Emotionally close?

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My psychiatrist asked me who I was emotionally close to.

I looked at her blankly. I really don't know what that means, and she didn't give me any clues so I just said "I like spending time with my husband."

What does being "emotionally close" to someone involve?

(I feel like an idiot asking this question, btw).

I would guess that would be someone who you could feel "safe" around without fear of being vulnerable, attached or "clingy" towards, parts of your life might revolve around them. That's only my perception, though.

That's almost as bad as being asked, "How does that make you feel?"

Someone you could trust, share your deepest personal feelings and not feel awkward when they share their deepest personal feelings with. Someone who you can be emotionally supportive to and they are in return.

There are few people in my life like that. I had sharing too much because they never really understand it.

For me it comes down to who I can trust.
Sometimes the answer is no one... I have trouble coming to terms that the people I love sometimes turn on me which causes me to withdraw and eventually causes me to never fully expose myself - which I acknowledge is a bit sad.

Hehehe. Yes, indeed. She also asked that quite alot ... mostly I just shrugged in response because I didn't know the answer. Which I guess seems a little odd, because then she tried to feed me some suggestions to which I had to respond "I don't know", because I didn't really know what those things felt like.

Back to the subject of emotionally close...

It seems from the responses that this about feeling comfortable enough to really share with them what is going on in your head? To be emotionally close, does it have to be a two-way thing? I mean, not only do you feel comfortable enough to share that stuff with them, but they share that stuff with you also and you respond appropriately?

soulful connection. deeply felt appreciation. trust. a sense of both spoken and unspoken understanding. it might not last forever, but that doesn't make it any less true.

that's a guess anyway. i'm not sure if i've experienced it, but i think it could be one sided (however unhealthy that might be).

Somebody who you have strong feelings for. I'm assuming you probably have strong feelings for your husband. Do you have children you feel emotionally close to? Friends? Family?

I've always felt emotionally close to those that I can connect intellectually with. I'm not an expressive person though I am emotional so I feel close to those I talk a lot to and share interests with.

I don't think it has to be a two way street. She just asked if you feel emotionally close to anybody. You could ask her.

Honestly? I enjoy spending time with him and I'd be gutted if he left me - so does that count? We talk practicalities mostly and I don't usually share my personal thoughts with him (and he doesn't with me), but we have fun together and have enjoyed being together for 18 years. We have no children and I've always felt quite detached and neutral towards my family (from when I was very young as far as I was concerned they were just people who I shared a house with and who took care of me).

Friends ... I don't know. There are a couple that I have emailed with my personal thoughts on several occasions but that is really a very impulsive thing than something that I consider and really want to share with them. I often regret that I have done it because I don't really like to share that much of myself with people that I'm not sure are really my friends ... and I don't know how to tell if they are really my friends ... so I'm always questioning this in my head.

That involves actually articulating a question. Which is something that I really struggle with. I could write it down I suppose. I'm trying to become less reliant on writing stuff down and handing it over to my doctors and to practice actually talking but it's really f*cking difficult.

Well if you'd feel torn up if he ever left you I'd say that's definitely an emotional attachment.

Yeah, I'm like that as well, I write stuff down but then I end up just stuffing it in my purse and not reading it out because I'm kind of embarrassed in the first place that I wrote it down, so I just try to remember as much as I can. When I go to try and get a diagnosis for Asperger's I'm definitely writing down my symptoms and quirks down because it's too much for me to remember.

Back to your question, do you think he's emotionally attached to you? Do you think that he'd be torn if you left him? She just asked if you were emotionally attched to somebody so just start with that and see what she says after.

Being emotionally close means that you can connect on every level with the other person and tell them your deepest thoughts and feelings without having to fear ridicule. I'm emotionally close to my lover and to my best friends