Are Romantic Relationships Possible with Mental Illness?

Here's what's happening on the HealthyPlace site this week:

• Are Romantic Relationships Possible with Mental Illness?
• From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs
• Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans
• Mental Health Quote

Are Romantic Relationships Possible with Mental Illness?

Mental health conditions can interfere in almost every aspect of your life, including romantic relationships. Sadly, sometimes people decide that relationships are a bad idea because they live with mental illness. Not only might symptoms interfere, but how do you even tell a budding romantic partner that you have a mental illness or personality disorder?

Everyone deserves to have a loving partner in their lives if they so desire. Sadly, a survey conducted by PsychGuides.com discovered that just over a third of respondents reported that they don’t feel good enough for their partner or a potential partner because of a mental illness.

Having a mental illness does not disqualify anyone from dating or marriage. These tips can help you begin and sustain romantic relationships if you live with mental illness:

• While you don’t have to disclose mental health information early in a relationship, doing so when the relationship begins to be committed (and before you have a relapse or your symptoms flare) is best
• Be open and honest with each other, sharing feelings and observations kindly and matter-of-factly
• Establish what actions and words are helpful
• Don’t let mental illness be the center of your relationship. See in each other your many traits and strengths.

Romantic relationships are not only possible if you have a mental illness, they can be rewarding and healthy.

References

Love and mental illness: A survey of psychological well-being and intimate partnerships. (n.d.).
PsychGuides.com. Retrieved February 2020 from https://www.psychguides.com/interact/love-and-mental-illness/

Romantic Relationships. (n.d.). National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Retrieved February 2020 from https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/Romantic-Relationships

Related Articles Dealing with Mental Illness and Relationships

• Valentine's Day? I'm Just Trying to Get Through Each Day!
• When Love isn’t Enough in a Relationship with Mental Illness
• I Have Bipolar: Will Anyone Ever Love Me?
• Tips on Dating Someone with a Mental Illness
• Use the DBT FAST Skill to Keep Self-Respect During Conflict
• Setting Boundaries in Relationships Saves Your Mental Health
• Ways to Support Your Non-Anxious Spouse if You Have Anxiety
• Healthy Dating with Borderline Personality Disorder
• BPD and Romantic Relationships: If You Really Loved Me

Your Thoughts

Today's Question: In what ways has your mental illness affected your romantic relationships? We invite you to participate by sharing your thoughts, experiences, and knowledge on the HealthyPlace Facebook page.

From the HealthyPlace Mental Health Blogs

On all our blogs, your comments and observations are welcomed.

• Loving Yourself When You Have Depression
• What is a Stim Toy? How Do They Soothe DID Symptoms?
• Body Dissatisfaction and the Chronic Illness Behcet's Disease
• The Best Mantras for Eating Disorder Recovery
• Letting Go of Old Coping Mechanisms
• Can Exercise Help You Cope with Anxiety?
• What It’s Like to Deal with Layers of Stigma
• Use Visualization and Guided Imagery for Anxiety or Depression
• Recognizing Caregiver Stress
• The Impact of Eating Disorders on Sexual Desire
• Tips for Recovering Addicts on Vacation to Las Vegas
• Seasonal Affective Disorder and Schizoaffective Disorder
• Coronavirus Anxiety: 6 Things You Can Do Now to Stay Calm
• How to Prepare Yourself for Failure and Lessen Anxiety
• 4 Signs to Tell the Difference Between Burnout and Depression

Feel free to share your thoughts and comments at the bottom of any blog post. And visit the mental health blogs homepage for the latest posts.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Most Popular HealthyPlace Articles Shared by Facebook Fans

Here are the top 3 mental health articles HealthyPlace Facebook fans are recommending you read:

1. Can Social Anxiety Strike After the Fact, Not Before?
2. What to Do When Both You and Your Child Have Depression
3. What Happens When Your Self-Esteem Is Too High?

If you're not already, I hope you'll join us/like us on Facebook too. There are a lot of wonderful, supportive people there.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Mental Health Quote

"I over analyze situations because I'm scared of what will happen if I'm not prepared for it."

Read more anxiety quotes.

------------------------------------------------------------------

That's it for now. If you know of anyone who can benefit from this newsletter or the HealthyPlace.com site, I hope you'll pass this onto them. You can also share the newsletter on any social network (like facebook or stumbleupon) you belong to by clicking the links below. For updates throughout the week, follow HealthyPlace on Twitter or become a fan of HealthyPlace on Facebook. Also, check out HealthyPlace on Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, where you can share your mental health pins on our Share Your Mental Health Experiences board.

back to: HealthyPlace.com Mental-Health Newsletter Index