While one in eight people suffer from a mental illness, dating isn’t out of the question. It’s possible to establish romantic connections when two people suffer from mental health issues.
Dating in general can be romantic when two share a loving connection. There’s no better feeling in the world.
It might be difficult at times, however, there are tips for dating with mental illness. Here, we’ll give you seven of them, so keep reading.
1. Find Ways to Assist Each Other Through Your Mental Illness
When you don’t help each other through your issues, the problems can become worse. This is especially true if it happens over time. For example, if you and your partner with a mental health disorder don’t discuss how you’re therapy is going, then you might not be able to provide the emotional support that each needs to get through it.
Chat through how your progress is going with your mental health team, medications, or whatever treatment option you’re both put on. It can only help rather than hinder the situation.
2. Don’t Allow the Illness to Stand in the Way
Being diagnosed with a mental illness is never easy. But if you let it, it can get in the way of your relationship, and both blame each other for your problems.
Never allow this to happen. Instead, try and work through your conditions together for a healthy relationship to be established. Take it one step and day at a time and never allow the illnesses you both suffer from be what gets in the way of your relationship.
There are plenty of ways to deal with this such as:
- Talking through your issues together
- Planning regular sit-downs where issues are resolved
- Calling or texting to ensure both of you are doing fine
3. Check In With Each Other Regularly
Not staying in touch can cause problems with any relationship – it can cause it to go stiff! The love diminishes and that’s no different than when dating with a mental illness. It can become even more challenging, especially on your down days.
When you stay in regular contact your relationship is more likely to flourish. You can do this through calls, texts, or messaging via social media platforms such as WhatsApp or Facebook.
4. Build a Self-Care Practice Together While Dating With Mental Illness
Taking good care of yourself is important for dealing with your condition, even if you’re single, don’t have a family, or are alone. But when you’ve got a partner, it’s made much easier.
Self-care practices that you can include are:
- Daily or frequent walks together
- Meditation or yoga classes
- Planning healthy meals together
- Watching movies with each other that aren’t triggering, such as romance flicks or comedies
When you practice self-together your relationship blooms. It can add that little bit of spark that you needed.
5. Stay Away From Blaming Each Other for Your Problems
A lot of mental health professionals report blaming the other person. This can actually cause a decline not just in mental health, but cause strife in the relationship too. In fact, it’s often the person in the relationship seen as healthy that puts the blame on the other, which isn’t fair – either person could be at fault!
The ways to prevent this from happening are to show love, compassion, and understanding of what the other person is going through. Listen attentively to each other and especially toward the person who feels more down, stressed, depressed, or other.
Not judging is the key here, even when you feel like their problems might drag you down further. Rather, ask questions that can point the relationship in the right direction, such as is there anything I can do to help you today? What’s been playing on your mind and what can I do to make you feel better?
It’s all about being comforting.
6. Attend Couples Counseling Together
Sometimes meeting with a therapist individually might not always be the best idea if you’re in a relationship. Perhaps the full story of the problems won’t get addressed, especially when some of the issues are to do with the relationship.
That’s where couples counseling comes in. It can help resolve matters quicker and more efficiently. That’s because it can help both parties to open up more. Then, assistance is on its way faster and the outcome can help improve the overall relationship.
7. Understand Each Other’s Triggers
There are certain points that can become triggers for both in love with a mental illness. Understanding what they are is the best way to avoid them.
An example is that if a person suffers from panic disorder and their partner doesn’t, then it’s important to ensure that the trigger point is avoided. It could be going to a certain place or talking about a particular subject. Show them how much you care by not going there and being there for them when they suffer episodes.
Special Bridge: Online Dating Community
Special Bridge is an online social community site for those dating with a disability – both mental and physical. Those who join can find their new love or life-long partner by finding matches using:
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It’s a unique site out of those where online social communities are built.
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Establishing a connection when dating with mental illness isn’t simple. But we’ve given you seven ways that you can ensure your relationship stays positive and a loving connection’s established. This gets achieved through refraining from blaming each other, attending couples counseling, building self-care strategies, and more, which we’ve discussed here.
Now, you also know why we’re the online site for dating if you’ve got a mental or physical disability. We’re the site for you.
Join our community and start making loving connections like the rest. Contact us today! We’re here to help you find the love of your life.
