When dealing with challenges in your relationship, it’s important to acknowledge how mental health can contribute to disharmony. Here are some of the ways problems like anxiety can affect mental health and family relationships.

This is a guest post by Robert Faulkner, a family and child psychologist based in the United Kingdom. Click here for bio.

Mental Health And Family Relationships

Did you know that almost half of adults go through mental health issues at least once in their lifetime? Practical experience and research show that mental illness can decrease your quality of life, affect productivity, and impair physical health. 

And naturally, with these factors at play, it is also obvious that mental health problems can affect relationships too. But on the other hand, the good news is you can still be in a healthy relationship if your partner can understand your problem and has patience throughout your recovery.

A lot of people often browse through the best dating sites reviews, but what they don’t keep in mind is that you also need to think about connecting with someone who is aware of how mental health can affect their partner’s contribution to a relationship. 

Because, after all, being with someone who understands and supports you during your struggles is the meaning of a harmonious relationship.

THis is why it is so important to make sure you are aware of whether you’re going through anxiety or some other mental health issues, and see how mental health affects the harmonious relationship. 

In this article we will not cover all mental health symptoms. Instead, we will focus on how anxiety impacts marriage.

What is Anxiety? 

If you look up the harmonious relationship definition, you’ll see that this is a peaceful union, in which each individual is given the freedom to pursue their ambitions. And when a mental health problem, like anxiety, manifests in one of the partners, it can be difficult to achieve such a harmonious relationship. 

As you may know, anxiety is a condition where you have a persistent worry about different aspects of your life. This can happen for a prolonged period. It can have many types, and be related to several things: work stress, finances, family, and other things. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to know the cause of your worries, which makes this condition one of the most frustrating to handle in a relationship. 

While there’s no exact cause of anxiety, some factors can contribute to it, including a family history of anxiety, traumatic childhood events, excessive tobacco use or caffeine consumption, and prolonged exposure to stressful environments. 

Now that you understand anxiety and what is a harmonious relationship, let’s use this knowledge and find out how mental health problems can affect your relationship, and what can you do to embrace and restore happiness.

How Mental Illnesses Can Affect Your Relationship 

To be able to complete the harmonious relationship puzzle and have words like rapport, synchronicity, and harmony describing your intimate relationship, you must recognize how mental health impacts your relationship.

And while yes, each relationship is unique, there are still some common ways mental illness can affect your intimate relationship:

Resentment, Shame, Guilt 

One reason to see a mental health counselor is that this condition can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and resentment, which is a catalyst for disaster in the majority of relationships. 

Enduring mental illness is hard enough, but the stigma that comes from the condition can create more problems for partners in a relationship. Because the individual with the mental illness may feel embarrassment, shame, or guilt about their condition. 

Many times they try to hide their symptoms or avoid seeking help when they need it. At the same time, their partner will feel confused and frustrated and they may not know how to help. 

In many cases, someone with mental illness will find it challenging to follow through with simple tasks, and they may be very emotionally distant and aloof. That can strain a relationship, leading to feelings of rejection and disconnection.

Depression

When depression affects a couple, both people become less happy. The depressed person may feel sad, hopeless, guilty, angry, lonely, worthless, helpless, and/or suicidal. 

The depressed person may also experience physical symptoms, like fatigue and sleep problems.

Depression is a serious condition that can lead to suicide if left untreated. If you or someone you know shows signs of depression, contact your doctor immediately.

Depression is a common and debilitating disorder that affects16 million adults in the United States. It has been identified as one of the top ten causes of disability, with an estimated

Intimacy Problems 

Another area that is severely affected by mental illness in a relationship is intimacy. 

If you don’t seek help through mental health services, the illness can cause disinterest in sex, or even troubles getting ‘in the mood.’ After all, few people can get aroused if they constantly worry about things. 

Add to this, some antidepressants have shown effects like decreased libido, making some people with mental health issues feel even more stressed regarding their sex life. 

This leads to performance anxiety and can also trigger low self-esteem. For both partners, intimacy problems can cause a decreased opportunity for bonding and could lead to more fights and misunderstandings.

Codependent Behaviors 

While searching for mental health quotes, you may also learn some disturbing facts, including that mental illness can cause codependent behaviors. 

Codependency is an unhealthy relationship pattern that can manifest when one partner enables the other’s mental health issues, coping strategies, or addiction. 

The one with the mental illness may begin to derive their self-worth from how much they’re needed, or the extent they’re able to care for their loved one, the enabler. In some cases, codependency could even increase the likelihood of abusive behaviors like name-calling, manipulation, or even physical harm. 

This is why it is so important to turn to a professional’s help whenever you feel some signs of a codependent relationship.

Helpful Tips for Partners

If you’re dealing with a case of mental illness, there are several ways you can intervene to help your partner:

1) Educate Yourself 

It’s important to learn about the mental health condition your partner is going through. This will help you understand how it works and how to deal with the symptoms. 

You can find a lot of useful information during Mental Health Awareness Month, starting in May.

