Relationship Anxiety: Staying In A Relationship Is Fear

Relationship anxiety – what is it exactly? Is staying in a relationship called fear?

Love is a rollercoaster ride. There are some times where you are in your all-time high while there are instances that you’ll feel that you are on your the lowest of the lows. It’s a pure, raw, and universal emotion that can turn lovers to strangers. For many, this double-edged sword kind of nature also causes relationship anxiety.

What Is Relationship Anxiety?

In an interview with Dr. Karla Ivankovich, PhD of OnePatient Global Health Chicago, relationship anxiety happens when one or both parties feel and think more anxious thoughts than tending to the relationship. Basically, it’s a continuous process of doubts instead of being happy. 

Signs Of Relationship Anxiety

It might be confusing for others on whether they are experiencing relationship anxiety or not. The reason for this is that it is normal to undergo problems and concerns as a couple. With this in mind, how will someone know if they are indeed under the pit of relationship anxiety? Here are several signs to take note of: 

Overanalyzing All The Time

Thinking about something thoroughly before taking action helps in coming up with the best decision ever. The issue with this, however, is that there are times that people don’t get satisfied with their solutions and answers even if they have cross-examined multiple times. There are times that these individuals create various scenarios in their mind and base their actions on things that have not even happened yet. 

Having Trust Issues

Anxiety will make everyone feel that they are not entirely in control of their lives. This scenario leads to trust issues in their relationship. For example, an anxious partner can be insecure or jealous, so they will demand their partners to inform them of who they are texting, calling, and meeting throughout the day. This loss of trust will be detrimental to both parties. 

Responding Passive Aggressively

Feelings of irritability stem from relationship anxiety. There may be times that a person might unconsciously last out to their partners or react to them in passive-aggressive ways. They might also notice that there’s no conversation with one another that does not end up in a downhill. 

Venting All The Time

It’s a usual practice for couples to vent out to each other, especially after a stressful day. While it’s fine to blow off some steam and rant about different issues, doing it too often can be detrimental to the relationship. Should the other party feel also burdened with everything, there is a chance that they’ll eventually tune out their partners. 

Avoiding Conflicts Regularly

Shutting down their partners and everyone around them can be the most unproductive thing a person can do. However, that’s what happens for those struggling with relationship anxiety.

Negative thinking or people with low self-esteem see only the bad side of the relationship. We are often people-pleasers and worry that if we have a disagreement with our partner, it means our relationship is doomed,” shares life coach and relationship expert Elizabeth Su. 

How To Deal With Relationship Anxiety

There are various ways on how to deal with relationship anxiety. The technique for it to be more effective is to be more open-minded with all of these processes. Here are some of the things that can help address the problem: 

• Be Aware: Take a moment to analyze yourself and determine what you are feeling. Acknowledge whether you are just experiencing a reasonable amount of protective anxiety or there’s more in it. 
• Know The Boundary: Separate personal worries from relationship woes. This strategy will help address concerns quickly and avoid overlapping problems. 
• Recognize Motivation: Instead of ignoring the causes of relationship anxiety, it will be more helpful to recognize the motivation a person needs to experience to be able to have the strength to solve the problem. 
• Prioritize Self-Care And Wellness: Even if an individual is against these self-care practices, it is still essential to sleep more, eat properly, limit alcohol intake, and perform physical activities. These practices will improve both the mental and emotional aspects of a person. 
• Ask For Help: Once people experience roadblocks, then this might be the perfect time to ask for help. Although family and friends can be a great support system, their guidance won’t be enough. A professional therapist might be able to help them understand themselves and their relationships better.

Even the healthiest relationship undergo this challenge. However, people should not fear to face all of these problems. Courage can bring everyone to places – including saving a relationship worth saving.