4 Ways Anxiety Affects Relationships

That voice inside of your head is trying to get the best of you again.

You’re not good enough.

Your partner could do better than you.

They’re going to leave you for someone who is better.

You don’t deserve them.

You try to push away these thoughts, but they keep coming back. They’re consuming you. They have been for a while. You’d be lying if you said they weren’t starting to take a toll on you, your partner, and your relationship with one another.

Here are 4 ways that anxiety can affect relationships.

1. Lack of Healthy Communication

When you’re feeling anxiety, it can bring on added stressors and negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Anxiety can make you feel like you’re out of control. This can result in a change in actions and behaviors. Your healthy communication that you once had with your partner may be thrown out the window. You may even notice that you’re feeling a little more defensive compared to normal.

Your mind and those anxious thoughts can trick you into believing them. That means that when you talk to your partner, you may actually believe that you’re not good enough or that they’re interested in someone else. If you have this in your head before talking to them, it’s no wonder that you’d be a little defensive. The lack of communication can lead to communication issues and fighting.

2. Questioning the Future

You may start to question the future that you have with your partner all due to anxiety. Your brain may be telling you that you’re not good enough or that your partner is going to leave you, which will in turn leave you questioning your relationship and if it’s really going to work out.

These negative thoughts can have you questioning your own relationship. If you and your partner don’t take the time to sit down and address these concerns, your relationship can worsen and slowly fall apart over time.

3. Distance Between You and Your Partner

Anxiety can drive a wedge between you and your partner. When you’re supposed to be spending time with them, your anxiety may cause you to not be able to be fully present or enjoy yourself in the moment. Anxiety can make it increasingly difficult to relax, let go, and have fun. Instead, you’ll be dealing with those overwhelming negative thoughts and emotions.

These types of actions and behaviors can actually create even more distance between you and your partner and damage your relationship even further over time. When you’re constantly worrying or being fearful that your relationship won’t work out, you may actually be driving that to happen without even realizing it.

4. Overly Dependent or Avoidance

A lot of the time, anxiety can have an impact on how you act in a relationship. You may notice that you’re either becoming a little too dependent or attached to your partner, or you may go the complete opposite direction and actively work to avoid them. Either way, neither option is healthy.

Next Steps

If you or your partner are struggling with anxiety, you’re not alone. Anxiety is a common emotion just like happiness, sadness, and anger. It’s okay to struggle with anxiety from time to time. It’s completely normal. If you’re starting to notice that the anxiety you’re dealing with is having a negative impact on your daily life and routine, it may be time to seek additional support.

Working with a therapist can be a great way for you to get to the root cause of your anxiety as well as work through any signs or symptoms you may be struggling with. Don’t delay in getting the help you need and deserve. Reach out to us today to set up an appointment

Click here for more information on anxiety therapy.