While there are many definitions of a relationship, it would be fair to say a lot of people will stress the importance of dealing with the good and the bad that comes along. It is easy to be in a relationship when everything is going well in a relationship, the true test of a relationship is when people aren’t happy or life is challenging.

Any stress or challenge facing a person or a couple will put pressure on a relationship. This can be seen in the difficulties people face when they have money worries when job concerns impact on their home life and all of the other issues that worry people. If one or both parties are dealing with mental health issues, it will impact on a relationship but it needn’t define a relationship or cause a relationship to fail.

Tips on dealing with mental health in a relationship

One of the most important tips to help you manage a relationship while experiencing mental illness is to be honest. If you are the person suffering from the condition, it is important to inform your partner of what you are experiencing. You may not have to tell them your entire medical condition but withholding this information will create more challenges and problems in the long run.

Encourage discussion and questions. Good communication is a vital component of all relationships, and this is the case when dealing with something as serious as the mental health of one or both parties involved with the relationship. It is important to remember that mental health is not the whole sum of one person, but it is a factor of their life, and therefore, both parties in a relationship should be aware of the condition.

There are times when you need to laugh and times when you need to cry. Even though mental health issues are very serious, it is important that couples maintain their sense of humour and understand that there will be times when the natural reaction is to laugh or have fun. This doesn’t diminish what either party is going through, it is just a reminder of how life can affect people in different ways at times.

Every relationship has issues to contend with

Don’t get too hung up on mental illness because every person and every couple have issues to deal with. In modern social media times, it is natural to look at some people or some couples and think they are perfect. The truth is, no one is perfect and even couples who appear to have it all will have their own issues to contend with. Knowing that every person and every couple is dealing with someone should help you manage your own issues with a touch of perspective.

If things go wrong, don’t automatically blame the mental health issues. There are many reasons why relationships stop working. Allowing yourself to believe that mental health issues are the cause of any or all relationship breakdowns you experience will prevent you from achieving happiness.

If you or your partner is suffering from mental health, it will be a component of your relationship. However, it needn’t be a fatal component. In fact, by acknowledging the issue and working together to create a happy and healthy environment, couples can find that their relationship is strengthened by the way they work together.

If you would like to read more posts like this then please head over to my blog. Darcy and I would be more than happy for you to join our family and hear your stories.

Visit my blog Sarah Hayley talks.

Much love x

Sarah Hayley Talks

This post is written by Sarah Hayley. Follow The Mood Recipes for more blog posts and articles.