Is Your Relationship Hurting Your Mental Health? 7 Red Flags to Watch For

Relationships are supposed to add meaning, support, and connection to your life. But sometimes, the very relationships you care about most — romantic partners, family members, friends, even coworkers — quietly take a toll on your mental health.

At Sound Psychiatry and Wellness, Drew Pittman, PMHNP, works with people who come in feeling anxious, exhausted, or emotionally stuck — only to realize that ongoing relationship stress plays a major role. Understanding the connection between relationships and mental health can be a powerful first step toward change.

How relationships and mental health are connected

Humans are wired for connection, so healthy relationships can be great for reducing stress, reinforcing your self-worth, and providing emotional safety. 

Unfortunately, unhealthy ones do the opposite. Chronic conflict, emotional unpredictability, or feeling unseen can keep your nervous system in a constant state of alert. Over time, that stress shows up as anxiety, depression, irritability, sleep problems, or burnout.

And that’s not all: When mental health struggles are already present, relationships can become even harder to navigate — which can worsen your symptoms if you don’t have good support.

Seven relationship red flags that affect mental health

Not every difficult moment signals a toxic relationship, but when certain patterns repeat, they can chip away at emotional well-being.

1. You feel drained rather than supported

If interactions leave you anxious, depleted, and on edge, that’s worth exploring, even if you can’t pinpoint exactly why.

2. You often feel dismissed or minimized

Being told you’re “too sensitive,” “overreacting,” or “making things up” can erode confidence and make you doubt your own perceptions.

3. Communication feels unsafe or one-sided

When you hold back to avoid conflict, or your conversations regularly escalate into blame or shutdown, that relationship is dysfunctional.

4. The relationship makes you feel anxiety, guilt, or shame

Healthy relationships don’t require you to constantly justify yourself or feel bad for having boundaries.

5. You’re walking on eggshells

If you’re always managing someone else’s moods or reactions, your nervous system never gets a break.

6. Isolation creeps in

When a relationship pulls you away from friends, family, or activities that once mattered, your emotional world can shrink.

7. Symptoms worsen around certain people

If your depression deepens, anxiety spikes, or sleep suffers after specific interactions, your relational stress is affecting your mental health.

When mental health challenges complicate relationships

Living with a mood disorder may mean that your relationships require more intention.

Mental health symptoms can affect communication, emotional regulation, and trust. At the same time, unsupportive or volatile relationships can intensify symptoms. It’s often a two-way street — and understanding that dynamic removes a lot of unnecessary self-blame.

Healthier relationships don’t start with perfection

Improving relational health isn’t about fixing other people or forcing yourself to tolerate more. It starts with small, steady shifts.

Learning where your limits are — and respecting them — matters. Speaking honestly about your needs, even when it feels uncomfortable, matters. So does maintaining a wider support system, so no single relationship carries the full emotional load.

When interactions feel overwhelming, stepping away to reset helps your nervous system recover. And when patterns feel confusing or deeply ingrained, professional support can bring clarity you may not find on your own.

How we support your mental health and your relationships

At Sound Psychiatry and Wellness, Drew takes a whole-person approach to mental health by looking at more than your symptoms. He assesses the relationships and environments shaping your emotional world.

Through personalized care via telehealth in Colorado, Florida, Ohio, and Massachusetts, Drew helps you:

• Identify unhealthy relationship patterns without judgment
• Strengthen your boundaries and emotional awareness
• Build coping strategies that help you in real-life situations
• Navigate relationships while managing mental health conditions

You don’t have to figure everything out before reaching out. Many patients start simply by saying, “Something feels off, and I don’t know why.” That’s enough.

If a relationship consistently leaves you feeling smaller, more anxious, or emotionally worn down, it’s worth paying attention — not to assign blame, but to protect your health.

If you’re ready to talk, contact Sound Psychiatry and Wellness to request a telehealth appointment.