Did you know that loving, positive relationships go hand in hand with lower stress levels? Unfortunately, though, this means that trickier relationships can see increased stress, particularly for those already suffering with mental health problems. Arguments and insecurities threaten your emotional control, which worsens mental illness and makes maintaining a partnership difficult.
There’s no doubt that stress and mental health problems makes love tricky, but it doesn’t have to mean a terminal diagnosis. With hard work and mediation, you can maintain a flourishing connection with your partner and see your mental health thrive.
There’s a well-known overlap between stress and mental health. Those with mental illnesses may find emotional experiences (such as arguments) more stressful, and that stress increases their chance of a mental health flare-up, leading to a vicious cycle. Mediation aims to reduce stress in relationships, creating a calmer, less explosive environment. When sessions are decreasing the number of clashes you have and helping you cope better in hard situations, your stress levels should start to decrease.
Not only can mediation reduce stress, it can also help you learn how to deal with it when you feel your stress levels rising. Mental health problems can make you feel as though you have no control over your emotions, with arguments leading to fits of rage or deep depression. These aren’t rare problems, though, and mediation gives you a space to talk about issues in a calm, controlled environment, keeping stress at bay.
Long-term conflict can cause a range of mental health problems, including:
As your mental health worsens, your emotions become harder to control, and conflicts become more difficult to navigate. But when you don’t have the tools as a couple to resolve arguments healthily, this can be a tricky trap to avoid. Fortunately, mediation can step in.
A good mediator will teach you how to argue in a way that’s healthy and beneficial. Not only this, but they’ll give you techniques to find resolutions during conflict so that you can avoid going to bed angry. Being able to find answers in your arguments is essential for improving mental health.
When a relationship is putting a strain on mental health, it’s normal to pull away. Both partners are following their natural self-defense instincts, putting distance between themselves and the cause of the pain. However, by pulling away, you’re doing more harm than good to your relationship.
Mediation is the perfect environment to stop pushing away from each other and rediscover your connection. You uncover the reasons that you’ve grown apart, identify painful behavior patterns, and learn how to overcome them. These vulnerable, emotional conversations often lead to feelings of deep closeness.
Mental health can be something that’s difficult to understand when you’re in the thick of it. This is true for both parties: the individual suffering from the mental health problem and the one living with that individual. When you don’t have an outsider helping you see rationally, it can be easy to see yourself as the victim (regardless of which party you are), which only exacerbates the problems being faced.
With a mediator, you both have the chance to talk about your experiences with someone who can help you communicate them. You’ll take turns discussing your experiences and feelings, and both learn to hear the other. This generates better support and understanding from both sides, which is essential for improving mental health.
When neither partner is listening, the mental health of both will suffer. It can cause increases in anxiety, depression, and frustration, all the while worsening existing relationship problems. Your mediator will show the importance of active listening through example, giving both of you someone who will pay attention to what you say and ensure you do the same for your partner.
They’ll also ensure you’re having constructive dialogues. Rather than both talking over each other, you’ll be listening and responding. This is a much healthier way of communicating that leads to deeper understanding and easier resolutions.
Not all relationships are destined to last. Sometimes, your mental health is suffering because you’re with the wrong person. Rather than living with the consequences of this, which can be incredibly dangerous for those with existing mental illnesses, mediation can show you when it’s time to end it.
If you’re in a toxic relationship with no end in sight, it may be that your mediator helps you see this or that you discover it for yourself through the sessions. Sometimes, you may even know that you’re in a relationship that isn’t good for you, but it takes mediation to give you the confidence to say it out loud.
Mediation isn’t always the sign of a bad relationship – far from it! Seeking help from a professional to make your relationship work and improve your mental health whilst reducing stress is a sign of bravery and love. If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out the many mediation articles on our website.
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