Social Anxiety Disorder or Fear of Women?
I am unbelievably uncomfortable around women.
Some would call this social anxiety disorder...
Anxiety Question:
Ever since I broke up with my ex-fiancée three years ago, I have been unbelievably uncomfortable around women. Some would call this social anxiety disorder, but I can carry on a conversation fine and can be with people.
My problem stems from being around physically attractive women.
I am definitely attracted to women, but for some odd reason I cannot get physically close to a woman without feeling horribly uncomfortable.
Even when I was engaged I had this problem. I could be intimate with her, but I never felt totally at ease in her arms. Additionally, I am unusually aware of a woman's physical beauty. I have a tendency to back away a few inches when a woman gets too close to me.
Are these spatial-boundary issues, as I was born three months premature and was constantly surrounded by female nurses in the premature ward?
Anxiety Answer:
You show an awareness of the reason for your discomfort with women and I don’t think it is social anxiety disorder.
It could be a fear of intimacy which is quite common especially if you had some kind of abuse as a child. It is a subconscious fear that you may be hurt somehow.
I don't know how you would resolve this without some regular talk therapy. You need to explore it a lot each day and write your thoughts about it in a journal you keep to help you figure out and understand it.
Once you understand it completely it will lose its hold on you and you can gradually overcome it.
More about anxiety and relationships:
- How can I ease stress and anxiety on a first date?
- My boyfriend has anxiety disorder...
- I have anxiety disorder and I'm in a relationship. Any couples dealing with anxiety disorder?
- I don't know what to do when my friend gets an anxiety attack.
Back from Anxiety Answer
to Anxiety Questions