This emotional clip – ah…thank you reality TV – shows a young woman and her parents struggling with anxiety and depression.  The judge asks her how she overcame her condition to audition, to which she replies, therapy and her parents.  The attachment between them is beautifully shown in back and forth clips.  Clinically, that connection between them may indeed have been a big factor in her triumph on stage.   Notice the emotion of the mother as talks about and listens to her daughter perform – her empathy – the tangible connection. The research about close relationships decreasing anxiety and depression is in evidence here.

 

The attachment between parent and child is also key between you and your partner.  Don’t you feel better when someone is there for you like that?  Take a few moments with your partner and acknowledge times when your connection has been strong.  Do you talk about this regularly?  It strengthens the relationship to do so.