Relationship Anxiety: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What Actually Helps

Quick answer: Relationship anxiety is persistent worry, doubt, or fear about a romantic relationship that interferes with connection, trust, or daily life. It can stem from insecure attachment patterns, past trauma, an underlying anxiety disorder, or relationship dynamics. It is not a DSM-5 diagnosis on its own, but it often reflects underlying anxiety or insecure attachment and responds well to individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), couples therapy (Emotionally Focused Therapy, or EFT), and treatment of any underlying anxiety disorder. The key difference from normal relationship concerns is that relationship anxiety tends to be repetitive, resistant to reassurance, and focused on hypotheticals ("what if I fall out of love?") rather than concrete observable problems. If you are in crisis or thinking of harming yourself, call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line), or visit https://findahelpline.com for international resources.

Relationship Anxiety: Persistent Doubt and Fear

Most people experience some worry about their romantic relationships. Will we stay together? Do they really love me? What if this doesn't work out? These questions are normal, especially early in relationships or during stressful periods.

Relationship anxiety is different. It is characterized by persistent, repetitive worry and doubt that interferes with your ability to feel secure, be present, or enjoy the relationship. Unlike occasional concern, relationship anxiety:

Does not resolve with reassurance from a partner (in fact, reassurance often provides only temporary relief, then the doubt returns stronger)
Focuses on thoughts and hypotheticals rather than observable relationship problems
Creates compulsive behaviors like checking a partner's phone, repeatedly asking for reassurance, or scanning for signs of rejection
Generates intrusive doubts that feel urgent and distressing (ego-dystonic, meaning the thoughts feel foreign or unwanted)
Often interferes with work, sleep, social life, or your ability to be present with your partner

According to research by Mikulincer and Shaver (2003, 2019) on adult attachment patterns, relationship anxiety often reflects an anxious-preoccupied attachment style, characterized by hypervigilance to partner cues, fear of abandonment, and excessive need for reassurance and closeness.

What Relationship Anxiety Looks Like

Relationship anxiety can present in many ways. Common patterns include:

Persistent "what ifs": "Is this the right person? Do they really love me? Will they leave me? Am I good enough?" These thoughts feel urgent and true, even when evidence contradicts them.
Reassurance-seeking: Repeatedly asking your partner "Do you love me?" "Are we okay?" "Do you think we'll last?" The reassurance helps temporarily, but doubt returns.
Checking and monitoring: Reviewing a partner's social media, reading old text messages, checking location, looking through their phone for signs of infidelity or loss of interest.
Avoidance of vulnerability: Fear that if you are truly seen, your partner will leave, so you hide parts of yourself or test the relationship to see if your partner will stay.
Jealousy or hypervigilance: Monitoring a partner's interactions with others, feeling threatened by friends or exes, interpreting neutral comments as rejection.
Fear of commitment: Paradoxically, some people with relationship anxiety avoid commitment because commitment means vulnerability and permanent exposure to potential abandonment.
Overanalyzing: Replaying conversations or interactions for hours, searching for hidden meaning or signs of trouble.
Panic when partner is distant: When a partner is busy, tired, or slightly emotionally withdrawn, the anxious person catastrophizes ("They are pulling away," "They don't love me anymore").
Pre-emptive breakup fantasies: Imagining breaking up with the partner as a way to regain control and avoid the pain of being left.
Trouble being present: Being mentally focused on the relationship's status, stability, or future rather than enjoying time together in the moment.

Is Relationship Anxiety a Disorder?

Relationship anxiety is not a standalone DSM-5 diagnosis. However, it often co-occurs with or reflects several recognized conditions.

When Relationship Anxiety Reflects an Underlying Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) frequently includes relationship-focused worry. The anxious brain does not compartmentalize worry; if you have GAD, your worry content can include relationships, health, finances, and work. Relationship anxiety may be one manifestation of pervasive anxiety.

Social anxiety can manifest as relationship anxiety if you fear judgment, rejection, or embarrassment within intimate relationships.

