How Your Relationship Can Affect Your Mental Health (And Vice Versa)

Researchers have shown that strong relationships not only greatly contribute to our physical well-being, but also to our mental and emotional health. Being in a relationship is known to reduce stress, and couples that have been together for a long time have been known to have longer life expectancies.

This is one of the reasons why people seek out relationships in the first place. Even though establishing an emotional connection with another person can be scary, this is how we form lifelong bonds. Intimate body-to-body contact or sex is how adults establish this connection with each other.

Open, honest communication is the key in any healthy relationship, as well as constant support and encouragement that couples must give each other. The latter is especially crucial when either partner is difficult to deal with or has a mental illness that may or may not be clinically diagnosed by a psychologist in Singapore.

However, as much as the benefits of being in a relationship entice us to look for that special someone, there are times that the relationship itself can be a driver of stress, which then develops into anxiety and depression which can affect the overall well-being of both partners in the relationship. Before this happens, the couple should consider seeking relationship counselling Singapore from a recommended psychologist.

How Relationships Affect Physical Health

It’s a commonly held belief that couples tend to gain weight once they settle into marriage and then lose that weight once the marriage ends in divorce or separation.

However, there are other factors that could influence this weight gain. For instance, dissatisfaction in the relationship if you do not visit a psychologist like Singapore center 4 psy it can cause stress, which can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as changes in both eating habits and sleep behavior.

This in turn can become an unhealthy cycle that could influence and result from this said satisfaction, which, when compounded by the stress in the relationship, may lead to health problems.

The physical aspects that manifest during a relationship are often symptoms of deeper running issues within the relationship. Put simply, stress caused by misunderstandings and a lack of open, honest communication can go a long way. A consultation with a psychologist in Singapore will be likely to uncover these issues and discuss them with both partners at length.

How Relationships Affect Mental Health

Relationship stress affects both partners not just physically, but also mentally. This can take several forms, from constant anxiety to lowered overall self-confidence and self-esteem, which can carry over to the physical aspects of the relationship.

Depression and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. For instance, couples in a healthy relationship will often find themselves eased of the symptoms that cause them and find dealing with them easier. However, partners that already have symptoms of depression and anxiety can find these illnesses to contribute to and compound even more when placed under the relationship’s stress.

A lot of relationship problems are often caused by simple disagreements compounded by a lack of communication between partners. These simple disagreements may be buried, but can grow into later resentment that would erupt during arguments or at a session during relationship counselling Singapore, which can negatively affect the couple’s mental and emotional well-being.

How Mental Health Affects Relationships

Though relationships can negatively impact mental health, the reverse is also especially applicable and potentially more impactful if left unchecked. When both are at play, this results in a feedback loop that reinforces these mental health disorders.

What you would think of as “acting out” or being simply difficult to deal (e.g. annoying habits or with may be symptomatic of a larger problem. Mental illnesses, such as chronic or clinical depression, can complicate this process, as this can cause you to push others away without you knowing it.

There are over two hundred different types of mental disorders, which makes diagnosing them yourself difficult and inadvisable. This is best left to a licensed psychologist in Singapore who is able to determine whether you or your significant other may indeed suffer from a mental illness as well as how to treat it effectively.

There are, however, are a few common symptoms of mental health that you or your partner might want to watch out for, such as:

• Constant feelings of sadness
• Reduced ability to concentrate on the task at hand
• Excessive fears, worries, or guilt
• Extreme mood swings
• Withdrawal from social activities and hobbies
• Inability (or reduced ability) to cope with stress
• Trouble understanding situations and people
• Substance abuse
• Changes in sleep and eating habits
• Changes in sex drive
• Excessive anger, hostility, or violence
• Suicidal ideations
• Self-harm or deliberate self-injury

Some symptoms can also appear as physical problems, as mentioned earlier, and can range from stomach pains, back pains, or even migraine.

How You Can Improve Both Your Relationship and Your Mental Health

The good news is that these symptoms, when caught early, are treatable by scheduling regular consultations with a recommended psychologist. Seeking relationship counselling Singapore, for some, may in fact be the best thing that could allow them to walk out as better relationship partners more open and understanding of each other.

However, you should keep in mind that even though consultation with a psychologist or a therapist can help to rebuild trust and strengthen the relationship between partners, counselling usually takes more than one session in order to experience its full effects. Whether they are joint sessions or individual sessions, be sure to take this time and allow the therapist to help you.