Most dating advice assumes you're having a good week. Be confident, be spontaneous, say yes to everything. Lovely, if your brain cooperates. If you live with depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, PTSD or any of the other things that don't show up in a profile photo, dating can feel like performing a version of yourself you can only keep up for a few hours at a time.
SingleDisabled is for disabled singles and the people who'd like to date them, and that very much includes people living with mental illness who'd rather date honestly than spend months wondering when to bring it up. Here, mentioning that you have anxiety isn't a red flag. It's just a fact about you, like being a night owl or hating coriander.
Some of the people on SingleDisabled
Some people have lived with a mental health condition since their teens and know their patterns well. Some had a diagnosis more recently and are dating while still working out what works for them. Some don't use a diagnosis at all and would just say they have their ups and downs. And plenty of people without a condition have friends, family or exes who do, and would never think twice about it.
Lots of people have more than one thing going on, too. Mental health often sits alongside physical conditions, autism, chronic pain or a disability, so nobody here expects your story to fit in one neat box. If you've been searching for mental health dating sites in the UK and finding mostly forums and support groups, this is the dating bit.
You can be working on yourself and still be worth dating. Both things are true at once.
There's no right moment, and the decision is always yours. Some people put it on their profile in a single relaxed line, because it filters out anyone who'd be weird about it. Some mention it after a few good conversations. Some wait until they've met. Our article on deciding what to put on your profile has more on weighing it up.
What tends to land well is keeping it simple and saying what it means in practice. "I have anxiety, so I'm better with plans than surprises" tells someone far more than a diagnosis on its own, and it's much easier to hear. You don't need to share your history, your medication or your worst year. Just what's useful for someone getting to know you.
Some people flag things like these straight away:
Dating with mental health issues raises a common worry: "should I even be dating right now?" If you're in a really rough patch, it's fair to give yourself some breathing room. But if you're broadly okay and just not perfect, you're in the same position as almost everyone else on any dating site. Nobody turns up fully finished.
A few things help. Go at your own pace, and don't let anyone rush you into meeting before you're ready. Notice how you feel after chatting to someone: a bit lighter is a good sign, drained or anxious is worth paying attention to. And keep the rest of your life going too, so a date doesn't carry the weight of your whole week.
One of the nice things about starting online is that you can step back for a day without it meaning anything. If you go quiet sometimes, say so on your profile: "I might take a while to reply, it's never personal." No mental health dating app is needed either; it all works in your phone's browser, so you can reply from bed on a slow morning. Voice notes are there if talking feels easier than typing, and you can block or ignore anyone who sends three messages in a row because you didn't answer within the hour.
The best first dates for anxious brains have a clear plan, an easy exit and not too much going on. A coffee at a set time with a natural end point. A walk somewhere you already know. A daytime activity where there's something to look at, so silences don't feel loaded. Choose a place you're comfortable getting to and home from, and decide in advance how long you'll stay.
It's absolutely fine to tell your date you get nervous. Most people are relieved, because they're nervous too.
Sometimes saying it is what turns the date. You admit, ten minutes in, that you nearly cancelled twice on the way. They laugh, put their phone face down on the table and confess they changed their shirt three times. The tension goes out of both of you at once. Two hours later you're still there, the coffee's long gone cold, and neither of you has checked the time. And if you need to leave early, a simple "I've had a really nice time but I'm going to head off" is all anyone's owed. If you'd like more ideas, have a look at our ideas for dates that suit you.
If you're the partner, you don't need to be a therapist, and you shouldn't try. What helps is listening without rushing to fix things, believing someone when they tell you how they feel, and not taking a low day personally. Ask what helps, rather than guessing. And look after yourself too, because a relationship works best when both people have support outside it.
What doesn't help: "but you seem so happy", "have you tried exercise?", and treating the condition as the most interesting thing about the person.
You can be open about your mental health here, but SingleDisabled is a dating site, not a support service, and nobody here is a professional. If things feel like too much right now and you need to talk, your GP is a good first step, and Samaritans are there round the clock on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland. Talk to them first; dating can wait until you're ready.
Being open about your mental health is a strength, and occasionally someone will try to use it against you. Watch for people who seem to like that you're vulnerable, who push hard for quick commitment, who want to move the chat off the site straight away, or who ask for anything other than your time. Use block and report without hesitation, and keep chatting on SingleDisabled until you trust someone.
When you meet, choose a public place, tell someone you trust where you'll be, and get yourself home under your own steam. Our guide to safe first meetings covers the rest.
If you're autistic as well, our autism dating page covers a lot that overlaps. If your mental health sits alongside a physical condition, have a look at chronic illness dating. And for the wider site, head to SingleDisabled for disabled singles across the UK.
Yes. SingleDisabled is a UK site for disabled singles and those interested in dating them, and it's a comfortable place to date if you live with depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD, PTSD or another condition. You don't need a diagnosis to join, and you decide whether to mention your mental health on your profile, in messages, in person or not at all.
Whenever feels right to you. Some people put a short line on their profile, others mention it after a few conversations or once they've met. Keep it simple and focus on what it means in practice, like preferring plans to surprises. You never need to share your full history or details about treatment.
Yes. Therapy and medication are a normal part of many people's lives, and they don't make you any less worth dating. If you're in a particularly hard patch, it's okay to wait. If you're broadly okay, go at your own pace, notice how dating makes you feel, and keep your support in place.
SingleDisabled is a place to meet people, not a support service. If you're having a hard time, speak to your GP, or call Samaritans on 116 123, any time of day or night, in the UK and Ireland. Talking to someone trained to help is always the right first step.
Find the corner of the site that feels like yours, or wander through all of them.