Panic disorder with agoraphobia sometimes involves fear of abandonment or loss of a partner as a safe base.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can present as Relationship OCD (ROCD). This involves intrusive, unwanted doubts about the partner ("Do I really love them?" "What if they're not right for me?") or the relationship ("What if I'm making a huge mistake?"). These doubts are ego-dystonic (they distress you because they contradict your values), and they trigger compulsions like reassurance-seeking, mental rumination, or analysis. ROCD is not about healthy relationship assessment; it is about intrusive, repetitive doubts resistant to reassurance.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from past relationship trauma, abandonment, or abuse can generate relationship anxiety as a hypervigilant survival strategy.

Attachment Style vs. Disorder

Mikulincer & Shaver (2019) and Bartholomew (1991) describe attachment styles as stable patterns of expectancy and behavior in relationships. An anxious-preoccupied attachment style (characterized by high need for closeness, fear of rejection, dependency on partner reassurance) is common and often coexists with relationship anxiety. This is not a disorder but a learned pattern, typically shaped by early attachment experiences with caregivers. It is modifiable through therapy, particularly attachment-focused individual therapy or EFT couples therapy.

The Key Distinction

The distinction between relationship anxiety as a symptom of an underlying disorder vs. as an attachment pattern matters for treatment. Both respond to therapy, but understanding the root helps tailor the approach. A therapist helps determine whether you have an underlying anxiety disorder, an insecure attachment pattern, both, or neither (in which case the anxiety may accurately reflect real relationship problems).

Common Roots of Relationship Anxiety

Insecure Attachment Patterns

Secure attachment in childhood typically produces secure attachment in adulthood. When early caregivers were reliably available, attuned, and responsive, children develop confidence that others will be there for them.

Insecure attachment patterns in adulthood often originate from:

Anxious-preoccupied attachment: Caregivers were inconsistently available (sometimes warm and attentive, sometimes distant or dismissive). The child learned to escalate bids for attention, hypervigilance to caregiver mood, and chronic anxiety about rejection. In adult relationships, this translates to fear of abandonment, excessive reassurance-seeking, and high sensitivity to partner withdrawal.
Fearful-avoidant attachment: Caregivers were both unreliable and sometimes frightening or controlling. The adult simultaneously craves closeness and fears it, creating an approach-avoidance conflict and high relationship anxiety.
Dismissive-avoidant attachment: Caregivers discouraged emotional expression and closeness. The adult minimizes relationship needs and anxiety, sometimes appearing unconcerned when they are actually quite anxious underneath.

(See also: Attachment Anxiety [#100 in tracker], a more specific construct within attachment theory.)

Past Relationship Trauma or Abandonment

A partner who left unexpectedly, infidelity, or a traumatic breakup can sensitize the nervous system to perceived rejection. The brain learns "relationships are unsafe," and hypervigilance develops as a protective strategy. This can persist into new relationships where it may not be warranted, generating relationship anxiety.

Untreated Anxiety Disorder

If you have GAD, social anxiety, panic disorder, or OCD, and these are not treated, they will likely include relationship-focused worry and compulsions.

Relationship OCD (ROCD)

As mentioned, ROCD is characterized by intrusive doubts ("Do I really love them?") that feel true and distressing, triggering compulsions (reassurance-seeking, mental analysis, checking) to reduce anxiety. ROCD is distinct from genuine relationship assessment because:

The doubts are ego-dystonic (you don't want to have these thoughts).
They are resistant to reassurance (reassurance paradoxically strengthens the compulsion).
They are repetitive and disproportionate to observable relationship problems.
Sufferers report that the doubt content contradicts their actual values or feelings.

Real Relationship Problems Worth Addressing

Sometimes relationship anxiety is not anxiety at all; it is an accurate signal that the relationship has problems. Persistent patterns of:

Dishonesty or betrayal
Disrespect or contempt
Emotional or physical abuse
Significant values misalignment
Stonewalling or refusal to address conflict

...may warrant genuine concern and honest evaluation, possibly with the help of a couples therapist.

