I have one very simple issue: I'm totally afraid to commit. I sabotage every potential relationship. Thought I aknowledge that I have a problem, I don't know how to deal with it. letting go of fear is easier to say than do. what would you suggest? Thank you in advance.
Hey, first off, thanks for the warm welcome. Commitment can be kind of daunting: there's a lot of work involved, a lot of freedoms lost, and most importantly, the nature of a commitment makes it a long-term thing. Not everybody has the same definition of a healthy relationship. Is sharing freedom important to you? Maybe a casual relationship structure allows you to have more fun, experience things with people, learn things about them, and enjoy their presence based on desire rather than obligation. Maybe you're not ready, or as your fear statement seems to point out, haven't met somebody you share that level of trust with yet. If you ever share a commitment, it needs to be with someone as dedicated and cooperative as you are -- someone you can make the situation work with. If you haven't reached that level of support and understanding with anyone yet, of course it makes sense to stay casual! But if you're limiting your relationships based on past or anticipated pain, you could miss out on the chance to get that much closer to someone who really will take good care of you. I'd recommend opening up with small displays of trust. Select a person or a few people to share personal, but not very sensitive details about yourself, and see how they use them over time. If they make you feel good about sharing, share more. If you feel supported and cooperated with, you might have the right person on your hands. If they betray you over something small and insignificant, you can get away with just a minor irritation and the knowledge that they weren't worth the extra miles. And then again, as long as you're ethical about it, commitment is not compulsory: it should only happen when it makes sense for the people involved. |
really sound and good advice there