Therapy for Dating Can Help You Avoid an Emotional Breakdown

"Many of my clients have expressed discontent with the current dating environment and culture. Common words I continue to hear in my practice to describe dates include: flaky, inconsiderate, inconsistent, low effort. Other words or phrases that have been used to describe one's feelings around dating and the experience as a whole include: lonely, behind, discouraged, burnt out, and jaded."

"Research continues to confirm the negative effects of dating apps on one's mental health and well-being. For example, a study in 2020 by Holtzhausen et al. linked the use of swipe-based dating applications and mental health challenges including higher levels of anxiety, depression and distress."

"Dating can be detrimental to one's mental health because it is both taxing and activating. It's taxing because it requires so much time, energy, and emotion. You have to put yourself out there over and over (and over) again. On top of your job and other responsibilities, you have to make yourself available to people you don't know, don't yet feel connected to, or don't feel comfortable with."

Modern dating presents significant psychological challenges, leaving singles simultaneously overwhelmed by app abundance and underwhelmed by match quality. Users consistently report negative experiences characterized by flakiness, low effort, and inconsistency. Research confirms dating apps correlate with increased anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. Dating functions as both taxing and activating—demanding substantial time, energy, and emotional resources while simultaneously triggering stress responses. Beyond regular life responsibilities, individuals repeatedly expose themselves to unknown people, creating cumulative psychological burden. Therapy provides valuable support for managing dating in healthier, more sustainable ways.

Read at Psychology Today