2) Practice Communication Skills 

Good communication skills are esential in any relationship. They are even more so when one partner stuggles with mental health issues. Speak honestly about your needs, feelings, and concerns. You can use active listening skills like asking clarifying questions, seeking understanding, and mirroring your partner’s body language.

3) Embrace Excellent Self-Care 

When you take good care of your mental and physical health, you’ll be able to support each other. These acts of self-care include healthy eating, regular exercise, and following a consistent sleep schedule.

4) Seek Professional Help 

It’s not easy dealing with a mental illness, we understand that. But what you need to remember is that there are people you can turn to for help – mental health counselors and therapists. When you want to make it work, both partners need to attend the sessions, to understand how to best deal with mental illness. That way, you’ll ensure the problem does not interfere with happiness in the relationship.

5) Set Realistic Expectations

Don’t demand someone to quickly change who they are and don’t expect them to meet your needs at all times. Remember – the key to a harmonious relationship is to respect other people’s boundaries. Look for ways to compromise and grow to ensure both of you feel supported and safe.

Related Questions on Mental Health and Family Dynamics

Mental health issues create a snowball effect; at times its difficult to know, ‘Are we having anxiety issues because of conflict, or are we having conflict because of mental health issues?

Here are a few common questions:

How does conflict affect mental health?

Conflict affects everyone regardless of race or income level. There are no families who aren’t affected by conflict at one time or another. Short-lived family conflicts include arguments at the dinner table; they’re not long lasting.

However, if there has been constant family conflict, such as physical or emotional abuse, financial hardship, or mental illness within the family, these issues may be causing problems throughout the whole family system.

According to a 2018 study, conflict has serious psychological effects on young people, including increased levels of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Both direct exposure to trauma and exposure to increased levels of everyday stressors may lead to PTSD symptoms.

What Are The Most Common Causes of Family Conflict?

According to Virtual Psych Center, there are four major issues that surface in couples:

• Communication problems : incorrect expressions, reproaches, emotional speech, insults, etc.
• Feeling of loss of freedom and autonomy by one of the members of the couple.
• Trying to change the other person’s way of being.
• Lack of problem solving skills .

When you add these common conflicts to mental health issues, you have the potential for increased stress and trouble in family relationships.

What is the Impact of Mental Illness on Families

The Journal of Family Issues studies the impact of an individual member of a society on others within that society. It is often called the ‘ripple effect.’ It’s much like dropping a rock in a pool of water. The ripples reach all the way to the shore.

Over time, it can disrupt the flow of an entire family’s routine and pattern, which is stressful. It might involve long hours at night talking on the telephone, continuing worries about his/her health and well-being, and an overwhelming fear of a suicide attempt.

Family members who become tired and irritated when they’re asked for help might lash back at their loved ones by saying something mean or unhelpful. It causes anger and resentment among people who don’t understand why.

Susan Noonan (MD) writes:

Dealing with a family member who has a mood disorder or anxiety can require a lot of effort from a family member—at times, it can even be exhausting. It can necessitate anything from dealing with the daily distortions in thinking and behavior, to frequent medical appointments, to added time and expenses devoted to the individual.

(Source)

How Do I Not Let Mental Health Issues Negatively Affect My Relationship?

Along with the helpful tips offered above, it’s important to acknowledge ‘where you are’ in terms of your own emotional well-being.

Realize it’s normal to feel anger, frustration, and guilt. There are normal (even healthy) if they are kept in check. It’s part of the grieving process.

When we fail to grieve, we bottle our emotions and they become potential problems in the futuure.

Grief can be experienced in different ways by different people, but there are some common patterns that emerge when someone has lost a loved one..

The first step in grieving is acknowledging that you are grieving. You may feel like a failure because your loved one has died, but don’t allow yourself to dwell on this feeling for too long. Grief can be overwhelming at times.

You will have many questions about what happened and why it happened. These questions need to be answered so that you can move forward with your life. 

Final Thoughts

If not addressed, mental illness can be a major setback in your relationship, that can even lead to a breakup. It’s very important to understand that mental health is a lot more serious of an issue than most people think. Not only does it hurt your existing relationship, but it can also tremendously hurt you. 

Thus, if you see some symptoms don’t hesitate to seek professional help as you might not have the capacity to handle the difficulties that come with mental illnesses.

Keep in mind – a harmonious relationship meaning is cooperation, support, and trust. Maintain those, and high chances are that your union will be everlasting!

So, what other ways does mental health affect relationships, you think?

Summary

• Mental Health And Family Relationships
• What is Anxiety? 
• How Mental Illnesses Can Affect Your Relationship 
  • Resentment, Shame, Guilt 
  • Intimacy Problems 
  • Codependent Behaviors 
• Helpful Tips for Partners
  • 1) Educate Yourself 
  • 2) Practice Communication Skills 
  • 3) Embrace Excellent Self-Care 
  • 4) Seek Professional Help 
  • 5) Set Realistic Expectations
• Related Questions on Mental Health and Family Dynamics
  • How does conflict affect mental health?
  • What Are The Most Common Causes of Family Conflict?
  • What is the Impact of Mental Illness on Families
  • How Do I Not Let Mental Health Issues Negatively Affect My Relationship?

What’s Next?

Where To Find Help