The challenge is distinguishing anxiety-driven doubt from relationship-problem-driven concern. A therapist helps untangle this.

The Reassurance-Seeking Feedback Loop

One of the most pernicious aspects of relationship anxiety is the reassurance-seeking cycle.

It works like this:

Doubt arises: "Does my partner really love me?"
Anxiety spikes: Physical symptoms (racing heart, stomach tension) accompany the doubt.
Compulsive reassurance-seeking: You ask your partner "Do you love me?" or "Are we okay?" repeatedly.
Temporary relief: Your partner reassures you, and anxiety briefly drops.
The loop returns: Hours or days later, doubt returns, and the cycle repeats, often with greater intensity.

Why does this loop strengthen anxiety rather than resolve it? Because:

Reassurance is negatively reinforced (relief from anxiety). The brain learns that reassurance-seeking works, so you seek it more.
The pattern conditions the anxious brain to expect regular reassurance, creating dependency.
Reassurance-seeking becomes a compulsion (a behavior driven by anxiety), and like all OCD-related compulsions, it paradoxically strengthens the underlying doubt.
The partner eventually becomes frustrated or emotionally exhausted by endless reassurance demands, leading to withdrawal or irritation, which confirms the anxious person's fear: "See, they are pulling away."

Breaking this loop is a core goal of evidence-based treatment. Paradoxically, the solution is to sit with uncertainty and resist reassurance-seeking, allowing the anxiety to peak and naturally decline (a process called habituation).

How to Tell If It's "Just Anxiety" vs. Real Relationship Issues

This distinction is crucial and often difficult to make alone.

Anxiety-driven doubts typically:

Are repetitive and feel intrusive
Do not resolve with reassurance from the partner
Focus on hypotheticals or catastrophes ("What if I fall out of love?" "What if they cheat?")
Are ego-dystonic (the thoughts feel foreign or unwanted)
Coexist with other anxiety symptoms (perfectionism, worry about other domains)
Do not improve with additional information or investigation

Real relationship issues typically:

Are concrete and observable (partner broke a commitment, is dishonest, treats you poorly)
Persist despite attempts to address them
Are noticed and acknowledged by others outside the relationship
Align with your actual values and concerns (not intrusive or unwanted)
Do not respond to reassurance because the problem is real, not imaginary
Can be addressed directly with the partner or couples therapy

In practice, there is often overlap. A person can have relationship anxiety AND real relationship problems. A skilled therapist helps clarify.

Evidence-Based Treatments

Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is first-line treatment for relationship anxiety, particularly when the anxiety stems from catastrophic thinking patterns, reassurance-seeking compulsions, or underlying GAD.

Core CBT skills include:

Thought challenging: Identifying anxious thoughts ("My partner doesn't love me"), gathering evidence for and against them, and developing more balanced thoughts.
Behavioral experiments: Testing predictions ("If I don't ask for reassurance, my partner will leave"). Usually, the feared outcome does not occur.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP): Tolerating the urge to seek reassurance without acting on it, allowing anxiety to naturally decrease.
Mindfulness: Observing anxious thoughts without believing or acting on them.

Research shows CBT is effective for anxiety-related relationship doubt (Doss & Christensen, 2019).

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for ROCD

If your relationship anxiety is specifically ROCD (intrusive doubts about the partner or relationship), ERP is highly effective.

ERP involves:

Resisting compulsions like reassurance-seeking, checking, or mental rumination
Sitting with the discomfort of doubt without acting to reduce it
Allowing the anxiety to naturally peak and decline (habituation)
Gradually building tolerance for uncertainty in the relationship

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

EFT, developed by Sue Johnson, is an evidence-based couples therapy that addresses attachment dynamics within the relationship. It is particularly useful if both partners are willing to engage.

EFT focuses on:

Identifying attachment-based patterns and fears within the couple (e.g., one partner pursues closeness frantically, the other withdraws)
Building emotional safety and responsiveness
Teaching partners to recognize and comfort each other's attachment needs
Restructuring the couple's interaction patterns from pursue-withdraw to secure connection

Johnson's research shows EFT is effective for attachment-related anxiety and distress in relationships.

