The Fear of Intimacy and it's Relationship to Avoidant Personality Disorder
Altaf Abdul Razzaq Hadi, Sawsan Abd Ali
Intimacy is an interactive relationship between two people that reflects how each interacts with the other and depends on self-disclosure and responsiveness to the other (Reis & Shaver, 1988, P.367-389). Intimate relationships are also defined as emotional relationships between individuals characterized by acceptance, mutual understanding, a sense of personal trust, and sensitivity to the other's needs (Sullivan, 1953). A study by Arnett (2001) indicated that intimate relationships develop during young adulthood and are more stable among married or unmarried individuals compared to those formed during adolescence, where identity formation and developing the ability for intimacy are the main tasks. The earlier stages of an individual's life and their relationship with their parents during childhood are the foundation for the growth and formation of their personality and its components, including the superego (Arnett, 2001, p. 133-143). Costello (1982) and Grenyer (2004) pointed out a positive correlation between intimate relationships, social adaptation, and psychological adjustment (Costello, 1982 & Grenyer, 2004, P. 329-339). Thelen (1993) & Doi indicated that the reasons for fear of intimacy are a lack of trust in others and not seeking help from them, leading to the use of avoidance strategies in intimate relationships and communication (Emmons & Colby, 1995, P.947-959). Thelen et al. (2000) observed that avoidance of intimacy is likely to be associated with or consistent with attachment theory and an individual's ability to form intimate relationships in adulthood (Thelen et al., 2000, P.223-240). Fenigsten (1995) noted that individuals with avoidant personality disorder feel weak and unable to withstand high levels of humiliation and shame because they believe they are incompetent (Fenigsten, 1995, P.12-13) .
Keywords: Fear of Intimacy, Avoidant Personality Disorder
