Relationship Anxiety: Signs, Causes, and Top Ways to Overcome

Relationship anxiety is more common than you think. It's someone's anxiety towards relationships with family, friends, spouse, and even platonic relationships. It might push a person to keep other people in the relationship by clinging to them or being overly possessive. Here's everything you need to know about Relationship Anxiety, its signs, causes, and top ways to overcome it.



Is Relationship Anxiety Normal?

Yes, some level of anxiety about a relationship is common, but it can be problematic when it becomes severe and lasts longer than usual or affects the relationship and other areas of a person's life. Sometimes, relationship anxiety can lead to excess stress and separation anxiety and might impact how you interpret your feelings and emotions.

Key Signs of Relationship Anxiety

·       You fear commitment and feel vulnerable in a relationship.

·       You might end relationships before they become too serious.

·       You might not express your needs and desires because you are afraid that they might leave.

·       You always think that the other person in a relationship will replace you with someone better.

·       You doubt your compatibility.

·       You overthink everything the other person does and says.

·       You spend more time worrying about the relationship than enjoying it.

Key Causes of Relationship Anxiety

·       Low self-esteem

·       Emotional abuse or neglect

·       Attachment difficulties

·       Significantly intrusive or disengaged parents

·       General anxiety that manifests as worry about every relationship you have



How to Overcome Relationship Anxiety?

Ø  Find Out the Root Cause

Know why you are anxious about a relationship. It can be due to several reasons like low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence, shame, or even fear of losing someone. Build a healthy relationship with yourself to overcome relationship anxiety.

Ø  Be Honest About Your Feelings

If certain actions by the other person trigger fear, stress, or anxiety, communicate about them with the other person and figure out a way to fix that.

Ø  Practice Self-Soothing Methods

Opt for self-soothing methods when you feel too anxious. You can try deep breathing, yoga, guided meditation, etc.

Ø  Build Trust



Work on building trust with people you have a relationship with. It won't happen overnight. You will have to have faith and keep at it for a while.

Ø  Address Conflicts

You and the other person in a relationship might not be on the same page about everything. So, it would be best if you learned to address conflicts or differences of opinions.

Ø  Don't Jump to Conclusions

If you have relationship anxiety, you need to ensure that you don't jump to conclusions without knowing the facts.

Ø  Focus on the Positives

When you are filled with negativity, you might want to sit down and write about the positive aspects of the relationship. Read more about journaling here.

Ø  Go to Therapy

If things are not getting better, you should seek therapy to process your thoughts and feelings. You can find an online or offline therapist who can help you face hard truths and heal. Sometimes, you might need medication to aid the process. If your doctors advise, you might need selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors.

Sources:

https://www.choosingtherapy.com/relationship-anxiety/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/relationship-anxiety

calmclinic.com/anxiety-types/relationship-anxiety

 

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