Mental Ill Health and Relationships

Mental illness significantly impacts relationships, which may include familial, friendly or romantic ones. These effects vary greatly, depending on the type and severity of the mental health condition.
Miscommunication: Communication can become a challenge as a symptom of mental conditions like depression and anxiety. Feelings of sadness, worry, guilt, and indifference can create barriers to effective communication.
Emotional instability or unpredictability caused by mental health issues can strain relationships. For instance, someone dealing with bipolar disorder may have unpredictable mood swings.
A person’s mental health problems can cause them to withdraw socially or isolate themselves, which may lead to strained relationships.
Co-dependent relationships: These are relationships where one person enables another person’s addiction, poor mental health, irresponsibility, or under-achievement. This is a frequent phenomenon with mental health issues.
Fear and Misunderstanding: Society’s lack of understanding and stigmatisation of mental illnesses can create distance in relationships.
One’s ability to participate in normal day-to-day activities can be hindered by mental health problems. This might lead to difficulties in maintaining employment, thus impacting relationships at work.
Relationship failure or breakdown can be a major outcome of mental health illness. However, it’s important to note that not all individuals with mental health issues will experience relationship difficulties, and not all relationship problems are a result of mental illness.
The impact of mental health conditions like depression or anxiety can lead to a decrease in one’s sex drive, which can affect romantic relationships.
A supportive and understanding relationship can help the person coping with mental health issues. It is not always negative.
Early intervention and access to mental health treatment can mitigate these impacts on relationships. Therapy could be beneficial for the individual as well as relationship counselling for the partnership as a whole.
Education is key: By increasing understanding about mental health issues, stigma will reduce, and people will feel more comfortable seeking assistance and voicing their struggles.