22F struggling with anxiety, attachment, and communication in my first relationship
Hi everyone, I need some guidance on how to deal with my relationship and my mental health. I’m 22, and this is my first real relationship. I struggle with depression and anxiety, and lately it feels like it’s affecting my relationship badly.
I overthink constantly and care a lot about my partner’s reactions to me. I cry often, feel emotionally overwhelmed, and I’m already in therapy, but I still feel stuck and don’t know what else to do.
I also struggle a lot with communication. Growing up, I stayed to myself most of the time and didn’t really socialize or learn how to express my feelings in a healthy way. I grew up in an abusive household, and I think a lot of that is affecting me now as an adult and in my relationship.
I honestly don’t really have much family support either. My mom mostly contacts me when she needs money, and my sister has never really been emotionally there for me, so I think I became very attached and dependent emotionally in relationships.
I can tell my partner is becoming more irritated and emotionally distant over time, which makes me panic even more. I really do want to get better, learn how to regulate my emotions, communicate healthier, and stop ruining the relationship.
Has anyone else dealt with this before or have advice on how to heal and become more emotionally stable in a relationship?