Every relationship involves conflicts, resolutions, and a fair amount of struggle. However, overly-stressful relationships are not healthy relationships.
There are times when stressful events can occur during a relationship, such as a loved one dying, financial problems, or the loss of a job. Just because you’re going through a stressful event during a relationship doesn’t necessarily mean that your relationship is unhealthy. But when do you draw the line between relationship tribulations and an overall unhealthy relationship?
There are warning signs and red flags that can occur throughout a relationship that indicate it’s not a healthy situation. If you’re interested in learning about the signs that your relationship is giving you anxiety, we’ve created a complete guide to help you better understand your situation. Keep reading to learn more!
You’re Overthinking What You Want to Say
In any healthy relationship, a stable stream of communication is essential. However, if you feel like you can’t communicate what you’re thinking or what you want to say, you may notice that you have an increased level of anxiety.
Perhaps you feel like you need to stuff your feelings. Maybe you feel stonewalled (shut down, essentially) when you attempt to bring up an issue that concerns you.
If you feel like you’re in a situation where you can’t fully express what you think or what you want to say, as you’re anticipating your partner’s reaction being negative, this can lead to frequent feelings of anxiety. No one deserves to walk on eggshells every day in their relationships.
You’re Fighting Yourself
Even when you’re not fighting with your partner, if you notice that you’re feeling anxious with the arguments you’re having in yourself, it’s probably your brain trying to fight to make sense of the situation at hand.
If your partner demands that they need to have things their way all of the time, is manipulative or is not willing to compromise with your situation, it creates a feeling of self-doubt within you. Not only is this behavior abusive, but it can worsen over time.
This development of self-doubt can create anxiety, and if you’ve noticed it’s because you’re beginning to question yourself due to the actions or words of your partner, it’s a sign that your relationship is giving you anxiety.
Listen to your gut. We all tend to underestimate our instincts, but we always know more deep down than we think we know.
You Can’t Resolve Arguments
Just as we talked about earlier, a relationship can cause a spike in anxiety due to interpersonal fights. If you and your partner are fighting due to their uncompromising behavior, the consequences of their control can cause you stress.
Arguments that continuously go in circles or can never seem to resolve also indicate a relationship that might need to be reconsidered.
You’re Unable To Compromise As A Team
One of the things that you must do in a healthy relationship is to understand the concept of compromise with your partner. There’s a difference between being headstrong regarding specific topics you’re passionate about and never being able to admit you’re wrong.
Just so you know, giving up to prevent a fight isn’t a compromise, either; giving up to prevent conflict is you neglecting a piece of yourself to make your partner happy.
If you find yourself giving in to your partner’s needs all of the time, it can increase your levels of anxiety.
You’re Always Worried About Your Relationship
If you are regularly consumed with thoughts of your partner and being worried about what they’re doing, what they’re going to do, or how they’re going to react to a particular situation, it’s a sign that your partnership is increasing your anxiety.
Instead of being able to get tasks completed, enjoy yourself, or find time to relax, you’re spending your free time being worried about your partner in an unhealthy manner. This is another sign that your relationship is giving you increased anxiety.
You’re Always Overanalyzing
If you noticed that you can’t stop thinking about your partner or the status of your relationship, it’s a sign that you may have attachment anxiety.
If you notice that you’re developing this behavior, it’s usually a red flag that the relationship isn’t the perfect fit for you, or it’s a sign that your partner is emotionally unavailable for you to connect.
If you are anxious or emotionally sensitive, pairing up with someone who is emotionally insensitive and is unable to meet your emotional needs can create anxiety in your relationship, even if you don’t realize it at first.
You’re Putting in More Effort To The Relationship Than Your Partner Is
If you feel like you’re the only one in the relationship putting in effort all the time, this can create a feeling of elevated anxiety.
Are you’re the one who’s always setting up plans, making attempts to compromise, or putting out extra effort to listen to your partner’s needs? This pattern in actions and behaviors from your partner will have you feeling anxious and even potentially worried about your relationship.
If you feel like you’re not able to connect to your partner in a way that meets your personal needs as well, it’s a sign that the relationship isn’t a good fit for your anxiety. You shouldn’t feel stressed out all the time in your relationship.
The Impact of Stressful Relationships On Your Health
Stressful relationships can increase your anxiety, which is why it’s so crucial for you to identify red flags in a relationship.
If you identify places of concern with your relationship with your partner, and they dismiss your feelings, you should consider leaving the bond- no matter how hard it may be. The most important thing for you to remember in all of your relationships is that your opinions are valid and that you should protect your energy and mental health at all costs. You deserve to be seen, heard, and understood. Are you interested in learning more about how to manage your anxiety and your mental health? Click here to check out our blog.
