What is Relationship Anxiety/ROCD?

"What if he/she isn't the one?"

"What if I have to leave my partner?"

"Should I break up with my partner?"

"What if I'm not attracted to my partner?"

"What if my partner doesn't love me?"

"Do I love my partner enough?"

"What if my partner loves me more than I love them?"

"What if we aren't compatible enough?"

"Am I lying when I say 'I love you' to my partner?"

Let me ease your anxiety right away but saying that these thoughts are NORMAL.

THESE. THOUGHTS. ARE. NORMAL.

Having excessive intrusive thoughts like these are likely a sign that you are struggling with relationship anxiety or relationship OCD (ROCD).*

Relationship anxiety is a form of anxiety and can also be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder where you are having constant thoughts obsessions or compulsions about your relationship. This type of anxiety is unfortunately not talked about enough - however, in recent years, it is gaining more attention as more people are experiencing it.

There can be different ways that relationship anxiety manifests. Your anxiety can be relationship-focused or partner-focused. It can be experienced as just obsessive thoughts (sometimes referred to as Pure-O). It can also be experienced as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is where one may find themselves "checking" or seeking reassurance. For example, one may "check" to see if they still love their partner by how they are feeling that day. One may constantly ask a friend if they think they should still be with their partner.

You may also be experiencing a mix of all of these. And that's okay.

Some takeaways:

- It's okay to have doubts about your partner and your relationship

- What you're struggling can feel isolating, so be gentle with yourself

- Try to take time to notice and challenge your thoughts (Hint: there will be a lot of "what-ifs" and "shoulds"

If you want to work through your relationship anxiety/ROCD, you can book an initial consultation with me to see if we would be a good fit.

Take care of yourself,

Spencer Dawson, MA

Registered Clinical Counsellor

email: spencer@portreecounsellingcompany.com

website:portreecounsellingcompany.com

* This blog post is not referring to relationships where there is any type of abuse.