Written by: René Luisman, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise
Do you recognize that? You've been longing for a real relationship for years. Someone who, just like you, is looking for more than a casual, superficial sex date. Someone who accepts you for who you are and with whom you feel safe. But more and more often you wonder whether happiness is in store for you.
It’s hard work to achieve your ideal self
Because if you go by what you see on apps like Tinder, TikTok and Instagram, everyone has a toned body, a great partner, and an even better life. If you don't recognize yourself in this picture, you may feel like there's something wrong with you or that you've failed. And as you get older, the emptiness and loneliness increase. What's the point of it all?
In the search for the ideal partner, we also question who we want to be. In his book, Intimacy describes Paul Verhaeghe, Doctor of Clinical Psychology, the strong influence of social media. You have to have this body, you have to eat these things and you have to put in these achievements. We impose increasingly high demands on ourselves and where we are now is never good enough. Or as the Red Queen said in Alice in Wonderland, ‘Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!’
The bigger the distance between who you are and who you want to be, the harder you must work to meet your ideal self.
A self-image formed by shame
Much of our shame is caused by what others expect of us. About whom we are, what we look like, what we have achieved and what our sexual preferences are. More specifically, what we think others expect from us. Because often it remains with reading minds, and we forget to check our thoughts with the other person. We are constantly comparing ourselves to others. And we experience shame when we believe we are not who we should be. It’s this shame that increases the distance between you and the other. A perfect breeding ground for shame and loneliness is formed.
How we protect ourselves from shame
When shame occurs, it is often accompanied by feelings of fear, guilt, anger or loneliness. Psychotherapist Stephan Konrad Niederwieser describes in his book Shame how these emotions take over our thinking and feeling and even can lead to depression, social anxiety and aggression. These feelings can be so overwhelming that you do everything you can not to feel it. You look for ways to numb these feelings, for example:
You keep others at a distance by isolating yourself or taking on a role;
You numb yourself with alcohol, drugs or medication;
You are looking for anonymous, volatile or risky sex; or
You lose yourself in constant use of social media, gaming or binge-watching.
As tempting as this behavior is, it won't solve your shame. And neither is throwing yourself into a new relationship. Once the intoxication is over, you fall back into loneliness or emptiness.
To deal constructively with shame, it's good to first understand why it can be difficult to open up. Some of us have not learned to bond securely. And we certainly haven't learned to discuss our needs around intimacy and sexuality. What we missed at a young age, we often look for in the relationship with our partner. But what we find is a person who, like us, hasn't learned to open up and connect emotionally. Relationships in which both partners score high on shame are characterized by insecurity and a lack of communication. And that often leads to disappointment.
How to reduce shame?
The good news is that you can relearn to open up to the other person. And thus increases the chance of a healthy relationship. But recognizing, acknowledging and breaking old patterns takes great courage.
To experience intimacy and connection, you will have to face your own imperfections. Because somehow you know that no one is perfect. Not you and certainly not all those men on social media. An intimate and honest relationship with yourself is a prerequisite for an intimate and honest relationship with the other. If you don't feel good about yourself, you can't feel good about someone else either. The first step is to strengthen the relationship with yourself. To embrace your strengths and weaknesses. To acknowledge your feelings and emotions and take responsibility for your own needs.
And the second step is to reach out to the other. Not with half a story in which you want to present the perfect version of yourself. But with an honest story in which you value yourself. And a story in which you also dare to show the parts you are less happy with.
To build a healthy, full-fledged relationship you must take risks. Only when you can love yourself for who you are, you can really open up to the other. And give people the chance to love you for who you really are.
René Luisman, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine René Luisman is a professional life and career coach. Finding his place in life has been quite a challenge after a traumatic accident in which he sustained serious burns on both of his legs. As a trainer and coach, he creates a safe environment for people to work on their authenticity to grow in their personal and professional life. The Dutch Association for Trainers has recognized his work, and they awarded him Trainer of the Year 2017/18. René is on a mission to create more awareness for self-acceptance, especially for gay men.
