Depression in Relationships: Effects, Origins, and Resources for Help
Relationships, while often a source of love and support, can also contribute to the development and progression of depression. A recent study reveals that partners of individuals with depression can offer understanding, love, and compassion, but they can also inadvertently exacerbate emotional distress.
According to research, relationship stress can trigger and maintain chronic stress responses, emotional dysregulation, and negative cognitive patterns that increase vulnerability to depressive symptoms. Toxic or strained relationships, in particular, can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
One of the ways this happens is through the activation of the body's stress response system due to persistent relational anxiety, such as fears of abandonment associated with insecure attachment. This chronic stress can biologically and neurologically predispose individuals to depression. Brain imaging studies suggest that depression and insecure attachment share overlapping yet distinct emotional regulation pathways, indicating that troubled relationships may reinforce depressive states through complex emotional and neurological mechanisms.
People experiencing relationship stress may also develop maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies aimed at avoiding rejection and gaining approval. This self-criticism can lead to greater susceptibility to depression. Furthermore, ruminating on stressful relational events can prolong psychological responses to stress, deepening and perpetuating depressive symptoms.
Difficulties in managing emotional reactions triggered by relationship stress are closely linked with higher depression levels. These emotional regulation deficits act as bridges that connect the experience of relational stress to depressive symptoms and can hinder recovery.
It's important to note that a relationship can cause a mental breakdown if it is unsuitable, such as in cases of infidelity, domestic violence, or when an individual is not ready to settle down. Conversely, a healthy relationship may improve someone's quality of life if they are undergoing treatment for depression.
Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or guilt, low self-esteem, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and sleep, loss of interest in enjoyable activities, loss of libido, and suicidal thoughts. If these symptoms occur most of the day or all day, nearly every day, for a consistent period of time, a person may be diagnosed with depression.
A mental health professional such as a therapist or relationship counselor can help a person understand whether their relationship is healthy or beneficial. They can also provide support for managing depression and navigating relationship challenges.
Depression affects not just the individual, but their partner and their children as well. Abuse, including emotional abuse, can be associated with new cases of major depressive disorder in females and anxiety in males.
Recovering from relationship depression is possible with treatment. Depression is highly treatable, and there are steps that individuals can take to begin healing. The first step is to make an appointment with a mental health professional or doctor.
People in loving relationships can help support each other during this process. Partners can offer understanding, love, and compassion, learn about depression, provide a safe space, offer practical support, set boundaries and expectations, and look after their own mental health.
People with depression can maintain a connection with their partner by sharing how they feel, explaining how depression affects them and what they need from their partner, allowing time for both people to take care of themselves, and maintaining physical intimacy in ways that feel more comfortable.
It's crucial to remember that everyone's experience with depression is unique, and treatment can vary from person to person. Treatment can include talking therapy, medication, self-care strategies, and lifestyle changes.
In some cases, if a person cannot get support from their partner, they may need to consider if that relationship is causing harm. Signs that a relationship is harmful include being blamed for having mental health difficulties, feeling insecure or unconfident, feeling trapped, alone, or isolated, being prevented from making one's own decisions, experiencing frequent drama and conflict, and feeling threatened or unsafe.
If a person still feels unhappy in their relationship after starting depression treatment, it may be a sign that the relationship itself is having an impact on their mental health. In such cases, seeking help from a mental health professional or a relationship counselor may be beneficial.
Depression is a mental health condition affecting millions worldwide. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of depression, it's important to seek help. With the right support, recovery is possible.
- Unhealthy relationships, such as those marked by infidelity or domestic violence, can potentially trigger or exacerbate symptoms of depression.
- Toxic relationships can lead tofeelings of stress, anxiety, and depression due to the activation of the body's stress response system.
- Insecure attachments in relationships can biologically and neurologically predispose individuals to depression, as suggested by brain imaging studies.
- Maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies, developed due to relationship stress, can increase susceptibility to depression by fostering self-criticism.
- Emotional regulation deficits, linked to relationship stress, can act as bridges connecting relational stress to depressive symptoms and hindering recovery.
- Depression shares overlapping yet distinct emotional regulation pathways with insecure attachment, indicating that troubled relationships may reinforce depressive states.
- People with depression can maintain a connection with their partner by sharing their feelings and needs, allowing time for self-care, and maintaining physical intimacy.
- Signs that a relationship is harmful include being blamed for mental health issues, feeling insecure or unconfident, feeling trapped, alone, or isolated, experiencing frequent drama and conflict, and feeling threatened or unsafe.
- If a person is still unhappy in their relationship after starting depression treatment, it may be a sign that the relationship itself is impacting their mental health, suggesting the need for further assistance from a mental health professional or a relationship counselor.
