How Depression Can Affect a Relationship

Depression is a common condition that affects around 1 in 5 people in the UK. It's important to understand how depression can impact relationships, as well as how the relationship itself can influence the experience of depression. A healthy partnership can be a positive factor in managing the condition.
Depression can make it harder to maintain a strong and fulfilling connection with a partner. Those experiencing depression often feel overwhelmed by negative emotions, which can affect their ability to communicate or find the energy and motivation that others might expect.

This can also interfere with activities that are typically part of a relationship, like going on dates or engaging in shared hobbies. Such changes can create tension and may lead to arguments. The person struggling with depression may feel like a burden, believing they are dragging their partner down emotionally or unable to contribute to household responsibilities like cooking or cleaning.

Often, the person with depression is aware of how their condition is affecting the relationship but feels powerless to change things. This can lead to feelings of shame and guilt, as they may feel unable to help themselves and worry that their partner doesn’t deserve the impact of their depression. Being mindful of these feelings is important to understanding how depression affects both partners in the relationship.

It’s also essential to consider how your partner is affected by your mental health challenges. Supporting a loved one through mental health struggles can be difficult and may lead to frustration, anxiety, or a low mood. Recognizing the experiences of both individuals in a relationship is key to understanding and managing these struggles together.

There are many resources available to help you navigate depression within a relationship and to gain clarity on its effects on both partners. It can be a very lonely place trying to make sense of this condition and reaching out for support can be helpful. If you are seeking additional support after reading this article, schedule an initial counselling session with me to see if I can help.