Romantic relationships provide critical support for adolescence while also presenting unique challenges when adolescence is present.
How Adolescence Affects Romantic Relationships
- Emotional availability may fluctuate with adolescence severity
- Intimacy — physical and emotional — is often reduced during adolescence episodes
- Communication deteriorates when adolescence is high
- Partners may feel helpless, resentful, or exhausted by adolescence
Building a Relationship Resilient to Adolescence
The most resilient couples facing adolescence share these practices:
- Open communication: Talking about adolescence openly, including its effects on the relationship
- Educated support: The non-adolescence partner understands what adolescence is and isn't
- Shared language: Developed ways to communicate about adolescence states without drama
- Maintenance activities: Regular positive connection that doesn't depend on adolescence state
Couples Therapy for Adolescence
When adolescence significantly affects the relationship, couples therapy provides a structured space to address both individual adolescence and relational dynamics simultaneously.