Intimate relationships cannot exist without emotional trust. The question is, how do you know if you are in an intimate relationship?
Intimate relationships are those that create emotional intimacy between the two people involved and cannot exist without emotional trust.
People often mistake being intimate with a person in close proximity to each other as being a part of an intimate relationship because they have made physical contact with each other, but it is not.
Emotional intimacy builds over time and requires deep levels of trust and understanding to achieve. Emotionally opening yourself up to someone means letting that person into your personal life, which includes sharing the good, bad,…and ugly…with them.
While they are going through the good and bad with you, they must feel that they can trust you to be there for them in the way they need you to be there.
Table of Contents
Intimate Relationship Definition
Definition of intimate: To be in close contact with someone physically or emotionally.
What Is A Normal Intimate Relationship?
A normal intimate relationship develops over time; it’s not an immediate connection. In a normal intimate relationship, you feel comfortable with the person, and you allow them to be a part of your life.
You become close to someone in a normal intimate relationship by showing that you are trustworthy and by revealing your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions over time. Developing an intimate relationship with someone takes time, effort, intention, and communication.
How Do You Know If You Are In An Intimate Relationship?
To know if you are in an intimate relationship with someone, you have to feel comfortable with that person and allow them to be a part of your life.
After the initial feelings of comfort, insecurity or conflict arise between two people in an intimate relationship; they must be able to rely on each other to understand where they are coming from and allow each other to unveil their thoughts and feelings.
The ability or inability to do this developmentally is what determines whether a relationship is healthy and one that should be continued. To determine if you are in a healthy intimate relationship:
- You will feel comfortable around this person.
- You have a sense of trust in them.
- You desire to be around this person because they bring you joy.
- You can openly share your thoughts and feelings without feeling judged.
These are some indicators that you are in a healthy intimate relationship, but if you feel there is more work to be done for you to develop a deeper connection with the other person, then the relationship probably isn’t healthy for the long term. This doesn’t mean that you should just walk away from it because all relationships take time to develop and mature due to differences in personality, background, and life experiences. Walking away is the easy way out, whereas riding the waves while they are still happening can be beneficial to both people involved.
Types Of Intimacy
There are three types of intimacy in a relationship: physical, emotional, and mental. This is also known as relational intimacy or being in “touch.” A person may not be physically together with another person, but they can still be emotionally intimate with that person and mentally intimate as well.
1. Physical
It is possible to have a physical amount of intimacy with someone without actually touching them. This can become confusing to the people involved because they may not know how to reach the other person for comfort or affection.
Communicating verbally is a good way to resolve an intimate conflict; however, it doesn’t work if one person avoids communication due to fear (i.e., a fear of conflict or other issues).
One solution is to use “the Silent Treatment.” This means the other person will be given some time and space off and on, during which time there is no communication except through telepathy (i.e., sending thoughts). This expresses the need for time and space in the other person’s life.
2. Emotional
There is a great deal of emotional intimacy involved in an intimate relationship. Some people are uncomfortable being open to this much communication with someone else.
They have had bad experiences before or have just become guarded due to their personality type that doesn’t allow for much sharing of their inner thoughts and feelings.

Spending time in a workshop or reading self-help books can help a person to avoid getting into an intimate relationship until they feel comfortable opening up on their own.
3. Mental
A person can have a healthy amount of mental intimacy in an intimate relationship. This can be through sharing their dreams, hopes and aspirations, thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Sharing these things with another person makes them feel understood and connected to you.
Talking about these things with the other person makes you feel supported and loved by that person, which is what you want in your intimate connection.
Characteristics Of Emotional Intimacy
Emotional intimacy is the deepest and most meaningful level of human connection – it is sharing thoughts, feelings, and emotions with another person. It means that you are willing to be vulnerable with someone else; this includes allowing yourself to be open about the good, bad, ugly, and everything in between.
There is a genuine concern for the other person’s well-being, which makes you want to make a difference in their life and experience feelings of closeness. This need for emotional intimacy indicates an ongoing desire to form deep bonds with others and completely give oneself to another person.
It is the willingness to be yourself and not worry about what others may think. There are four aspects of emotional intimacy:
1. Actual Or Perceived Similarity
You are attracted to someone because you see them as being similar to yourself. When you are in an intimate relationship with someone, this usually turns into the person being very similar to themselves, and eventually, the similarities diminish. You may get used to and then become accustomed to this person.
2. Shared Emotions, Interests, Or Goals
Under this aspect, individuals may have similar feelings or beliefs. For example, when you are in the same religious faith, that is emotional intimacy because you share a belief in God.
If you both like the same music, are fans of the same television show and are both interested in a certain political party (such as Republicans or Democrats), this would also be emotional intimacy.
3. Trust In The Relationship
You trust the other person with your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. This is very important in an intimate relationship because it isn’t real intimacy without this trust.
