

{"id":2096,"date":"2015-09-21T10:27:55","date_gmt":"2015-09-21T10:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=2096"},"modified":"2023-06-06T05:14:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T05:14:37","slug":"what-to-do-if-you-have-a-fear-of-physical-intimacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/physical-intimacy\/what-to-do-if-you-have-a-fear-of-physical-intimacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Fear of Intimacy: Signs, Causes, and How to Overcome it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-154 size-full\" title=\"What to Do If You Have a Fear of Physical Intimacy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/5-Things-You-Can-Do-Today-to-Fix-Intimacy-Problems-in-a-Marriage.jpg\" alt=\"What to Do If You Have a Fear of Physical Intimacy\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partners would be equally invested in developing intimacy in an ideal relationship. But often, the ability to be intimate, incredibly emotionally intimate, is not aligned.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One or both partners might be experiencing the fear of intimacy. 17% of the population is fearful of intimacy in Western culture. It seems counterintuitive when two people love each other, but it does happen, and this can be a source of conflict in the couple<\/span><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To connect with someone intimately, you have to let your emotional and physical guard down, put aside your pretenses and ego, and approach the other person with an open heart.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The partners must connect through emotional and physical intimacy for any healthy relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-fear-of-intimacy-in-a-relationship\"><\/span><b>What is fear of intimacy in a relationship?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&rsquo;ve noticed you&rsquo;re avoiding getting close to someone, you might be experiencing a fear of intimacy. Often we think of intimacy as sexual or romantic, but intimacy is much more than that.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Growing up, we learn to build fictitious walls and shields to protect us from imminent physical and emotional dangers. Over time we start to inhabit roles that present a sense of familiarity and comfort in our lives. This is what we call fear of intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, these walls and roles are shuddered and interrupted when we start an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/signs-you-are-in-an-intimate-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intimate relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with someone. Your mind and body start exhibiting signs of fear of sharing your emotional and physical vulnerabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-does-a-fear-of-intimacy-influence-your-life\"><\/span><b>How does a fear of intimacy influence your life?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fear of intimacy causes us to struggle when getting close to someone emotionally and physically. Moreover, a fear of intimacy in men and women can make anyone feel humiliated and unworthy of love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So if you think or feel that you may fear physical intimacy or are uncomfortable with physical affection, you are not alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are countless numbers of people worldwide who experience awkwardness, uncomfortable feelings, or even displeasure at the thought of physical intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, this fear of physical intimacy or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/physical-intimacy\/stages-of-physical-intimacy-in-a-new-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">physical intimacy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> issues can often translate into problems in marriages because of how it can affect both you and your partner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suppose you believe that you have a fear of physical intimacy. In that case, there are some things you should take into consideration, especially if your fear of physical intimacy is currently affecting your marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10-Causes-of-the-fear-of-intimacy\"><\/span><b>10 Causes of the fear of intimacy<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What causes fear of intimacy?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you can know <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/emotional-intimacy\/repairing-emotional-intimacy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how to get over intimacy issues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or how to overcome the fear of physical intimacy, you have to figure out why you are scared of intimacy or have an aversion to expressions that are physically intimate in nature.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyone would be uncomfortable with intimacy, be it emotional or physical, is often rooted in some past childhood experiences. It can be hard to understand the reasons for fear of physical intimacy unless you and your partner find a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/communication\/how-to-communicate-in-a-relationship-with-a-man\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">way to communicate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many underlying reasons why you might be uncomfortable with intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The most common reasons for fear of intimacy include, but aren&rsquo;t limited to:<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Constant judgment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling embarrassed at engaging in certain behaviors in public (kissing, hugging, cuddling, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling constantly watched or judged by others for your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/affection-in-a-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">display of affections towards your partner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> makes many people uncomfortable.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn&rsquo;t always mean that your partner is afraid of sex and intimacy. Still, they might want certain aspects of your physical relationship to remain private and away from prying eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Need for space in the relationship<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wanting more physical space than what your partner wants to give. Fear of being controlled or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/dominant-partner\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dominated in a relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can lead your partner to try and distance themselves from you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not a dominating person, but your fear of engulfment could result from childhood trauma or being brought up in an enmeshed family.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An enmeshed family is one where there are hardly any boundaries meaning that the roles and expectations of family members are not set. Either parents are overly dependent on their children, or the kids are emotionally dependent on their parents.