Being in the relationship is one of the best feelings in the world. The warmth of being loved and cared for by someone special is a great way to keep our souls active and healthy. In a healthy relationship, emotional attachment with our partner is completely normal because it strengthens the bond of love between the couple.
However, an excess of emotional attachment can turn down the vibrant colors of love into shades of toxicity and will start disrupting your life. It will affect not only your life but also your partner’s, which can eventually lead the couple to the breakup road.
So, to maintain a balanced relationship, it is necessary to determine the line between healthy and unhealthy emotional attachment. Although, it is hard to identify the sweet spot between the two, especially in cases when one of the two persons remains in an abusive relationship.
Curious if your emotional connection with your partner is on the right track? Then, give this article a good read. We have done deep research by consulting with mental health clinicians and scholarly articles to help you identify when your emotional attachment turns into full-blown obsessions.
Unhealthy Emotional Attachment in a Relationship – How To Identify?
First thing first, you need to understand that your partner needs some space no matter how deeply in love you are. Space works like oxygen in a relationship, so make sure both of you get some. Relying completely on your partner for everything? It’s not the healthiest move.
Similarly, when you put extra effort into your relationship and don’t get a return, you might get upset, and the toxicity starts right from here because not everyone’s wired the same way. So balancing your emotional attachment is very important to keep your relationship lifelong.
Are you ready to check if your emotional attachment with your partner is in a healthy zone? Find out the signs below.
Being insecure about losing your partner
Being scared of losing your loved one is normal, but an increased emotion can lead you to a breakup road. For example, if you check on your partner once or twice a day, no big deal.
However, when you keep peeking into your partner’s personal space and wanting him/her to reply ASAP, that’s a red flag. It’s not like if your partner isn’t replying, then you have lost him, or he might be cheating on you; it’s just overthinking.
Did you know that overthinking is the first sign that your mental health is a bit off? In this situation, a person will be completely surrounded by negativity. So, if you feel insecure or overthinking, it’s high time to control your emotional attachment.
Trust issues and Jealousy
Jealousy is part of human nature, but how intense it gets will decide how much you trust your partner and how strong your relationship is.
Dr. Lukin states, “Significant jealousy is a clear signal of unhealthy emotional attachment.”
Picture this: feeling a twinge is normal when you see your partner giving extra time to someone else. However, seeing your partner just passing a smile to someone else can turn you red; that’s not healthy – it’s a bordering obsession.
Remember, your partners are your lovers, not your possessions; you owe them, don’t own them. If you are going through such trust issues and significant jealousy, it might be time to do a little self-work.
Expect your partner to meet all your emotional needs
Respecting emotional needs in a relationship is necessary. However, both partners should be comfortable saying “no.” Otherwise, one of the two might suffer.
A relationship is based on a give-and-take algorithm. There is no need to overdose your partner with the pile of expectations; otherwise, the balance of give and take will be compromised, leading to a toxic relationship.
Living in a visionary world
Nowadays, it has become common for many people to post their personal lives in the name of Vlogging. It’s fine that people are sharing their joys with others, but what is not normal is that some people are faking it, and others are getting inspired by it, thinking they are real. There is a difference between the real and the reel world.
For example, if these vloggers give their partners surprise parties, gifts, or luxuries, the people watching them will start expecting the same from their partners, which isn’t normal. Such people will start living in their own visionary world, which might lead to further mental health issues.
How to Deal with Unhealthy Emotional Attachment?
If you have figured out that you are going through an unhealthy emotional attachment, then you can do the following things to deal with it.
- Divert your mind and make yourself busy with something that makes you happy.
- When you start overthinking try to do color therapy. You might find plenty of adult coloring books on Amazon. Color therapy will help you erase all the negative thoughts from your mind.
- Do meditation, yoga, bicycling, swimming, walking, or whatever you like.
- Make journals be it art, positive affirmations, venting, or writing journals. This will help you think positively and love.
- If you think that these tips aren’t working. Try consulting a mental health clinician around you.
Final words – Emotional Attachment in a Relationship
Emotional attachment in a relationship is good, but unhealthy emotional attachment will lead the person to other mental health issues such as anxiety, distress, trust issues, and disorganization.
Recognizing the signs of unhealthy emotional attachment, such as insecurity, jealousy, and unrealistic expectations, is the first step towards fostering a balanced relationship. In the next step, work on yourself by diverting your mind towards mindfulness, creativity, or some sports. For best results, connect yourself with a mental health clinician.
At Couple Thrive Space, we also offer sessions to help people with mental health issues. You can email us for more details regarding our services.
