Recently, going for boardgame meetups got me out of ny depression relapse. I then got a sexual partner and i realised that my mental health became better too. This made me realise that there is so many things needed for our mental health to stay afloat. I think that everything in the Marlow’s hiearchy are great to maintain mental health. Sorry, i realised that rs and sexual partner is probably in the Marlow’s hiearchy, so my question is a bit off now.
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Hi @user1138 , it sounds like you’re wondering if being in a romantic relationship with a special someone does improve one’s mental wellness, as you feel that it is the case for yourself. I understand your confusion, as we are not taught that finding a partner is necessary to having a good state of mind.
Sexual relationships would likely be under the “Love and Belonging” tier of the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, whether it’s essential to an individual, it really depends. Some people may view that having sexual intimacy is crucial as they derive a strong sense of belonging to their partner. Some people may find their desire for social connection can be met through relationships with family or friends. There is no right or wrong option; all these provide us with the social acceptance that we need.
So to answer your question, while the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs does give us a robust framework for our essentials, each tier can be fulfilled in different ways, it really depends on what works for you. You’re right in saying that everything in the hierarchy is good for one’s mental state, and being in an intimate relationship can be helpful too. Hope this response helps! 
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good to hear that the board game meetups helped, @user1138.
@crispycreme has a really good (and somewhat scientific) answer to your question but I guess it really depend on each individual’s needs. I personally think that having social relationships is important but it may not have to be romantic or sexual. Sometimes just having (good) friends is enough to support your mental health and sometimes having romantic / sexual relationships might worsen your mental health if things don’t work out.
But in summary, I think you kinda understand that there are many things that are needed for our mental health to stay afloat so keep working on all these different things.
It’s a good observation and question to ask, both generally and for yourself! There are so many theories and frameworks out there that help us understand ourselves, and the hierarchy of needs is only one of them.
Something that might be simpler would be to ask – what unfulfilled need do you have? What need does a relationship or sexual partner fulfil?
Perhaps you might come to an answer that fits into the hierarchy of needs, but also an answer that is more tailored to you.
I hope this answer explores a different perspective 
I see you showing up for yourself and trying to work on your mental health – keep it up!
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Hi @user1138, interesting question! While you are right that intimacy falls under one of the categories in Maslow’s hierarchy, each person may have their own beliefs. In psychology, the various theories proposed definitely have much insight, but may need to be taken with a pinch of salt. After all, we are all unique and may rank each tier in the triangle differently. According to my research, Maslow himself agreed that the different categories are not necessarily set in stone and can differ from person to person. So while this may not be a one-size-fits-all approach, I am glad that it has worked for you and improved your mood significantly. Thank you for sharing!
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