relationships themselves.

If you’re worried that your anxiety is ruining your relationship, speaking to a professional can be a valuable step in the right direction.

If you’d like support in working through your anxiety, you’re welcome to contact our offices as soon as you’re ready. We’ve helped many people struggling with anxiety-induced relationship strain and we would be honored to help you, too.

Please feel free to book a complimentary 20-minute personalized matching consultation with our clinical intake coordinator to find the best clinical match for you.