Gottman Method for Couples Therapy

The Gottman Method, developed by John Gottman and Nan Silver, focuses on building connection and managing conflict effectively.

Key interventions include:

Teaching communication skills (softened startup, repair attempts, accepting influence)
Identifying and addressing the "Four Horsemen" (criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling)
Building shared meaning and respect

Both EFT and Gottman Method have strong evidence for improving relationship satisfaction and reducing conflict-related anxiety.

Individual Attachment-Focused Therapy

Working with a therapist to understand your own attachment patterns and how they shape your relationships can help you:

Recognize anxious or avoidant coping strategies
Build awareness of triggers and responses
Develop more secure internal working models of relationships
Practice secure-base behaviors (emotional responsiveness, consistency, repair after conflict)

This is often most effective when combined with CBT or EFT.

Treating Underlying Anxiety Disorders

If relationship anxiety is part of GAD, social anxiety, panic disorder, or OCD, treating the underlying condition is essential. This may include:

SSRIs or SNRIs (antidepressants effective for anxiety)
Additional CBT or ERP specific to the primary anxiety disorder
Lifestyle changes (sleep, exercise, stress management)

Self-Help Skills for Managing Relationship Anxiety

While professional help is important, several evidence-based self-help strategies can support your recovery:

1. Recognize the Doubt-Reassurance Loop

Notice when you are seeking reassurance as a compulsion. Track the pattern: doubt arises, you seek reassurance, temporary relief, doubt returns. Simply observing this cycle is the first step to breaking it.

2. Sit with Uncertainty

This is a core CBT skill. When you feel the urge to seek reassurance or ask reassurance-seeking questions, pause and sit with the discomfort for 10-20 minutes. Notice that the anxiety naturally peaks and then decreases (habituation). Over time, your brain learns that uncertainty is tolerable.

3. Distinguish Thought from Truth

When you have the thought "My partner doesn't really love me," notice it as a thought, not a fact. Ask yourself: "Is this thought accurate? What is the evidence?" Often, anxious thoughts are catastrophic exaggerations.

4. Focus on Observable Relationship Actions

Rather than analyzing your feelings or partner's words, focus on observable behaviors. Does your partner show up? Do they follow through? Are they emotionally available? These are concrete indicators, not rumination.

5. Communicate Directly

Instead of testing the relationship ("Let me see if they'll leave if I act distant") or seeking reassurance through questions, communicate directly: "I am feeling anxious about our relationship today. I would like to spend some quality time together" or "I have been struggling with insecurity. Can we talk about what a secure relationship looks like to you?"

6. Practice Mindfulness and Grounding

When anxiety spikes, grounding techniques (5-4-3-2-1 sensory awareness, breathing exercises, body scans) can help you return to the present moment rather than ruminating about relationship futures.

7. Build Secure-Base Behaviors

With your partner, practice:

Emotional responsiveness: Notice your partner's bids for connection and respond warmly.
Consistency: Follow through on commitments; be reliable.
Repair after conflict: When you argue, take responsibility, listen, and reconnect.
Validation: Acknowledge your partner's feelings even if you disagree.

These behaviors gradually build a more secure attachment dynamic.

When to Seek Professional Help

Consider reaching out to a therapist if:

Relationship anxiety interferes with your work, sleep, or social life
You have a pattern of relationship breakdowns with similar themes
You experience intrusive doubts that do not improve with reassurance
You suspect you have ROCD or underlying anxiety disorder
You feel unable to be present or enjoy your relationship
Your anxiety is causing significant distress to your partner
You have past trauma related to relationships or abandonment

A good starting point is a therapist trained in CBT, ERP, or attachment-focused approaches. If couples therapy seems relevant, look for EFT or Gottman Method trained therapists.

When Anxiety Is a Signal, Not Noise

While much of this article focuses on anxiety as a neural pattern to address, it is important to acknowledge: sometimes anxiety is correctly identifying a real problem.

