An intimate relationship is identifiable in many ways, and everyone has an opinion on what it is. Today, social media enable people to speak behind their screens. You will find a relationship description in many words, from married to complicated relations.
What is an intimate relationship, and how can you find out if you have a fear of intimacy? Here are five characteristics of a close relationship.
Mutual Information Sharing
When you share personal details, you develop an intimate relationship. That means you trust the other person and tell them your secrets that you would not be comfortable sharing with others. The partners or confidant can be the same gender or from the opposite sex. Facts show that women are most likely to share information with their friends and male partners simultaneously. They do so because they feel safe with the other person.
Tender Feelings
When both partners develop tender feelings for each other, the relationship becomes intimate. The emotions indicate that both parties care for each other and display a special connection. Caring for each other is a symbol of a healthy relationship.
The couple shows genuine concern for one another and displays their deep affection in public. Other people can tell that the pair is an intimate relationship from the way they relate to each other.
Looking Out for Each Other
When a couple becomes responsive to each other’s needs, it means that they are remarkably close. Intimacy develops when the partners support each other, whether it is a celebration or in a crisis.
The individuals go the extra mile for each other if one of them needs anything. This commitment is the same concept highlighted in love songs for ages; an intimately responsive couple can go to the moon and back to please each other.
Mutual Trust
Everyone wants to feel secure in a relationship by trusting their partner to be there for them. It takes time to build trust through accepting one another, respecting them, and protecting their interests.
Over time, both parties will have built the relationship to allow intimacy to develop and make them happy. Trust makes the bond stronger, enabling the pair to protect one another, and safeguard their relationship.
Emotional Intimacy
When two people are intimate, they become close to one another. They will be seen together, accomplish various activities jointly, and share a connection. An emotional bond takes time to develop in a relationship, but you feel accepted by your partner once you get there. The pair becomes inseparable and share their innermost thoughts, fears, happiness, and new things in life.
Sexual Relations
When two people engage in sexual activities, the relationship develops physical intimacy. Even though sex is not an indicator of intimacy in a relationship, it is an element that forms when two people are intimate. It is a small part of closeness and should not be mistaken as an indicator of intimacy.
Fear of Intimacy
Creating an intimate relationship is not easy. It takes two people who are mutually interested in the same thing, and some people are reluctant. If you want to find out if you fear intimacy, watch out for the following pointers:
- Having a low opinion about self
- You are short-tempered
- Lack of long-lasting relationships
- Often get tired of friends fast
- Like keeping to yourself
- Hate sharing your details with others
- Fear of feeling vulnerable to others
- Poor trust in friends
Experts say that persons who avoid intimacy experience a fear of rejection or abandonment. They want to be safe from being hurt by others. This reluctance could be because of past experiences.
They protect themselves from being vulnerable to others due to abuse in childhood or the avoidant disorder. Such individuals should seek professional help to overcome the trauma or their emotional pain.