You need to be able to express yourself in a relationship without feeling self-conscious or worried about what the other person may say or do in response.
If you feel that your partner loves you for you and not just for who they want you to be, then this is emotional intimacy.
4. Mutual Respect
You respect one another’s talents, abilities, appearance, and personality. This means that when you look at your partner, they make you feel good about yourself as well as them.
Is Intimate Relationships Cannot Exist Without Emotional Trust?
For an intimate relationship to be successful, it is very important that there is a good level of emotional trust in the relationship. When you feel that you can trust your partner with your secrets and thoughts, you will be able to open up when you are sharing their secrets and thoughts.
This is a very healthy sign of intimacy, and it shows that this person really cares about what you think and feel. An individual who doesn’t share their secrets with you will become distant without realizing it.
A good way of keeping intimacy is to talk to each other about how things are going in life as well as what problems are happening in your lives. This can actually help you to be more connected to one another.
What Are Some Examples Of Intimate Relationships?
Intimate relationships are mostly between family members, friends, and partners. They are usually more stable because there is a connection of a bond between two people who love each other.
This type of relationship could include marriage, dating, infatuation, love affairs, and platonic friendships. As with all relationships in life, you need to be able to deal with the ups and downs of them without getting close enough to cause problems in your relationship.
The same applies to intimate relationships. If you get too close, you will start to have a lot of problems. In order to keep intimacy in the relationship, there are some things that you can do.
The first thing that you should do is be honest with yourself and your partner. You should be willing and able to show your partner how much they mean to you emotionally or physically. You should also be open about your feelings when something is bothering you or when something good happens in your life so that the other person knows about it as well.
You need to share with your partner what is happening in their lives and what is happening in yours. If you do not share your worries and concerns, you will start to withdraw from each other so that the intimacy goes away.
Another thing that can help maintain intimacy is to talk about how you feel towards your partner and what you feel about their relationship with others. Be honest with yourself and your feelings at all times. If you are honest with each other, then you will not have any problems in the future.
Some Ideas For Building Intimacy In A Relationship:
“Intimacy is often overlooked by those who are married or involved in a committed relationship. However, it is critical to maintaining a healthy marriage. Experts agree on several strategies that can help couples create and deepen intimate moments, even in a busy schedule.
Because couples often do not schedule intimacy, it can be lost among busy schedules and the stress of modern life. Schedule time to be together, just the two of you. Set up reminders for date nights or early mornings when children are at school.”
“Resurrect the art of conversation. Although it may not seem like it, talking is an act of intimacy – a way to connect with your partner on a deeper level. Stop talking to your partner and start talking with your partner. Turn off the TV or radio, and put down the paper. Have an actual conversation with your spouse. Talk about the events of the day, a problem that needs to be solved, or even what you are thinking and feeling.”
“Enjoy each other’s company. Do things together that you normally would not do on your own. Take a walk together on the beach, go for a bike ride or play cards at night after the kids have gone to bed.”
“Snuggle up to one another without any distractions from TV, e-mail, or other people in the room or home while watching a movie. Allow yourself to become wrapped up in your partner’s arms while focusing on the movie itself. Talk about what you like or don’t like in the movie. Your intimate time is not about the movie – it is about you and your spouse.”
“Enjoy a night out, just the two of you. Whether it be grabbing a bite to eat or seeing a movie, making plans for an evening together will help remind you that you are more than just roommates and partners.”
“Show your partner physical affection throughout the day. Kiss him or her good morning before rushing off to work and good night when one of you goes to bed earlier than the other. Hold hands while at work or during errands. Often, people will say good morning to their spouse when they are walking by in the hallway and then kiss good night when they leave the office.”
“Take your partner on a date. Whether it is going to a movie, spending the day at a museum, or running errands, it will help you to be more connected with your partner. Take your partner out there, show him or her off to new experiences and just enjoy being together.”
“Do special things for one another. Whether this is taking your spouse out on a romantic carriage ride through town or helping them make dinner reservations at one of their favorite restaurants, you two need little reminders that you two are more than just roommates. Surprise them with small gestures or large gestures that will show your partner that you love them, miss them and care about them.”
“Remember the importance of quality time. Whether it is going out to dinner, spending time together on a date, or even just cuddling on the sofa while watching TV, making time for one another should be a top priority in any relationship.”
“Hug each other throughout the day. A small hug can help you feel closer and more connected with your spouse – and put a smile on both of your faces.”
The Bottom Line
If you’re having difficulty maintaining an intimate relationship, you can do several things. It is important to remember that any relationship has ups and downs. In order to maintain intimacy within a relationship, you need to learn how to cope with the ups and the downs when they come up.
A great way to deal with problems in a relationship is by communicating your feelings. Tell your partner about it as soon as possible if you have an issue with something. This will allow them to help you solve the problem if at all possible so that it does not snowball into something bigger and more difficult.
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