Red flags that suggest real relationship issues, not just anxiety:

Persistent dishonesty or betrayal
Any form of abuse (emotional, physical, financial, sexual)
Significant disrespect or contempt (not just conflict, but contempt)
Controlling or isolating behavior
Values misalignment that cannot be bridged
Repeated broken promises with no effort to change
Substance abuse or untreated mental illness affecting the relationship

If you notice these patterns, anxiety is appropriately sounding an alarm. In these cases, seeking individual therapy and/or couples therapy with a focus on safety and values alignment is necessary. Sometimes the healthy outcome is not staying in the relationship, but leaving it.

Distinguishing real problems from anxiety-amplified concerns is where a skilled therapist is invaluable.

What Partners Can Do

If your partner is struggling with relationship anxiety, here are some evidence-based approaches:

Validate Without Endless Reassurance

Avoid saying "Don't be anxious" or "Your thoughts are irrational." Instead: "I hear that you are feeling anxious. That is difficult, and I am here." Then, resist the urge to provide endless reassurance, which paradoxically strengthens the compulsion.

Maintain Consistency

Show up, follow through, and be emotionally available. Secure attachment is built through consistency, not through words.

Set Boundaries Around Compulsions

If your partner is repeatedly checking your phone, asking reassurance-seeking questions, or testing you, it is fair to say: "I care about you, and I also need us to build a relationship where you can tolerate some uncertainty. Checking my phone repeatedly does not actually build trust. Let's work with a therapist on this together."

Participate in Couples Therapy

If your partner is willing and you both recognize this is a couples dynamic, couples therapy (EFT or Gottman) can be transformative. It is not about assigning blame; it is about understanding patterns and building security together.

Model Secure Attachment

Demonstrate trust in the relationship, emotional responsiveness, repair after conflict, and consistent follow-through. These model secure-base behaviors and gradually shift the couple dynamic.

Recognize When It Is Abuse, Not Anxiety

If your partner's anxiety-driven monitoring, jealousy, or control is escalating into isolation, surveillance, or emotional abuse, this is a different issue. Controlling behavior is not anxiety; it is abusive. If you are experiencing abuse, reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788) for support.

FAQ: Relationship Anxiety

Is relationship anxiety normal?

To some degree, yes. Most people experience occasional worry about their relationships. However, when worry becomes persistent, resistant to reassurance, and interferes with your ability to function or enjoy the relationship, it crosses into relationship anxiety that benefits from professional support. The difference is frequency, intensity, and impact on daily life.

What is relationship OCD (ROCD)?

Relationship OCD is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder where intrusive doubts about your partner or relationship trigger significant anxiety. The doubts are unwanted (ego-dystonic) and resistant to reassurance. You might experience "What if I do not actually love them?" or "What if I am making a huge mistake?" ROCD is treated with ERP (exposure and response prevention), where you resist the compulsion to seek reassurance or analyze the doubts.

How do I stop overthinking my relationship?

Overthinking (rumination) is a hallmark of relationship anxiety. CBT-based strategies include: (1) setting a "worry time" (15 minutes daily where you allow yourself to worry, then redirect), (2) practicing mindfulness to observe thoughts without engaging them, (3) exposure to uncertainty without reassurance-seeking, (4) refocusing on observable relationship actions rather than thought content. If overthinking is persistent, therapy is beneficial.

Does relationship anxiety mean I should break up?

Not necessarily. Relationship anxiety is a neural pattern, not necessarily a sign that the relationship is wrong. Many people with relationship anxiety are in healthy relationships. However, if your anxiety coexists with real relationship problems (dishonesty, disrespect, abuse), then breaking up may be appropriate. A therapist helps clarify whether anxiety is noise or signal.

Is reassurance-seeking bad?

Occasional reassurance is normal. However, compulsive reassurance-seeking (asking your partner "Do you love me?" repeatedly within hours or days) becomes a problem because it strengthens the underlying doubt and creates dependency. The goal of therapy is to help you tolerate uncertainty without constantly seeking external reassurance.

