But loving someone with anxiety can be hard too. You might feel powerless to help or overwhelmed by how your partner's feelings affect your daily life. If so, you're not alone: Multiple studies have shown that anxiety disorders may contribute to marital dissatisfaction.
Unfortunately, the partner's social life can suffer as well, making both feel isolated. Emotional well-being — Spouses and partners may feel sad, depressed, or scared (for themselves or for their spouse), or angry, resentful, and bitter toward their loved one. They may also feel guilty for feeling this way.
Mental health disorders such as anxiety can interfere with a relationship if the individual is not aware of their signs and symptoms or if they allow their mental health disorder to go untreated. However, mental health disorders such as anxiety, in particular, do not have to put such a strain on your relationship.
While it can be difficult at times to navigate a relationship with someone who has anxiety, putting in the effort to do so has many rewards. In fact, learning how to understand and more effectively communicate with someone with anxiety can deepen your bond, and make for a more fulfilling and more intimate relationship.
You might be tempted to back out of breaking up with someone because of anxiety, but that's not in either of your best interests. "Never avoid breaking up with somebody because you're afraid of hurting their feelings or being single," says Zinn.
“Relationship anxiety can cause people to engage in behaviors that end up pushing their partner away,” says Dr. Zayde. “For example, calling 20 times in a row, jumping to conclusions or becoming emotionally distant.
Dating someone with anxiety can feel very overwhelming and stressful, especially once your partner's behavior shifts. They may start to shut down, pull away, and behave in a passive-aggressive manner, or they may become more controlling, angry, or overly critical.
Symptoms of relationship anxiety may include self-silencing and excessive reassurance-seeking. People with relationship anxiety may also crave acceptance from their partner and fear rejection. These symptoms can negatively impact the relationship over time.
Trust issues can also be linked with: Depression. Adjustment disorders (difficulty dealing with certain stresses) Anxiety.
Taking care of a partner with an anxiety disorder can be like filling up a bottomless bucket. It feels like you're giving more than you can, but all your love, kindness, understanding, and patience is not enough. It is important to remember that no matter how much you try, you alone cannot cure someone else's anxiety.
If you have social anxiety disorder, which is also known as social phobia, the stress of these situations is too much to handle. You might, for example, avoid all social contact because things that other people consider “normal” -- like making small talk and eye contact -- make you so uncomfortable.
People with Agoraphobia often learn to cope with these anxiety-provoking situations by being accompanied by another person, often referred to as a "safety person." While a safety person may help to limit the magnitude of dysfunction, it also serves to maintain the disorder.
At the very least, you might not be able to attribute “rude” behavior to anxiety. Unfortunately, this is often the case for people with anxiety. Their mental health disorder causes them to act in a way that appears inappropriate or rude to others.
Anxiety ruins relationships because it intrudes. It creates negative thought patterns and beliefs, and it makes them larger than life (as in bigger and more believable than reality). These issues erode feelings of connection and the ability to trust.
Let them show you what you can do that is helpful or unhelpful. Show that you can make space. And, in having these conversations, help to spark their recognition that it's important for you both to have boundaries. When you need space, take it, and take responsibility for your own needs.
If you find your anxiety getting worse when you spend too much time with your partner or go an entire day without hearing from them, you might have a boundaries issue. Creating set expectations for things like time apart and how often you check in with each other can alleviate some of your more anxious times.