Dealing with Fear of Intimacy

The fear of getting intimate does not only have to do with the fear of holding your partner's hand or the uneasy feeling when he or she would rub your skin. It also involves dealing with co-workers, family members, friends, and even yourself.

Signs that indicate that you probably have a case of intimacy anxiety include the following:

• Getting busy all the time.
• Pointing an accusatory finger outward, judging other people instead of looking within.
• Displaying anger or hostility towards other people.
• Use of cutting and sarcastic remarks that are supposedly meant to be humorous.
• Being sexual yet closing down connections or chemistry.
• Adopting a superior attitude.

How do you know when to move past the fear and open yourself further into the relationship, or when to use your fear as a signal that being intimate in your relationship is not very wise?