Wanting love and fearing closeness can exist at the same time, and that contradiction is exactly what makes intimacy issues so confusing. You might genuinely crave a steady relationship, yet feel ...

Most people want love. But what many of us don’t realize is that, deep down, we may also be terrified of it. The fear of intimacy can creep into our relationships in ways we don’t even notice—it can ...

The “ick” might feel like a simple turn-off, but could there be a deeper issue at play? Here are two signs it might be rooted in a fear of intimacy. You know that feeling when everything seems fine ...

Relationships are closely related to emotional well-being. When mental health worsens, confidence in intimate relationships can slowly decline without evident warning signals. While many people focus ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about relationships, personality, and everyday psychology. Some of us are driven by desperation in love. For others, the ...

Four examples—literary, biographical, autobiographical and contemporary—illustrate the significance of intimacy as a cultural ideal and why, despite our deep longing for it, intimacy remains elusive ...

They actively avoid situations where they might end up falling for someone. As amazing as falling in love can be, for some men it can feel more like a trap. It takes a lot of vulnerability and ...