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Any form of abuse<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Verbal abuse, sexual abuse, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/domestic-violence-and-abuse\/five-facts-you-need-to-know-about-physical-abuse\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">physical abuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or neglect, and even the loss of a parent or a loved one could have led your partner to face difficulty in being physically intimate with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Loss of spark in the relationship<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not feeling as physically attracted to a partner as you were before. Find your partner struggling with physical intimacy as soon as you cross the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-survive-the-different-stages-of-a-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> initial phase of your relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It could be a possibility that they never truly bonded with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They may exhibit signs of being bored, trapped, or smothered and eventually start disengaging from you. It simply means that you two were not the right match for each other, and it&rsquo;s better for both of you to move on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Watch this video to learn how you can reignite the lost spark in a relationship:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I1jwT3mt8lY\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">&#65279;<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. Past trauma<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your partner might have gone through a difficult phase of life that profoundly impacted them.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A traumatic experience in the past caused physically intimate gestures to feel threatening, uncomfortable, or even painful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases where an experience in the past may be affecting your ability to be physically intimate, you may want to seek the services of a professional who has experience in helping people overcome their past traumas.<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/mental-health\/how-to-heal-from-relationship-trauma\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How to Heal From Relationship Trauma<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<h3><b>6. Fear of abandonment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/overcome-abandonment-issues\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fear abandonment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and they constantly worry that their partner might leave them. This fear is mostly a projection of past events, possibly because a significant adult abandons that person in their childhood.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. Fear of engulfment<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some people fear giving up control of their life. They are afraid of being dominated or influenced by people and losing themselves. Most people who experience this fear have been controlled too much by someone in their family or seen someone close to them being a victim of it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. Anxiety&nbsp;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is one of the most common reasons that trigger the fear of intimacy in a person. Anxiety leaves a person feeling unsafe and unheard of among people.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It makes people afraid of others&rsquo; judgment, opinions, and rejection. A person suffering from anxiety can quickly develop a fear of physical intimacy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/what-is-relationship-anxiety-and-how-can-you-deal-with-it\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What is Relationship Anxiety and How can you Deal with it?<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<h3><b>9. Parental emotional neglect<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who have had their parents physically present and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/emotional-intimacy\/emotionally-unavailable-partner\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emotionally unavailable<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can suffer from a fear of physical intimacy. It makes them think that they can&rsquo;t rely on others and have attachment issues.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>10. Loss of a loved one&nbsp;<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who have suffered a loss of a loved one experience reconnecting with the world. They find it hard to let anyone else in as they fear losing these people surrounding them. The thought of the potential loss in the future makes people fear intimacy in their present.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-69669 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/signs-of-fear-of-intimacy.jpg\" alt=\"unsatisfied women sitting front at bedroom\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"15-Signs-of-fear-of-intimacy\"><\/span><b>15 Signs of fear of intimacy<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, you can have a fear of physical intimacy, but you can also experience emotional intimacy issues. If you find yourself with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/mental-health\/commitment-phobia\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">commitment issues<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or avoiding opening up to people, you may struggle for intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wondering, &ldquo;<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why do I fear intimacy?&rdquo; or &ldquo;How to get over a fear of intimacy?&rdquo;<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on for some signs of a fear of intimacy and tips for getting over your intimacy phobia. Here are the reasons you may experience a fear of rejection in relationships and tips for managing such intimacy anxiety disorders!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>1. Avoiding commitment and deeper connection<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you find yourself holding back from really committing or connecting? You may have a fear of intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can show up with romantic partners but with friends and colleagues. <\/span><b>You may avoid hanging out too frequently or in intimate settings. You might favor large groups or dates where you are less likely to have to talk or connect 1-on-1.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/scared-of-a-committed-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overcoming fear of commitment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and managing your fear of intimacy symptoms is possible if you&rsquo;re willing to try! Find an accountability buddy (someone you trust and are already comfortable with- like a close friend or a sibling) and ask them to practice vulnerable conversations with you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cbtprofessionals.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Communication-Skills-for-building-Strong-relationships.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk about your feelings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, fears, joys, and hopes; any topic that feels deeper than you want to go. It will be uncomfortable at first, but it is worth a little discomfort to deal with intimacy issues!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Having impossibly high standards<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have a checklist for your friends and lovers? Things like they need to make X amount of money, be fit, tall, funny, and intelligent? Maybe they need to have attended a certain kind of college, wear specific clothes, or work in a certain field?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&rsquo;s nothing wrong with having values for your friends and partners. Still, if your list is particular and your standards are high, you may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/recognize-and-overcome-a-struggling-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">struggle with relationships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>By setting crazy high standards, you avoid connecting with a real human being who doesn&rsquo;t tick all the boxes but might still be a great friend or romantic partner for you.