Communicating Your Depression and Anxiety To a Partner
At the best of times, struggling with anxiety and depression can feel like a war inside your mind. Explaining these feelings to the people in your life can heighten these feelings, making it feel almost impossible.
Of course, the logical part of our brain knows that our loved ones only want the best for us. Unfortunately, feelings of anxiety and depression may trick us into thinking otherwise. As daunting as it may seem, the best course of action is to communicate these thoughts to your partner. Not sure where to start? Keep reading to learn how you can go about talking to your partner about your anxiety and depression.
Offer resources to educate them about anxiety and depression.
For many, the fear of discussing anxiety and depression comes from the fear of the unknown. If your partner is neurotypical and does not struggle with mental health concerns, they simply may not know enough about anxiety and depression. When first broaching the topic, consider offering them resources to educate themselves on anxiety and depression.
Let them know how they can offer you support.
Everyone wants something a little different when dealing with depression and anxiety. Due to this, you should truly spell out to your partner how they can best support you. This is especially true if your partner does not deal with mental health difficulties. They simply may not know how you would like to be treated. Let them know, and they can begin to implement these changes.
Work together to create a healthy environment.
Our environment plays a huge part in how well our mental health is doing. Whether you or your partner live together or not, the two of you can work together to make your environment the best it can be. Try doing the following to work on your space.
Set aside time to clean: Especially amid a depressive episode, cleaning is the last thing on your mind. Cleaning as a team, however, definitely makes things easier. Split up tasks between the two of you or tag team cleaning up your space. It will definitely be more fun together!
Cook healthy meals together: Depression meals are real, and anxiety may prevent you from cooking at home. Set aside time to research healthy and comforting meals the two of you can cook together. It will nourish both your body and mind!
Prioritize communication: When you are not feeling your best, communication becomes incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Rather than avoiding your partner and not letting them in, now is a time when you should really prioritize communication. Let your partner know how you are feeling and they can offer you support for your specific needs.
Make sure you are still checking in with yourself.
When you are in a committed relationship, you may forget to take care of yourself at times. You may give your relationship or partner all of your attention. However, in times of serious anxiety and depression, be sure you are still checking in with yourself.
Additionally, fully understanding how you are feeling makes it much easier to communicate your emotions to your partner. However, you do not have to have all the answers to your mental health concerns to let your partner know that is what you are dealing with. It simply makes it easier for you to communicate your true emotions.
Of course, if you find yourself struggling not only with your anxiety and depression but also with communicating these feelings to your partner, reach out to a counselor. Seeking help from a mental health professional can better your life in almost every aspect. If you are looking for a therapist, reach out today to schedule an appointment for depression treatment or anxiety treatment.
