For some people, the idea of commitment can be overwhelming and
anxiety-inducing. While everyone has different preferences and comfort
levels when it comes to relationships, commitment phobia goes beyond
just a desire to take things slow. Commitment phobia, or the fear of
commitment, can be a serious issue that impacts one's ability to form
and maintain healthy long-term relationships. In this article, we will
explore 8 signs that might indicate you are suffering from
commitment phobia. If you find yourself struggling with these symptoms,
it may be time to seek help in overcoming your fears and creating more
fulfilling relationships.
# You haven’t had an actual relationship in foreverOkay, maybe you’ve had relationships in the past, but if you’ve been single for an extremely long time without even being close to being “in a relationship,” it’s a clear sign that you could have commitment issues.
# You’ve been hurt pretty badlyMany people don’t have a commitment phobia from birth. It’s usually an issue that arises out of a past experience. If you’ve dated someone who has hurt you very badly *cheated on you, dumped you out of the blue, etc.*, then you are definitely someone who’s at risk of becoming afraid of commitment.
In order to avoid that awful feeling of rejection from ever happening again, some of us just turn off the commitment part of ourselves so that we don’t have to go through the pain again.
# You always find something extremely wrong with the other personYour list of deal breakers is a mile long. You never think anyone you’re with is “perfect.” In fact, you find more flaws in people than you find good things in them.
# You hate the idea of a label
If the thought of someone calling you a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” just makes you want to run away, then you have a commitment phobia. If you weren’t afraid of commitment, you would be overjoyed when someone for whom you have feelings wants to make your relationship official.
# You break it off with someone for no real reason
If the relationship is going great and nothing is wrong, yet you still feel the need to break up with your partner for seemingly nothing, then you could have a problem with commitment.
Some people actually end relationships because things are “too perfect.” This is just an excuse that they use when things start to show signs of becoming more serious, but they’re too scared to let it happen.
# You have a problem making plans for the future
If any talk about future plans, whether they’re a week away or two months away, sends you running in the opposite direction or cringing like you just heard nails on chalkboard, you’re afraid of commitment.
You don’t like the idea of saying yes to those plans because you don’t want to have to commit to being with the same person for that long.
# You cringe at any hint of meeting their parentsMeeting the parents usually indicates that there’s some sort of deep connection with a person. This also means that there’s some level of commitment involved. Otherwise, they wouldn’t want to bring you home.
But if you can’t stand the idea of meeting someone else’s parents and always seem to find a way around it, you most likely have a commitment phobia.
# You never want anything to change
Most relationships progress naturally, and both people end up wanting things to change, whether this is moving faster, meeting parents/friends, or even just spending more nights together.
But if you’re happy how things are and don’t want to move forward or have anything change between the two of you, you could be afraid of what may lie ahead in the future.