I suggest that you consult a psychologist who has experience with IBS and/or personality disorders. Many childhood experiences affect us for a long time. Since you have difficulty getting close to someone, my hunch is that, at some point in your life, intimacy became associated with pain. I can imagine dozens of situations other than sexual abuse that might make it hard for you to share your life with someone. Whether you were sexually abused or not, it sounds like you have some difficult feelings to work through. That’s hard to do alone, so I hope you seek help.
Read the February Ask the Man Shrink column.
Ask the Man Shrink is published monthly. Each column features a real question from a reader, and we invite other readers to respond with their thoughts and insights by posting comments. If you have a question for Stephen, please send it to him in care of the editor at cwilbert@realgirlsmedia.com. Your question will be kept in the strictest of confidence.
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