Growth in Relationships Can Be Uncomfortable
Especially when mental illness is involved
For relationships to flourish, growth is essential. We as individuals naturally change over time, so our relationships must likewise adapt to survive.
If we stomp our feet, dig in our heels and demand that our relationships stay exactly as they were in the beginning, then the inevitable will happen.
Stagnation will occur, resentment will flourish, and the relationship itself will ultimately crumble, even as we’re left picking up the pieces and wondering what went wrong.
For many of us struggling with mental health issues, growth and change can be uncomfortable for a variety of reasons and experiencing these things in our relationships can be downright distressing unless we recognize what’s driving those feelings.
My husband and I both suffer from anxiety. I am also a recovering bulimic, navigating all the self-image complexities that go along with most eating disorders.
Think about it: We each simultaneously have a mental illness and are the partner of someone with a mental illness.
Sometimes it makes my head spin.
