WOES, BEGONE!

Is he cheating on me? Why does he take so much time to respond to my messages? Why has he become so secretive? Will he break up with me? Does he even care about me? If such questions plague your mind even when there are no major bumps in your relationship, beware. Chances are, you are suffering from relationship anxiety, and sabotaging the bond with your partner.

Defining the problem

Before we make an attempt to understand the condition, we need to comprehend what chronic anxiety is all about. Anxiety usually means a disturbing apprehension about the future,says Srishti Saha, consultant clinicalGenerally, anxiety occurs in response to the expectation of a threat or a possible misfortune. In this context, relationship anxiety would mean the apprehension or anticipation of something going wrong. It could be manifested in the form of persistent worries about the quality or longevity of the relationship, and can lead to negative emotions.says Nisha Sharma*. The 34-year-old Gurugram-based techie describes herself as a constant worrier’and the primary focus is her relationship. It's not that I am an irrational person, but it’s tough to control negative thoughts. I always think the worst when it comes to my relationship,she says. There are fights and arguments sometimes, and that makes me all the more anxious.Sharma admits that she has a loving partner and her fears are, in all probability, unfounded.