How Mental Health Effects Your Relationships
Your mental health has a major effect on your personal relationships. It is astounding how many people are unaware of how deeply their relationships will be affected by their mental health. It is common to think of personal mental health as something that only affects the self, but the truth is, everyone in a relationship with that person will also be affected by their mental health. This is another reason why it is so essential to work at personal mental health. If you are not interested in doing it for yourself, you should be interested in doing it for your loved ones.
Your spouse or significant other, whom you live with, will feel the effects of your mental health problems most severely. Our serious adult relationships are the ones we tend to commit the most time and energy to, and if we do not bring good mental health into our relationships, they suffer. It would be impossible for your significant other to emerge totally unscathed from time immersed in your mental health problems. People naturally adopt some of the thought patterns of those they are close to, and if your thoughts and behaviors are negative, they will leave a negative impression on those you care about.
Parents, siblings and close family members will also feel the effects of your mental health problems. Family occasions will be impacted, interactions will be strained and bonds will become burdened. Families often share mental health problems or have a collection of inter-related mental health problems, so it could be that your family is already in the midst of personal dysfunction.
Even your friends and acquaintances will be impacted by your mental health problems. Anyone who spends time with you will struggle because of your mental health problems. They will struggle to understand your thinking and your behaviors, and may begin to question or blame themselves. You should never blame yourself for your mental health problems. They form in ways that are out of your control. However, as a mature person, you must take responsibility for your mental health problems and take the initiative to work on them so that you can benefit yourself and your relationships.