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Figure out the &ldquo;why&rdquo; for your &ldquo;what.&rdquo;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, I want a partner that makes a lot of money. &ldquo;A lot of money&rdquo; is <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">what, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">but <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> do you want a partner that makes a lot of money? Do you want stability? To be able to travel? Do you want to have nice things or a reliable car? Why do you believe that your partner needs to make a lot of money?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you fulfill these things for yourself or be fulfilled without a partner making a lot of money? Could you figure it out together?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explore what&rsquo;s possible, and you might find your &ldquo;checklist&rdquo; diminishing!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Having lots of relationships, but feeling no one knows you<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are other fears of intimacy signs that don&rsquo;t look like a fear of commitment or isolation!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maybe you have a ton of friends and you date regularly, but you still feel alone or like no one knows you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have plenty of people around you, but you aren&rsquo;t opening up and connecting with them. Despite having a full social calendar, you still feel alone and misunderstand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may push hard to make lots of new connections, only to sabotage and break them later. This can leave you in a revolving door of friends and lovers, with little to show.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decrease your number of events and increase quality! Try slowing yourself down a bit and be more selective of who and how you spend your time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Please identify what you appreciate about the people you spend around you and try opening up to that person!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&rsquo;ll start to build comfort with intimacy, and the other person will probably feel pretty great too!<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/ways-to-put-effort-in-a-relationship\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20 Effective Ways to Put Effort in a Relationship<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<h3><b>4. Perfectionism<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trying to be perfect and convincing yourself you aren&rsquo;t can be a fear of intimacy.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondblue.org.au\/docs\/default-source\/senseability\/sense-of-self-worth-hand-out.pdf?sfvrsn=2\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Low self-worth<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can lead us to push others away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you don&rsquo;t believe you are pretty enough\/thin enough\/smart enough\/ anything enough, you won&rsquo;t believe anyone else can see that either.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can lead to problems with intimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you aren&rsquo;t happy with what you see in the mirror, it can make you self-conscious and afraid of connecting in a physically intimate way with someone else.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work on your inner critic. The inner critic loves to pick you apart, tell you you aren&rsquo;t good enough and make you feel awful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But you don&rsquo;t have to let the inner critic win!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build your self-confidence and see your inner critic start to diminish.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/steps-to-practice-self-love\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practice self-affirmations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, self-care, and show up for yourself!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you are confident in yourself, you don&rsquo;t need someone else to validate you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we feel validated and confident, we can be less afraid to be intimate because we trust ourselves to be able to handle any outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. You&rsquo;re angry<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A person who has above-average displays of anger is likely to be a person who is fearful of intimacy.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of sitting down maturely and talking over the things bothering them, you explode in anger. This quickly shuts down any possibility of a civil conversation, and thus you unconsciously avoid going deep into the real reasons behind their anger.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s what is called an adaptive technique. It is an effective way to avoid becoming close with your partner by becoming angry.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an unpleasant way to live for both the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/mental-health\/avoidant-attachment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> intimacy avoidant person<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (because they dwell in anger) and the person that loves them (because they become the target of the anger). This calls for therapy!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>6. You spend more time at their job than with you<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are becoming a workaholic, it may signify you are fearful of real-life intimacy. Burying oneself in work is a common way to deflect the obligation of intimacy that a good relationship requires.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because it is socially acceptable to call oneself a workaholic&mdash;indeed, it is a badge of honor. No one but the partner realizes the consequences of living with a person who dedicates little or no time to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/tips-to-deepen-the-sexual-connection-in-your-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> increase the intimacy in their primary relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: their marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>7. You are more comfortable with online relationships<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you fear intimacy, you may gravitate to cultivating online relationships. These are far easier to maintain than real-life relationships because they can be turned off and back on again.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They do not demand an investment in sharing anything emotional. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-make-your-online-relationship-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online relationships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allow you to feel like he has a community but without the cost of contributing emotions, honesty, and authenticity to that community.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gamers are an excellent example of this type of person. They relate to others in their gaming community through an avatar, which allows them to distance themselves and their feelings from the others in the gaming group. While this works perfectly for the intimacy-avoidant person, it is difficult for the people who love him in real life.