Every relationship has its ups and downs. However, a healthy relationship will include everything from open communication and an understanding of each other’s expectations to honesty and respect for each other and their personal needs and space. With this being said, mental health can have a huge impact on a relationship, whether a romantic or platonic one. Mental health challenges — whether they are obvious or hidden — can cause emotional and behavioral problems that should be addressed early on. Knowing how to identify when mental health problems are affecting your relationship, and understanding the impact they are having is crucial in learning how to manage them.
First of all, it’s important to realize that the impacts of mental health go both ways.
Before delving into the ways in which mental health can impact a relationship, it’s important to understand how it goes both ways. While your mental health might be impacting your relationship and your partner, theirs might be impacting you personally as well. Understanding how to identify these issues and accepting that the problems might stem from more than one person are crucial steps in coming to a resolution.
First of all, caring for your partner means knowing how to spot concerning signs regarding their mental health state. As their partner, it’s your responsibility to be on the lookout for these signs. You have to be aware of whether your better half is feeling anxious, stressed, or if they have trouble sleeping. Drug or alcohol abuse can also come into play here. So make sure to be attentive.
If you find that you’re struggling with your own mental health, talking about this with your partner can be stressful. When you feel that you are ready, discussing your feelings and emotions can be a good way to prevent any communication problems that might arise as well as get the support you need.
Ultimately, getting professional mental health help is often the most effective way to identify and address any problems that could be impacting your relationship.
What are some of the issues that can impact your relationship?
There are a few particular problems that might come between a person and their partner. Such problems often stem from past toxic relationships, poor communication, or mental health concerns.
Firstly, a relationship may be at risk of codependency.
This can be defined as an imbalance in a relationship — one person’s excessive reliance on another person for approval results in the enabling of addiction, irresponsibility, a lack of motivation, and generally poor mental health.
Another common issue is resentment. This occurs particularly if you or your partner are struggling with mental health. Then, the affected person might feel guilty or ashamed.
This can lead to one party hiding symptoms and not communicating with their partner. This, in turn, leaves both individuals frustrated and confused. When mental health troubles, such as depression, impact a person’s ability to perform daily tasks and take care of themself, it can put additional stress on a relationship — then, a partner might feel resentful, especially if there’s a lack of communication.
Finally, intimacy problems might arise, which can have an impact on various other areas of a relationship.
Whether this is because of anxiety, inadequateness, performance anxiety, or decreased libido, intimacy issues may reduce bonding and communication within a relationship.
So, how can you resolve mental health problems within your relationship?
Before you decide on an approach to take, there are a few key aspects you should consider. Both you and your partner should be on the same page. And you should both be willing to compromise to make positive changes.
To do that, it’s best to start with working on your communication skills. Thanks to that, you will not only be aware of each other’s feelings but you will also ensure that your relationship remains healthy.
While following these small tips, it’s important to always prioritize self-care. Taking care of yourself, mentally and physically, will ensure that you’re able to support yourself and your partner. Self-care comes in many forms, depending on what works for you. This might include exercise, eating healthy, picking up a hobby, or ensuring that you get enough time to yourself.
Educating yourself daily, exercising patience, having appropriate expectations are all important considerations that can make or break a relationship. So keep them in mind when addressing all issues.
Featured image via Alex Green on Pexels
