The world is full of people who have to deal with relationship challenges. Some of these problems are more common than others, and there are three that are probably the most common. The first is a fear of intimacy with someone else. The second is the fear of change, and the last is fear of abandonment. No everyone has to deal with these particular challenges, and for a lot of us, they don’t all happen severely, but almost everyone runs into the relationship challengest at some point in their lives. This article will explore these three common relationship challenges and tell us how to deal with them in the long run.

Dealing With Intimacy

Intimacy is an interesting concept to each of us. From a very early age, individuals generally strive for independence. As we progress throughout the years, we are naturally drawn to other individuals that we would like to share intimacy with. Inside each of us is a battle, a battle for who we are against who we may become. While we do want to share who we are as people with someone else, we do not want to jeopardize losing ourselves in the process. If we feel, at any point, that we are giving too much of who we are, we may become uncomfortable. We may pull away and refuse to allow ourselves the opportunity of getting close to another. It is then that we have experienced the fear that is associated with intimacy in a relationship.

Being Afraid Of Change

Getting into a new relationship means we’re suddenly dealing with a whole lot of new things, and these unfamiliar things can feel pretty threatening. Our partners are new to us, and we realize that their likes and dislikes aren’t the same as our own. They have different values and different ways of dealing with things. While no one wants to upset their partner, it can be a real challenge to deal with these challenges gracefully. Some people drag their feet and try to stick to the known, but that can be really detrimental in the long run.

Abandonment

Nobody wants to be alone. The challenge of accepting levels of intimacy and the difficulty of adjusting to change are both pretty small compared to fear of being on our own. Once we’ve made it into the relationship and are comfortable with the way things are, it can be easy to fall into the fear of abandonment. After all, there’s always the chance that the relationship won’t work out. If our partner is unhappy, stressed, or just not the right fit, things can go wrong. Even if there’s nothing wrong, sometimes we become afraid that problems will crop up. This leads to an unhealthy level of attachment and real problems. Fear of abandonment can wreck a relationship if it’s not dealt with.

How To Overcome These Problems

The bad news is that we will likely face the challenges specified here to one degree or another. The good news is that there are some steps to overcome these challenges. If you want to build a healthy relationship and live a life of contentment with your partner, following the steps outlined below can assist you in that endeavor:

1. The first step that you can engage in to overcome common relationship challenges is to know and understand that it is in our nature to experience certain fears and issues that may put a damper on our relationship. We come from a lifetime of experiences that has taught us that having fear can be healthy in such a way that it allows us to be cautious when making decisions and also when working with others. Simply accept the fact that you may encounter these challenges, and commit to working to overcome them in a productive manner so that the relationship is not challenged any more than it has to be.

2. Next, you need to make sure you trust your partner. Trust and communication are the most important parts of getting through any relationship challenge. After all, if you’re not willing to tell your partner what you’re thinking, there’s no way to deal with the problem. Learn to express who you are and what you’re feeling. This lets your partner learn about your needs, wants and fears. You don’t need to suppress emotion. You and your partner need to learn to talk things through and deal with them rationally, instead.

Conclusion

There are things that all of us are afraid of, and sometimes, these fears interfere with our relationships. All the common relationship challenges noted here are caused by things we fear. Taking the time to learn about what’s emotionally challenging to you and how to work around them will help you have a happier and healthier relationship.