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>8. You never show your authentic self<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/physical-intimacy\/how-a-lack-of-physical-intimacy-can-hurt-your-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lack of intimacy in a relationship<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you may work to maintain the &ldquo;perfect image&rdquo; when in public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This keeps you at an emotional distance from others because they never let out their natural feelings of fear, vulnerability, weakness, or need. The intimacy-avoidant individual avoids showing their real self, as it would mean uncomfortable feelings or even foreign to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>9. You don&rsquo;t show your needs<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there is a problem expressing your needs and wants, you might be suffering from a fear of physical intimacy. One might never express what they feel, want, or need because they feel undeserving of people&rsquo;s support.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such people keep waiting for people to understand what they need, due to which, most of the time, their needs get overlooked. It would help them understand that their needs should be spoken openly since no human is a mind reader.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unexpressed emotions can create bigger <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/solutions-for-8-common-relationship-issues\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">problems in relationships<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, resulting in a lack of trust or falling apart.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>10. Facing difficulty with physical contact<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A person who has a fear of intimacy experiences major difficulties with physical contact. This person can either have a constant need for physical contact or altogether avoid it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So next time you wonder why intimacy makes me uncomfortable, try to find out if you fear intimacy and if you do, focus on how to overcome the fear of physical intimacy and move past it.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>11. You have created an emotional wall around you<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who fear intimacy may shut down themselves, try to push their partner away, or ghost their partners for a long time. It is not because someone else is doing something wrong but the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/therapy\/negative-experiences-of-the-past-can-affect-your-relationship\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">baggage of past trauma<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People who prefer intimacy avoidance tend to act in ways that are familiar to them. They try to seclude themselves from others to feel safe.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>12. You keep yourself busy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may overwork or over-exercise as a way to avoid physical interaction. You keep yourself engaged in things other than meeting people or forming stronger bonds.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such people have good chances of becoming workaholics as they use it as their coping mechanism.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>13. You are a pseudo-social person<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may appear as a social person who loves to talk to people or have a lot of friends, but the truth is that nobody knows you. You don&rsquo;t share anything personal about yourself. Instead, you keep the conversation going about things unrelated to you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>14. You are sexually immature<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of people have less knowledge when it comes to sex. You might be very interested in the act yet feel disconnected entirely from your partner. Such intimacy issues arise when there is half-knowledge or excessive consumption of porn which sets false expectations.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/signs-of-emotional-immaturity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sexually immature<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> person focuses on their expectations rather than concentrating on their partner during sex.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>15. You lack confidence<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You are not comfortable in your own body and skin. Your self-confidence is low to the point that you feel uncomfortable being intimate with others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/build-self-confidence-after-a-bad-breakup\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lack of confidence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> makes you run away from physical intimacy. It would help if you talked about these feelings to people so that they can understand where you are coming from. Expressing how vulnerable you feel can help you build a better connection with yourself and others.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-overcome-fear-of-physical-intimacy\"><\/span><b>How to overcome fear of physical intimacy?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are experiencing a fear of physical intimacy, you don&rsquo;t have to stay that way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can change your life and start to overcome your fear so that you, too, can enjoy excellent intimate relationships in the future. Awareness is the first step to healing when you know your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-get-an-avoidant-to-chase-you\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">avoidant style<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You can start to recognize when you avoid intimacy and what triggers your responses.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Becoming self-aware in relation to how you project your fear of intimacy enables you to begin to correct your patterns, enabling you to slowly begin to push yourself and build your trust in others by doing the opposite to what you want to do in these situations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take small steps toward ringing the changes and facing your fears, and you&rsquo;ll soon overcome this fear of intimacy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For example;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you overwork, take an evening off, make sure you spend it with somebody important, and then remind yourself to be in the moment and enjoy the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are too hard on yourself, try accepting your flaws in front of someone close to you and watch how they appear to show respect, love, or delight that you love yourself as much as they love you.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Walk in the face of your fears, opposite what you usually do, but do so in small, consistent steps so that you don&rsquo;t become overwhelmed and watch how intimacy starts to unfold in your life and how your fear of intimacy seems to become a thing of the past.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&rsquo;s possible for everyone, and worthwhile too.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To overcome a fear of intimacy, you have to start to let people in, even on a small scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-50325 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Sharing-concerns-without-fear.jpg\" alt=\"Young happy couple \" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How-to-improve-physical-intimacy\"><\/span><b>How to improve physical intimacy?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to overcome a fear of intimacy? How to deal with intimacy issues?