How Marital Discord Contributes
to Your Anxiety Symptoms

Marriage may make you less likely to have anxiety problems: a large, multinational study carried out by Scott et al. (2010) with over 34,000 adult participants showed that married adults had a lower risk of various kinds of conditions, including anxiety, compared to adults who have never been married.

However, there is no such thing as a perfect relationship, even the healthiest of relationships experience challenges and conflict. If conflicts are left unresolved they can create a great deal of damage to your relationship. 

Causes of Anxiety in Marriage

There are many possible things, including marital disagreements, that can contribute to your anxiety. Anxiety may differ in severity depending on the underlying factors that brought it on. In itself, anxiety is the body’s natural response to feeling threatened or endangered. In marriage, there can be both serious and less serious challenges that cause anxiety. Some of the most common causes of anxiety in marriage include:

  • Loss of Trust—Serious things like infidelity can lead to a general loss of trust, or trivial issues like misplacing things around the house may become an everyday cause of marital discord. Trust is a very important ingredient in a marriage. When it is gone, anxiety sets in and you become uncertain why the relationship needs to be saved.
  • Arguing—Lots of arguments can easily contribute to anxiety. No matter the cause, arguments can result in a couple growing distant from each other. The real concern is the significant fear that can be triggered by this constant bickering. This worry can eventually become anxiety because you are too afraid to say or do anything that may trigger another argument.
  • Negativity and Lack of Intimacy—When a couple stops being supportive and friendly to each other, their marriage may experience a lot of negativity. Jokes that were once playful may become sour. Often words are used to criticize, spoken in an unfriendly tone, or taken to mean something derogatory. Constant negativity can contribute to anxiety caused by fear of intimacy and rejection.
  • Stress—The most common reason for marital anxiety is long-term stress. When you’re in a tense relationship or constantly feel tense, it’s not surprising for symptoms of anxiety to manifest not only in your marriage, but out of it as well.

A bit of anxiety does not comprise a full-blown anxiety disorder, and most marriages can survive minor anxiety without consequence. However, all couples experience a certain level of distress and worry when marital discord interrupts an otherwise harmonious union. The main indicators that anxiety has blown out of proportion are if it interferes with the couple’s life and doesn’t show signs of improving. If symptoms are not treated, anxiety may lead to further problems with your marriage.

The Damaging Effect of Anxiety on a Couple’s Well-Being

If your symptoms of anxiety are left untreated and not properly communicated they may fuel inner turmoil and ignite other psychological health concerns. This is particularly true of unresolved past anxiety, wherein patterns may recur and perpetuate a spouse’s personal insecurities and doubts about their competency and relationship.

Unresolved anxiety not only hurts the person experiencing it, but often affects all areas of their life, including their relationships. In most cases, when anxiety is triggered, it is family and friends who face the brunt of it. Without knowledge and understanding of anxiety, serious long-term damage can result.

Where to Turn for Help

Spouses with concerns regarding anxiety may benefit from professional help to manage symptoms before they get worse. If you or your spouse has symptoms of anxiety, it’s important to know that you are not alone and that anxiety is highly treatable.

At Carolina Counseling Services – Sanford, NC, there are many forms of effective treatment for anxiety. Our contracted counselors are passionate and committed to helping individuals understand and overcome anxiety. They provide a safe and comfortable environment where you can freely express your fears, worries. Without judgment or bias you can learn new ways to cope and respond. 

Call CCS today to schedule your first appointment. Online counseling sessions are available!

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