Is it normal that i don't like to be touched?

As a child/teenager I was never hugged or kissed by my parents, never told I love you. I received no affection at home. To top it all of I attended a highschool with very strict pda (public display of affection) rules. No type of pda was allowed, no hand holding with a boyfriend or even just a bestfriend, obviously no kissing/making out, but the most ridiculous was that you weren't allowed to greet or say goodbye to a friend/boyfriend. Just nothing. This has conditioned me to be put off by everything. I feel extremely awkward when anybody attempts to give me a hug. It no longer feels natural to me. Even a handshake feels weird. Any contact feels strange, almost foreign.

I have been with my boyfriend for about 2 years now and I still feel awkward holding hands, him putting his arm around me, or kissing me in public. I'm completely fine with it in private, when nobody is around but I feel too uncomfortable to do that in public.

When I say goodbye to him after he drops me off at home, I say bye, I don't hug or kiss him at all, I can't even say I love you. I really wish I could muster up the strength to do so.

I'm too used to being closed off and not allowing myself to be open and have intimate contact with anybody. It's affecting me internally (emotioanlly).

I yearn for him to put his arm around me and show that I am in fact his girlfriend to my family, his family, our friends, but I simply can't drop this strange veil of "this feels wrong/unnatural".

I wish I was brought up differently.

I wish I had learned how to be comfortable in my body.

Alas my question remains, is it normal that I don't like to be touched?

I don't feel normal :/ which is the worst part.

Voting Results
59% Normal
Based on 32 votes (19 yes)
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Comments ( 7 )
  • Terence_the_viking

    Stop touchin my feelings.

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  • college

    I'm not really touchy feely myself. Honestly, you won't become comfortable unless you make it a habit. In this situation, you have to fake it till you make it.

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  • DiamondGirl

    I wanna hot Spanish guy to touch me right now aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

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  • StrawberryTurtle

    omg ur just like me !I fukn hate bein touched,i always take it as offense!

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  • Wuggums47

    I know were you are coming from, I have aspbergers, but I've and rarely initiate something like a hug, My mom usually even apologizes for hugging me even though I tell her she doesn't need too. But at the same time, I've never been in an environment were you can't even say hello or goodbye. I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment were I had a Mom who loved me more than anyone in the world, and well, atleast my Dad didn't start abusing me until I was 11, and always pretended to love me when other people were around. A policy like the one at your school seems so sad and opressive though, at my school the only people they ever yelled at about public displays of affection were the people who would kiss each other or something. I'd even get hugs from teachers at some schools I had been to.

    I think that considering your background, it wouldn't be normal to like touch.

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  • I don't like being touched either. That's why I always walk around with a machete wherever I go.

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  • iwasa90skid

    I knew a lot of people - especially girls - growing up who didn't like being touched. It's perfectly normal!

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