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following fear of intimacy treatment may not apply in certain extreme cases. Still, they may help you get over intimacy issues and decrease your fear of intimacy in small, seemingly insignificant ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, these small gestures may go a long way towards making you feel more comfortable and even optimistic about physically intimate behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n<pre><b><i>Related Reading:<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/ways-to-put-effort-in-a-relationship\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20 Effective Ways to Put Effort in a Relationship<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/pre>\n<p><b>The following are some small ways you can help curb your fear of sexual intimacy in marriage:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Establish slow intimacy<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may have some excellent, attractive qualities, but the lack of ability to open up their true selves to another person can be a deal-breaker relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take it slow. Instead of kissing or hugging in public, go for a small gesture like holding your partner&rsquo;s hand or putting your arm around their arm.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Show affection<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next time you and your partner watch a movie together at home, sit close to them on the couch. You can even put your arm around them or hold their hand!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of a long, dramatic kiss, try giving your partner the occasional peck on the cheek or lips. It will <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.relate.org.uk\/relationship-help\/help-relationships\/communication\/your-love-language-how-you-express-affection\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">show them affection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> without requiring as much intensity.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Reflect on the whys of your relationship<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are a person who has a fear of intimacy, why have you chosen a partner who values and needs a good deal of intimacy in your relationships? Observe the various breaking points of the relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may want to<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/experts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> work with a therapist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to examine where this is coming from.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Talk to your partner<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open up, and it can only be possible with your active participation. Try to talk to your partner about your fear of physical intimacy and figure out its root cause. Seek professional help if you need to.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your partner doesn&rsquo;t know why you aren&rsquo;t being physically intimate, then there is no way for them to help you or help improve the situation. Whenever possible, you should share the reasons for your fear with your partner. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/o.b5z.net\/i\/u\/6076626\/f\/EFFECTIVE_COMMUNICATION_IN_A_MARRIAG2.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the key to overcoming intimacy concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Self-care<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Focus on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecouplescenter.org\/why-self-care-is-so-important-for-longevity-and-wellness\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-care<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Relax your mind and body, meditate, do yoga or exercise. This would help you control the build-up of stress due to anxiety.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Suppose your partner reacts poorly or still doesn&rsquo;t understand why you fear being intimate. In that case, you may need to have a series of open, clear discussions about your and your partner&rsquo;s expectations for intimacy in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Skills you may wish to learn<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are some communication techniques that you can learn that will enable you to better communicate with your partner gently. These include sharing your thoughts on what you think you may be feeling and why you think this.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method of communication can provide your partner with an emotional mirror that can help them increase their awareness about your avoidant behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li aria-level=\"1\">\n<h3><b>Know when to leave<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may be that you will never be able to be happy with the level of intimacy that your partner can provide. In that case, you need to take a personal inventory of what you gain from staying in the relationship with this person and what you would lose if you left.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After looking at the costs and benefits, you decide to stay or go.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Treatment-of-fearing-physical-intimacy\"><\/span><b>Treatment of fearing physical intimacy<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to professional treatment for fear of intimacy, you need to make sure that you choose a therapist that is the right fit for you. You need to understand that the fear you have is rooted deep in your past, and you will only connect with a therapist who would provide a therapeutic approach, mutual respect, and trust.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a therapist who would understand your point of view and provide you with the proper process to heal. You might have to visit several therapists before you find one. It would be best to remain transparent about your fear of physical intimacy.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be as honest as you can about your past, things, and people that might have caused the problem. Some people who have a fear of intimacy tend to have other problems such as anxiety and depression; some tend to become a victim of substance abuse. It would be best for you to ask your therapist to assist you in other problems related to your mental health.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fear of intimacy hits most of us at one point or another. Being intimate and emotionally connected can be scary. You don&rsquo;t have to keep pushing people away out of fear. Practice the tips above, and notice the connections you can build.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the future of the marriage is on the line over intimacy issues or you see intimacy issues signs in marriage, take the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/marriage-courses\/save-my-marriage-course\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">save my marriage course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or consult a relationship coach or therapist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Partners would be equally invested in developing intimacy in an ideal relationship. But often, the ability to be intimate, incredibly emotionally intimate, is not aligned. One or both partners might be experiencing the fear of intimacy. 17% of the population is fearful of intimacy in Western culture. It seems counterintuitive when two people love each other, but it does happen, and this can be a source of conflict in the couple. To connect with someone intimately, you have to let your emotional and physical guard down, put aside your pretenses and ego, and approach the other person with an open <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[2531],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86632,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096\/revisions\/86632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}