My problems are affecting my marriage; I want to fix myself. 

You’re smart to recognize you need help, says our elder. Make an appointment with your doctor and take it from there.

 

Dear EWC

I need professional help. I’m losing my relationship because of anxiety problems. When we argue I have a shitty habit of using “the kid getting caught taking cookies in the jar and denying it” excuses because I don’t like confrontation and it makes me anxious. I’m tired of doing that, it’s making my spouse crazy and I hate myself for it. I have ego problems and I have a very difficult time admitting when I’m wrong. It’s very stupid of me and I have a hard time controlling it. I want to fix myself before it’s too late, what should I do?

 

Hildegard replies

You said it yourself. You need professional help. Anxiety can affect a person’s ability to deal with interpersonal relationships to a great extent and make it impossible to communicate effectively. You need someone to talk with who can help you untangle this situation with your partner. Try to find a counselor that you can relate to and who is easy to talk with. You may learn that you also need medication for this problem. By seeing a professional, you might even find that what you think is anxiety could be something else altogether. So, it’s important that you start with your doctor and get a referral to a specialist who can help you.

You are smart to realize this is affecting your relationship. Anxiety can really mess with our ability to interpret what’s going on and see a situation realistically. So good for you. Make an appointment with your doctor and start there. It’s very common for people to have anxiety issues and problems with their self-image. You will find help. You just need to ask for it. Best of luck with your relationship.

Article #: 421096

Category: Dating/Relationship