5 Ways Anxiety Affects Relationships
Have you ever felt like anxiety is this invisible (yet very creaky) third wheel in your relationships? Trust me, you're not alone. Anxiety does a thorough job of starting arguments, and shifting the focus away from the connections that are most important to you. It doesn’t have to be that way though.
I’m Halle Thomas, an anxiety therapist for millennial professionals in Colorado and Oregon. In my private therapy practice, I provide holistic anxiety therapy to millennials of all genders, many of whom are working on reducing the impact anxiety has on their relationships.
In this post, I’ll be talking about some of the common ways that anxiety affects relationships of all kinds.
1. Anxiety Puts Everyone on an Emotional Rollercoaster
Let's get real for a moment. Anxiety is skilled at pushing itself to the forefront of so many interactions. When this happens, it can take you and the other person for a wild ride. Trying to have a low key interaction with anyone can become challenging when anxiety is at the forefront.
2. Anxiety Can Make Communication Go Sideways
Anxiety can warp your own perception in ways that block effective communication. Nothing quite looks or sounds the way it's supposed to. Before you even open your mouth, your brain has already rehearsed the conversation a thousand times. You've imagined every possible response, every potential disaster. By the time you actually speak, you're so exhausted that what comes out is often a watered-down, barely recognizable version of what you actually wanted to say.
This can leave your your partner or friend is left playing an impossible game of emotional charades. They're trying to decode your half-expressed thoughts, your subtle hints, your carefully constructed sentences that are designed to protect you but end up creating more confusion.
3. Anxiety Can Interfere with Trust
Trust becomes this delicate dance when anxiety enters the room. It's not something you just have—it's something you're constantly negotiating, moment by moment. Past hurts become these permanent filters through which you view every new interaction. That amazing person who loves you? They suddenly feel like a potential source of pain rather than comfort.
It's like you're carrying around this invisible shield. You want connection—you desperately want it—but the very thought of being truly vulnerable feels like standing naked in a snowstorm. Scary. Exposed. Overwhelming.
4. Anxiety Doesn’t Discriminate—It Can Affect All Types of Relationships
Anxiety isn’t known for keeping itself contained. So while it might show up most quickly in your romantic relationships, it can also show up in your friendships, familial relationships, and professional relationships.
As a way to protect your friends and family members, you sometimes might disappear for weeks. Other times though, you might be blowing up their phones desperately seeking reassurance. Some of these patterns can bleed into your work relationships too.
5. Anxiety Zaps Your Energy
Living with anxiety, while also being in relationship to other people can be exhausting. You're constantly balancing between your desire for connection and your fear of getting hurt. And while the people in your life want to support you, it can be difficult for you to communicate what exactly it is that you need from them.
Wrapping Up
Anxiety can affect your relationship in a variety of ways. From navigating uncertainty to depleting your energy, it can make it hard to know if you’ll even be able to maintain your relationships. The good news is that many people are also on this path.
If you’re located in Colorado or Oregon, you can schedule a free intro call with me to discuss how anxiety therapy can help you. Together, we can get you on your way to feeling more secure in your relationships.
Hi! I’m Halle, an Anxiety Therapist in Boulder, Colorado.
I work with millennials who are ready to trade in self-doubt for self-trust.
If you live in either Colorado or Oregon, I’d love to work with you! Book your free intro call to get started!