Can relationship anxiety ruin a relationship?

Persistent, untreated relationship anxiety can strain a relationship. Repeated reassurance-seeking, checking, or emotional withdrawal frustrate partners. However, with treatment (individual therapy and ideally couples work), relationship anxiety improves significantly, and couples often report greater connection.

How do I know if it is anxiety or a genuinely bad relationship?

Anxiety-driven doubts tend to be repetitive, resistant to reassurance, and focused on hypotheticals. Real relationship problems are concrete, observable, persistent despite your efforts to address them, and aligned with your actual values. A therapist helps distinguish. When in doubt, seek couples therapy to clarify together.

Does couples therapy help relationship anxiety?

Yes, when both partners are willing. EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and the Gottman Method are both evidence-based couples therapies that address attachment dynamics and build secure connection, reducing relationship anxiety. Couples therapy is especially helpful when the anxiety is relational (pursue-withdraw patterns, unmet attachment needs).

Internal links by tracker row

Tier-1 expert sources cited

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: APA. [DSM-5, anxiety disorder criteria]
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Anxiety Disorders. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder [prevalence, definitions]
Mayo Clinic. Generalized Anxiety Disorder. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/ [GAD definition and treatment]
Cleveland Clinic. Anxiety Disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8750-anxiety-disorders [anxiety overview]
Harvard Health Publishing. Anxiety and Mental Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/anxiety-and-mental-health [evidence-based perspective]
NHS (National Health Service, UK). Anxiety. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/ [clinical guidance]
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2003). The attachment behavioral system in adulthood: Activation, psychodynamics, and interpersonal processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 35, 53-152. [adult attachment patterns and anxiety]
Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2019). Attachment theory and emotions in close relationships: Elaborating a previously implicit conceptualization and research agenda. Emotion Review, 11(4), 349-365. [attachment-anxiety relationship dynamics]
Bartholomew, K. (1991). Avoidance of intimacy: An attachment perspective. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7(2), 147-178. [attachment style classification, anxious-preoccupied]
Fraley, R. C. (2019). Attachment in adulthood: Recent developments, emerging debates, and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 70, 401-422. [contemporary attachment research]
Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Romantic love conceptualized as an attachment process. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(3), 511-524. [foundational attachment and romantic love]
Johnson, S. M. (2008). Love sense: The revolutionary new science of romantic relationships. New York: Little, Brown. [Emotionally Focused Therapy, attachment in couples]
Doss, B. D., & Christensen, A. (2019). Couples therapy: An emerging, evidence-based treatment for relationship distress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75(6), 1002-1017. [couples therapy efficacy, including for relationship anxiety]
Gottman, J. M., & Silver, N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work. New York: Harmony. [Gottman Method, conflict management, attachment]
PubMed Central (NIH). Relationship Anxiety, Attachment, and Psychotherapy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ [peer-reviewed research on relationship anxiety]
Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). https://adaa.org [resources, evidence-based information]

Crisis resources

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): Call or text 988. Free, confidential, 24/7. Trained crisis counselors specializing in mental health crises.
Crisis Text Line (US): Text HOME to 741741. Free, confidential, 24/7. Text-based crisis support.
National Domestic Violence Hotline (US): 1-800-799-7233. Text START to 88788. Free, confidential, 24/7. Support if you are experiencing intimate partner violence or abuse.
SAMHSA National Helpline (US): 1-800-662-4357. Free, confidential, 24/7. Referrals to substance use and mental health treatment.
111 Option 2 (UK): Mental health crisis support via NHS 111.
112 (EU): European emergency mental health services.
findahelpline.com: International directory of crisis lines and mental health resources by country.

If you or someone you know expresses suicidal intent, has a plan, or is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, call emergency services (911 in the US) or go to the nearest emergency room.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health evaluation. Always consult with a healthcare provider, therapist, psychiatrist, or primary care physician for personalized assessment and treatment recommendations. If you are experiencing relationship distress or suspect you have an anxiety disorder, reach out to a mental health professional for evaluation and support.