Ask A Therapist: I'm Not Depressed Or Anxious But Prefer Being Alone

I know there have been several questions on this site regarding preferences for solitude, but most of these questions have come from people with diagnosed disorders such as depression, social phobias, PTSD, etc., and the answers provided have been framed in the context of the relevant disorder. My concern is that, despite being depression and anxiety-free, I am becoming increasingly rigid in terms of my willingness to spend time with others, and it is affecting my relationships negatively. I've always been a bit of a loner and required a certain amount of time alone, but I've also always had plenty of friends and a pretty normal dating/relationship history. However, over the course of the past year or so I have started to really prioritize solitude over spending time with friends, family, and romantic partners to the point of avoidance. It's not that I've become apathetic towards these people or that I've stopped liking them. In fact, I still have a strong desire for affection, friendship, and intimacy, but only in VERY limited quantities, and anything beyond that feels like an obligation. To give you an example of what I'm talking about, my girlfriend lives about 100 miles away, so spending a whole lot of time together during the week is not really feasible. Because of this she would really like to drive to my place after work on Friday, spend the weekend with me, and leave Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately I can't even begin to fathom spending that much time with someone -even someone I love- and so I always have to come up with an excuse for why she would need to leave Saturday morning or afternoon. And to be honest, by Saturday I'm literally counting the minutes until she leaves so I can be alone. I don't want to be this way. It's not fair to the people in my life, and I feel like I shouldn't be in a relationship, even though I am very much in love. Any insight into my problem would be greatly appreciated!

A: Thanks for your excellent question. I wish I had some additional information from you. I'm curious if any event or loss happened in the past year or so that might have precipitated this preference toward being alone? I'm also wondering what happens inside of your body when you are with someone for too long. What are the cues that you need alone time? Watch the video response below to hear additional suggestions...Take good care of yourself!Julie Hanks, LCSW

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